What’s the Story in Dalamory

Receive forgiveness
Receive.
Know Love
Know
Accept Presence
Accept

And know that all is well

One of my favourite places to visit is Skye Batiks in Portree, Isle of Skye. And each summer I look out a couple of pairs of their trousers which can be worn with all sorts of tops and dressed either up or down. This year, I was there in May and enquired about a particular colour and design of a pair that are now distinctly past their best (after nearly ten summers’ wear I hasten to add.) They had nothing like it, but undaunted, offered to have a batch of material dyed up specially, saying they would let me know when they were ready.

What joy! Today an email has arrived asking me to phone with details so they can post a pair on. Now that is what I call service.

PS – purple, aquamarine and white, in case you are interested.

Woke up this morning full of aches and pains. The twenty degree drop in temperature from last week to this has fairly taken its toll. Hopefully, things will get better as the weather warms up again, but it is still only 13degrees C. The interesting thing from my point of view is that taking little dog and Him Behind the Wheel for a walk in the forest helped. (Little dog is still rather skittish, so Himself insisted she be kept on the lead.) But what has helped more, is that I have been doing some preparation for the next couple of services I am taking. Now pundits, will no doubt say that exercise is what has done the most good, but the truth is that exercising the mind is obviously good for the soul.

I have been reading The Fountain of Age Betty Friedan’s voluminous work on ageing psychology. Persistance has paid off, as I am starting to understand her thesis, which posits cerebral exercise as bulding the equivalent of cerebral muscle. I am only at chapter four though, so am interested in seeing where we get to in the ensuing chapters.

David Cameron took pains not to exclude alternative-style families in his speech about tax breaks and stabilitiy. I wonder what he would have made of this one. Actually, the mother hen has three ducklings in her charge and seems perfectly happy.

Your personality (or maybe your mood,) will determine whether you relate to one of the following:

a) Shame you can’t smell it; or b) Just imagine the scent…….

My mother kept house obsessively. In other words, she polished and swept and battered carpets and washed curtains every other month etc etc…..   No – I haven’t gone to the other extreme, I like a certain degree of tidy cleanliness, but today I am feeling a bit tired, so was delighted to come across this poem by someone who had presumably had obsessive-compulsive problems. It is a delight for a Day Off.

DUST IF YOU MUST

From Celtic Daily Prayer

You place my feet upon a larger place, Lord,
You give my hands a greater task for You.
You set my eyes upon the far horixon
and in my heart I know Your word is true.

You place a reservoir within my heart, Lord,
that all my tears would come from a different place:
that all my ways would minister Your grace
  to those who long
  to see your face.

Everyone around Dalmally knows this secret. Skin so soft spray, by Avon is definitely not appreciated by the midgies. Now why is this wonder not broadcast throughout Scotland. Because the product is not licensed as an insect repellent. Never mind, I am telling you now. Take it from me – no-one likes the smell!

The new ride-on mower was delivered yesterday. As you can see, Him Behind the Wheel, soon got things under control. My own attempts were pretty scarey. But I’ll get better!

Watched The Convent last night on BBC2. After only a few minutes I was hooked. The contrast between the participants and the nuns was poignant to say the least. It will be interesting to see how it develops. I am already measuring it up against the Benedictine monks of Worth Abbey: a series which ran last year and had a follow-up last week. The nuns, being Poor Clares (at Arundel) have a less celubrious lifestyle, but their life of discipline seems to have freed them to be authentic and compassionate. I am hoping that the four women who are spending forty days with them, find a depth of inner peace and assurance.