A Journey of a Thousand Miles

Some moments from the last 10 days.....

A sweet duet - father and daughter - my husband's brother-in-law and fast growing niece  - making music together.

My sister-in-law's scrumptious roast veggie spaghetti lunch.... not her daughter's favourite - luckily there was some left-over scone pizza that we'd made together the day before....

 Gorgeous brunch at our friends' house in London - re-newing the richness of a long time tradition in their company....the delight of sitting round their kitchen table  - something we've done for many years....the agony of the splinter between us four now as my husband can only sit with a big smile on the roundness of his face asking for more toast and more toast like an open beaked cuckoo certain we'll feed him....which of course we will.

 Orange Chocolate Polenta Cake for a friend's birthday and housewarming party...

 On the morning I dashed to Morrison's for candles and inspiration to decorate it -  chocolate orange something maybe? To serve with the cake I bought tasteless out of season strawberries, blueberries and raspberries ( something I said I wouldn't do -forgetting my mission to be seasonal and low air - miles this year)  and forgot all about the chocolate orange decoration....which is why the raspberries ended up on top of the cake instead of in the fruit salad.....as if anyone minded.....

A  bitter cold walk along the muddy banks of the River Otter on Saturday, the wind shaking my camera.....

 By the  Church at Otterton this open hearted single daffodil in a bed of long leaved Leucojum...

My flower book says they are also called Summer Snowflake - maybe the ones I saw weren't those as summer is so far away -  but they are too tall to be snowdrops....

and I'm not really hungry for this cream tea at Otterton Mill - but eat it greedily anyway - glad to escape the knife blade of the wind.

Other moments......

Wednesday -  in the church after the thanksgiving service for my lovely uncle.....crouching down beside my aunty's wheel chair.....holding her small familiar hand...... she can't see me very well but her voice is strong, uncomplaining.....she says the days are very long now....

Thursday - all those tears in the night - wondering how to mend a fence that got shattered.....someone we love and who loves us both.....knowing his words which hurt only come from his own hurting heart which is also huge and full of kindness...then he rings to say sorry.....me too....mending the fence with grace and courage.

Friday -  at the crematorium after the service for our dear friend who died last week, laying an open hearted daffodil on the top of his woven wicker coffin already covered with the scented blooms of  all of us who loved him....then taking my husband's hand and as we file out of the door, whispering the names of all our friends who he's already hugged......

Saturday - pulling on my socks, sniffing  away more tears that just seem to come anytime, anywhere, wondering how I'm going to get through the whole of my day - with nothing terrible in it -just walking into the town holding the hand of my husband, trying to remember it's me tormenting myself not him.....remembering a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and kindness -  especially to me -  is the only guide on the way....