"Sing"

At work, people were posting a list of their first favorite songs, and as someone posted this one by the Carpenters, a gush of memories came over me. My parents love the Carpenters, and Karen's voice was one of the first outside my family that could make me jump when I heard her.

Yes, the song is camp in the over exaggeration sense of the word. But as I look to the lyrics, I think of those, like my Dad, who have lived their life to sing, simplify, and make everything last for as long for as their life does. And what a celebration of life this song is.

Sing, sing a song

Sing out loud

Sing out strong

Sing of good things not bad

Sing of happy not sad



Sing, sing a song

Make it simple to last

Your whole life long

Don’t worry that it’s not

Good enough for anyone

Else to hear

Just sing, sing a song

"Sing" is a song from my childhood that's accompanied me these near 30 years - in a way it's become a mantra for my life. My mom used to sing this to me and my sister when she tucked us in at night, and I'm sure the song's messages sunk deep into my unconscious mind.

I loved seeing this some of my first TV friends, Bob, Luis, and Susan, on this video, where I first learned to love this song.

Can you believe how far Sesame Street has come? I doubt nowadays they'd allow the kid in the center of the shot to pick his nose (:44), or come belting in on Luis' solo. And to pull it all off with a tire swing, Luis' guitar, some distracted kids, and no muppets. It's simple. It's great.

You're in my soul

So Dale Carnegie, in How to Win Friends and Influence People, said that a man's name is his sweetest sound. I guess we're all narcisists then.

With that fact established, I suppose it won't make me look too out of line to say I love the song "Alisa" by Ariel Pink?

Thanks to Bob, who found this for me.

Transience

Does a fleeting, dying moment make beauty? Is it something that only happens if you happen to catch it on the way out, and therefore it becomes precious? If it could last forever, would it truly be beautiful? Or is it that it is something that points our attention to the present moment and its transience that makes us sense the fragile, careful qualities of the passing nanoseconds?

Here are raindrops on my favorite tulips, new this spring, taken today in such a moment.

The Holy Ghost over the bent world broods

Spring has officially arrived at our house. Hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips abound in every garden. My crab apple tree is in full bloom, and our neighborhood is full of tulips at every house and alive with spring.

Kevin is very proud of these white daffodils. So to celebrate, here's a little official Gerard Manley Hopkins:

And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

"God's Grandeur"

We all can love Earth Day

although this poet said that the writing pen was
a man's persuit of the virgin page
never dreaming of instruments suggesting
strokes, clicks, taps, and rolls
his words draw me out for celebration
because he said GLORY be to God for dappled things
and Ah! bright wings

Ancestral Picture

I dreamt last night of
the home of my childhood friend
whose mother told me she learned of my father and
illness
a pained, remorseful face
not quite connecting in the eyes

today: two dings, two clicks
two messages
how sorry she was to learn of
illness
from her mother

another friend, backpacking
withstood rain, cliffs, wind,
a waist too small to support her pack
gave birth - fourth child, first boy
while I was moving backward
to the place we had slept after that storm

elegant portrait from the past
face of my father, but soft
face I never knew that gave birth to
another face I never knew
from which he sprang
a realization of what grows
out of such eyes and cheekbones
a face my children may know

Favorite Places

This is one of my favorite places, where I had the pleasure of hiking this weekend with my dad and my husband, two of my favorite men.

This is from Devil's Garden, which I have decided is my most favorite hike anywhere. The three of us hiked out to my family's old backcountry camping spots, our secret arch, and the breakfast rock that we used to salute the rising sun when living out of our backpacks.

And, if you're craving more detail, sense, and emotion about this place, you can read my personal essay on it here.

7:45

It's 7:45 p.m., and the snow and rain have ceased enough that I am able to take inventory of my spring garden before twilight completes its magic.

And to my amazement: peach blossoms!

As I look at these blossoms on my peach tree, I reflect on my thoughts of canning and cobbler while we planted this tree last autumn. As I look at these tenderly blooming buds, I realize these blossoms will bear fruit in early autumn.

Each turn of the day, each moment of the seasons mean so much more to me now, knowing that our time here with loved ones is limited. But I hope there will always be time for peaches.

As the light within the lantern

It's been a hard day, but I am comforted by the beauty I saw on my walk around Temple Square. I picked another leaf of lamb's ear, noticed the cherry blossoms, and saw a bird's nest. These are some Temple Square tulips. And as I walked the gardens in the rain, I listened to this:

As the ruby in the setting,
As the honey in the comb,
As the light within the lantern,
As the father in the home,
As the eagle in the mountain,
As the sparrow in the nest,
So, Lord, art Thou to me.

- Johannes Tauler (1300-1361)

This is one of my dad's favorite hymns, and it has been memorable to sing this in church with my family. The line comparing God to "the father in the home" has always resonated with me. There's a special feeling when my dad is in the same room as I am, and I love his conversation, insights, and yes, corny jokes.

My dad recently got some serious health news. I want to preserve his privacy and not get too detailed, but I thought I'd let you know so you can send all your warm thoughts and good energy his way. I remember so many of you pulled together for him 4.5 years ago when he first got sick and helped make miracles happen. I also know the power of community.

At a chicken's pace

Last night I went on a short jog to celebrate two days of sunshine in a row. The weather has been so beautiful and fresh after days of rain and snow. I’m hoping to post some pictures of my garden tulips soon – if they would only show themselves.

I jogged past a bird-themed restaurant. To my amusement, there was a person in a bird suit outside the restaurant waving at cars. Now, I always think that wearing a costume on the street would be a humiliating job. It reminds me of the Pepsi commercial with the girl in the hot dog suit. How degrading.

Photo credit: slopjop

The bird waved at me, and I waved at the bird. As I jogged past, the bird walked in the opposite direction behind me. Then all of the sudden, I noticed the bird was right next to me, jogging in sync. It’s hard to be out of breath and laughing so hard at the same time. It also made me realize how slow I am, that someone in a bird suit can keep pace!

And if you want more chicken suit fun, check out the subservient chicken from Burger King. (Yes, I know it's old. But how long has it been since you visited?)

It is capable of being the mother of the world

For five years, I have kept this book at my work desk, always intending to open it for some meditation, but rarely remembering. Today, the Tao makes my soul sing.

There is a thing confusedly formed,
Born before heaven and earth.

Silent and void
It stands alone and does not change,
Goes round and does not weary.

It is capable of being the mother of the world.

I know not its name
So I style it "the way."

I give it the makeshift name of "the great."

Being great, it is further described as receding,
Receding, it is described as far away,
Being far away, it is described as turning back.

Hence the way is great, heaven is great, earth is great, and we are also great.
Within the realm there are four things that are great, and we count as one.

We model ourselves on earth,
Earth on heaven,
Heaven on the way,
And the way on that which is naturally so.