Art that made us

Last night before going to bed I took a preliminary look at next Thursday's Morning Prayer texts, and then started wondering what I could make of the Exodus passage I'd have to reflect upon. Then I looked at the opening chapters of my novel, still complete in first draft but untouched for more than a year, lacking the motivation to continue. Unfortunately this re-awakened my interest in it, so I had a night of broken sleep with my brain buzzing. I posted today's link to WhatsApp at seven thirty, then dozed until nine. When I got up, I felt as if I'd hardly slept at all.

There were eleven of us at the St John's Eucharist this morning. By the end of it an idea was taking shape to write a reflection for next Thursday, so I didn't stay for coffee, but went straight home and started work on the idea until it was time to cook lunch. After eating I went out to shop for veggies, and took with me a plastic disinfectant bottle to buy a refill from a bring-your-own container bulk buy store. I also bought some dried butter beans, as we don't have any at home, and I enjoy cooking with them. Other kinds of beans are on sale there too. next time, I get something different. The bulk buy store is in the refurbished Corp building, a pub converted into multiple retail units plus a bar. The venture seems to be working well, though I haven't seen it really busy yet.

After an hour's siesta, Clare and I went for a walk in Llandaff Fields. The vacant plinths that were briefly occupied by the Snoopy figures have now disappeared. For good it seems, as I read a news item on-line stating that some of the figures were being re-located to places where they were less likely to be abused or vandalised and five were damaged within days of installation. Altogether, there are forty Snoopys across South Wales. I'm not in the least surprised the Llandaff Fields ones have gone, as they were sited in places with many people passing through, but no CCTV, police patrols or park wardens. Just perfect for mischief makers. 

This evening I watched episode three of 'Art that made us' on iPlayer in the hour before episode four live. Three was about the sixteenth century and impressively gave prominence alongside Shakespeare to Welsh Bible translator Bishop William Morgan as a literary innovator. Da iawn! 

Four was about the seventeenth century, and highlighted architectural innovations plus the remarkable drawings of Robert Hooke who reproduced in fine detail tiny things observed under a microscope, an innovation in his day, opening a new chapter in observational science, looking into the microcosm rather than outwards into the heavens, like Galileo and Newton in the same era. 

I'm loving this insightful exploration of all dimensions of creativity that have been part of the history of Great Britain and Ireland since the Romans left. I missed last week's episode only because we had Kath visiting us. This is telly really worth watching.