It’s my Mum’s birthday today and, of course, she has been in my mind especially today. I was thinking about what I had learned from her – about gardening, cooking, being forgiving, being kind and above all, finding the good in everyone and the beauty in everything. Mum always had a herb garden close to the kitchen as we do too.
Mum also collected old chimneys to plant up and I have inherited them. You can see just a few in the next photo.
Some of Mum’s chimneys, this front one with Heliotrope still in flower on 5th November and planted every year to remember Mum
Mum’s father was Welsh, she was half Welsh and I am one quarter Welsh. My book today is Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas. When I was very young we used to listen to this fabulous confection of words and magical imagination on two vinyl records and I heard it often. Later I was bought the tapes and later still, I chose to teach it as part of the GCSE English literature course. I know it almost by heart.
Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas on vinyl
Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas on cassette tapes
Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas