Sacred Gifts

Where thou art - that - is home" . . so said Emily Dickinson.  " Wherever I lay my hat, thats my home " sang Marvin Gaye.  "Home is where the heart is" - a well known idiom! There's probably a hundred or so examples of prose, poem or other with a reference to home.  Today, the sun warmed our walls for a minuscule while. Its still very very cold, still cloudy but today we had a blink of sunshine. As we did all things around me, in our home, seemed to come to life. Animated & alive, pulsing with vibrancy & contentment. It suddenly struck me, I've lived here for 21 years. Perhaps for the first time, very real first time, I acknowledged this place here upon the hill as MY Home!! For the last 21 years :) I've called my parents house - Home.  Soon I will have lived South longer than I lived uptd North. It was an interesting feeling . . . one of great satisfaction & paradoxically one of great bewilderment. Twenty one years seems such a long L O N G time yet now looking back it has flown by, so many months gone, so many days totally disappeared with only memories remaining. Life never seems to work out the way you plan it as a teen, life never works out as you plan it any age :) But, age & maturity have graced their presence within my thoughts today.  Sometimes, I can create an illusion, thinking I have done so much with my life, achieved so many things & am most happy with my lot (which I am but,, thats the thing there's a but :). Other times, when age & maturity knock at my senses I realise I have still so much yet to do, so much yet to become.  Simultaneously I'm sure I have nomadic blood flowing through my veins, a Soul of a gypsy, a wanderer's heart & explorers appetite for curiosity, a travellers thirst for knowledge. Yet today, in the sunny minuscule moment my family & home became a welcomed part of my travels . . my heart wandered around the nooks & cranny's, browsed the Spring awakening in the garden, watching in awe the chickens, cats & pup all enjoying the first rays of Spring. A travellers retreat, a haven of pleasures, comforts & peacefulness to aid relaxation & bliss. We had family round for a traditional Roast Dinner, whilst preparing the Roast I also baked a Victoria sandwich cake style gateaux for dessert. Without meaning to, I realised we usually miss this time of year & all its cyclic unfurling. Usually at this time of year we're in Bulgaria  ( skiing ).  witnessing their March Spring affair. Which then got me thinking, is it the 2nd or is it the 1st of March, well anyway its called Ladies Day, a day full of celebrations, true gratitude &  celebration of Women &  Mothers. The men give their women folk a snowdrop, I think traditionally its a snowdrop as I was given one last year from a female friend :) (they're much bigger than our indigenous ones) but can't be sure. They also have a bank holiday & celebrate all weekend.  Maybe my energy just recognises, regardless of where I am, that as Spring approaches, there's much to celebrate. Maybe there's something quite inherent which awakens such appreciation.
Looking out of the window I admired all buds, bloom & colours. I noticed all our neighbours snowdrops are in full bloom ..  he has loads.. many many more bunches then my sporadic wild ones. Seeing my 'Yellow Hedge' :) is starting to bud & blossom.  All looked so beautiful, I then made a wish, for all of the WOMEN IN THE WORLD  . . "A very happy Ladies, Mother, Woman's day" :)  "May they all feel love & be love." We Ladies have such great hearts, such wonderful compassion.  So much to complement society. We should celebrate our uniqueness & differences - together. We're very different to men & so we should be. We all have so much to bring to the world, so much to celebrate & so much to give. Women have so much to bring to society, villages, community & the home. Just as men do, but its different. Women are naturally designed to nurture & nourish, cherish & censure. Create loving homes, a vibrant heart amongst neighbours. The world needs nurturers, carers, lovers & the endless creativity & multi tasking, the ingenuity of intelligence, instinct & intuition of Women.   Sisterhood, at one time, girls looked out for girls, supported each other & shared the many roles, chores & duties. We had the Grandmother Elder, the Wise Woman, the Medicine Woman. .  all respected & cherished. Yet, today's ladies . . well it appears the importance of our femininity, our feminine qualities all seem to be a bit confusing for many at the moment. Roles of both sexes have changed so much.  There seems to be some  demand, or competition with the males for equality, or even for some women, competitiveness with other females!  I'm all for equality but not in things we're not naturally equal in .. like gender!  I'm not one clued up on the History of the female gender but at what point I wonder did we lose the respect for our Mothers, for our fellow Sisters, for each other . . perhaps thats a wee bit unfair but things do seem very different, lives & attitudes. Expectations of Women in our society have changed & not all perhaps for the better. Anyway . .
It was soo gorgeous I thought I'd go outside, enjoy the few rays of sunshine upon my skin.  As I sat in the garden, just contemplating all things, celebrating the essence of Women's day, rejoicing the Spring affair , fully initiated within me I smiled & took a deep breath. Realising, in that moment, the blessings of life. Becoming aware of all around me . . I was home, home in peace & loving my home, loving all who share my wee world at this moment in time.  It made me aware how important such feeling are. To share such love of life, home & family. We should all be overwhelmed by such quiet peaceful yet fulfilling loving moments :)   Soon, the moment will be different,  work will command my attention, family will have things they need doing, the house will need decorating, the cats will need cleaning, the chickens will need worming, the dog will need walking, the garden will need tending . . but for the moment captured in stillness, a lifetime of contentment is created. From feelings to creation, here is the moments of a moment in my life - to share within a moment of yours.

The Girlies

Little Cat . . LC . . sounds like Elsie ;)

Bulgaria

Mother Cat . . MC . . 

Our Snowdrops

Puppy Dog .. 

Our Sunshine Yellow Hedge 

Always the first smile of Spring

along side the daffs

the girlies were interested in the buds too 

Puppy Dog relaxing

Hydrangea newness &  ooh must dead head the old ones!!!

Mmmmm Victoria Sponge Cake with 3 jams & fresh cream

Spring is almost here :)

As many moments fill an hour, a day, a month . . a year! During your lifetime .. May you celebrate your Love, being loved & being love. Celebrate the many gifts you are being a Woman, may you bring much love, kindness, compassion, caring, nurturing & teachings to all who share your wonderful qualities. Celebrate & belong, share all you are & make a difference in the lives of those who need such Maternal Love. Creating such peace & happiness. There is an old saying, it takes a village to raise a child!!  Love has the power to heal many a broken heart, soothe a worried mind, restore a weary body & an abandoned Soul. .  to believe & belong  . .   share the Love & kindness we were born to shower upon all. . :)   Happy Ladies Day.
There is no room within the beauty of humility for the wickedness of the ego, there is no place for the ego in a womans heart. Love all with all of your Love. :) May the Spring affair remind you of all the  great love in your world.