On A Farm In Wiltshire

2nd September 2012

Happy to be home after our break in the wide rolling landscape of Wiltshire. For a week we borrowed the lives of some lovely friends while they were on holiday. We were in charge of  their silk-eared dog, a sweet natured whippet. We walked him every morning and evening through grassy fields on the farm, along an avenue of beech trees, past velvet-nosed horses and home again -  always pulling on his lead, us trying to keep up.

Their five rare chickens gave us two bright yellow yolked eggs for breakfast. We picked pale pink tomatoes in the greenhouse and let them ripen to red on the kitchen window sill.

My husband sat at the beautiful sleek black piano in the music room, picked out tunes from Mama Mia and improvised his own -  bringing a new sound into our lives -  the possibility he could  start playing on the keyboard languishing unused in a cupboard at home.

My sister and her husband joined us for a night and two days. On the second day she helped me, with her big practical heart, decide what to do about our pussy cat who was getting worse in the cattery. So  while our husbands walked in wet hills, we made a mad dash back to Exeter on a pussy cat rescue mission and took him to our vet. This vet who has worked with lions and elephants in his own country, South Africa, called him ‘Big Man’ and gave him a cuddle, an injection and a tablet and cleaned him up. He said in theory he should be dead by now with the tumours he has. I think it’s all that love and healing he’s been getting from Fiji and other places...

Today my sisters and I and celebrated the birthday of a dear friend who is the brightest and most inspiring 80 year old I know. We sat round our table with other dear friends and shared fresh tomato soup, a roasted tomato tart, luscious salads and then a carrot cake with birthday candles on it. I feel so grateful for all this huge generous love in my life -  sustaining me, nourishing me......

Tonight the pussy cat leaks poo again while we are sitting on the sofa.....this is just how it is now......another lesson for me in  how to surrender.