Keep calm...

Game night...

Playing board games tonight was fun! (Knife!)

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner...

Here's a link to the poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge: http://www.online-literature.com/coleridge/646/  and here is the awesome Iron Maiden song based on that work...

Hear the rime of the ancient mariner

See his eye as he stops one of three

Mesmerises one of the wedding guests

Stay here and listen to the nightmares of the sea.

And the music plays on, as the bride passes by

Caught by his spell and the mariner tells his tale.

Driven south to the land of the snow and ice

To a place where nobody's been

Through the snow fog flies on the albatross

Hailed in God's name, hoping good luck it brings.

And the ship sails on, back to the North

Through the fog and ice and the albatross follows on.

The mariner kills the bird of good omen

His shipmates cry against what he's done

But when the fog clears, they justify him

And make themselves a part of the crime.

Sailing on and on and north across the sea

Sailing on and on and north 'til all is calm.

The albatross begins with its vengeance

A terrible curse a thirst has begun

His shipmates blame bad luck on the mariner

About his neck, the dead bird is hung.

And the curse goes on and on at sea

And the thirst goes on and on for them and me.

"Day after day, day after day,

we stuck nor breath nor motion

as idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean

Water, water everywhere and

all the boards did shrink

Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink."

There calls the mariner

There comes a ship over the line

But how can she sail with no wind in her sails and no tide.

See...onward she comes

Onward she nears out of the sun

See, she has no crew

She has no life, wait but there's two.

Death and she Life in Death,

They throw their dice for the crew

She wins the mariner and he belongs to her now.

Then...crew one by one

they drop down dead, two hundred men

She...she, Life in Death.

She lets him live, her chosen one.

"One after one by the star dogged moon,

too quick for groan or sigh

each turned his face with a ghastly pang

and cursed me with his eye

four times fifty living men

(and I heard nor sigh nor groan)

with heavy thump, a lifeless lump,

they dropped down one by one."

The curse it lives on in their eyes

The mariner he wished he'd die

Along with the sea creatures

But they lived on, so did he.

And by the light of the moon

He prays for their beauty not doom

With heart he blesses them

God's creatures all of them too.

Then the spell starts to break

The albatross falls from his neck

Sinks down like lead into the sea

Then down in falls comes the rain.

Hear the groans of the long dead seamen

See them stir and they start to rise

Bodies lifted by good spirits

None of them speak and they're lifeless in their eyes

And revenge is still sought, penance starts again

Cast into a trance and the nightmare carries on.

Now the curse is finally lifted

And the mariner sights his home

spirits go from the long dead bodies

Form their own light and the mariner's left alone.

And then a boat came sailing towards him

It was a joy he could not believe

The pilot's boat, his son and the hermit,

Penance of life will fall onto him.

And the ship it sinks like lead into the sea

And the hermit shrieves the mariner of his sins.

The mariner's bound to tell of his story

To tell this tale wherever he goes

To teach God's word by his own example

That we must love all things that God made.

And the wedding guest's a sad and wiser man

And the tale goes on and on and on.

And now for some penguins...

Watch this...

MLK...

One of the many thought-provoking, relevant statements from Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech:

"We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism."

This is so encouraging and affirming...the time is now.

Here's the whole speech:

It's Maru! It's Maru again and again and...

To remember...

God is using this song in my life...

The Time is Now

The battle line is drawn, it's all in black and white.

Hope is pulling forward, and fear, from behind, it's time.

It's time to make a move, so what will you decide?

The clock is ticking on, don't let it pass you by, it's time.

It's time.

The time is now, for lifting souls.

The time is now, for letting go.

From your skin, to your core.

Let light and love come rushing through the door.

Oh, come rushing through the door.

You've learned every song, memorized the verse,

Took the bread and wine and even bought the shirt,

It's time.

It's time to hold your shield, it's time to draw your sword,

Let's lead the resistance, oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord, it's time.

Yeah it's time.

The time is now, for lifting souls.

The time is now, for letting go.

From your skin, to your core.

Let light and love come rushing through the door.

Oh, come rushing through the door.

It's time to make a stand, to put your heart in greater hands,

From your skin, to your core,

Let light, and love, come rushing through the door.

Sisters, Brothers, thieves, and lovers

Come uncover eternity

turn your faces from finite places

Heaven's grace will set you free.

The time is now, for lifting souls.

The time is now, for letting go.

From your skin, to your core.

Let light and love come rushing through the door.

Oh, come rushing through the door.

It's time to make a stand, to put your heart in greater hands,

From your skin, to your core,

Let light, and love, come rushing through the door.

Inspiration...

So, one of my goals in 2012 is to craft and create.
(See this post: http://sjape.blogspot.com/2012/01/happy-new-year.html)

I am finding encouragement and inspiration right here at home...thanks Joanie!!  thanks Jedi!!

Check it out:
Joanie:  http://acreative365.blogspot.com/
Jedi:  http://creative-year.blogspot.com/

Finally...

Scene: the cafe of a large bookstore

Jonathan looks up from his beverage and with superhero-like eyesight spots a book across the store.
"I must see that book"
He pours over the book and brings it to show Judi.
"Do you relate to this?"  (reads several statements aloud)
Judi gives him that 'you know I do' glare, in jest.
Long story short, that book has a new home with us.
Jonathan feels extremely blessed that after 18 years of marriage God has finally provided the "Judi" instruction manual:

All kidding aside, it's been really great and helpful so far!

Happy Birthday JCL...

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday dear Saturday Club ("cloob") Johnny!

Happy Birthday to you!

With all of our love...you silly butterfly you!

Happy New Year!!!...

2012:  A New Hope

2012 has a theme...an awesome promise from God...A New Hope!  I'm excited to see what God has in store...glad to get out of the fog and 'poison' of the last couple of years.

My resolutions are the usual:  eat right and exercise, spend wisely and consciously, operate optimistically

I also hope to make time for crafting and creating.  My usual outlets for this part of my being are no longer an option and that's added to the pain of the last couple years.  My goal is to craft at least 10 things this year (yep, really dreamin' big).  I don't care if all I do is knit ten dishrags but I want to do something!  I hope to find inspiration in books I own and Craft Gawker (a wonderful but time-consuming website).

If you are a crafty sort, click on this link only if you dare and have some time to kill...I'd turn back if I were you...really, this is your last warning...okay, here it is BUT don't say I didn't warn you!!!






















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