Dearest child, When you’ll come into this world you’ll be thousands of miles north from where I want to take you, in a land where I was born, and where my mother and my mother’s mother and her mother’s mother were born. Over 2300 years ago this beautiful land was called Numedia. Berber tribes and …
Now is the time for pruning in the orchard. My mum used to love the pruning time back at the farm. With her dog and her radio it was her own time away from the house and away from worry. Us kids were at school, beds were done, downstairs swept, lunch was on the stove …
Let me to tell you the story of a man born on the edge of the desert in a land of golden sand and hot skies he thought was his birth right as it had been passed on to him from his forefathers over many generations. A land where as a child he had run …
Let us be empowered by those young people with vision and courage who make such a difference in these dark times, and be reminded that the world will go on without me and you because we are too old, but in the hands of these young people there is nothing to fear. Amanda Gorman stole …
There is a thicket just below our balcony. It is a small area on a slope that was devastated by the storm in August 2015 when some old ash trees and wild plum trees fell. At the time I intended on dealing with the dead trunks and branches, clean up the mess and plant some …
November already and one could easily be fooled to believe it’s spring. It’s so warm and we can work outside comfortably with just a Tee-shirt…We saw the sparrow-hawk on the prowl around the bird feeder this lunchtime, now that the elm has lost its leaves and there is no more protection for our little feathered …
The secret for a long and healthy life is: eat half as much, walk twice as much, laugh three times more and Love, Love and Love some more. A piece of wisdom from Tibet. I have taken on the walking twice as much. The laughter I do plenty, loving some people is challenging, and eating …
March 20th- Hi Martine and Geoff, Haven’t seen your buttons green on Skype recently so may try and phone over the weekend. I have a rosy assumption that life carries on just about as normal in your pastoral existence, and trust you are ok. Apart from millions of train commuters and tourists who have disappeared, …
The Lonicera Fragrantissima is impressive. It is one of the first shrubs to bring out its flowers at the end of January, beginning of February and its powerful smell attracts the local bumblebees which then gorge on the flowers. It belongs to the honeysuckle family that we love and have all around here. This Lonicera …
Christmas has been and gone. For us this year it was a peaceful moment, just the 2 of us. On Christmas Eve we had a nice table with a candle for our mums and a fire in the chimney. Geoff had prepared some muscles in dry white wine, and it was lovely. We raised …
La dame aux ânes 