Its not as cold as it has been. Sophie and her master watch the sun rise. In the distance we can see the large Holy Oak which stands alone in a field next to the Holy Well. In Scotland names like this would hint at folk beliefs that predated Christianity. Here it probably relates to some medieval plague and an unpolluted spring. Needless to say no one in the village remembers why the oak and the well are 'Holy'.
The PONs are in fine fettle and enjoying the cold.
At the supermarket the staff are busily stacking the shelves with large boxes of chocolates. These have names that are supposed to ooze sophistication - Champs Elysees or Arc de Triomphe are particularly popular. Christmas is hurtling towards us.
Shock horror. No croissants at the bakers. We do however get a pain aux raisin. The curly, raisin free ends, are unravelled and shared with the PONs. They are tail wavingly thankful.
On our return home Sophie opts for half an hours restorative nap. She snores.
There was a time when the layout of the New Yorker magazine with its small, busy typeface seemed difficult to fathom. Now, having taken out a subscription, it turns out to be the home of some fine journalism. In a late October edition ( it takes a long time to get here by post ) this description of a sermon : '' Dr William Barber, the pastor of the Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and one of this country’s most powerful moral voices, went to a pulpit in Greensboro carrying a shofar, the ram’s horn that is sounded in synagogues on the High Holy Days. Barber, a hulking man who suffers from a painful affliction of the spine and joints, winced as he rose from his chair and then blew the shofar, summoning the crowd from song to contemplation of the historical moment.“There are seasons when we are made to be still,” he said gravely. “And we need the kind of singing you just experienced, so that we can handle the nightmares.”
I know nothing at all about Dr.Barber or his politics but found this You Tube clip of him which at the 27:20 mark shows he has a truly wonderful voice and a wry and lucid and charged sense of humour. A good reason to celebrate Thanksgiving although the lady chewing gum at the desk seems strangely unmoved : https://youtu.be/hWNIXNtsrFA?t=1625
8 comments:
Dr Barber is truly a rousing speaker and his stance on many issues is pretty clear from that YouTube clip.
Funny you should mention the pain aux raisin. A couple of days ago I found myself wondering if you ever branched out in your breakfast choices!
Cheers, Gail.
On the rare day that we have a P au R I always eat the outside around and finish with the best bit in the middle. My dog does not get a look in.
Haha we loved the description of the local holy attractions. It is sad that the names and meanings of such places are lost in time.
It looks like the Pons winter coats are in and keeping them warm.
Hari Om
Dr Barber is a necessary component of balance it seems.
OOOOHHHH - those are what my dad used to call 'curny snails' (as in currants) and they are a family fave to this day - AND I eat them exactly as "Potty" does! YAM xx
Happy Thanksgiving to those that are celebrating this holiday today.
Thankful for this blog that I enjoy each day.
I have been here for years, just don’t write often.
Rev. Barber inspired and led the Moral Mondays protests against some of the most egregious vote-suppression efforts by the Republican state government in North Carolina a couple of years ago. I am proud to say that friends were among the first arrested, and they credited the NAACP with excellent training on how to do passive resistance safely. Also, the capitol cops were very good. He was among this year's MacArthur "genius" grant recipients, and he has picked up the baton of Dr. King at a time when that is much needed.
Thank you. And a hearty word of encouragement to your friends.
He's tenured faculty, so an arrest on the record less likely to be damaging overall. :-)
Post a Comment