Dear Diary, It’s a blue-sky day and there is a bright light in the sky - I believe it is the sun. (I warn you in advance, this is a long entry today but please forgive me as I am making up for yesterday when I didn’t blog at all. The site was so slow it was driving me to distraction and I had to give up. Please persevere and read on as there will be a question at the end). I am looking after my middle granddaughter Shauna who is nine years old. She is off school, just a little unwell and it is Mum’s day for college. I make her cosy on the best armchair with a big soft pillow and a duvet to snuggle up in and Granddad keeps her entertained while I do a few ‘must-be-dones’ around the cottage. I make her some of my special soya milk porridge, my regular breakfast dish to which I always add dried apricots or prunes, raisins, cinnamon and ground almonds. For Shauna I decorate the bowl of porridge with a good sized swirl of golden syrup in the shape of an ‘S’. It goes down well, for both of us. Before she arrived I had done my usual yoga routine, my ‘Prayers to the Sun’ or ‘Sun Salutations’ as others sometimes call them. I do these and a few other poses every morning timing myself with three records on Radio 2. Today it is a treat as Johnny Walker is standing in for Terry Wogan. Nothing against Terry you understand but I have a soft spot for Johnny and love his choice of music. I wonder if there are any closet Radio 2 listeners out there in Country Living land? In the summer I often do my yoga in the garden, no music then but closer to the sun. I have been thinking a lot about country living and what it really means; is it a state of mind or a kind of achievement statement/status symbol for some people? It is certainly an escape for a lot of folk who harness a desire to get closer to the earth and to nature. For artists and craftspeople it is usually a need for peace and quiet or a beauteous and inspirational environment. It is a fact that certain people, farmers for example, make their living from the countryside and obviously couldn’t do it anywhere else. I have come to understand that farming in particular is not like a 9-5 job, it really is a way of life. Having lived in the wilds of mid-Wales for nearly seventeen years now I feel I have been accepted and I really value the strong sense of community in this area. I will write more on this in future blogs. Shauna lives with the rest of the family on a hill farm not far from here in the Cambrian mountains. They farm sheep and cattle and are in the throes of lambing at the moment, it is the busiest and most exhausting time of their farming calendar. She updates me on their progress, the new births etc. and the tiddling lambs who have been paired up with ‘adoptive’ mothers who have been conned into thinking they are their own. They do not give their own lamb to the mother until they have put its smell onto the orphan/rejected lamb and then the new mum accepts it as her own, along with her natural lamb. She tells me Dad is very tired and is up and down all night long on lambing duty. There is help from the family in the daytime and at weekends. Two of my granddaughters really enjoy farming and are becoming quite proficient at it but the youngest, Emmie, who is five, is not so keen. Mid-morning Shauna and I take a walk. The white lungwort, always one of the first flowers to bloom, is in flower and the dwarf daffodils, the snowdrops and the crocus are peeping out of their little corners. Last autumn I planted further drifts of snowdrops and also bluebells. To save money I went in with some friends and we bought them in bulk. Shauna and I discuss our favourite flowers, hers are pansies, she is emphatic about that. I tell her that I prefer their original old fashioned name which is heartsease and that reputedly it has properties which can mend a broken heart. My own favourites are poppies, bluebells, foxgloves and lilies of the valley. I can’t decide on just one, a bit like books really I would find it impossible to restrict my choice of an all-time favourite to just one. My garden is pretty wild and blowsy most of the year. Hardy geraniums, poppies, welsh poppies and other perennials usually run riot. I get away with this by calling it a cottagey or a wildlife garden. The numbers of birds and other kinds of life have increased each year, probably because of my lack of organisation and neatness. We go across the bridge to the field with the dogs who race round madly. It is such a lovely day and I am sure the sunshine and fresh air will do Shauna good. Sleep, sunshine, fresh air, healthy food and exercise. All the best things I would say and all (mostly) free. They say the best things in life are free and I think they are right! We check out the caravan, somewhat abandoned in the winter, it lives downstream on the bank of the river well out of sight of the cottage. We use it in the warmer months for visitors to stay in or as an ‘escape’ to read, write or watch the wildlife. My son uses it to go and sing and play his guitar. I have great plans this year to re-vamp the really tatty interior, I haven’t yet done so since we bought it second hand a couple of years ago. I would really love an old Romany caravan, that is a dream of mine or a log cabin. A friend of Shauna’s, who is eight, says that when she grows up she wants to live in a hut and ride her horse all day. A girl after my own heart I’d say! After lunch I find a film on Sky for Shauna to watch. She likes all things arty and has spent time with Granddad drawing (they both like drawing) but now she is a bit tired. They watch Ice Age, Granddad gives it 8/10 and Shauna 8 and a half/10. I abstain as my concentration span was too short I am afraid. I catch up with a few more chores. I sometimes think my cottage should be called ‘The Spidery’. I am loth to kill spiders. I think I must have gypsy blood. One of their sayings is ‘If you want to live and thrive let a spider run alive.’ I know a family who live in a cottage near here called ‘Cobweb Cottage’ it would be most appropriate for here I feel. * Well I will sign off now, it is now evening, Shauna is safely home and I need to go and catch the Archers. Country life is a lot like the Archers in its storylines, quite uncannily so sometimes and I never miss a programme if I can help it. If I do there is always the omnibus on a Sunday morning. I have listened to it practically all my life and am about the same age as the programme! Growing up in London I always had a dream to live in the countryside and it is a dream that really did come true. A poem today by Katharine Tynan. I have been going on rather too long I fear. If you have got this far congratulations. THE GARDENER For Violet In the garden she hath found Herb of grace and fever-few; Woundwort there doth much abound, Heartsease too. Where she laid dead things away In the chilly earth, what stir! Whisper of Spring-time, green and gay, Comes to her. All Sweet-Nancies, daffodils, Talking in their beds below Of sweet vales and shining hills Whither they go. In the garden there's no grief; God walks there and He is kind, When the first dear crumpled leaf Shakes in the wind. There's no death now. Winter's done. All's given back. The dead again Walk with her in the wind and sun And the sweet rain. Heartsease in her garden plot, Ladders-to-Heaven scale the skies; While the dear forget-me-not Brightens her eyes. Katharine Tynan And blessings from today? Being a grandmother A day with Shauna. Seeing the world through her eyes. Sharing her love of farming and of flowers. A whole day’s sunshine. A computer-free day. A day for a change Not over-doing it. Postponement. And now the question. Yes or No will do. Did you enjoy?
Recent Comments
Dear Diary, Country Matters
Yes, I did!x
Posted by woozle1967
March 07, 2007 11:25 PM
Dear Diary, Country Matters
Morning Cait! I loved your blog so much. I am about to write my one for today and it will be short for a change as it is my daughter's birthday. Just thought I would quickly catch up with some of my faves first though and so glad I did as I am tired and a little out of sorts today. Yours has lifted my spirits and made me remember my blessings too. Thank you and have a lovely day x
Posted by pipany
March 08, 2007 09:22 AM
Dear Diary, Country Matters
First time I've seen your blog.but enjoyed it.Loved the "cobweb cottage",what a great name.Your favourite flowers are some of mine too.especially poppies and wild foxgloves.Of course the bluebells for their scent and colour,a sight we will have soon.
Posted by MILLY
March 08, 2007 07:27 PM
Dear Diary, Country Matters
So sympathise with the lambing stress. your garden sounds wonderful. I'm all for blowsey!
Posted by @themill
March 08, 2007 09:39 PM
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DEAR DIARY
Monday Mar :32:01
By Cait
Dear Diary, The river is high today, nearly touching the bottom of our little bridge. My first treat of the day as I look out of the bedroom window is the sight of some ducking and diving in the river, not the otters as they are pretty much nocturnal, but a large wild mallard duck. They are a rare sight just here which is why I call it a treat. Occasionally we will see a family of them swimming by or flying overhead, always a beautiful sight. I have thought of keeping some ducks but worry that they would just swim off somewhere else or the fox would get them. The latter problem could be solved if we made an island in the river but that is not easy in a fast flowing mountain stream. The heron though is a regular visitor, seen almost daily, either in the river or flying above it. He nests downstream not far from here in a quiet wooded spot by the river. In the summer a parent heron will often bring the young heron (anyone know what they are called?) to our piece of river and it is as if s/he is teaching the young one the art of fishing; fascinating to watch but very time-consuming as they stay motionless for ages. I have a wicker heron by the bridge which was a present from my daughter. It looks very ’real’ and one day an adult heron stalking in the river seemed transfixed by it, he stayed for ages eyeing it up and down. I wonder was it love at first sight? The pine tree by my window is always alive with bird life. The two collared doves are here feasting on the grain. The woodpecker is on the nuts and many other species of birds line up waiting their turn. And Sammy Squirrel joins them. Overhead the kites and buzzards are swooping, keeping well apart as they are not the best of friends; both are very territorial! We buy nuts and seed in bulk as it is more economical but the rate they disappear is amazing. Still the reward we get from watching the wildlife makes it worth every penny. * On my walk in our field with the dogs this morning I found some toad spawn (more excitement!) and couldn’t wait to get back to tell Michael. I love toads, there are one or two in my garden, one lives in my lily-of-the-valley bed. One often sits outside my back door on summer nights. I have lots of frogs in the garden too but I haven’t seen any of their spawn yet though, has anyone else seen any? I am going to try to get organised with my digital camera so I can take and post some up to date photos for you. It is too wet to do anything in the garden and a cold wind is blowing so I will get some chores done and look forward to the reward at the end which is reading some of the blogs. Wish I had time to read and comment on them all. I am writing a book at the moment, a personal memoir about adoption, so I have to get on with that later. My little car is in the garage in a village six miles away having a new handbrake. Luckily my daughter was able to bring her Dad back home from dropping it off this morning. We have no public transport and are totally reliant on the car. We have to drive a 20 mile round trip to reach a supermarket for example and a proper big town with a Tesco and a Marks and Spencers for example would mean a round trip of over 100 miles. But I am not complaining, I appreciate where I live and could not be happy anywhere else but in the countryside. When we first escaped to Wales we had a seven-acre smallholding not far from here. It had no electricity, its own water, no proper road, no house in sight and views to die for. We did the whole thing, had chickens, goats, ducks, grew vegetables etc and had lots of adventures. The children were nine and twelve and we wished we had moved to Wales even earlier. But although the position was idyllic the house had bad vibes, Michael was very keen to buy it but I never felt at home there. Our little cottage where we are now is a different story, everyone can feel its benevolent aura. We have a five acre field and also an old blacksmith’s forge across the road with its own little piece of land. Our cottage which I call ‘the bit on the end’ should really be called Ty’r Gof which is Welsh for ‘blacksmith’s cottage’. I call it ‘the bit on the end’ because it is attached to the ‘big house’ next door where our dear friends and neighbours live. We are lucky to have such good neighbours, they feel like family. There is a local history book just published called ‘The Preacher’s Son’ by Dewi Williams who grew up next door, he tells of his life growing up there in the ’big house’. * My three granddaughters had their primary school eisteddfodd last week and they all chose a favourite Spike Milligan poem to recite. I promised I would post one of my favourites by Spike for them so here it is. The Garden Fairy (a true story) I saw a little girl She was watching her father He was taking rocks from the garden And dumping them in the river Her mother called ‘What was Daddy doing?’ ‘He’s trying to make the garden lighter.’ So you are My Paddy’s daughter Like rising flame Upon the water I was like The bow string drawn And sped an arrow To distant dawn And from the moment Grew and grew From tiny seed To you - to you Like its coming through a dream Throwing pebbles in a stream I just stood with Jane my daughter Throwing pebbles in the water I never knew that I could find Such tranquillity of mind Seeming to find such joy In a simple childish ploy Long after I reach December I hope that I will still remember When that day as through a dream We threw pebbles in a stream * Just a few blessings from today. I am feeling better, my bug seems to have disappeared. A visit from my daughter and an introduction to a new song. A day off. The housework is finished. The woodburner which I am about to light. A free evening ahead to do as I please. Well I had better sign off now, I have been rambling on a bit. Bye for now, Caitx
Recent Comments
DEAR DIARY
Lovely as ever.x
Posted by woozle1967
March 05, 2007 08:16 PM
DEAR DIARY
Hi Cait - stumbled across your diary (never a blog!) for the first time today and what a treat. Glad to hear someone else does blessings - I finish each day with ten of my best of the day and think it helps put life in perspective. Am also a lover of clouds, of tartan and paisley and my husband (as ragrug so rightly says) is a real ale rambler for sure..... Sorry to hear you haven't been well. Oh, and Anam Cara is a real favourite too..... oh, oh, oh - sound like a kid who doesn't know what first to say!
Posted by exmoorjane
March 05, 2007 08:32 PM
DEAR DIARY
Oh, I've just come across your blog. It's lovely (and amazing how different all these blogs are). Really like that poem and your blessings bit added onto every entry!
Posted by MamaHen
March 05, 2007 11:14 PM
DEAR DIARY
Hi Cait, Thanks for your message - much in common - living in the Celtic west but different countries! My husband is from Anglesey and my Dad grew up in Denbighshire so we know North Wales quite well. Lists of books are good! Suzanne
Posted by suzannedavies
March 07, 2007 01:05 PM
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DEAR DIARY
Sunday Mar :15:53
By Cait
Dear Diary, I missed the eclipse! I was not feeling very well so I went to bed at 9 pm. The best laid plans and all that. Did anyone else get to see it? Sunday is my day off and I am still feeling lousy. I am trying to fight off a virus that is doing the rounds. The weather outside is wild, wet and windy so I have made myself warm and, dosed up with paracetamol I will endeavour to take things easy. Later I will indulge in a hot toddy of whisky, hot water, lemon and fine Welsh honey and maybe curl up on the sofa with a good novel. I would rather be writing though. There is a lovely gentle man, a beekeeper, who lives close by, I call him the ‘honey man‘. His honey has the most wonderfully mild flavour. I take a teaspoonful in my morning cup of tea in the weeks leading up to the hay fever season. The results have been amazing; that and also giving up dairy produce have almost cured the problem which had made summers a nightmare for most of my life. Apparently you have to eat the honey from bees which collect pollen from close to your home so your body can build up its immunity. So if there are any fellow sufferers out there who haven’t heard about it do give it a try. I read of another good idea today. As a self-confessed bibliophile I read a lot, you will have to forgive me as I am always quoting references from literature and from the Internet as well as I am a dedicated silver surfer and derive much pleasure and education from the net and also from Radio 4, did I tell you I am a fan of Radio 4? (Boy that was a too-long sentence). Anyway the good idea is this: instead of worrying about our ‘To-Do Lists’ why not have a ‘Things to Stop Doing’ list’. I would love to hear your suggestions. One has just come to mind for me and that is to stop watching Eastenders which has just gone beyond the bounds of credibility in its storylines. Worrying about all the things we feel we have to do only makes us ill, it is the body telling us to slow down, sometimes it will make us stop altogether. Being ill can be a sign that we are ignoring something in our nature which needs to be expressed. Look for Indian signs to guide you. Here is one of my own poems (soon to be put to music I hope by my son). Indian signs I feel like I am drowning in those cloud formations standing by the ocean, wallowing in sky. Are they tuning to me, those spirits I can now see while I dream away the hours? Soul-weary, but so slowly I am drawing down the powers, from the stars as they twinkle, from the planets as they shine. And I have seen those Indian signs Yes I have seen the slogan on the truck, my secret symbol of good luck I have seen those mystic movements of the sun, as I have watched its rise and set. I have seen the rainbow colours in the sky as I have watched its showery hues. They gave their wisdom on direction of my life, its ebb and flow, the way to go. And I have seen those Indian signs Yes I have seen the slogan on the truck, my secret symbol of good luck. Today’s blessings? Windchimes. Mine in the garden are playing madly for me in this weather. Cosy blankets to snuggle up in, one red one today for energy (very cheap from Ikea). Materials. I especially love paisley, tweeds, cottons, gingham, tartans, denim. Warm socks. Red shoes. And finally last for today but not least. Reading the blogs on this site. Very time-consuming but highly addictive. I love seeing into other people’s lives and sharing their experiences of country life. Do other people have a system for keeping track of people’s blogs or is it just a dipping in at random thing? As well as what we say, what we write has a ripple effect and I am sure that our words are helping each other. I can’t go without leaving you another poem. Moss I had never seen the colour green until the Long Mynd moss lay at my feet in a cold rain, burning; as if some temperamental goddess had turned out her jewel-box here, on this stubbled heath then set fire to the lot. And this was what was left: the just-cooling embers and coals still on their necklace-strings, curling like miniature constellations in a fern-and-heather heaven. Anna Wigley Tomorrow I will post a favourite poem by the dear Spike Milligan, God rest him. Bye for now, I am off to find the whisky bottle…. Cait.x
Recent Comments
DEAR DIARY
Batten down the hatches kiddo, and snuggle by that fire. You're right about sharing our words. It feels like a real community within these pages. We may live miles apart, but this highlights that the human race needs one another. We form communities by nature, be it through the net or physically. We have being doing it since time began when man formed the first settlements. It's natural and good for the soul. We really do need one another.x
Posted by woozle1967
March 04, 2007 01:35 PM
DEAR DIARY
Ditto Woozle.... Hope you soon feel better Cait warm wishes
Posted by ChickenLicken
March 04, 2007 02:16 PM
DEAR DIARY
I'm going to go and snuggle by my fire now too! To keep track of blogs I would simply go straight to Blog Authors or contributors or whtever it says and just pop in to visit your preferred blogs that way...?!
Posted by Truthhurts
March 04, 2007 05:18 PM
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DEAR DIARY
Saturday Mar :51:43
By Cait
DEAR DIARY, Thank you for your very kind comments, much appreciated. I am still a day behind! I have my librarian and bibliophile’s hat on and am writing on the subject of World Book Day which was yesterday. I wondered whether you would like to know the titles of just some of my favourite ‘country’ books. Here they are in no particular order, do let me know if you have also enjoyed any of them. Most, like me, are ancient but are still appreciated today by borrowers, especially those who are newcomers to the country life. Hovel in the Hills: An Account of the Simple Life, by Elizabeth West. Living in Rural Wales by Noragh Jones. Self-Sufficiency by John Seymour, the much acclaimed bible on this subject. The Magic Apple Tree: A Country Year by Susan Hill. Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee. Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson. In a Quiet Land by John O’Donoghue. Anam Cara: Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World by John O’Donohue (two different authors). Twenty Years A-Growing by Maurice O’Sullivan Running for the Hills by Horatio Clare. How to be Free by Tom Hodgkinson. The last two are new but I recommend both highly. I would love to hear from other bloggers with their favourite titles. It would be nice to hear of any kind of book recommendations actually. I know there is another part of the site devoted to this subject but I feel at home in this one and I am sure there are other book lovers out there in the General section and poetry addicts too, please send me your special poems. I will sign off now. Do watch out for the lunar eclipse tonight, they say the moon is going to turn red! Blessings today? Books, books and more books. You can never have too many. My three beautiful grand-daughters (and their beautiful mother) who have just visited me. Saturday nights. Wine. The last two go together. Hugs, remember……….. a hug a day keeps depression away. And finally a poem by a favourite poet of mine, Sarah Teasdale. There Will Come Soft Rains There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground, And swallows circling with their shimmering sound; And frogs in the pools singing at night, And wild plum-trees in tremulous white. Robins will wear their feathery fire Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire; And not one will know of the war, not one Will care at last when it is done. Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree, If mankind perished utterly; And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn Would scarcely know that we were gone. Bye for now, Cait.
Recent Comments
DEAR DIARY
Lovely! Fave books - Cider With Rosie, Seymour, anything by The God That Is Bob Flowerdew and a wonderful, inspirational book by anna Pavord on Kitchen Gardening. Bliss!
Posted by pipany
March 03, 2007 05:18 PM
DEAR DIARY
Love Hovel in the Hills and the Magic Apple Tree too!
Posted by woozle1967
March 03, 2007 05:38 PM
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DEAR DIARY
Friday Mar :54:09
By Cait
St David’s Day news today and all things Welsh. Yes I know Dewi’s day was yesterday. I am sorry Dear Diary but I am a day behind (story of my life). Yesterday was my ‘long day’ at work and I was too tired to write to you sooner. Michael picked some bright daffodils from the garden yesterday morning, some in bud and some in flower and I took them to the library to place on the counter. That was my contribution to the day. The children from the school, Ysgol Dolafon, had dressed in Welsh costume and looked really nice when they had a group photo taken outside the library. It felt like a special day even though I am not Welsh. Several borrowers were wearing daffodils or red Welsh dragon brooches; the aura of the day was very Celtic and festive. As I am an Irish person (born in London but with dual nationality) I think of the Welsh people as my first cousins and feel very at home and comfortable in their country. And I am only a few hours away from the best country in the world after all….. Llanwrtyd Wells is a unique little town, the smallest in Britain and is set amongst the most breathtaking scenery in Powys in mid-Wales, home of the red kite. It is a popular place for tourists: walkers, bird watchers, pony trekkers, fishing enthusiasts, rallying folk, Welsh language and natural history students and the area is considered to be one of the best locations in Europe for mountain-bikers. There are rolling hills, mountain passes, gentle valleys, open pastures, thick forests, rushing rivers, streams and waterfalls. The inhabitants are special too and there is a really strong sense of community. Farming and tourism co-exist; locals, incomers and visitors all get along together in this friendly little town. There are good pubs and three excellent award-winning restaurants. The town is well known for hosting the yearly World Bog Snorkelling Championship and also the Man V. Horse competition. There are also many International walks, Real Ale Rambles, mountain bike competitions and real ale festivals. In just a few weeks time, the first weekend in April, there will be the (free to enter) annual Food Festival which is always very well-attended. I forgot to note my blessings in my previous two blogs so I had better make sure I put plenty down today. One of them will have to be Llanwrtyd, you have probably already guessed that I am a great fan of the place. Here are some more, are blessings truly never-ending? My animals who just ARE, they teach me so much about existence. Trees - Native Americans called them the ‘Standing People‘, I like that analogy. Imagination, Albert Einstein called it ‘the preview of life’s coming attractions’ I love this idea - practically everything around started off as an imagination at its beginning (‘I-magic’ after all). Apart from things in nature, no-one imagined them, or did they? I had better not get philosophical again, stop me now… Clouds. Did I tell you that one of my favourite pastimes is cloud watching? I love the sky, it is ever-changing and the home of dreamers, who look up at it and beyond…… * Can I finish off with a poem, forgive me if you don’t like poetry but it is my passion and I feel withdrawal symptoms if I haven’t read at least one every day. I will try to pick ones with a ‘country’ theme. I apologise as this first one is an Irish poem. I do have many favourite Welsh poems but for my first contribution I will print a well known one by W B Yeats. The Lake Isle of Innisfree I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made: Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee, And live alone in the bee-loud glade. And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow, Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings; There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow, And evening full of the linnet's wings. I will arise and go now, for always night and day I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore; While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey, I hear it in the deep heart's core. Bye for now….
Recent Comments
DEAR DIARY
How delightful. Lovely blog warm wishes
Posted by ChickenLicken
March 02, 2007 07:09 PM
DEAR DIARY
GREETINGS,fellow cloud watcher, i love the poem.and jane if you read this i'll see you and adrian on the real ale ramble....lovely blog xx
Posted by ragrug
March 02, 2007 07:44 PM
DEAR DIARY
Lovely poem and one I had to learn as a schoolgirl. Llanwrtyd Wells is a lovely place. Long may you be happy in that lovey country.
Posted by Mandy
March 02, 2007 08:03 PM
DEAR DIARY
I love the poem, what a beautiful blog...I look forward to reading more!
Posted by Truthhurts
March 02, 2007 09:53 PM
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