Prayer of St. Francis

This is Sarah McLaughlin's version of the Prayer of St. Francis. I found this beautiful video off YouTube that uses her version. There is some absolutely stunning imagery as part of this video. Enjoy.

More Birthdays James, Richard and Belated to George....

A couple of last Birthdays of famous artists. Today is the birthday of James Van Der Zee who lived from 1886-1983. He was an African-American Photojournalist who was famous for documenting Harlem in the 1920s. One of his pictures is set above. Yesterday, June 28, was the birthday of Richard Rodgers. Rogers lived from 1902-1979 with a career that spanned more than 60 years. Some if his most famous work was with his partnership with Oscar Hammerstein. Some of their most notable work among so many others was The King & I, South Pacific, Oklahoma and the Sound of Music. For his time and place Rogers was never afraid to lift out the evils of discrimination and lift up always hope for the future. I've placed a video of Hugh Jackman (the love of my life..ha) singing Oh' What a Beautiful Morning as he played Curley in the west end London version of Oklahoma. And lastly, last week held the birthday of George Abbott who lived until the age of 107, dying in 1995. Abbott directed some of the best Broadway musicals and golden era films. He directed such classical works as, Pal Joey, Wonderful Town, Damn Yankees, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Once Upon a Mattress, among others.

Makeover

My friend Beth made-over the look of my blog....kind of like that Home-Improvement show on cable where two friends make over each other's place. It's been kind of fun...For before and after shots, look at her blog where she also gave the details of how she did each step. A link to her site is also on the sidebar to the right under, C. Beth's blog. By the way, I've added some other blog sites to the sidebar: One, Maggie's Austin that highlights out of the way restaurants that you might normally miss, or new ones, and upcoming bands and musicians coming to Austin or playing in Austin, like for example one of my favorite bands from Athens Georgia, Widespread Panic. Second, is a blog called ErzaPound Cake and it's a cooking blog; and then I put a blog called Operation Beautiful, all about ways to recognize inner beauty while taking care of yourself physically. And lastly, I put a blog that highlights my friend Melea's year of study in Zambia. So, here's also Beth's blog site for the makeover details :-), C. Beth blog. Let me know your thoughts on the makeover :-). Before and after shots included. Before:
....After, of course, you're looking at it...silly me :-).

Just too cool...

Currently being performed in Central Park, New York, is William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. The epitome, to me, of summertime beauty....the combination classical lines of Park and one of the greatest English playwrights of all time. This production stars Anne Hathaway as Viola and Audra McDonald (one of my favorite singers) as Olivia. This picture (above) is from the New York Times, Friday, June 26. I wish I lived in New York.

Farrah

From the Partridge Family....

And, this old commercial...

Michael Jackson

When I heard about Michael Jackson dying, I thought I hope this troubled soul finally finds peace. Undoubtedly he was a very, very talented individual but maybe fame, fortune and his own brokenness got the better of him. This is how I want to remember him....when I was a little kid and he just a handful of years older...someone full of natural talent, still young and untarnished. Enjoy the memory of the Jackson Five singing, Never Can say Goodbye.

Women in Jazz

This is my original post for today. I heard this lady on the local Austin NPR station, KUT. Her name is Pamela Hart and she is phenomenal. She makes her home here in Austin. Enjoy this cut of a performance at the Paramount.

Happy Birthday Norman Cousins and Spiritual Practice in the Ordinary

Today, June 24, is the birthday of Norman Cousins. Cousins lived from 1915-1990. He is considered an American Essayist and known for his editorial role of the classic periodical, the Saturday Review. He will be best known for his books on the healing power of laughter. One of his most famous, "The Celebration of Life: A Dialogue on Hope, Spirit, and the Immortality of the Soul." Some quotes by Cousin's, "Hope is independent of the apparatus of logic." And, "If something comes to life in others because of you, then you have made an approach to immortality." And one more, "Man is not imprisoned by habit. Great changes in him can be wrought by crisis - once that crisis can be recognized and understood. " and thus I can't resist some last thoughts, "Laughter is inner jogging; and, Life is an adventure in forgiveness."

Laughter could be considered a spiritual practice in some ways. Laughter is healing and can connect us to the presence of God. I think anyway. In my daily blog reading, I came across a suggestion on Christine Sine's blog site, Godspace (see my side panel for the direct link). It talks about spiritual practices in the ordinary things we do. In answer to what is spiritual practice in the ordinary things we do (connecting our everyday life to our faith), she presents a poem a friend of hers wrote on Spirituality in the act of taking a simple shower. Check out the poem called Shower Prayer by Maryellen Young. Here's the site address, http://godspace.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/the-spiritual-practice-of-taking-a-shower, or click on the side panel link for Godspace and look at the June 24 entry. It's worth a look....holy in a beautiful and non assuming way. What everyday things do you do that exemplify your faith. I would be blessed to know.

Update from Monday

I only thought I was past it. I discovered last night that I had one pock (besides the one I knew was waiting to dry out more to be released back to my classes and clinical work...sorry if that sounds gross) in the crease of my right knee that was blistered. I was hoping and praying all day that it would start to change in form and see some indications of healing. But no change. Please pray. I've been out for almost a week now...restless and concerned that I will not be able to make up the time in the program. Thanks :-).

Discipline & 2 Birthdays last week

CPE has taken all my energy so to speak. It's a tremendous growth experience and a huge opportunity for which I am grateful, but completely draining.....and then at the end of last week I developed a latent (post 20 days) reaction to a vaccine. I got a "mild" case of the chicken pox. I still broke out all over and was uncomfortable; albeit the worst was being sent home and not being able to participate in any aspect of the the program for a week. Many of my friends know this portion of my story already. Now, I feel I'm past the reaction (all the pox are resolved as they call it) but waiting for the appointed time to commence where I left off. It's like the discipline of waiting on God...okay God I'm ready now, but then God says not so fast....so many stories in the Bible refer to this...Abraham and Sarah for one. And so, I wait with my at home to-do list and latent anxiety that all will be fine :-).

Two birthdays I didn't blog about last week. Harriet Beecher Stowe who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin had a birthday last week, as well as Lillian Hellman who wrote the Children's Hour. Stowe's masterpiece was Uncle Tom's Cabin, a story that changed history....a story that brought the travesty of slavery and the unalienable rights of freedom and justice for all people to light. In her obituary from July 2 1896, the writer said Stowe heard their stories and saw their wounds; she helped their flight. In her own words (written in the article), she said that the story of Uncle Tom was not hers, but given to her with the implication that the gift did not come from a earthly source.
Lillian Hellman who lived from 1905-1984 was one of the United States most famous playwrights who was subsequently blacklisted during the McCarthyism Era for not "rating" out her friends and colleagues as "communists". One of her most famous plays was the Children's Hour, where the issue of slander and belief was addressed. A startling story and one that is still true today.

Searching for a new look and Happy Birthday William

William Butler Yeats was born on this day, June 13, 144 years ago in Dublin, Ireland. (Yeats died in France in 1939. He was 74 years old.) Yeats is one of my favorite poets. One of my most favorites of his is the poem, The Second Coming.

"TURNING and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

To read more poems of Yeats, go to http://www.online-literature.com/yeats. Happy Birthday WB!!
I have not written/blogged anything recently....lots of learning and changes as I progress in my summer CPE program. However, two things to get me writing again (I know I need this outlet of communication): 1) I'll highlight for awhile one person; artist, poet or great thinker, every time I post when the post coincides with a particular person's birthday, such as Yeats above. And, 2) Please give me ideas/knowhow for a new look to my blog. I think some newness might give me the motivation to start writing again, and get somewhat of a following, or at least a way to express myself through writing again. Thanks for your input in advance~