bLOGOS/HA HA: Love's Brother, Love's Sister

David Jones, artist and poet (1895-1974) begins his PREFACE TO THE ANATHEMATA :

'I have made a heap of all that I could find.' (1) So wrote Nennius, or whoever composed the introductory matter to Historia Brittonum. He speaks of an 'inward wound' which was caused by the fear that certain things dear to him 'should be like smoke dissipated'. Further, he says, 'not trusting my own learning, which is none at all, but partly from writings and monuments of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the Romans and the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymous, Prosper, Eusebius and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons although our enemies . . . I have lispingly put together this . . . about past transactions, that [this material] might not be trodden under foot'. (2)

(1) The actual words are coacervavi omne quod inveni, and occur in Prologue 2 to the Historia.
(2) Quoted from the translation of Prologue 1. See The Works of Gildas and Nennius, J.A.Giles, London 1841.

09 January 2014

Love's Brother, Love's Sister

This is Sam and Connie, brother and sister, thirty years ago.

Thanks for the beautiful birthday message bro. You have been by my side for as long as I can remember.
The 7 year old in me enjoyed playing cars and dress-ups with the boys today.
The 30 year old in me is long forward to dinner and drinks with my gorgeous hubby tonight.
And all 37 years of me loves the birthday messages I have received today. I feel humbled and privileged to be a part of Love Your Sister which brings love and laughter to my life every day, but especially today as I celebrate another important milestone.
xx Connie

facebook - 4 January 2014

Now, Connie is terminally ill with breast cancer and Sam has committed to an epic challenge. He’s riding around Australia on a unicycle, to keep this promise to Connie :

1. To raise a million dollars for breast cancer research

2. To raise awareness of the disease that’s killing her

3. To break the Guinness World Record for the longest journey on a unicycle

Samuel and Connie were born a year apart, so they’ve always been close. Growing up they played together, explored the neighbourhood together… and fought cancer together.

Connie has fought cancer three times in her life and Samuel has been with her every step of the way. This time things are different. Connie is dying and she doesn’t have much time left.

Faced with the fight of her life, she set Samuel the toughest challenge she could think of. It started as a joke in the kitchen. It turned into a promise.

The goal?

Set a new Guinness World Record for the most distance travelled on a unicycle
Raise $1 million
Spread Connie’s message of breast cancer awareness.

Samuel has consulted all the experts, taken none of their advice and he’s setting off on the challenge of a lifetime. He made a promise and is determined to keep it!

- See more at: http://loveyoursisterorg.tumblr.com/thestory#sthash.uFGiRhVg.dpuf

So far, he has ridden 13.660 km and raised $1.2million.

Read more at loveyoursister.org and follow Sam and Connie's progress on facebook at loveyoursister

There's still has a month of cycling across the Nullarbor before Sam completes the journey at Federation Square, Melbourne on 13 February.

Samuel Johnson was born at Daylesford in 1978. Over recent weeks, his and Connie's friends have been readying the community for his return home, yesterday evening.

5pm: the town begins to gather. Another local, the author and journalist Andrew Masterson, arrives at The Savioa.

5.30pm: a pink mural billows on the main road.

6pm: Sam is sighted up the road, on his way from Daylesford with an escort of pinked-up bikies and the local Police.

Lisa Gervasoni (of many generations hereabouts) prepares to document as Andrea Lindsay signals Sam and the escort to stop for a moment so that members of the Daylesford Community Brass Band can lead them the last few streets.

Imagine arriving home like this.

Under the banner you can just see Sam's pink unicycle wheel, up there in the thick of things.

And from the other side of the banner, how the official photographer saw the rosy-hued scene.

click image to enlarge

My hometown of Daylesford-Hepburn Springs turned on one heck of a LYS party! So proud to be born into such a diverse and giving community. My heart is so full. Thank you. xsj

- Samuel Johnson, facebook 9 Jan 2014

The building you see here, across the road from The Savoia, is known as The Macaroni Factory. It goes back to the gold days of the 1850s.

How very curious that twelve years ago we were all gathering around that building to witness the filming of Jan Sardi's 'Love's Brother' (2004).

click image to enlarge

detail

A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/

someone looks at something ...

LOGOS/HA HA

Finally, here's the scene in Love's Brother in which, much like yesterday, residents of Hepburn Springs line the street to await THE RETURN of the legendary Love Your Sister unicyclist.