sleeping in a yurt

The very Yurts in which we will sleep tonight!!!



We are off on our summer jolly today. Elise is in charge at Bristol HQ. We are going, with 15 other people, to Cirencester to an organic farm camping in yurts. We are staying at an organic farm so there will be loads of lovely food and hippy stuff to do. We will have with us assorted children aged 2-18 so we will be quite busy entertaining and going on mini adventures. We have plenty of white wine and nibbles, sun cream (we are optimistic) and peanut butter (for some reason I crave peanut butter when camping). Everything is set up for us so all we need to do is move our bedding in and make a cup of tea.

As this my only jolly (unless you count Greenbelt - but I am working there so perhaps not) I am determined not to think about music hall. We are off to Liverpool again at the weekend so it is all go. Back to fox base alpha on monday.

mark's 1/2 marathon

This is a picture of Mark saving Claire Caddick and I from the rain after I left the lights on in my mum's car and the battery went. He came out and gave us a jump start. He is my hero.


Mark is very serious about the 1/2 marathon. He is now in training and has a chart on the wall that tells him what to eat, when to run, when to train, etc. I am very impressed by his morning sit ups and healthy eating. Anyway, if you would like to sponsor him he has set up a handy webpage for you - Bristol Half Marathon - Sponsor Me.

eva back, elise away

This picture was taken on a recent trip to Weston-super-mare (it was sunny and windy at the same time).



Because I have this PhD to write my mum has kindly agreed to have Eva most weeks this summer so I can get on with writing. I am trying hard to keep weekdays as flexible workdays - there are three sessions in a day (morning, afternoon, evening) I am allowed one session off a day to do something else. So far I have been quite disciplined though to be honest I am finding that I am working late most evenings - this seems to be my most creative time. Eva is back for the weekend. She has gone out to play on her scooter with her friend Shinola who lives across the road.

It is really odd not having Eva about in the week - I don't like it. But I know her being with my mum is far better that a holiday club or childcare (not that we could afford it). I just hope that this PhD makes sense soon. I have to keep telling myself that it will be worth all this effort.

Elise is in Liverpool, she is going to see the Arctic Monkeys at Lancashire's Old Trafford cricket ground tonight. Loads of Liverpool friends are going. I have a little pang of jealousy about it. But, it is only a little pang. I would rather be here with Eva and Mark. There is too much going on anyway for me to feel comfortable with going off to a giant gig (I am getting old!!!!) this weekend.

Well, Eva, Mark and I are all off camping next week. I need a bit of time away from this laptop and music hall. Elise, who has to work, is in charge at home. I will blog about it before we go. Today I am collecting and buying assorted camping stuff.

music hall website # 1

One of things I am looking at with my PhD is the way in which emotional memory has affected the way we speak about popular performance. That is, how the way we feel (or think we feel) about the popular of the past impacts on the the popular present. I am spending time investigating how people write and talk about music hall - how this fits into their identity and the way they think about the world. So, I am taking into account the views of music hall fans and biographers,as well as incorporating anecdote and speculation into my academic thesis. So, here is an example of the sort of website I am looking at - it is The Music Hall and Theatre Site - Dedicated to Arthur Lloyd 1839 - 1904. kept by his Great Grandson Matthew Lloyd who has built up a fantastic archive of material about Arthur Lloyd, the theatres he worked in and the stories that surround his life and work. There are many sites that focus on this sort of family music hall history. They are concerned with keeping memories alive, dealing with nostalgia and myth making. It is great stuff and really exciting to explore. Anyway, if you get a moment do have a browse round the Arthur Lloyd site.

bristol half marathon

Don't be alarmed I am not going to run the Bristol half marathon on . Never will that happen. I am built for comfort not speed. Mark on the other hand is honing a finely tuned running body and is going to attempt it. I am so impressed and really pleased for him. Since we arrived in Bristol Mark has been determined to get fit and this really is the proof.

The event takes place on Sunday 9 September 2007 so Mark is stepping up his training regime. He is going to run for a charity called Motivation , their website describes their work:
Motivation is an international disability and development charity working in low-income countries to enhance the quality of life of people with mobility disabilities. Our programmes aim to improve opportunities by positively impacting on disabled people's physical, social and economic situation to enable their full participation in society.

Mobility is an essential human right that enables people to achieve inclusion in all aspects of life. Motivation works in partnership with a range of organisations - from grassroots disability groups to national governments and international actors - to ensure that local people and organisations have the skills to meet the needs of disabled people in their communities and to affect positive lasting change.

He needs sponsors and support so please do contact him if you can spare some money. Also, if you would like to run give him a shout because the charity still has places. I will be going to provide moral support and after run cakes so do let me know if you woud like to join me as a spectator.

i don't like carrying things

I am back from Liverpool. It was an eventful weekend. Also, very encouraging. It was great to get back and be reminded about what I am being trained for. Sometimes I feel a bit disconnected from the bigger picture. It is easy to get caught up in things in Bristol and lose touch with what I am here for. Anyway, meeting new people and catching up with old friends helped to reconnect with the vision.

The weekend wasn't without it's dramas. Andrea was off to Malawi with Sahir House and I wanted to spend some time with her before she went. We had a lovely time just chatting and chilling as well as getting ready for her to go. I couldn't believe it when she called to tell me she hadn't got on the plane...her passport had gone missing. 24hrs later it was found in her parents porch! Thankfully the airline was good enough to honour her original ticket and put her on standby for another flight out. I haven't heard from her so I am assuming she has got there.

I went into town on Saturday to meet Phil J but it was raining so much and Eva was distracted so our browsing was limited and it was only a brief meeting. It doesn't feel like nearly a year since we last spent time together but it really is that long. I hope he will come down sometime in the summer. The spell in town made me realise how much I hate carrying things. Walking up Bold Street with bags of Eva's stuff made me fell weak and feeble. I hate the heaviness of carrying things. I hate the plastic handles on bags. I get very grumpy if I have to carry stuff - even a handbag! I have had to carry a lot of stuff this weekend. We moved from Andrea's to Claire's and I had to carry stuff in and out and up and down. I also had to carry Eva's stuff to Maddie's. I am really moaning about carrying aren't I?!

Anyway, it was a good meeting with Sara re: my PhD. Though loads of work to do. Also good to speak to David about plans for the future. Seeing Claire in her new house was great. Really good place to live and she is very happy and sorted there. We also got to have afternoon tea with Andy Del and bumped into Bob and Sue in town. Obviously, due to being so pushed for time didn't get to see everyone but think we will be up again very soon so perhaps catch up with more people then.

It is Eva's birthday today and after unwrapping even more presents Mark has taken her to my mum's for a few days so we can work. I miss her already. Really miss her. The quicker I get this writing done the quicker we can have a holiday.

liverpool

Eva and I are off to Liverpool for the weekend. Mark and Elise are going to be in Bristol working so it's just us. I am going to meet Sara Cohen my PhD supervisor and David Parry the DDO. I am also going to catch up with a few people. Though I have t say it will be a bit cocker with meetings etc so I might not get to see as many people as I would like. Might be a general 'I'll be on Lark Lane at ....'. If that happens I will let you know.

Sina Paymard - update

I have had this email from Amnesty:

We have heard from Sina Paymard's lawyer that he was not executed last night, which is very good news. The family are allowing 10 more days for the rest of the blood money in the case to be found. However, if the remainder of the money is not raised in this time, the family are determined to have Sina executed, so there is still work to be done.

Please continue with action.

Sina Paymard

I have just heard of the imminent execution of Sina Paymard, who was sentenced to death in Iran for a crime committed when he was just 16 years old. Sina may be executed within the next few hours.


From a press release Amnesty have just issued:

According to reports, he has been moved from Reja'i Shahr prison in Karaj, to Tehran's Evin prison, for his execution to be carried out.

Sina, a musician, was due to be executed in September last year for murder. On the gallows, his last request was to play the ney (a Middle Eastern flute) for the last time. The family of the victim was so moved by his playing that they granted him a last minute reprieve. Instead, they asked for 150 million toumans (over $US 160,000) as compensation. Sina's family, however, have not been able to raise the full amount.

Iran continues to have one of the highest rates of executions in the world. Amnesty International has recorded at least 124 executions since the beginning of 2007, suggesting that by the end of this year the total number of executions could exceed the total of 177 executions that Amnesty International recorded in 2006.

Two recent victims of the Iranian authorities' use of the death penalty were child offenders, whose alleged crimes were committed before the age of 18, and a third was a man who was stoned to death. The two child offenders -- Mohammad Mousavi and Sa'id Qanbar Zahi -- were executed in April and May respectively, in direct contravention of international law, which requires that no-one should be executed for crimes committed while under the age of 18.

Please take urgent action to halt the execution of Sina Paymard by visiting Amnesty action link

bra news

I know you can't wait to find out how I sorted the bra problem...well, I went on t'internet and ordered a new one from Amplebosom . It arrived on Saturday, I can report that it is a snug and comfy fit. I also ordered one from M&S which is due to arrive tomorrow. So, all is well. I am off to Liverpool on Friday so I will take the old ones in to Madame Foner for a service.

I love it when a plan comes together.

foundation litlle service

Last night I led the Foundation little service. It was a bit of a last minute call to lead but that was fine. I felt that I couldn't do anything too technically flash - really pushed for prep time and putting a presentation together seemed inappropriately. I felt I wanted to offer something far more meditative and reflective. Paul's letter to the Ephesians came to mind as a way to reflect on how Christian living should be. The letter has been referred to as 'the Gospel of the Church' and it offers a blueprint for ‘God’s new society’. The focus of the service was Ephesians 3:14-21

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

I tried to draw out the five key words:
· Strength
· Love
· Knowledge
· Fullness
· Power

Strength
I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith

This part of the prayer serves both as a reminder of our status as the people of God, but it also acts as a call for more strength, more power through his spirit. It reminds us that we should not remain complacent but need to be pressing on, moving deeper into our faith.

Love
rooted and grounded in love.

The purpose of this strengthening is not to simply to prepare us for bad stuff or to protect us from evil. In this prayer it is to root and ground us in love. Love for each other and love for God. The two metaphors being combined here – the one of gardening and the other architectural – serve to demonstrate that the unseen cause of our stability will be the same: LOVE. Our love is to be both radical and a fundamental nature of our experience.

Knowledge
I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge

The writer now shifts from our love (in which we are to be rooted and is our foundation) to Christ’s love (which he prays we may know). Indeed he acknowledges that we need strength or power for both – strength to love and power to comprehend Christ’s love. What is significant here is that this knowledge is only accessible ‘with all the saints’. Alone, we can know something of the love of Jesus. But the grasp of it is bound to be limited to our own experience. It takes the whole people of God to understand the whole love of God. Even then there is mystery in the phrase ‘know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge’ – it seems that this love is beyond the breadth and length and height and depth for all the saints combined to comprehend and know. This unknowable love is what keeps us exploring the riches of Gods grace!

Fullness
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

This is one of those phrases that appear to be in the continuous present. That is, in order for us to be full we need to be continuously filled up – filled up by the Spirit with strength, love and knowledge. We can’t sit back and rest on past spiritual experiences we need to be constantly sitting under Gods spiritual tap – being filled up day-by-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute.

Power
Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

Just a couple of words of warning before we end: firstly, if we pray like this (with strength, love and knowledge) things will happen, because this is powerful stuff. It’s not the power of government and kings, the rich and famous, or leaders, teachers or those who are clever. This is Gods power that is at work within us - it is for everyone, no matter what our status is. We all can pray this prayer for each other.

Secondly, don’t be limited by what you can imagine will happen or by what you have the desire to ask for. If you shift beyond this you will accomplish abundantly far more. Don’t limit yourself to your own capacity.

Third warning: This is not just for you or me or us. This prayer is forever. This is for glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. We are important, we are significant but we are only part of the picture. We are called to be visionaries. Seers. Prophets.

Can you pray this prayer? Lets say it together and see what happens…


I had made some paper people - with the names of each of the members of Foundation on them. So, we all took a few of the paper people and prayed the prayer for the Ephesians for these people. Silently we thought of each person. We lingered on this time of prayer for a while and lit candles for each other and the Foundation community. Everyone at the service took some of the paper people home to continue to pray for them throughout the week.

sunburnt

I must start this post with a correction - my last blog on hymn singing at Greenbelt requires alteration. The Big Sing will take place on Sunday 26 August at 2.30pm at The Arena. Thanks to Gayle for pointing this out - Just shows I wasn't paying attention!

I am going to be working at Greenbelt as part of the venue managing team in New Forms, worship/cafe. My shifts do allow me to take part in the Foundation worship session, which is due to take place on Fri evening, Billy Bragg - also on Friday and the Big Sing on Sunday. Obviously this is not all I want to do at Greenbelt, but it is a start!


Yesterday Mark, Eva, Elise and I went to the Gower Peninsular with Foundation friends. It didn't start off promising to be a good weather day - raining and very winy as we left Bristol. Nearly 100miles later the sun was out and the whole world looked very different. We made our way to the beach at Rhossili Bay, the others got wet suits and body boards and off we went to find a spot on the beach. It was beautiful. Really beautiful. I, of course, didn't go anywhere near the water but sat quite happily in the England beach chair watching and being pass remarkable. Anyway, despite the wind and the clouds I still seem to have got really quite sunburnt. Also, because I was too cold to take my t shirt off I have shirt marks - typically English suntan will emerge. My forehead (which is very large and always catches the sun) is red and shiny. A lovely look for summer. Hey ho.

Today I am resting (sunstroke and the drive have taken it all out of me). I am leading the little service tonight with a meditation on Ephesians 3: 14-21 so have some preparation for that to do. So, a quiet day with blips of spiritual insight (I hope).

hymns

thanks to the Cartoon Church I have just voted for my top 10 favourite hymns - the winners of the collective vote will be sung at the 'Greenbelt big hymn sing' to take place in the Greenbelt beer tent, during the festival in August.

If you want to vote go to the surefish voting page.

beatbox chef

as suggested by Becky. thanks mate. Missing you. xxx

bra

I can't believe I have broken the under wire on another bra! So much wear and tear you know!!!

So, what do I do now? This one was the best one - the best black one no less. So, I am up the creek without a paddle. I need scaffolding very quickly. If anyone in Bristol knows a good corsetier or a lingerie shop that isn't all thongs and sexy knickers (oh please don't make me go into one of those nasty shops) then please let me know. I want no nonsense, no frills good old fashioned knickers and bras.

Thank you.

something good

Last night was Tracey Wheeler's 40th birthday party - we had a great time round the Wheeler's - so thanks to them. Eva was very impressed by their Wii...and wants one for her birthday! Yeah, like that is going to happen. Anyway, during one of the conversations that was had around the table in the garden (yes it was a fine evening and we were able to sit outside) was about research. I had to admit that I had done a musicology project on Kate Bush's Cloudbusting for my MA (in Popular Music Studies). Thanks to Prof Philip Tagg the project made some sense of the music and lyrics. It was during this project that I met Phil Jackson who helped do a special thing on the computer which illustrated the various sounds on a graph. It was a work of genius (Phil's graph not my musicology project!). Anyway, to commemorate this event I will post two videos...

Kate Bush - Cloudbusting



Utah Saints - something good

freemasons

we all have a lot to be grateful to the freemasons for - not least for sorting out a decent tune from Beyonces latest single. Pop Justice pointed this out to me earlier in the week and I have been a bit distracted so didn't share it with you. Anyway, see which one you prefer.

Beyonce's effort



Freemasons make sense of it

facebook

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

there has been an upsurge in facebook activity - which has slowed down my email activity. I am not sure if it is affecting my blogging. I am a bit distracted at the moment so I suspect I wouldn't be blogging any more than I am even if facebook didn't exist. But it does. Have you signed up yet? Am I your friend?

elise's birthday

Look at these two lovely girls.









I have been feeling really exhausted this week and have found it hard to muster up energy for anything. But, it is Elise's 21st birthday today and I have to be on it. It is interesting that such occasions take on an energy of their own. Like a whirlwind - as you get sucked in you forget that you have a will. I have been making mistakes which is always a sign of being tired and/or slightly out of control:
I have forgotten to book babysitters for Sat and next Wed
I left the headlights on and the battery went - now I can't get the radio to work because my mum can't remember the code
I didn't put washing power in the washing machine and had to do the whole thing again
I have forgotten to get the stitches taken out from my wound - now it is going to be more painful and irritating - going tomorrow to see the nurse!


So, after Elise's birthday I am going to try to get some rest, some time to myself and generally not get so caught up in it all.

Tonight we are off to La Tasca for a meal and I think Elise and Claire are off into town. I can assure you I am going home for an early night. Stitches out tomorrow!!!!

Shazai

my loving husband sent me this video. I am not sure if he felt he needed to practice shazai.



I am trying to lay low for a few days. feeling a bit knackered. I guess the General anaesthetic has taken it out of me more than I realised. Shame the weather is so poo or I could spend glorious afternoons in front of the telly watching Wimbledon. Hey ho. Claire Caddick is coming to stay tomorrow for a few days so that will keep me amused. Quite excited to see her. Hope to feel more like having an adventure soon.

future of bold street

following my posting about Bold Street the other day you might be interested in a short film posted on the bold street blog about the future of Bold Street.



and an interesting new film by Kim Ryan. 'The Bolder They Walk' is a film set on Bold Street featuring Chris Bernard and Alex Cox, dressed as clergymen, who discuss art, culture and society as they take a walk along Bold Street. I wonder if them being dressed as clergymen is to critique religion or to provoke response in the passers by as they walk along Bold Street. I suspect it has something to do with their personal politics. They do discuss their faith at the end of the video. Very interesting take on folk religion, faith hope and love. I know John Davies walks down Bold Street, because he buys books from News From Nowhere - and he is a 'real' vicar. These two 'just like the costumes'.



Really missing home today. But not knowing when I can get back to visit. Hey ho.