It is a gloriously
sunny day today. Though the calendar
tells us that Winter is fast approaching I have been working all day in shorts
and a t-shirt. I am alone, well without human company. Just me and Moses and our new puppy Safira. Angel my wicked cat is around somewhere,
probably trying to tease hibernating voles out of their holes. The children are already at school and Memphis has gone to work on the roof of some friends.
It is a good day, a quiet day. (photo Yulia and Safi on yoga retreat)
It has been
almost a year since my last entry and I know some of you have been wondering
where is Von, thanks for the emails. To
be honest, I have been working and this year has flown by. We have had the great pleasure of housing,
feeding and watering a number of Woofers (Willing Workers on Organic Farms),
visitors, family and friends. A great deal of work has gone into the
vegetable production and with thanks we have eaten well all summer and into the
autumn. (Bill, Becky and Ollie round the Nov 5th bonfire)
We are still learning the art of
organic vegetable growing, and believe me it is not without challenge. This year we have met the challenges of
tomato ad pumpkin blight. Little
horrible bugs I have never had the horror of meeting eating the broccoli. I have had to sow all of our winter veg twice
due to some naughty get away chickens and a frisky puppy, even now the horrible
caterpillars are munching away on my lovingly watered and fed cauliflowers and nothing
organic I seem to try really works. Right
now I am preparing to begin the disgusting task of picking the buggers off one
by one, perhaps this will be futile but gardeners are known for the obsessive
love of perfect plants. (Entry in our Guest book by the frisbee throwing wwoofing gals of Kansas)
I know the caterpillars
will be back and we will laugh through this just as we have learnt to laugh at
all the trials and tribulations we have had here so far and press on
regardless. (Jonny battling Memphis at scrabble)
On the lighter and brighter side, the chilli
peppers have been sublime and after two years of trying to grow perfect chilli
peppers, the chillies this year have been my crowning glory! Hallelujah red hot chilli peppers by the
basket full. It is still warm enough for
the Calendulas and Californica Eschlotzias to be flowering. Their iridescent orange colours are greatly
welcomed at this time of year. Strangely
enough my Red hot Pokers are rising valiantly out of their sword like home of
leaves , their conical flowers just beginning to bronze, I look forward to
their ever increasing reddening, perhaps we will have Red Hot Pokers for
Christmas. (Eloise and Joshua, the most established of all the plants in our garden)
The Olive
harvest was speedily completed with the help of one of our very much
appreciated German Woofers, TK, big thumbs up to TK! It was great fun being up in the trees with
you. We are now pleased to have our own
Olive oil again this year, only half that we made last year as the trees are
semi biannually producing. 1 year bumper, 1 year low.
The other
big news this year has been yoga. After
thirteen years of grabbing practice time when and if I can it has been
wonderful to wake up before the sunrise and practice. I believe this is how I have managed to keep
sane, this year, mind you. Before we
came here, yoga was largely about the relaxation of the body, busy Mums need to
find ways to relax. This year however, it
has been wonderful, delightfully centering to simply be within myself, despite
all the plants that need watering, and the clothes that need washing, and the
hurts that need cuddling and the house that needs cleaning and the people that
need feeding. It is from this state of
stillness of meditation that all else has been given invitation to flower. Or, maybe I am just middle aged and needing
to be still a great deal more. Either
way I can safely say that meditation is a revelation. If you have never tried it, do, it will
change your life.
This year I
have also had the pleasure of teaching our first yoga retreat in Portugal
and also teaching some Woofers. How
wonderful to wake up in the morning and just watch lovely young people
stretching, earnestly trying to relax.
Very sweet. I hope to do more of
this as the years unfold here. It is a
beautiful place to meet oneself face to face.
There is something about yoga that invites the bubbling up of the
naughty happy child within us, and it is that child that will bravely go forth
to face the most gruesome of challenges, such as horrible caterpillars.
My first
Christmas present has arrived from Memphis, a tractor load of goat poo! Hooray.
Not the glamorous handbag or necklace kind of present, but it is just
the thing to put a smile on my face.
Big! Big! Big pumpkins next year. 2012 big! (Memphis relishing the battle with Jonny)
I guess one could say we are simply living a
normal life now. The builders have long
departed. The furniture, paintings and
photographs are largely in place. The
days are now made up of morning yoga, gardening, cleaning, sewing (I learnt to
sew this year, thanks Aunty Sally). The
nights are still nights of bonfires outside and music but all in all it is just
life. There are still an infinite number
of projects we hope to complete, chicken houses and barns and the little Adega
at the end of the hill. All in all this
Winter 4 are still bobbing and jumping and jiving their way through life with
all the enthusiasm we can muster, maybe we are getting older but some
meditation and silence is creeping in there too.
Off to
finish the Christmas tree. Happy
shopping to all… Thanks for the new
tunes Ian, digging the classical music. However,
I must say that Chase and Status are wonderful for chopping firewood too,
thanks Aunty Helen. Getting older is
better…
(Josh on da karaoke)
Peace and
Love
River
