Words that flow...

Dona Nobis Pacem 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 17:54:00 +0000

I'm late. (I'm always late.)
I see there's still no peace all over the world.
There's folk protesting peacefully.
There's folk who have overthrown tyranical governments peacefully (and then what happened?!)
There's folk who have tried the peaceful route, and ended fighting for months in order to obtain the peace they searched for...(I heartily hope for them to succeed).
There's folk who still don't believe it can happen (who knows, maybe it can't, but isn't it worth a try?)
Another year, and peace isn't here yet.
Thing is, though, my feeling is folk are feeling less peaceful.
So much anger and hurt in the world.
So many losing jobs, losing their homes, not having enough to eat... so many beginning to get angry about the world situation.
Can peace come through anger?
Maybe it can.
Sometimes folk need to get angry to fight for what they believe in.
To get angry they have to care.
To care they have to be involved.
I think folk are reconnecting again, after a long period of disconnection to the community. The community is back. It's strong.
Folk in England care about other folk in Egypt or Libya or the United States. Folk in Spain care about those in Japan. In Australia folk care about other folk on the other side of the world.
Everywhere there are connections across religious and geographical boundaries that were never there before.
This gives me hope.
So long as folk care, and are willing to do something about, not just their own situation, but other folks' situations, there is hope.
Although I see so much sadness in the world, so much strife and hardship, I also see folk reaching out to others and moving together.
This is more reason for hope than anything I've seen before.
May this coming year bring us closer still...
May folk continue to care enough to feel angry how others are treated.
Through anger, may the world change and become peaceful.
So, my wish this year is a strange one for me.
I hope for anger.
I hope for that will to do something.
I hope that the anger is channelled peacefully, but will give folk the willingness to do something, anything, about any situation that isn't right.
If everyone did just one thing, that would make the world nearly 7 billion times better!!

Blogblast for Peace Links:

Peace #7

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 20:55:00 +0000

"I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything, but still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

~Helen Keller

This is one of my favourite quotes, along with one by Anita Roddick (Founder of the Body Shop)

"If you think you're too small to be effective,
you've never been to bed with a mosquito"

and this one on a stone outside Oxfam Headquarters:

"Many little things done by many little
people will change the face of the World"

I've quoted them before, and I'll probably quote them again, because I so strongly believe that, though working together is how things get achieved, there's always someone somewhere who has to start the work.

Where peace is concerned, I have read many a post being cynical about change. Of course it's not going to happen just because someone puts up a post asking for peace. Of course it's not going to happen if 200 or 2000 put up a post asking for peace at the same time. But how about 20 thousand? or 2 million? Would that begin to make a difference? It might. Especially if some of those involved have a louder voice than others. It depends who's asking.

And so long as there are those in the world willing to ask for it, no matter how futile that might seem, then there's a chance the people who can alter laws and who can make things happen will hear their voices. Though those people might alter the laws and make things happen, they are the hands and the arms of the voices. Without people speaking out, there will be no change. Ever.

I read another quote today. Freedom will never be freely given by opressors. Freedom always has to be taken by the oppressed.

As a worldwide population, we are oppressed by the very people we chose to represent us. We put them in power because it is a democracy, and we believe they will do as the majority want, but they don't. If they did, we would have had peace a long time ago.

So. I am one voice. I ask for peace. I join others who ask for peace. I am cynical about whether it will come in my lifetime, but I have to try...for myself, my children, and their children. If our generation don't try, then we leave it to our children, and they would be starting from the beginning. If we start now, then if we don't achieve the goal, our children can continue where we leave off...and generation by generation we will get closer [though I hope it won't take that long!]

It's always worth a try. Always.

So, a waste of time? No. Never!

Peace Bloggers Unite: Blogblast for Peace - Peace Bloggers of the World - The colours of peace

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:29:00 +0000

Peace Bloggers Unite: Blogblast for Peace - Peace Bloggers of the World - The colours of peace

Peace #5 and #6

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:32:00 +0000

Ok, so I missed a day! :-(

But it wasn't because I wasn't thinking peaceful thoughts. Oh no. It was precisely because I was!

Yesterday, I was lost in the creation of a new blog, Peace Bloggers Unite, which is simply a long, long list of all the Dona Nobis Pacem posts I've visited this November! I've been to Mimi's site before, and delved into posts there, but as I was listing the one's I've been to, ready to send the links to Mimi, I had this thought that it would be really cool to simply list all the peace posts in one place, on one page, so you can click anywhere within that page and meet a fellow peace blogger and read their post...

And then the school closed, and I got sent home from work because of the snow. Seriously, I had loads of things I could be doing, and loads of things I should be doing, but there's something a little naughty about not being at work on a work day, like skiving when a teenager, and I sat at my computer and played....

First I made a tapestry of all the Peaceglobes Mimi had in her November 2010 gallery...that was so cool seeing all those Peaceglobes together in one place I just couldn't stop. I figured that all the folks who've participated in the past also deserved to have their Peaceglobe made into a tapestry. I know there was a blogger in the past who did an amazing Peaceglobe a while back (really, it was amazing...all the Peaceglobes in the shape of one big Peaceglobe!), but I simply wanted to try and get all the Peaceglobes in Mimi's gallery in one place, along with all the links...so... what started off with just a little time-wasting ended up taking a good many hours!! But I think they look grand in the sidebar of the new blog :-D

Here they are all put together (click on the picture, and when you hover over you'll see a magnifying glass...click again to actually see the Peaceglobes...but the you can see the ones in the sidebar better. This one's really reduced to fit them all in. :-) )

I also found some new peace posts to read I hadn't read before (and I've read more than 250!) and added them to the list.... check it out!

I think that that counts as 'thinking' peace and 'doing' peace :-D (hence the #5 and #6 hee hee)

And then I enjoyed the snow in the evening, as it was getting dark (sledging didn't happen until 9pm!! in the dark! lol)

I call these "Dark and Light" (such a complicated name :-) )

Peace #4

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 23:58:00 +0000

Today it felt good to help someone who didn't ask for help, but wanted it.

(oh, by the way, I know the first and last

photo are blurry, but I like that...I thought
it kinda looked like it had been painted :-) )

Dona Nobis Pacem

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 21:40:00 +0000

Years ago, back in 2006, for the first Blogblast for Peace, my ten year old daughter made her first peaceglobe. Though she no longer has her own blog, and though she missed November 4th, she was determined she wanted her Peaceglobe up, so she put it up in Deviant Art

I love it, don't you?! :-D

Peace #3

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 20:08:00 +0000

Money buys so much...

But it doesn't buy...

Love, friendship, a smile, politeness, respect, a little happiness, consideration, a helping hand, support, kindness, a welcome, an apology, a friendly hello...

...None of this costs us anything. They are all things anyone can give....

Peace #2

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 18:15:00 +0000

Take a moment to enjoy the little things in life...like falling leaves :-)

Peace #1

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 21:58:00 +0000

(I talk the talk.Starting today, I walk the walk.
Everyday I will post one peaceful act I do,
or peaceful thought I have :-) )

Today's thought:

Life is too short to waste too many
of today's thoughts on yesterday.

Mist hides the morning sun

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 19:02:00 +0000

Oh, what a beautiful walk I had this morning...so unexpectedly wonderful!

Just take a look at what I saw....

The Second Annual Worldwide Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 11:20:00 +0000

This weekend, the furries are holding a very special event (as it was so successful last year), and it only takes a moment...

For one moment, they are joining furry folks all over the globe to take a silent minute of reflection, medititation, contemplation and prayer:

"Making a Connection

in Spirit

in Energy

in Love"

I reckon I'd like to join in this...wouldn't you?
Please see Two Special Wires for more information

Dona Nobis Pacem

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 23:02:00 +0000

How well do you know your friends in the Blogosphere, or on Facebook? They’re your friends, right? You share your everyday lives with them –the ups, the downs, photos of your favourite places to be, photos of your pets, your family. You trust these people –people with false names and pseudonyms – trust them with all the details of your private life.

You are constantly told there are bad people out there, who are not who they seem to be, so you should be careful. Sometimes you hear on the news how somebody who’d posed as a teenager was actually an older man, who preyed on the innocence and friendliness of younger girls, and it shocks you for a moment. But of course it doesn’t refer to your online friends. They have proved their trustworthiness by sharing their equally private lives with you. So that is ok.

Sometimes the doubts remain. Is that person really who they say they are? Is this person’s life real or have they made it up?

We have to be careful. It’s there, in the background. Distrust. Wariness.

Or is it?

Sometimes life surprises you on the positive side. Sometimes you feel unexpectedly moved by something, so it changes your life. This happened to me four years ago. Back in November 2006, I met one of those warm, bubbly, good-humoured people who inspire those around to take part in something big by doing something small.

Of course, she wasn’t ‘real’. All my real life friends told me this. People you meet on the Internet aren’t ‘solid’. They’re not actually in your life, they are simply a name, who comes to your blog and leaves a message about your post, then you go back to theirs and leave a message about their post. When you turn off your computer, they are gone. They are like interacting, fictional characters of a book – there when you need them, but who you can walk away from any time you choose. They don’t mean anything. Not really.

But they do. You care about what they say. They boost you up when you are down. They say positive things about you, things you rarely hear in your everyday life. They support you when you are trying to do difficult things, or reach a goal. They are the feel-good factor. And you are that feel-good factor for them.

I believe this is most people’s experience of the blogging world. So rarely is someone negative, or rude or dismissive. Most immerse themselves in this virtual world because it makes them feel good, and in turn, they like to make others feel good. People get a sense of self-worth from these friendships.

Occasionally, one of these people reveal themselves to be not like any other. Sometimes one of these people shows an extraordinariness that inspires the surrounding, or ‘linked’, people to aspire to more than they already are.

Everybody dreams of making a difference, don’t they. Most hope that something they do will be remembered after they are gone, and maybe be spoken about with affection by their children or grandchildren. Many reach their deathbeds, look back and worry they haven’t done enough. They fear they will be forgotten, that their lives were worthless.

What I remember most about this blogger – the one that changed my life –was not merely that she wanted to change the world, but she wanted everyone in the world to join her in changing it.

She had a dream.

And she believed, absolutely believed, that, though a solo voice was beautiful and significant, many voices joined in harmony would form a powerful chorus singing through the Blogosphere. Their combined voices would be heard in every country of the world, and it would make a difference. Not surprisingly, she called her movement ‘Dona Nobis Pacem’, echoing a beautiful cantata written by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1936, which means ‘Grant Us Peace’.

The dream was peace. The blogger was Mimi Lennox.

Mimi envisaged one day, just one day, where every blogger would post a blue, personally signed, ‘Peaceglobe’ on a blog post, titled ‘Dona Nobis Pacem’. She dreamed that, as one jumped from blog to blog, every voice would be the same, every blogger asking for peace in their own individual way. For, if everyone could do it for one, single day, why couldn’t we do it every day?

My experience of blogging, at that point had merely been an extension of my own little life. I wrote about what I knew; took pictures and shared them; wrote poems hoping for feedback; described my day; ‘chatted’ to other bloggers in the comment section at the end of each post. Nothing extraordinary there.

But ‘extra ordinary’ began to happen.

Not that I noticed it at first: One couldn’t make the template of his blog work, another came to the rescue. One had no idea how to put a Peaceglobe in the sidebar, another wrote a step-by-step guide for anyone to follow. One had no idea how to make a Peaceglobe, another made one for him. One had difficulty putting a picture on a blog, or needed advice. A blogger always stepped forward to lend a hand.

Imaginary characters helping each other do meaningful things in the real world? What was this, fiction infringing on reality? But bloggers were not real. My friends, family told me this. The media told me this. One should be wary. One should not trust.

Mimi set a date for November 7^th. As the day drew closer, John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ begun to hum to the Blogosphere. The Blogosphere stirred in response. Bloggers around Mimi embraced her enticing dream and shared the idea with their friends who in turn spread the word to all their friends. It was contagious. Turns out, a lot of folks wanted peace.

Bloggers are real people. They want peace, and they want it in so many forms, whether it should be a moment’s silence to hear a butterfly land, or the end to all war. Some believe peace should begin with how you treat your fellow beings. Others believe it should be the withdrawing of all troops.

But a lot of folks want peace.

That year, on November 7^th, the Peaceglobes went up under the title of Dona Nobis Pacem. There were poems, stories, pictures, photos. There were pleas, dreams and specially designed pieces of art. The creativity was as varied as the bloggers, from doctors and soldiers to cats and dogs (yes really! There is a Catosphere and Dogosphere, where pets blog instead of their owners.) to mums, artists…you name it, there was a representative there!

A lot of people had previously felt themselves to be small and ineffectual, unable to obtain their dream on their own. Mimi brought together the choir, gave them their voice, empowered them. And when she raised expectations, the voices swelled in crescendo. Reading through post after post of each others’ dreams and desires of peace united those that took part.

It could have ended there. It was already an achievement. But twice a year the choir becomes larger. Bloggers’ voices now emanate from more than a hundred different states and countries. Thousands of Peaceglobes fill the archive galleries, and more are flying in to fill the gallery for the imminent Dona Nobis Pacem for November 4^th. Every day, Mimi’s helpers make Peaceglobes for folks they don’t know, scout the sidebars for those peace badges quietly promoting a blogger’s wish for peace to be expanded. They do it for the love of an idea, and for the love of Mimi.

Peaceglobes have spread from blogs to Facebook to Twitter…and, no matter where they are, I see folks helping each other, supporting each other, working as part of a voluntary, global organisation. Unlike the banks, the only big bonuses they take, are the satisfaction of helping others and making the Blogosphere sing.

I have my Peaceglobe ready. I don’t yet know what I will say, but I know these bloggers, Facebook and Twitter users are real. And they aren’t all bad.

[-Ed. I intended to write a post for Dona Nobis Pacem,

but feel I already said what I wanted to say here, so...

this is now designated my peace post! :-) ]

Blogblast for Peace Links:

I have these two pictures on my wall to remind me...you are never to small to try:

"Many little things done by many little people
will change the face of the World"
~on a stone outside Oxfam Headquarters

"If you think you're too small to be effective,
you've never been to bed with a mosquito"
~Anita Roddick, Founder of the Body Shop

[Ed. Since it is such a popular event, nobody is going to stop you if you 'haven't got round to posting your Peaceglobe. It is never too late for Peace! Keep sending those globes to Mimi! :-) ]

Morning walk...look at the last photo...what does it look like?

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:35:00 +0000

So, walking the dogs this morning, I walk through a newly planted field...could be oats/ wheat, I don't know. Probably some sort of cereal crop. But I love it when, just as the shoots come up, you can see all the lines where the seeds were sown....

At the corner...

I usually pause...often to take in the skyline, the clouds, the distant view (just out of sight...)

but today it's the shadows that catch my attention. The sky is dark grey to the right, but over there on the other side of the field, the shadows are long and follow the contours of the land...

I don't know if it shows (my memory superimposes what I know to be there), but the ground is covered in dew? rain? It's damp, with water droplets hanging on every blade of grass.

So, I try to take a picture of the droplet, but this little fella lands in front of me, so I take him instead.

But, even as I get to the other side of the field, the shadows have lengthened, trying to reach out to the other side...

...and to the wood where I'm heading...

but I can't help noticing the sharpness of the sunlight on the trees (still a lot of green)

Once in the wood, there's always the wonderful flow of the upright and the fallen

This one's a favourite - something appeals artistically, the way the two trees (oh, you can't see both of them, but there are two...I'll try and take both so you can see...) lie top to tail.

But, then again, this is also my favourite view...seeing the distant woodlands through the gap in the trees, the fence and gate...I like this!

On the way back, I notice the clouds are hugging a tree, giving it a halo.

A closer look reinforces that impression.

Oh, but what's that!?! It looks like a hand, reaching down from the sky...can you see it?

...made me go all shivery!

[imported from other blog]

Moonshine (the lunar sort)...so magical...

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 00:34:00 +0000

[imported from other blog]

Sometimes the sun can't quite push through the mist...

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 00:33:00 +0000

[imported from other blog]

I like this one...

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:31:00 +0000

The...sun'll come out tomorrow, bet yer bottom dollar that tomorrow...rain or shine...

[imported from other blog]

...scroll through for better effect...

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:30:00 +0000

[imported from other blog]

Ruth's new video

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:17:00 +0000

Finally (after a couple of years of waiting!) I have put together a video for Mother of Invention 's songs 'Watching them Grow' and the response 'The Seeds that Grow'

Ahhh....sigh...don't you just love watching the sun rise?

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:57:00 +0000

[imported from other blog]

When the sun comes shining through...

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:53:00 +0000

[imported from other blog]

Remember to...

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:01:00 +0000

Awww...why are some folks miserable about the snow?

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:14:00 +0000

My lovely teenage daughter was determined to walked nearly 14 miles round our local reservoir yesterday. And, in a crazy moment, I agreed to accompany her, thinking 'beautiful scenery, and rare snow on a day off work...what more could a person want?!

I forgot about the mile there and the mile back, and it was well after dark before we made our way back home. We ached all over, and were starving (the cafe that we intended to eat at was closed by the time we trudged our way round 11 miles in over a foot -in places - of snow) and all we had were the few supplies she had remembered to take (I, unfortunately, had forgotten my goody bag :-S )

We had to sing songs and make up silly games for the last few miles, but we did it. We got all the way around and back. 16 miles. Even though we hadn't taken into account the steep, slippery icy roads we'd have to walk up, nor the boggy areas hidden under more than half a foot of snow, nor had we taken a torch (thinking we'd be back in plenty of time) we achieved a great feeling of satisfaction and enjoyed a beautiful walk!

horses on beach at sunset

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:06:00 +0000

CONGRATULATIONS....

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:54:00 +0000

Congratulations on your NaNoWriMo win
Savage!

Next Blogblast for Peace is November 5th 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Annelisa) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:00:00 +0000

Things are hotting up...next Blogblast for Peace is on Bonfire Night...With any luck the fireworks will be going off all over the world!

(But with Peace bloggers uniting, hopefully the sounds of gunfire and bombs will be quietened)