Textile Joy

Acorn green...

rosebud yellow...

periwinkle blue...

perfect red....

all the colours of the garden and the earth,

sewn into this beautiful patchwork quilt,

hanging on the kitchen wall of the very talented embroiderer who created them.

And all the colours of the sea and the sky in this handbag that she also made - taking my breath away with her marvellous eye for colour and design and skill in her huge, overflowing, creative body of work - a textile joy.

I spent most of today getting ready to go away for a week to the Cotswolds.....clearing out the fridge, storing the apples,  eating up the leftovers, spending money in M&S, choosing DVDS and books in the library, trying to decide what to pack. I've booked a cottage for me and Robin close to several National Trust properties which he'll be very pleased about - means we'll have somewhere to visit every day for both of us to enjoy..... as well as Poundland and Morrisons and Sainsbury's.

So  this is the last blog for a while...back in October.

Blessed By A Horse Angel

Tristan

William

who is 11years old and shares the same birthday with Robin.

The most amazing thing for me during Robin's "Equine Facilitaed Learning" session with Sue and her  wonderful horse, William, was at the very end. We were sitting in a circle in the arena and William was just standing stock still with us - almost as if he was meditating. Robin started to talk about a 'past life' experience which is important to him. I suddenly felt sad and hopeless and wanted him to talk about something else. At that moment William walked up to me and nudged me with his big velvet nose. I felt overwhelmed by a sense he was letting me know "It's alright".

Then  he walked to Robin who was still talking and stood in front of him for a few seconds as if he was listening and then tossed his his head and walked off to the far end of the arena and started to eat the bushes beyond the fence as if to say 'enough with the past life now'.

Sue said Robin was full of joy and a natural with the horses.

I felt as if I'd been blessed by a horse angel.

And now I know it's alright to go and eat the bushes- even if only  in my head -  when I've had enough of Robin's voices but not enough of loving him. Or me.

You can find Sue at 

www.adventureswithhorses.co.uk

Anniversary Weekend

On Saturday the sun blazes  - hot as summer - we visit Hestercombe House and Gardens, an English Heritage 800 year old property near Taunton. The gardens are formal and ooze peacefulness. Someone has hired it for their wedding day -we catch  a glimpse of the bride and groom through a wall of hedges. We eat our picnic by the pond watching the ducks.  Afterwards I'd like to wander through the wild acres of woodland beyond the flower borders but Robin has had his fill. 

On the way home we call in to have tea at my sister's farm - chocolate cup cakes made by my great niece,18 months old (with assistance), decorated by my great nephew, 4 years old, on a Lumberjack theme....followed by a serious bubble blowing session in the garden.

  

Sunday is our 29th wedding anniversary....I share a delicious farewell lunch to our Course in Miracles group in the morning and in the afternoon

we drive to Sidmouth,

to celebrate our anniversary with a large cream tea at the Hotel Riviera on the seafront -  looking for all the world like any middle aged, long married couple....who would guess the truth of it...

The sun leaving the sky outside my window last night....the night of the eclipse of the blood moon which I missed .....although I did get up at some point in the early hours and drew back the blinds.....it felt like a thousand torches lighting up the garden with a perfect peace.

Budleigh and Love

 Yesterday I collected my birthday present Peter Wood painting -   the iconic view of the pine trees and the estuary at Budleigh Salterton  - from the framers and hung it in my study - opposite my snuggle chair. It's hard to get  good photo - reflected light from the window. But I love it. I love Budleigh and I love living in the South West.

I'd forgotten that I first came to Budleigh Salterton when I was a teenager, still lived in Zambia, and I came to visit a schoolfriend when we were on our last leave here - never dreaming one day  I would live only miles away from it and it would have such a special place in my life. Especially the pine trees.

I've taken  many photos of this view over the years......

over the seasons.....and in this one looking the other way.

Today I felt the luckiest great aunty in the world.....

and remembered that love is everything.