The Green Grass grows all around, all around...

 This song came to mind and I wanted to note it down somewhere - here is as good a place as any... This one is an Appalachian folk song, but there are many other versions. 

Green Grass Grew All Around

There was a tree (There was a tree)
A pretty little tree (A pretty little tree)
The prettiest tree (The prettiest tree)
That you ever did see (That you ever did see)
Oh, the tree in a hole and the hole in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around
And the green grass grew all around

Now on this tree (Now on this tree)
There was a limb (There was a limb)
The prettiest limb (The prettiest limb)
That you ever did see (That you ever did see)
Oh, the limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole
And the hole in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around
And the green grass grew all around

Now on this limb (Now on this limb)
There was a branch (There was a branch)
The prettiest branch (The prettiest branch)
That you ever did see (That you ever did see)
Oh, the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree,
And the tree in a hole and the hole in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around
And the green grass grew all around

Now on this limb (Now on this limb)
There was a twig (There was a twig)
The prettiest twig (The prettiest twig)
That you ever did see (That you ever did see)
Oh, the twig on the branch,and the branch on the limb,
And the limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole
And the hole in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around
And the green grass grew all around

Now on this twig (Now on this twig)
There was a leaf (There was a leaf)
The prettiest leaf (The prettiest leaf)
That you ever did see (That you ever did see)
Oh, the leaf on the twig, and the twig on the branch,
And the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree,
And the tree in a hole and the hole in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around
And the green grass grew all around

Now on this leaf (Now on this leaf)
There was a nest (There was a nest)
The prettiest nest (The prettiest nest)
That you ever did see (That you ever did see)
Oh, the nest on the leaf, and the leaf on the twig,
And the twig on the branch, and the branch on the limb,
And the limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole
And the hole in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around
And the green grass grew all around

Now in this nest (Now in this nest)
There was a bird (There was a bird)
The prettiest bird (The prettiest bird)
That you ever did see (That you ever did see)
Oh, the bird in the nest, and the nest on the leaf,
And the leaf on the twig, and the twig on the branch,
And the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree,
And the tree in a hole and the hole in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around
And the green grass grew all around

Now on this bird (Now on this bird)
There was a feather (There was a feather)
The prettiest little feather (The prettiest feather)
That you ever did see  (That you ever did see)
Oh, the feather on the bird, and the bird in the nest,
And the nest on the leaf, and the leaf on the twig,
And the twig on the branch, and the branch on the limb,
And the limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole
And the hole in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around
and the green grass grew all around

Now on this feather (Now in this feather)
There was a flea (There was a flea)
The prettiest flea (The prettiest flea)
That you ever did see (That you ever did see)
Oh, the flea on the feather, and the feather on the bird,
And the bird in the nest, and the nest on the leaf,
And the leaf on the twig, and the twig on the branch,
And the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree,
And the tree in a hole and the hole in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around
And the green grass grew all around

http://www.stephengriffith.com/folksongindex/the-green-grass-grew-all-around-2/

June 8th 2021- In the garden - 'Feel Better in Five'

I went against all my principles and bought, actually paid for, and even read, a self-help book last year; 'Feel Better in Five' by Dr Rangan Chatterjee.

It's a glossy book, full of pictures of Dr C; here he is, balancing in an elegant yoga pose, there is he in the kitchen, drinking some thick, healthy, green smoothie, now he is just standing in a garden looking  like someone who has followed all the advice in his book.

 I chose it because you pick and choose three activities from a selection, none of which last for longer than five minutes, and he promises if you do these three activities every day for five days in the week, for a decent number of weeks, you will feel better. 

I chose my activities carefully so that I could continue to be rather lazy and non-energetic, and still feel as though I was doing 'well-being' and 'mindfulness' and all 'improving your health and fitness' sort of stuff without exerting myself to any great degree,

The one activity I have managed to stick to is 'spend five minutes every day in the garden'. He advises that going out in bare feet is best; now that it is June I am perfectly happy to comply with his recommendation.. I wander around, ignoring weeds and other distractions, looking to see what is happening out there. Once you get your eye in, there is plenty to see.

Today it is all about the colour red;

Another three poppies have mysteriously appeared where yesterday there was but one, and there are a few tiny bright red flowers on the salvia 'hot-lips'. 

One of the strawberries is beginning to turn red...   

  

and there are just a couple of flowers on a salvia 'hot-lips', a startling burst of colour against the mainly green leaves in the border.  

June 8th 2021 - Restarting this blog - Through the year

  I'm restarting this blog from today, with the view of creating 

'Through The Year' - dare I call it a book in progress?

I've had a couple of attempts, for January and February, lost my way, had a rethink, and now this will become the fresh start.

The plan is to post throughout the month, every month, and see what happens then.

 

The first poppy opens, from a plant given to me by some friends last year.

Take Courage

This is a blog I enjoy reading about small everyday architectural features in our towns and villages.

Here's the picture from the particular post I have linked to;




It's not actually a 'spiritual' sign as in religion of liquor;

if you read the post, you will see that this is one the side of what was the Courage Beer brewery in London.

Hope - Emily Dickinson

A year or so ago, I decided to try and learn a poem every week - or so.

It wasn't entirely successful as a plan. A few weeks in, and I discovered that the poems I learned at the beginning of the month were more or less fully evaporated by the end. 'Hope is the thing with feathers', along with 'Prayer (1)', which I've already posted, was one of the many poems I learened and forgot.

It's good to revisit the poems some time later -they acquire new resonances and depths of meaning as life affects the way you see things.

Dangerous Weathers

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Storm_clouds.jpg

God,

ransack the littled ordered rooms of my dignity,

and cast me out into the wide and dangerous weathers of 

my deepest needs.



Author unknown, from Prayers for Hard Times collected by Becca Anderson, via Rev Andrew Dotchin Lent course 19th March 2020  

Ship