One of the threads I follow in my internet wanderings is “reaction” videos, where people watch YouTube clips and react to them. Often these are classic songs that they haven’t heard before, but can also be comedy or other genres of music.
I spent a bit of time watching reactions to Johnny Cash, which led to this song – a cover of “Ring Of Fire” by an a capella group called Home Free, featuring Avi Kaplan, who was the bass for Pentatonix (because why settle for one bass when you can have two?)
I don’t really have a particular reason for posting this.
It’s just – Such Fun!
Getting The Lowdown
Blob
Life has been a bit out of kilter lately. My routine has changed and I haven’t fully settled into a new one yet. Most days, when I get home, I don’t have the energy to do much but sit and…blob. Drop in a heap on the couch or bed. I get things done in dribs and drabs, but it’s all a bit random at the moment.
One thing that’s easy is to wander around the internet, which is what I was doing when I found –
Blob Opera!
It’s a “machine learning experiment” (whatever that means) where you make four multicoloured blobs sing. There’s a little tutorial at the start, but I haven’t really worked out how to do it properly. It’s very soothing, though!
I’m happy just to play with it, but some people have actually managed to get them to sing recognised songs, from
Baroque
to modern classics
to pop culture…
What would you have them sing?
🙂
Singing In The Weekend
This week feels like it’s lasted a few thousand years…
the normal schedules have been a bit disrupted lately, so everything feels a bit wonky. I’ve been out of the house more than usual, and I’m feeling a bit of weariness.
Part of that could be a habit of browsing the charity shops while I’m out – I’ll have to get used to taking my trolley bag with me rather than carrying everything home!
Having just uploaded various things from my phone, it looks like I’ve been taking photos most days this month. Part of that has been trying to figure out the camera on my phone (I’ve just worked out how to use the video function. I think.) Mostly, I just enjoy taking photos… from the way the light hits my pendant collection –
to the shape of leaves
or a tiny butterfly, catching the breeze in the grass as I pass by…
I’ve just sent in my “high harmony” for Couch Choir (it’s due tomorrow if you want to participate!). Wasn’t too great, but sometimes you have to make the choice between doing something imperfectly or not doing it at all. I don’t know when the song will be put together, but will share it here when it’s done.
In the meantime, here’s the latest from Pub Choir (same people, just in person). It was filmed in Brisbane, but I wasn’t able to be there.
Wish I could have gone – it looks like So Much Fun!!
Maybe next time 🙂
Emptying The Thought Patterns
I wrote here a few days ago about being in my favourite cafe without anyone else around – it was “empty” for a good period of time.
Here’s a view towards where I was sitting.
It occurs to me now that this is obviously not an empty room – it’s just empty of people.
I was talking to my Biggest Boy this morning about unconscious bias – he’s studying screen and media, and has been learning about storytelling and scriptwriting. We discussed the fact that we all have prejudices and blind spots. We come from our own unique backgrounds and experiences, so the way we see the world will not be the way the next person sees their world. To a large extent that just creates variety… but sometimes it allows cruelty and offensiveness towards others. We just don’t see where our blind spots are obscuring another’s reality.
The cafe dining room was full – cluttered, in fact. There were many obstacles to my chosen seat (the couch at the back) but I was able to navigate there safely because I could see the chairs/tables clearly, and I have been there often enough to know my way around – I don’t really “see” those other things anymore.
What else am I not seeing? What unconscious biases am I letting slide because I don’t realise they’re there?
As Maria and Captain von Trapp (and also the Bible!) say – “Nothing comes from nothing…”
What am I unconscious of?
As it’s the weekend, and you probably need to sit down and have a cuppa, I’ll just share a couple of songs that came to my notice today.
🙂
❤
Cooling Down To Light The Fire
We’re definitely hurtling toward winter, but there are still days when I need the fan on.
It’s time to set some things in place, though, as the light dwindles… I’ve bought some bulbs (iris and jonquils) to plant. They’ll need to go in soon, or at least I think so! I have no real experience with these sorts of flowers, except for buying them, years ago, with part of my pay packet on a Friday afternoon – they were cheap and bright and cheerful, and shone through the gloom of an English winter.
I’ll harvest the sage, although it’s past it’s best. There’s quite a lot of it. I’ll freeze some in olive oil, but might also try preserving some in honey, for use in tea.
I’ve been watching seminars this week – some on a livestream from a conference associated with our church, some on a Facebook series on changing artistic mindset. I’ve already talked about the way the colder weather tends to ignite possibilities in my mind, and these various teachings have been inspiring, in different ways and for different disciplines.
Perhaps there will be wonderfully innovative creations flowing onto paper or canvas, as I sip honey sage tea!
I’ve been singing some different songs this week. The first one I’ve sung repeatedly, along with the online gathering, in the last few days. The second one I heard for the first time last night, and the last one I was introduced to this evening…
As The World Darkens
I wasn’t planning to write today…
I’ve been catching up on some online things, which included checking out some folklore songs, and this song popped up on the YouTube side bar.
It’s getting colder here, and there’s rain this week. That’s a good thing, but it’s… still cold. It’ll get colder now, possibly fairly quickly, and I’ll bring out the snuggly blankets and socks. Right now I’m still in short sleeves and trying to decide if I’ll get too hot if I put socks on! 🙂
Some landscapes are breathtaking, and make me think of heaven – I don’t know what that looks like, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these earthly places are echoes. I didn’t, primarily, enjoy this clip for the lyrics, although they’re good. It’s the mountains, and the majesty (I had it on full screen, and there’s a bit at 4:18 where I just said, “Wow!”). There doesn’t seem to be an English word for that indefinable longing for a place that you’ve never been to – that sad sweet feeling of nostalgia, or possibly anticipation. Other languages have words – fernweh in German, hiraeth in Welsh – that approximate the yearning. In Ecclesiastes it says that “He has set eternity in our hearts“.
Different people will probably have different sparks that set off that light of eternity. For me, one spark is majestic mountains combined with cold, rainy weather 🙂
“Lord, You’re with me either way it goes.”
…and that’s the truth!
Colour, Intensifying
I love bright colours. I wear them, and often surround myself with them.
Last week I finally got around to redecorating my armchair – I’ve had a brown woolly blanket on it for a while, but treated myself to a purple cotton throw a few days back. I bought it, brought it home, gave it a wash… and then put it to one side and forgot about it.
Here it is in full colour, with bright(ish) selfie 🙂
That unicorn cat type thing in the corner is lovely and squishy. It also came with a name, which I can’t quite remember…
A few days after this, my lovely friend came over with a bright watercolour hummingbird cushion for me ❤ so now it’s even more purply/pinky in my corner of the lounge room!
This weekend I’ve been attending the Colour Conference online. I haven’t been in quite a few years, for various reasons, but this year it cost less (no venue hire needed?) and I could log in from home.
Loved it! 😀
I’d forgotten how inspiring it is – worship, teaching (my hand aches, after scribbling notes all weekend at the speed of light!), and being reminded, again, of who I really am.
I have access to replays and bonus material until the end of May, so may see if anyone else wants to watch with me 🙂
I’ve already signed up for next year!
Here’s a couple of songs to enjoy ❤
1000 Fields of Roses 