Day 9: sea voyages and spring flowers

Antonia is in one of those terrible states where she has got herself overtired, is taking days to recover, and is struggling to remember basic addition.  I didn't think we could do anything interesting today, but fortunately, she woke up after lunch.  We are preparing to go to sea, by learning ship vocabulary in two languages.  We designed this as a game, more than a labeled diagram, so that we can go back and revise which words go with which bits of drawing.

 Antonia est dans un état ou elle n'arrive meme plus a faire des additions.  Ca lui arrive (trop souvent) quand sa vie n'est pas assez reposante.  J''ai cru qu'on ne ferait rien aujourd'hui, mais finalement on a preparé notre voyage en mer en apprenant un vocabulaire nautique en deux langues.  Le dessin d'Antonia est conçu comme un jeu qu'on peu reprendre autant qu'on veut, au lieu d'un dessin etiqueté une fois pour toutes.

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Hier soir on discutait des mérites littéraires et culturels de quelques textes religieux.  La Bible de King James, le journal de l'église du village, et un petit livre datant de 1953.  Il contient toutes les prières et cérémonies en usage au sein de l'église Anglicane à cette date, et il fut presenté à ma mère quand elle avait dix ou onze ans, pour fêter la coronation d'Elizabeth II.  J'en ai retiré quelques extraits - une prière à utiliser pendant les tempêtes; une autre pour remercier Dieu d'avoir echappé à ladite tempête, le cas échéant; une autre à utiliser si on a le bonheur d'échapper à des pirates ou autres ennemis. En fait, c'est le langage poétique et archaique qui m'amuse, autant que la situation d'utilisation preconisée de ces prières.  Mais je n'ai pas eu le courage de les traduire.

And for some extra preparation, there is a book my Mum dragged out last night, while we were discussing the respective merits of the King James Bible and the Church News page of the Village Gazette.  It is called Common Prayer and is dated 1953. It was the official list of prayers and ceremonies used in the Church of England at that date and was given to my Mum when she was about 10 or 11 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.  From the section called Forms of Prayer to be used at Sea, I've picked out a few extracts that could come in handy.  It's always good to know what to say on each occasion.

A prayer to be used in storms at sea:

O most powerful and glorious Lord God, at whose command the winds blow, and lift up the waves of the sea, and who stillest the rage thereof; We thy creatures, but miserable sinners, do in this our great distress cry unto thee for help: Save Lord, or else we perish...

Thanksgiving after the aforementioned storm:

... we found trouble and heaviness : we were even at death's door.
The waters of the sea had well-nigh covered us : the proud waters had well-nigh gone over our soul.
The sea roared : and the stormy wind lifted up the waves thereof.
We were carried up as it were to heaven, and then down again into the deep : our soul melted within us because of trouble;
Then cried we unto thee O Lord : and thou didst deliver us out of our distress,
Blessed be thy name ...

Thanksgiving on being delivered from enemies (such as pirates):

If the Lord had not been on our side, now may we say : if the Lord himself had not been on our side, when men rose up against us;
They had swallowed us up quick : when they were so wrathfully displeased at us.
Yea, the waters had drowned us, and the stream had gone over our soul : the deep waters of the proud had gone over our soul.
But praised be the Lord : who hath not given us over as a prey unto them.
The Lord hath wrought : a mighty salvation for us.
We got not this by our own sword, neither was it our own arm that saved us : but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of they countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto us.
The Lord hath appeared for us : the Lord hath covered our heads, and made us to stand in the day of battle.
The Lord hath appeared for us : the Lord hath overthrown our enemies, and dashed in pieces those that rose up against us.
Therefore not unto us, O Lord, not unto us : but unto thy Name be given the glory....

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Spring Flower Show - Foire des Fleurs

At the village's Spring Flower Show, only the people with the coldest gardens actually have any spring flowers left.  Nothing to do with global warming, no, not at all!! 

Comme les Anglais aiment bien jardiner, les foires et concours de fleurs sont une institution.  Pour la foire des fleurs printanières, seuls ceux qui ont des jardins à tendance froide ont encore des fleurs du printemps.  Peut-être à cause du changement climatique, qui sait?

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At least I have the Tasmania trip sorted out, I think.  It's taken me some 8 hours to do the planning and I still have to make the reservations, preferably asap.

J'ai fini de préparer la partie de notre voyage qui se déroule en Tasmanie, du moins, j'espère.  Ca m'a pris 8 heures de recherches et il me reste les réservations à faire.  J'espère que je pourrais les faire tout de suite, pour éviter d'avoir à reprendre le travail.