A Continuation of Reflections

Los Angeles. John just opened my Auden's selected peoms,the book fell opened at this poem,which on reflection feels appropriate,because Susan told her grand-daughter the her grand-father had gone to the stars. I was told my grandfather was the brightest star in the sky and I always looked for the brightest star and remembered him. W.H. Auden Listen (to Auden read) A cloudless night like this Can set the spirit soaring: After a tiring day The clockwork spectacle is Impressive in a slightly boring Eighteenth-century way. It soothed adolescence a lot To meet so shamelesss a stare; The things I did could not Be so shocking as they said If that would still be there After the shocked were dead Now, unready to die Bur already at the stage When one starts to resent the young, I am glad those points in the sky May also be counted among The creatures of middle-age. It’s cosier thinking of night As more an Old People’s Home Than a shed for a faultless machine, That the red pre-Cambrian li...

We did not have a meeting today,our dear friend of 43 years died today! "Lead kindly Light" JL "Even if I go through the deepest darkness" HC

I found a book which was given to ue by a young woman who shared our home Seven Sisters in Liverpool. her inscription was written in September 25th 1988. Dear Helen and John thankyou for everything I'll always remember Seven sisters with lots of warmth and love ( the a little hebrew phrase) Love N. John and I were touched to read this and talked about N for a while with fond memories and a pride that she is now a beautiful woman,a wife a mother and counsellor. The book was Highland Dress ( a King Penguin Book) pubished in 1948 I chose to read of The Stewart tartan because it is John's tartan and the Buchanan because it is my tartan. The text refers to pictures which are in this wonderful little book. Plate 1 Stewart or Royal Mc Ian has appropriately enough chosen to represent the Stewart tartan by portraying Prince Charles Edward Stewart,"the Young Pretender!, taken from a contemporary miniture.The prince is seen here at the height of his career when he held Royal Court ...

Los Angeles We both feel we are in waiting period and feel tense. John found this in the Golden Treasury of Irish Poetry The poem is in Irish but this is the introduction and the translation. this meditive monk for so long ago help soothe us. Scholar and his cat. The early 9th centuary poem was found scribbled on a manuscript in Austria and bacame justly famous. The whole of the scholar's life is reflected in its gentle,meditave humour,and many scores of literary cats have since andwered to the name of Pangar. Poem Myself and White Pangar are each at his own trade:he has him mind on hunting,my mond is on my own task. Better than any fame I prefer peace with my book,pursuing knowledge; White Pangar does not envy me,he loves his own childish trade. a tale without boredom when we are at home alone,we ahve interminable fun-- something on wich to exercise our skill. Sometimes ,after desperate battles,a mouse is caught on his net; as for me there falls some difficult law hard to ...

Kitchen Castlenel Feeling sad as our friend is getting sicker by the day. John opened some chilled 95 . We had nothing prepared but I thought it would be good to tell each other the story of a movie we liked. I started and told the story of one on my Mum's favourite old movies. Imitation of Life. Story of a successful movie star ,her daughter and her friend and maid ,(black woman)and her daughter. Whose life was real? I cried telling the story! John told me the story of Wargames. A movie he enjoyes because it is a period piece and because in many way it still feels relevant,and beacuse the name of the family in the movie are "The Lightmans" the name our five children gave themselves. It was a good thing to do we both enjoyed it and think it will be part of May 22nd club in future evenings.

We sat in the town square in Castalla in the sunshine for our meeting tonight. I was feeling sorrowful because my dear friend is so ill. and my folks are frail ,mum in care,dad adjusting to this new way of life. A friend in LA sent me shakspears quote "When sorrows come they come not as single spies but in battalions" Hamlet This pretty much sums up what I have been feeling,John and I talked through what we felt the meaning of this quote was, and it was good,helped me know for sure I must stay in Castalla a bit longer take care of myself and rest. John chose a wonderful passage from Douglas Adams This made us both laugh out loud,it amazes me how i can be so sad and still be cheered thank goodness for the human spirit,John and Douglas Adams The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul Douglas Adams Chap1 It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on earth has ever produced the expression 'As pretty as an airport'. Airports are ugly. Some are very ugly.Some attain a degree of...

Los Angeles Castlenel. 25.05.10 We collected Fergal today ,and took him to the car wash and gave him a well deserved clean. Seeing the car going through the wash reminded me of the day we collected the car in Ennis in County Clare in 2004. We drove from County Clare to County Galway for the launch of John 0' Donohue's book Divine Beauty. I went in search of the book this evening and came across this Spanish Proverb. "There is nothing as beautiful as the sadness of one who is blind in Granada." This lead to an interesting discussion on the meaning of this proverb, and the way connections happen. eg collecting the car in Castalla ,memory of John's launch in Ireland,and finding a Spanish proverb in and Irish book. Johns choice was The Labyrinth Anthropos apteros for days Walked whistling round and round the Maze, Relying happily upon His temperment for getting on. The hundreth time he sighted, though, A bush he left an hour ago, He halted where four alleys crossed,...

I chose a wonderful passage from "The Bonesetter's Daughter" Amy Tan takes me into the world of 1930's rural china and the fascinating art of making ink. After a long trip from the country Luling visits her father's shop to see where the ink is sold. Then Little Uncle brought us hot tea and sweet oranges,as well as bamboo latticework fans with which to cool ourselves. I tried to notice everything so I could later tell GaoLing what I had seen,nd tease out her envy.The floors of the shop were of dark wood,polished and clean,no dirty footprints,even though this was during the dustiest pert of the summer. And along the walls were display cases made of wood and glass.The glass was very shiny and not one pane was broken.Within those glass cases were our silk-wrapped boxes,all our hard work.They looked so much nicer that they had in the ink-making studio at Immortal Heart village. I saw that Father had opened several of the boxes.He set sticks and cakes and other shape...

Los Angeles 7.00 PM John found our Golden Treasury of Verse today, and was thrilled to find the W B Yeats poem The Wild Swans of Coole. We visited Coole Park scores of times when we lived in County Clare, apart for looking for the wild swans ( we only ever saw a pair) we loved the boxed hedge garden ,the amazing lime green butterflies that always seemed to fly in pairs,and of course the great tea room. T HE TREES are in their autumn beauty, The woodland paths are dry, Under the October twilight the water Mirrors a still sky; Upon the brimming water among the stones 5 Are nine and fifty swans. The nineteenth Autumn has come upon me Since I first made my count; I saw, before I had well finished, All suddenly mount 10 And scatter wheeling in great broken rings Upon their clamorous wings. I have looked upon those brilliant creatures, And now my heart is sore. All’s changed since I, hearing at twilight, 15 The first time on ...

Los Angeles Castlenel. Los Angeles is the name we give to our lounge,which is on the second floor of Castlenel. I is calles Los Angeles because I was given a lot of angels as gifts when we left Ireland, and this is where the angels live. John's had first choice this evening as we sat by the balcony , over looking .Carrer Mig. Chosen because this passage resonates with both of us, it reminds us of the changes during summer days here in Castalla From Tales of THE ALHAMBRA. W Irving. I occasionally amuse myself with noting from this balcony the gradual changes that came over the scenes below according to the different stages of the day. Scarce has the grey dawn streaked the sky and the earliest cock crowed from the cottages of the hill-side,when the suburbs gives signs of reviving animation,for the fresh hours are precious in the summer season in a sultry climate. All are anxious to get the start of the sun in the business of the day. The muleteer drives forth his loaded train fo...

On May 22nd 2010 ,my youngest son's 35th birthday. John and I decided to share a poem,a book review or anything else we were inspired by,with each other at 7.00 pm on the balcony at Castlenel. When we are in Castlenel Castalla Spain, we usually meet on the balcony or in Los Angeles for a glass of wine. We said we would choose something to read or talk about,and we would say why we chose this before we took our turn. We think we will do this as much as possible while we are here in Castlenel, and we will do it as much as we can once we are back in the real world. We are planning on expanding the May 22nd club to include friends and family, and have a meeting once a month on the 22nd where ever we are. I was first to choose my reading on the balcony that first night. I chose to read this piece from Thomasina by Paul Gallico we are going through a difficult time and I always read Thomasina when things are difficult. This book is set in Argyll in Scotland and told by Thomasina the ...