Category Archives: Peace

News: Duchess wears mother-in-law’s jewelry

Royal Jewels

In the corporate media, you can find a lot of stories about the fact that Prince William has gifted Duchess Catherine with blue earrings which once belonged to her mother-in-law, Princess Diana. These earrings match Princess Diana’s sapphire and diamond ring, which has been much celebrated as the former Kate Middleton’s engagement ring.

Susanna, Duchess of Peace would like to take this opportunity to show off her own blue ring, which once belonged to her mother-in-law. It is a memento the Duchess wears to remind herself of her mother-in-law’s life of service to the environment and community, and a ring which the Duchess wears to glorify the idea of peace and re-using.

The Duke and Duchess of Peace are concerned with the way that royalty — in the present, and historically — have been used to cover-up war, and even to glorify and prettify the military. It is sad that half the world is obsessed with the image of Duchess Catherine’s Continue reading News: Duchess wears mother-in-law’s jewelry

Royal Song of the Day: Thursday 7/21/11

Glacier
Image by Tolka Rover via Flickr

“If I Had A Hammer” is the Royal Song of the Day for today. You can find this song on page 215 of Rise Up Singing.

I chose this song to continue the idea that singing out will keep us cool. Also, because it has such bold images and patterns, I think it would be a great song to make new lyrics for.

So, this week, while the temps in New York (and elsewhere) are in the 90’s, I am going to sing… Continue reading Royal Song of the Day: Thursday 7/21/11

Royal Song of the Day: Wed 7/20/2011

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_26FOHoaC78]

“Free To Be You and Me”is the Royal Song of the Day. This song is from the 1970’s classic children’s recording by Marlo Thomas & Friends. You can find this song on page 109 of our favorite songbook Rise Up Singing.

Being hot makes me want to sing out. I chose this song for the heat wave because it is joyful and lyrical. Makes you feel cool all over.

The song celebrates the spirit of diversity in a carefree and uplifting way. (And, the video has carousel horses! Lots of fun!).

Royally Yours,
Susanna, Duchess of Peace

“I ain’t gonna study war no more”: Peace Song for 7/19/2011

“Study War No More” is the Royal Song of the Day. It’s a classic (well, make that a “traditional”, identified as a Black Spiritual). And, the song can be found in Rise Up Singing on page 163.

Here is a youtube video of Mahalia Jackson singing “Study War No More“:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nASMNYM8tn8] Continue reading “I ain’t gonna study war no more”: Peace Song for 7/19/2011

Royal Song of the Day: Monday 7/18/2011

The Royal Song of the Day is “All the Weary Mothers” by Joan Baez. You can find this song in Rise Up Singing on page 114. The first verse beings, “All the weary mothers of the earth will finally rest…”. The last stanza is a dream about no more wars.

Duchess Susanna writes:

This song is dedicated to two people with whom I had interesting conversations today: One person was a mother, and the other person was a friend, helping a friend.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNXofOUmshM&feature=youtu.be]

More about why I chose this song: Continue reading Royal Song of the Day: Monday 7/18/2011

Book of the Week: Your Money or Your Life

we make a dying at work so we can live it up on the weekend

Duke Augustus writes: Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence: Revised and Updated for the 21st Century by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez sparked the modern simplicity movement. It remains one of the pre-eminent sources for how to create financial freedom by separating your needs from your wants. This is not a get rich quick scheme. It is the progeny of Thoreau’s On Walden Pond. The Harvard-educated Thoreau freed himself from the business world by by taking the extraordinary measure of changing his life from pencil manufacturer to squatter. Dominguez and Robin suggest a less drastic change by helping you re-direct your prosperity from consumer driven wants to enough wealth to stop working.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8lz13SWZ5w&feature=player_embedded]

The publisher describes the book as: Continue reading Book of the Week: Your Money or Your Life

Peace Song of the Day: Sunday 7/17/2011

Woody Guthrie NYWTSDuke Augustus: Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos) by Woody Guthrie. This song was chosen from Duchess Susanna’s copy of  Rise Up Singing .  This poem was written by Guthrie in response to the 1948 plane crash.  Over 60 years later, we are still fighting the same battle.  Ten years latter, Martin Hoffman wrote the music.  Pete Seeger and Woody’s son, Arlo, have popularized the song. Unfortunately, the racist attitudes in this song are as common today as they were when they were written 60 years ago.

This is video is a little shaky, but worth it to hear Arlo explain about how his father wrote the song:  Continue reading Peace Song of the Day: Sunday 7/17/2011