Still damned safe

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@Historylover wrote:

You must be in the 'cloudy area' of Melbourne, @NatureLover 😒. Sun is shining here and the sky is blue. Looks lovely, at the moment.

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Yes, I got the lovely sunshine yesterday @Historylover ! Much needed (I have Seasonal Affective Disorder).

Nice to know you are in Melbourne too.

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@Historylover wrote:

Thank you for your good wishes. Take care.

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I hope you can take care too, especially as you are grieving the Queen.

@Historylover There are overlaps and differences between us that is for sure. You matter. I have my own experiences of secondary and primary abuse from within the psych and medical world. I am developing more defences and being less open (somehow I had to be totally open to get ot the significance of my life experiences which few really could share), while also trying not to be defensive.

It is always good to see you around on the forum, often giving warmth and support to others, sometimes in a more needy frame. Give and take is part of the nature of community.

My noted a couple of minutes of the queens funeral on a large screen yesterday. Respect. I try and find good things in most cultures ( high, middle or low) that can help me learn to live better. Not a b&w person or even a 50 shades of grey ...

Take care

Hey @NatureLover @Former-Member @RedHorse @Eve7

I couldn't write further yesterday, @Appleblossom. In fact, I still can't. I feel that I have run out of petrol and there are no filling stations about. I'm just limping on now, trying to do my assignments but, for the first time, I am not optimistic about doing it or finishing it.

Sending best wishes, and hope you have a good day. Looks nice outside.

Thanks for thinking of me. @Historylover

Up early today, but rested and ready to go to a gardening group. Lots of days I am not up for it, and am learning not to stress either way. Its a new thing for me to be able to do something just when I am in the mood...

The sense of running on empty is not easy. I am a believer in getting enough sleep, which does not always happen. Go gently with yourself til there is an upswing in energy, determination or optimism.

The pressure of getting my assignments done used to energize me,

@Appleblossom, and I could lose myself in them but, as I said, I'm running on empty at the moment and seem to be getting nowhere despite my efforts. Locating relevant articles and the tedium of the variety of reference requirements can do my head in!

I stopped to check in with the televised memorial service for the Queen at Parliament House, but it was so boring! Tedious, and then Anthony Callea sang 'You'll never walk alone'. Just seemed so inappropriate to my mind. Felt like Australia's Got Talent 🤔.

I must say that I am most impressed with Anthony Albanese to date. From my vantage point, he seems to have a depth of character seldom seen in a politician of any persuasion. Perhaps it is life's struggles that make us better people.

A good day for your gardening group. Enjoy!

@Historylover

Oh no not Anthony Callea! Maybe we should be proud he is an Aussie, but not my idea of funeral music when the English tradition has so many gems. Maybe its the monarchy's idea of catering to the popular taste.

"Perhaps it is life's struggles that make us better people." I think so, but first we have to survive them to be able to thrivey thingummy.

I tend to be wary of politicians but am proud of my daughter who rubs shoulders with them. I thought Albo handled the funeral and republican issue with respect, granting the public holiday, instead of grating with a party line. My son listened to parliament for a while when he was in year 7, it was embarrassing how immature it was. Politics is a part of life and I recognise that, and am glad I studied a fair deal of political science way back, I just try not to get too involved.

Never made it to garden group, but been flat out at home thinning out here and planting in there. I was told place was closed for public holiday but guy in charge did not seem to get that memo, and thought it wiser not to go.

Plus all my black leather shoes are polished. It is embarrassing how many I have now. One is really on its last legs (25yrs), but I love them so much I will wear them til they drop off my feet. Sort of spring cleaning. The oven got done yesterday.

Van Gogh 1886

I like Hubert Parry ... and Henry Purcell ... betta not drop ya haitches! Dear Henry ... lol

And we had an Aussie composer who wrote different music for Like a Hart ... beautiful psalm, which we sung every Holy Week. Looking up about the sentences now.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/music-queen-elizabeth-funeral-1.6587717

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPMPMQHQeKM

@Historylover I love this, converted me to singing in English. Did not know it was known as a Funeral Sentence.

Yes, @Appleblossom. Anthony Callea! I couldn't help but feel embarrassed that we Australians are supposed to think this appropriate at a memorial for the Queen. Then hundreds of attendees each put a sprig of wattle on a wreath...one at a time. I watched a couple of hundred go through the motions. Such a corny tribute, I thought, but perhaps that's just me. And then there was Melissa Doyle. Aargh! Makes me feel we are all amateurs here.

My computer has been down all afternoon, perhaps it had to do with the security breach.

Personally, I adored Prince Phillip and his personality. I understood where he was coming from when the media were criticizing him. His funeral was heart wrenching in its humility with the coffin transport–an expression of who he was. And I loved the Queen and her dedication to duty, through thick and thin–to think she worked to the very end–at the age of 96. What a woman. Kudos. Anyway, she's gone and we all move on.

I was very impressed with Anthony Albanese. Perhaps we are entering a different era for the political arena. (I'm not a republican, though.) It will be interesting if the tone becomes political, rather than confrontational. My politics studies has whetted my attitude a little at a good time. I understand a lot more of the actions, terminology and procedures now and that makes it a lot more interesting. It's very important to be politically savvy, but I don't think enough of us are. Too many of us seem to think that having an opinion is more important than actually understanding the complexity of what we are talking about.

You're very learned with music. I can't lay such claim. It just warms my heart and is the background music of my life, although I can't speak with any authority. I just know what I like. I like Händel and Vivaldi, and used to enjoy Andreas Scholl's singing in his heyday. My taste is broad and I just love it–and any art form that requires discipline.

Well, tomorrow is another day. Let's hope it's a good one.

Exquisite @Appleblossom. What do you normally sing in–Latin, German? Do you speak a foreign language yourself, otherwise? I must listen to more of this music.

I loved the music played throughout the Queen's procession. So stirring. I hadn't heard it before and there were a lot of people on Radio Classic asking about it.

@chibam is keeping a low profile, or perhaps he's just been occupied elsewhere. I hope you're doing alright! All good?

@Historylover

lol... a republican ... means allsorts of things (we have Irish and American aspects in our family) ... those 2 "republican" cultures are quite different ... and then there is here. The last choral thing I did was next to an Aussie Republican on the one side and an American Trump supporter on the other side ....what to do! ...lol ... talk about between a rock and a hard place. lol.

Another day. ... was pottering in garden for hours but its going to rain soon.

Growing up, i did Italian at school, and sometimes sang Schubert lieder in German with my mother. She did a BMus late in her 50s and I accompanied her a lot. She was born in Netherlands and German was easy for her. My singing started off with a little classical training in mid 30s, but I do not see myself as a soloist. 2006 I got back into singing in a steady run of choirs, and yes singing lots Latin, German and Italian. I never listened too much unless studying as in my marriage my ex and the oldest did not like classical. Tolerated it. As my mother never sang to me in English, though I did a little at school, it just did not flow as well, and the vowels are not as good as Italian for pure vowels sounds. But when we had to sing that Purcell, it was so beautifully set that even in English it felt good in the mouth and natural to sing. Some English singing feels a little too proper or contrived, anyway thats me, but I did not grow up with lots of well spoken English around me.

It was not a class thing, as we were poor and she was not educated til later, but a cultural background and her unique personality, thing. Today I had a neighbour tell me we did not have culture. He is young, been here 15 years, but I am answering back now. Dont tell me about my culture. We have plenty, if you look in the right places. We are still friendly.

@chibam Hey ... are you going alright?