It’s May 1st and Fete de Muguet in France. My dear friend Kath, in whose memory I write my blog, loved France and had a house in Meyssac. She always gave me Lily of the Valley if we were together or sent a card if not. These are for her and since they send good luck to receivers of the little bouquet, for you too, dear readers.
The Action for Happiness calendar is here for May. If you would like a bigger version please click this link.
There were many interested in the steam train going through Cornwall yesterday and some friends went down to Penzance to see it. The driver invited them into the cab! Just look at that beautiful work.
Photos here with thanks to M and S.They also sent me a video but for some reason I can’t load it here.
It’s International Women’s Day today and in honour of all women, everywhere, let’s celebrate friendships.A bit of history for you: 1917
“On the last Sunday of February, Russian women began a strike for “bread and peace” in response to the death of over 2 million Russian soldiers in World War 1. Opposed by political leaders, the women continued to strike until four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. The date the women’s strike commenced was Sunday February 23 on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia. This day on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere was March 8.”
To strong women everywhere and as a friend put it today, “to the stoic women of Ukraine who are suffering the ravages of war, those brave women in Russia who protest at Putin’s barbaric behaviour, and the women of bordering Europe, the UK and the world who have risen up to assist Ukraine. ”
Today is also a special one for our dear neighbour and I have taken a small posy round for her.Somehow I didn’t pass on the Happiness calendar on March 1st. Here it is now!
And while I was picking the primroses and rosemary for S, she was down at the allotment picking some purply stocks for me for International Women’s Day. I’ve put the in my green glass with some white flowers to show the suffragette and I.W.D. colours of purple, white and green.
My lovely SIL told us –
“Today, as well as being the lovely Mr S’s birthday and operation day, is St. Brigid’s Day. She’s the “female St. Patrick” – another patron saint for Ireland, as well as for all manner of places, people, and professions – a very busy saint. But on the eve of her day, she travels about and if you leave a piece of clothing or fabric outdoors, she will bless it as she passes by. It then becomes a powerful charm for curing illness and for healing. Since Cornwall is a Celtic country, I’m sure she also gets around there on the night of January 31, and will no doubt pass your house, especially since she and Mr S share a day. I thought you might like to put out something of his to be blessed and help him in his recovery. Just a suggestion….. ”
Just a suggestion which I thought I’d take up. No sign that St Brigid stopped by but who knows? I put out a hat that had been knitted some years ago by said SIL.
Hat beside the first of our new Narcissi Arctic Bell
Today’s poem celebrates St Brigid too.
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As it is the first of the month, here is this month’s Happiness Calendar. If you’d like a bigger copy, just click on the Happiness page. .
We have an Advent calendar full of chocolates! There are two each day and they are delicious.
It’s time for the next Happiness Calendar – my goodness, the months go by quickly! If you’d like a bigger copy, do go to their website.
There are still a couple of flowers in the garden despite the wind, the rain and the drop in temperature. There was a hoolie blowing as I tried to take these so some are a little wind-blurred!
We met at the Blue Bar for a long and lazy brunch, spent the next three hours playing on the beach, had MooMaid ice creams for lunch, came home and played in the garden, had dinner outside, visited the allotment and waved goodbye. What a lovely, lovely day and a wonderful start to Joyful June!!
“In readiness for the Easter holidays and an influx of visitors, St Michael’s Mount has implemented radical new social distancing measures.Creating a one way system for those visiting the attraction, the ‘Coming Back Causeway’ has been built to ease congestion, and opens to the public today, Thursday April 1st.
Speaking at the opening ceremony this morning, Marizion parish councillor Mike Mount praised Cormac, saying: “The Coming Back Causeway, which looks almost identical to the original causeway, has been built with such efficiency that hardly anyone saw it happening.” Mr Mount added: “A one-way system on the original causeway was trialed last summer, but was later abandoned after it emerged that visitors could not return from the island.”
Photo by Photojournalist Greg Martin
I like to pass on the Action for Happiness calendar each month. You can find more details here.
A kind friend dropped in some poems for me this afternoon. Here is one of them, by one of my favourite poets, Billy Collins, an American poet we once saw live in South Yorkshire. It is just one sentence and I love it. I hope you do too. Thank you very much, M.
Today
If ever there were a spring day so perfect,
so uplifted by a warm intermittent breeze
that it made you want to throw
open all the windows in the house
and unlatch the door to the canary’s cage,
indeed, rip the little door from its jamb,
a day when the cool brick paths
and the garden bursting with peonies
seemed so etched in sunlight
that you felt like taking
a hammer to the glass paperweight
on the living room end table,
releasing the inhabitants
from their snow-covered cottage
so they could walk out,
holding hands and squinting
into this larger dome of blue and white,
well, today is just that kind of day.
We threw open the windows this morning while having breakfast and listened to the bird song instead of the radio. Bliss.
It’s March and here is this month’s planner from Action for Happiness.
Our walk was brief today in the returned bitter Easterly wind but we did spot a beautiful Camellia bloom on the path, a delicate pale pink among the russety brown of the decaying blooms.
and Heligan Pineapple Cake! Here’s the link to the very easy recipe for this delicious, fruity and moist loaf.
