Saturday 7 December 2019

encountering ellie



On a walk this morning in Cannock Chase our puppy met Ellie, another flat-coated retriever five years his senior. They tumbled and chased and licked and sniffed. It was such a delight to watch!




thoughts in a forest


 

earthed
in a forest
of dead ferns
and mud

branches
drag
the sky
across
the moss-faced
wood
which
blankets
this ancient palace 









 



 

Thursday 5 December 2019

the village green preservation society



A short walk around the village green. Until recently it was shrouded in trees but now they've been cut back to let in the light.  In the middle is the village Christmas tree.



 


 

over the wall



Over the garden wall lies a beautiful eleventh century church. We hear the bells peal on Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings.



reflections



The peace of water and reflections on a sunny winter morning. This is fast becoming one of our favourite walks, despite the muddy canal-side.












7 a.m. eternal



The view from the garden of our new home is stunning, even at 7:00 in the morning.

The village in which we now live is steeped in history. Named in the Domesday Book it was at one time owned by Benedictine monks. The Hall opposite was the site of a battle between the Round-heads and the Cavaliers in the English Civil War and the church next to us dates back to the eleventh century. There are several stones from the original transept in our back garden.

We're so much looking forward to exploring both the geography and history of our new environment in the months and years to come!




Sunday 1 December 2019

draw the curtains ...



they're all packed up now

tears and laughter
joys and grief
a house bustling with children
street parties and barbecues
boys nights out
and filling potholes
side by side 
with the neighbours

they're all packed up now

the dogs we walked
from Blue to Roscoe
the squeaking guinea-pig
bonsai herd

birthdays
and Christmas 
and parties
filling our home
bringing together
family and
friends

our church life
and house-groups and youth groups
and times for reflection

 they're all packed up now 

the quilts and the cameras
the magical automata
the flotsam and jetsam
of a family
the trees and the flowers
a garden tended in love
 
 they're all packed up now

the smell of baking bread
warming stews
and day-long curry cooking
the meals that bound us together

the arrivals
the departures
the passing faces 

they're all packed up now
a home
full of memories