A lovely friend with whom I share good reads, turned up just after lunch, in her hands a book she felt would suit me today. I was so touched by her kindness in recognising the need for laughter and relaxation as the LiveWires and their families have all left. It’s very quiet here today and I have spent the rest of the day reading and laughing. It’s a brilliant, totally original read, a thriller full of current humour, written in a very up-to-date epistolary style and completely unputdownable. I’ve read it all this afternoon. Thank you H. 
Category Archives: Kindness
A Brilliant Read
Memories, An Owl and Being Kind
Today marks the day my lovely Dad died in 2004. He spent his last seventeen days in the hospice and I spent every day with him. I find the beginning of December quite tricky and this year more than most, not sure why.
I’m remembering the long days full of such mixed feelings, the sadness and the reminiscing, the wonderful staff at the hospice, the way I was so well looked after as well as the amazing care for my Dad. We put up a favourite painting in his room, we took in his (now my) ‘Des Amis Silencieux” bookcase, filled with all his published books which gave every visitor a talking point.
Those who know me, know I wear vanilla perfume every day. One day, late in his stay as I bent over to kiss him good morning, he said how like ice-cream I smelt and he loved it as he loved a good Cornish ice-cream.
I’ve started decorating the tree this afternoon and love the Owl that was on the tree at home when I was growing up. 
Saw this today and loved it.
Benjamin Zephaniah
So sad to hear that Benjamin Zephaniah has died and at such a young age. We have loved his work for many years, even had Breakfast with him once at an event at a Sheffield pub many, many years ago.
Here is a poem so apt for our times called The British…….
and a wonderful recording from YouTube.
Our very old laptop is poorly and we have bought a new one. Sadly, there is no slot for my camera’s memory card so right now, I can’t add my photos. I will hope to learn how to put my photos here by another method. Any advice very gladly received.
Empathy and Christmas is Coming
The lovely Mr S has put up the outdoor Christmas tree of lights. I love it.. 
Happiness Calendar, Thatching and Sunset Clouds
It’s the start of another month already! Here is the Happiness calendar for December and I’ve donethe task for today with this post. 🙂
I was in the direction of the new thatching today so veered off route to get another picture for you. It’s coming along, clearly a long job. The first photo can be found here. 
The clouds at sunset with the tree skeletons in the foreground were quite stunning this evening. 
Above All, Be Kind
It’s World Kindness day and don’t we need it everywhere at the moment?
“If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
– Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Kindness, Samhain and Fire
The poet, Danusha Lameris, has kindly given me permission to share her poem which asks us to remember the ‘Small Kindnesses.’ In today’s harsh world, these are so very important to recognise.
”Small Kindnesses”by Danusha Lameris
I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walkdown a crowded aisle, people pull in their legsto let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”when someone sneezes, a leftoverfrom the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.And sometimes, when you spill lemonsfrom your grocery bag, someone else will help youpick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other.We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot,and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smileat them and for them to smile back. For the waitressto call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder,and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass.We have so little of each other, now. So farfrom tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange.What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, thesefleeting temples we make together when we say, “Here,have my seat,” “Go ahead—you first,” “I like your hat.”
I’ve been up to the Eco Park this evening for a very lovely Samhain celebration where we all remembered our ancestors and friends who are no longer with us and we lit candles in their names as we sat around the fire. I loved the bits of decoration around the atrium.
October, Posy and A Poem
Action for happiness are focussing on optimism this month.
We visited our Dear Friend, Ti, today and took her a garden posy, lots still in bloom as Autumn arrives.
Ti had a book of Mary Oliver poems and we read several which were new to me though I’ve posted several of her poems here before. Here’s one which we all enjoyed this morning.
If I Were by Mary Oliver
There are lots of ways to dance and
to spin, sometimes it just starts my
feet first then my entire body, I am
spinning no one can see it but it is
happening. I am so glad to be alive,
I am so glad to be loving and loved.
Even if I were close to the finish,
even if I were at my final breath, I
would be here to take a stand, bereft
of such astonishments, but for them.
Happiness and Community Roots
It’s August already and here is the Happiness Calendar to encourage us all.
Along with all the usual jobs, today was Scarecrow Making Day. I stuffed a pair of jeans with straw but most of the work was done by the youngsters on site today. It is always special when children of various ages join us – hope for the future. Enjoy the gallery of Scarecrows and harvests.
Start of the onion harvest. We sowed 6000 many weeks ago!
Poly tunnel that we helped raise one year ago, now full of tomatoes
Three Scarecrows waiting for their placements
W behind his scarecrow that he has just put in place
Another one ready to scare the crows
O carrying her Scarecrow to the place she has decided it should be.
Taping to the support pole
Cucumbers and Butternut Squash
Giving a goodbye hug
Happy Days and Poppies
Happy Summer Solstice to all our friends and readers, especially our Ukrainian friends.
