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Peeps of the Heart

The call this morning went out sudden and urgent ....
Cousinfest today ALL day - issued by grandparental decree - to commence as fast as your mums and daddy's can get you here.
      *******
It was sheer Delight.
Behold,
a Smilebox Slideshow to commemorate and demonstrate -
put to the strains of Here's to Song from CCS' first album:  The Music Within.
The Chorus:
Here's to Song, here's to Time.
Here's to both with friends of mine.
Here's to friends who raise their voices high.... 
Kings have riches widely lain
Lords have land - but then again, 
We have friends and song no wealth can buy.

By the way, the kids sport an eclectic array of clothing, requiring some clarification:  
A teensy inconsequential spill on the front of Rachie's shirt caused a break-neck charge to my cupboard of 'spare' clothing --- which is code for 'dress-up' --- which is a highly revered past-time here.  LOL.

Free photo slideshow made with Smilebox

A Mom's Place

We did it.  We finally went through Mom's place.  

Sorting, discovering, claiming, giving away....

Right now, the experience simply defies words.  

The motherhood of all bitter-sweetness.

This heart is a torrent of feelings, 

some piled high and some carved low.  

But this head! ? ugh! --- 

it just seems to run around in an irreverent sort of way,

playing hide and seek inside that place.  

That space of tumultuous terrain. 

Hence the 'no words' dilemma. 

I'm glad to have this album of pictures to help me remember the way it was.

The song playing through the slideshow is 

Perfect Peace by Laura Story.

It is fitting -- but again, only strangely so.

My niece Julia (or was it Emily?) found her grandmother's old, sun beaten calendar which, 

on the day of her death records a curious but appropriate thought and prayer:

  

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, 

no mind has conceived what 

God has prepared for those who love him"  

I Corinthians 2:9

O Lord, lead me Home to heaven 

by whatever way I must go.

Great Hymns of Faith and other Favourites

To stave the clamour about the delay of our new CD, I am posting this peace-offering. We hope to have the final - finished - FABULOUS labour of love from the CCS community in your hands by November this year, at the very latest! As you play this video however, you'll want to keep the volume down (considerably) because the louder you go the more distortion in the quality of sound.  Heave heavy sigh.  Smilebox is a great little program for slideshows but it doesn't rate too high in the transmission of personal music files just yet.   I trust the 'better than nothing' motto will score me some understanding. Only three songs were permitted on this video - another silly restriction of the Smilebox program. But then, we can't give too much away can we?   Besides, the warbling of sound waves on this preview is really  too disturbing for ears that have tasted and tried the real deal.   Soon now, very soon.

Editor's addendum.  The pathetic soundtrack on the above slideshow was more than I could bear. I refer you to this site for a most remarkable replacement:   CCS CHOIRBLOG Thanks to the SWEET sweat of the resident computer whizkid over at CCS.

My Father's World

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The Big Surprise (partially) Unveiled

This is it. Part of Grandpa's current back-yard make-over.

There's a story behind it of course.

A lengthy one that I'm formulating for a future post. :)

The Annual Thanksgiving Family Hike

Family Baby :) Uncle Mark & Aunt Andrea and family

The Family Matriarch - Mom, Grandma, Super-Grandma!

Uncle Case & Aunt Di and family

                                           Uncle Barry & Aunt Jo and family

Uncle Gerry & Aunt Pauline and family

Uncle Rick & Aunt Sue and family

Uncle Adrian & Aunt Cathy and family

To Nicole from her Canadian family with LOVE - as always!

Slideshow of the family 'uncensored' making the annual mass family hike for Thanksgiving - Music: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing by the Trinity Praise and Worship Band

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the LORD is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.