This is a question that has been on my mind recently. While you couldn't exactly say that we are country buffs, if anyone asked who our favourite musicians are, we'd both list the dixie chicks, i'd list Alison Krauss and Billy Bragg too. We both love the once soundtrack and the bon iver album. I like the fleet foxes. And I saw an awesome documentary last week on Kate Rusby which makes me want to go out and buy one of her records, even though it's possibly a 180 degree turn on the passions of youth. And at some point im going to get the kathryn williams and neil mccoll record 'two' because it sounds awesome.
Are we getting old? Probably. Are we appreciating acoustic music more? Definitely. How did that happen? Don't know.
Alex balks at the thought of folk. And she may be right. I think you have to be picky with it (and with country). Obviously there's no need to like the levellers, or anything that's new age bobbins, or anything too redneck either from the states, but there's no need to rule it all out either.
Anyway, here is some dixie chicks.
21 January, 2009
FAMU at the inauguration
What a great day yesterday was. We watched the ceremonies on CNN, because you want your american news from americans. Even with countless adverts for Adure wrinkle reduction cream, it was far superior to the bbc.
We stayed up until 11pm watching some of the parade. CNN, Sky and BBC all were faffing about elsewhere when FAMU were doing their thing. So thank goodness for C-Span. This is how it's done, folks. Oh, and good luck President Obama.
We stayed up until 11pm watching some of the parade. CNN, Sky and BBC all were faffing about elsewhere when FAMU were doing their thing. So thank goodness for C-Span. This is how it's done, folks. Oh, and good luck President Obama.
19 January, 2009
Thoughts on the Obama Inauguration
Tommorow is the Obama inauguration and we will definitely be watching. Me in my newly aquired official Obama campaign t-shirt. Which at great cost and effort was organised by my sister and her friends.
It's going to be an emotional day. I know that Obama is not the perfect politician, and we've all learnt again with Tony Blair and Brown that governments come and governments go and the trains still run to Pimlico. But still. America elected an intelligent, thoughtful, liberal by inclination black president and tommorow he gets to work. I love the way that when Americans do democracy, it's infectious, you feel democratic.
My thoughts tomorrow will be added to by the fact that I had the privilege to witness Bill Clinton's second inauguration while I was in the USA. 12 years ago tomorrow. I had just arrived back in Washington from my travels around the country. In fact, if I hadn't got conjunctivitis, I would have been in New York or Boston on that day. But I got on the train and went to the Capitol.
It was a cold cold day. And we witnessed the ceremony via the big television screens on the mall. I can remember that the pictures were out of synch with the speakers that we heard the ceremony from. They reckoned that the crowd was around 250,000. Maybe it will be bigger tomorrow.
Then I was lucky enough to get a good view on the streets of the parade. I don't remember much about the parade apart from one thing, FAMU. FAMU stands for Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Its a predominantly black college with arguably the best marching band in the country. All I can remember from the parade was a young black boy from Washington who was just incredibly excited that he got to see the FAMU band doing their thing. He was literally bouncing up and down. I wonder what his emotions, and many others like him, will be tomorrow when FAMU do their thing for President Barack Obama. I would imagine it will be a moment of pride and genuine joy.
Here is a video of FAMU doing their stuff to give you an idea of how special they are.
It's going to be an emotional day. I know that Obama is not the perfect politician, and we've all learnt again with Tony Blair and Brown that governments come and governments go and the trains still run to Pimlico. But still. America elected an intelligent, thoughtful, liberal by inclination black president and tommorow he gets to work. I love the way that when Americans do democracy, it's infectious, you feel democratic.
My thoughts tomorrow will be added to by the fact that I had the privilege to witness Bill Clinton's second inauguration while I was in the USA. 12 years ago tomorrow. I had just arrived back in Washington from my travels around the country. In fact, if I hadn't got conjunctivitis, I would have been in New York or Boston on that day. But I got on the train and went to the Capitol.
It was a cold cold day. And we witnessed the ceremony via the big television screens on the mall. I can remember that the pictures were out of synch with the speakers that we heard the ceremony from. They reckoned that the crowd was around 250,000. Maybe it will be bigger tomorrow.
Then I was lucky enough to get a good view on the streets of the parade. I don't remember much about the parade apart from one thing, FAMU. FAMU stands for Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Its a predominantly black college with arguably the best marching band in the country. All I can remember from the parade was a young black boy from Washington who was just incredibly excited that he got to see the FAMU band doing their thing. He was literally bouncing up and down. I wonder what his emotions, and many others like him, will be tomorrow when FAMU do their thing for President Barack Obama. I would imagine it will be a moment of pride and genuine joy.
Here is a video of FAMU doing their stuff to give you an idea of how special they are.
06 January, 2009
Happy New Year from us all Travers-es
Here we are on mountbatten pier,Wishing you all a happy new year.
Christmas clips
Despite a little illness along the way that helped us to slow down over the Christmas period, our Christmas was a good time. The highlight of Christmas day itself was a walk on the hoe which turned into a stop at the coffee shack and a 200 yard amble before realising that it was all too cold. It was another opportunity as well for Rocky to indulge in his growing love for coffee froth, as the photo below suggests.
As we started to recover from being a bit ill with a bug thing. We started to get out and about a bit more. Rocky and I took a trip up to hannifore point on the edge of Looe. It was freezing, but still really beautiful.
For new year, we took a trip up to London to see my sisters and nephew. We had a great gallivant in the city which took in the Rothko exhibit at the Tate Modern, Le Pain Quotidian (amazing restaurant for puddings on south bank) the winter wonderland at hyde park (see my nephew below on the mechanical reindeer) and Bethnal Green. And of course we saw lots of fireworks from my sister's flat window. It was great.
24 December, 2008
HAPPY CHRISTMAS - The Lights of Leigham
Happy Christmas to you all.
As a Christmas treat, and as our special 100th post of the year, here is a video we made last night when we went to see the lights of Leigham.
Leigham is a suburb on the other side of Plymouth from us, and it isn't really remarkable for anything except that there are 3 houses who get together every Christmas and raise money for the Derriford Children's Cancer Ward by liberally festooning their gardens with lights for people to look at.
It's a piece of Plymouth folklore. The legend goes that Mr. Motivator turned on the lights one year. And it's also a family tradition that we go and see the lights every year as part of our christmas preparations.
We hope that you enjoy them too. Have a very happy christmas and God bless you all.
23 December, 2008
How we're doing
Well we got to the end of 2008 in one piece. Which is good news. And for the second year running, I kept my New Year's Resolution, which was to take life as it finds us. Pretty good resolution as it turned out.
Here's how we're doing.
The house - Has changed a lot in the last year. We've been blessed enough to get the bathroom, living room and windows sorted. We even managed to get the shed installed, even though it's not up and running yet as a place of prayer. Our house pretty much functions as it should now, which is really nice after 4 years living here. One of the biggest changes of this year has been that we've finally given up on being the eternal students and embraced the fact that we are a family and we ought to behave like it. The house has changed to reflect that.
Rocky - Is growing up and more independent with every day. Sometimes this is good, like when he was able to walk and hold my hand at Tescos today. Sometimes this is bad, like when Alex recently wagged a finger at him to tell him off about banging his toy hoop on the coffee table and he saw an opportunity for a game of hoopla.
Alex - has been astonishing this year. To come back from a caesarian and a 3 week stint in hospital (with another week for afters in May) and juggle being a mother, a lawyer, a pastor's wife and many other things as successfully as she has is testament to the fact that she is amazing. It's not all plain sailing. Alex still feels the after effects of the illness she had and gets tired alot and it's taken a lot of effort for her to achieve what she has. However, I reckon she is winning.
Simon - I'm just grateful that I get to live the kind of life that i always wanted to. I get to do a job that i love that is going somewhere. I'm close to my brilliant, beautiful family, and I get to live with a bit of passion and joy. Life is good, even though it's still changing.
Soundtrack of 2008
Here are the songs that we have loved and lived to this year. I've put links to all of them, videos where possible. And I've listed them in ultimate mixtape order.
1. Dixie Chicks - The Long Way Around
1. Dixie Chicks - The Long Way Around
2. Billy Bragg - The Beach Is Free
8. Row row row your boat (Generally sung when Rocky shouts ro-ro-ro)
09 December, 2008
Tell it slant - Eugene Peterson
One of the guaranteed pleasures of 2009 is that the new Eugene Peterson book, Tell it Slant is going to be published in this country. It's already out in hardback in the us, which means it will probably be in our shops by spring. This is a really big big deal for the Travers household.
Tell it Slant is the fourth of a five volume series that Peterson is writing on Spiritual Theology. The first three, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, Eat This Book and The Jesus Way are astonishing in their brilliance.
You can read some excepts of the new book here. And here is a review. Here is a great interview with Peterson, takes half an hour to watch, but is worth the time.
For now, apart from to mention that my heart is already giddy at the thought that the last volume is going to be on Ephesians, my favourite book in the Bible, here is the poem by Emily Dickinson that Tell It Slant is named after.
Tell all the Truth but tell it slant—
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind—
05 December, 2008
Christmas Mixtape.
It's a christmas tradition in our house that every year we buy one cd's worth of Christmas music. That started off years ago with buying the White Christmas album from Woolworths, which ranges from the great to the i saw mummy kissing santa claus, my least favourite christmas song (santa baby comes a close second, but doesn't have kids laughing about their mum's doing the dirty with a bearded man)
Over the years we have consumed the good and the bad and the crazy. From the Hillsongs version of God rest ye merry gentlemen to the most depressing Christmas song in the world by Johnny Cash, here below
You know you're in trouble when your Christmas song includes the lyrics, 'And daddy killed a squirrel.'
You know you're in trouble when your Christmas song includes the lyrics, 'And daddy killed a squirrel.'
Last year, we bought Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass Christmas Album because, believe it or not, i had been looking for a Tijuana brass christmas album for 15 years. It is mental and not necessarily easy listening.
So, getting to the point, this year, Alex let me spend some money on making a Christmas mix tape of tracks and I'm really pleased with the results. The overall collection has an american folky feel with a bit of a classic twist. Here is the track listing with links so you can listen (some for full songs, some for snippets).
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