Blog Archives

Simply..talking to the ironing board....

6/7/2020

During lockdown I noticed I was talking to myself more.

Did you?

I also talked to people who have died (quite common I believe).

And as I mentioned recently, to people on programmes I listen to or watch.

But when I found myself talking to the ironong board - 'Well I suppose I should put you away I said to it - I thought it's time to pull myself together and get out more!

This week I will be visiting two friends in their gardens and talking face to face! So exciting.

As I write this I realise that part of the importance to me of comments on this blog, especially during lockdown, is the sense they give me that I am not just talking to myself! That the blog is a real conversation with like-minded people. That I am listening as well as talking. That is's an exchange and not a monologue.

Love it.

It has helped keep me sane during this weird time.

It goes a long way to filling my well.

Thank you all so much.

15 Comments

Simply..filling the well....

5/7/2020

22 Comments

Many of us have been for weeks on end thrown entirely upon our own inner resources, and my little crisis of confidence came about I think because mine were quite depleted.

Self doubt creeps in. I have become so aware of how important casual so-called
'small talk' is. Human connection at a very simple level: a few inconsequential words, the touch of a hand, a perfunctory hug - things you may not even notice until they are missing.

Julia Cameron in The Artist's Way talks of filling the well, and I have realised how much seeing different things fills my well. On the once weekly trip to the nearest sipermarket my eyes are on stalks! They greedily take in the way the light on the water is different at the next village, and different again on the more enclosed Holy Loch. The road verges vary on different stretches where they are in woodland or in the open, next to the shore or being cut by the council. A glimpse of the higher mountains to the north is exciting, and as we approach the town I see the changes in the gardens in just one week.

What fills the well for you?

22 Comments

Simply..alchemilla....

4/7/2020

6 Comments

..in abundance.

I love supersize vases of flowers! I decided to cut back the flowering stems of the flattened clumps as it didn't look likely that the flowers would bounce back, and to see if ithey might flower again. As you can see these two full vases came from only half of one clump..

6 Comments

Simply..under the table....

3/7/2020

4 Comments

..and through the roof. My garden goes everywhere!

The quaking grass loves the gravel under the table, where it seems a bit wasted so I crawled under there to pick some for a vase where I can appreciate it more..

And I need stepladders and long handled shears to stop the golden hop going, literally, through the roof. You can see I missed it last year....Can't reach those bits that got away!

4 Comments

Simply..desert island choices....

2/7/2020

23 Comments

I mentioned recently that friends and I are sharing our choice of music we would take to a desert island.

As in the long-running poplular radio show we are allowed 8 discs, one book and one luxury.

Here is my first one. When this started to play on the car radio, Barry and I pulled over to listen properly. It is one of the most profoundly moving and beautiful pieces I have ever heard.