Scenes from Gerringong

It's been a long time, but I'm back to my blog.
These shots were taken in Gerringong, in July, too cold to swim for me, but not too cold for this solitary surfer. An iconic Australian scene.
A view of Boat Harbour in Gerringong on the South Coast. Crisp weather and slate grey seas. No dolphin sightings, though we were told that whales had been heading north along this part of the coast.
A windy day, with impressive "sea horses" being swept up atop the waves. Gloves and beanie weather. And not a single surfer!













This simple flower was snapped on my morning walk back at home. Something of its intensity grabs me, the contrast between its dark blue centre and its luminous white petals. "Perfection in every flower / In every plant Your hand".

Creativity

The following excerpts from books were collected by Jill G, who led a lively discussion on them at housechurch last Sunday. Maybe there's something here you can connect with.

"The extravagant is the very stuff of creation. After one extravagant gesture of creation in the first place, the universe has continued to deal exclusively in extravagances, flinging intricacies and colossi down the aeons of emptiness, heaping profusion on profligacies with fresh vigor. The whole show has been on fire since the work go….

The world is full of creatures that for some reason seem stranger to us than others…hagfish, platypuses, lizardlike pangolins, butterflies emerging from anthills…spiderlings wafting through air clutching tiny silken balloons, horseshoe crabs….the creator creates. Does he stoop, does he speak, does he save, succour, prevail? Maybe. But he creates, he creates, he creates everything and anything…….

This, then, is the extravagant landscape of the world, given, given with pizzazz, given in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over."
From "A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” by Annie Dillard.

“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the object it loves.”
Carl Jung.

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."
Pablo Picasso.

"Straightaway the ideas flow in upon me, directly from God."
Brahms.

"The creative person is characterised by…acceptance of ambiguity and uncertainty….flexibility…tolerance of complexity…curiosity….non-conformity and reasonable risk-taking.."
From a counselling textbook by Gerard Egan.

"When you surprise yourself, you are being creative.
When you can look at something outside yourself and experience its unique reality, you are being creative.
When you can see a challenge, and are prepared to adapt yourself in order to meet it, you are being creative.
When your imagination ticks as you do boring work, you are being creative.
When you shift awareness from what is frustrating you (waiting for a bus) to what is all around you ( human life) you are being creative.
When you are ready to absorb new information and allow it to change you, you are being creative.
When you approach a familiar person as though for the first time, you are being creative.
When you approach a familiar task as though for the first time, you are being creative.
When you experience adversity as a challenge, you are being creative.
When you can identify with someone else’s experience and add it to your own, you are being creative." Stephanie Dowrick.
.

At Closing Time

At Closing Time

*

You've got your poison,

I've got mine.

I've got religion,

You've got wine.

You say, "Just one more drink?"

I say, "Thanks, but I'm fine."

Let's see who's still standing

At closing time.

*

We're so diffferent -

So much the same.

We both need something

For the pain.

Something to hold on to,

To help us over the line;

But who'll still be standing

At closing time?

*

At closing time the Barman's bell is ringing,

It's a sound that finally breaks the spell;

And there's a chorus of drunken angels singing,

On their way to heaven or to hell.

*

I look in the mirror -

Who do I see?

How much is you?

How much is me?

How'd I even get here,

And how'd I blur the line?

And who'll still be standing

At closing time?

*

At closing time the Barman's bell is ringing,

It's a sound that finally breaks the spell;

And there's a chorus of drunken angels singing,

On their way to heaven or to hell.

*

God's in his Heaven,

But all's not well.

This ship is sinking -

Can't you tell?

Now who will man a lifeboat

And who'll be in the brine?

It's one or the other

At closing time.

*

Copyright Geoff Gannon

Secret Spring Music , 2005.

Eden falls...and rises

Eden, one of Ken's lovely grandchildren, is here busily illustrating what the adults are talking about at Homehurch. Ken is pensive in the background. A week later, in fact, the day after Michael's talk on Music and Meaning, Eden took a nasty fall while doubling on a push-scooter, hit her head hard on the road, and was concussed. Her sister raised the alarm immediately, and Eden was rushed to Katoomba Hospital. There it was decided she needed to be airlifted to Westmead. At Westmead she was stabilised and checked out thoroughly.


There were a few anxious days of waiting to see how bad things were, but Eden improved quickly, and even concerns about her nose being broken proved wrong.


In the last two shots, Eden is back at Homechurch, almost completely back to her normal self, though a little quieter and sporting two black eyes and a big bump on the forehead.


Eden, we hope you're completely recovered soon, and back to drawing your beautiful pictures for everyone.

Music and Meaning

Our Homechurch invited our talented friend Michael Webb to talk to us about Music and Meaning. We took the opportunity to invite a few friends along to hear him - about 40 people, actually. Ken and Jan hosted the night in their home.
We started with a shared meal, with everyone bringing a plate, which turned out to have a curry theme. Rohan came prepared to cook a delicious Thai green curry, complete with his own wok! That's him cooking up a storm. Jan had made an equally formidable curry, and everything else seemed to complement these dishes in typical Homechurch fashion.

Michael (shirt out, second picture) brought his son Luke (red bandanna on wrist) to help him out. Luke has just put out his first CD as a solo artist, "Whistling in the dark". (It's very good!) Michael and Luke sang and played together exquisitely, before Michael settled into a scholarly, yet grounded exploration of the vast topic we'd given him. There was lots to discuss afterwards, and lots of astute questions thoughtfully handled by Michael.

At the end of the night, a tired Claire leans on her Dad , Andrew.

Speaking for myself, I came away with a sense of having been a part of something special, that had challenged my thinking and let me glimpse a little bit of Heaven. But I don't think I was alone in feeling that way.

In Memoriam

Last night a great man died.
His stage name was Terry Heath, and he was a musician. He played trumpet, but many other instruments as well. Remember Paul McCartney's song "Penny Lane"? Now do you recall the magical, soaring piccolo solo that transforms the song? That was Terry on the piccolo. He was paid the princely sum of 40 pounds for that session.
Terry knew and played with all the jazz greats - Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Domino, Louis Armstrong, to name just a few. Louis considered him a personal friend, and visited him whenever they were in the same city. He had a great love for life, and lived it vividly.
Terry moved to Australia in the 'sixties, and performed widely with his band "The Cotton Club". More recently, he was content to live with family and be an inspiration to his young grandson, an aspiring musician.
Last night, Terry lost his long battle with illness, and passed on. He was surrounded by his family.
So long, Terry, and thank you for all the music.

Who Am I?

Ever wondered who you are when you're just by yourself? What your limits are, who you can be, what holds you together to make you you?

Who Am I?

Who am I?

Am I more

Than the things I do?

Who am I?

Can I be

More than I show you?

*

When the party's over

And the guests have gone

In the midnight stillness

Where do I belong?

*

Who am I?

Am I here

Only for the fun?

Who am I

When I fly

Too close to the sun?

*

When my wings have melted

And I hit the ground

When I'm bruised and broken

Who will be around?

*

Who am I

When my lie

Hits me in the face?

Who am I

When I try

To cover my disgrace?

*

If You really are there,

Help me start again.

And if You really want me

I sure could use a friend.

*

They say that if I follow

As truly as I can

That You will be my mirror

And You will show me

Who I really am.

Copyright G. Gannon

Secret Spring Music, 2005.

Hold your self beautiful

This is for you. Don't believe the lie that you're inadequate, inferior, or worthless because you aren't perfect as you imagine perfection. You're beautiful. You're precious. You're loved. Now grow.

Hold your self beautiful

Hold your self beautiful,

Blemish and all;

Hold your self handsome,

Stand your full tall.

None can be truly you,

No-one at all -

Hold your self beautiful,

Blemish and all.

*

Hold your self precious,

Diamond and coal;

Hold your self hallow,

New you and old;

Quilted, embroidered,

In subtle and bold -

Hold your self precious -

Diamond and coal.

*

Hold your self heavenly,

Star dust and shine,

Breath of eternity,

Held in your skin;

Flesh and divinity

Like fingers entwine -

Hold your self heavenly,

Star dust and shine.

*

Hold your self loved,

Golden and grey;

Cling to the essence

That can't fade away;

Hold to the promises

Newborn each day -

Hold your self loved,

Golden and grey.

*

Hold your self beautiful,
Blemish and all;

Holld your self handsome,

Stand your full tall.

None can be truly you,

No-one at all -

Hold your self beautiful,

Blemish and all.

Copyright Geoff Gannon

Secret Spring Music, 2005

Permaculture garden

Exploring Jan and Ken's permaculture garden. The garden has paths which take the longest way between two points, providing glimpses of surprising plant life before wending down to a waterfall. A caterpillar is frozen in the act of breaking out of the ground - and is really a frond of fern.
The paths are named after Ken and Jan's grandchildren, who proudly display their piece of Eden to visitors.
Everything is lush, everything is green. Everything is compost.

Friendships form across continents as Jack meets Bethany.
 

Homechurch at Ken and Jan's

Relaxing and renewing at Homechurch with Ken and Jan. Eden claims the rocking chair. We learn all about Tim and Bron's trip to China, and discuss the gathering of homechurches at Street Level Community in Parramatta.