Gardens and song

A sun-filled and surprisingly peaceful day today. Well, after the thrills and spills of the week, we probably deserved it. Here's this morning's meditation:

Meditation 96

Rock gives birth
to water,

gushing, streaming
over the people’s eager hands

and parched mouths.
The river gives life to all

but carries death’s
cold sprinkling to some

who will not taste such refreshment
again.

Four more meditation poems to go before I hit the 100 marker, well gosh! What on earth will I do to mark that occasion? Who knows indeed. Anyway, today, Lord H and I have popped to Guildford Cathedral to renew his supply of library books, pausing to admire the very eye-catching exhibition of icon paintings they have on display there at the moment. Very fetching - though it would have been nice if an artist's name had been added to all of them. Some of them admitted to their creators but some of them didn't. Most odd - I would have liked to know more really.

After that, we drove through Guildford and worked out where it is I have to get to on Monday night - as it's the Thorn in the Flesh reading group night. Hurrah and gosh - so soon! So I'll be nervous enough about meeting people, most of whom (I hope) will have read the book, without having to worry about how I get there as well. Anyway, now I'm in the know so it's one less thing to be concerned about.

We then visited Claremont Landscape Garden for a walk round and lunch. It's a lovely place - so peaceful. We managed to spot a buzzard and a couple of nuthatches, and also three scaups - which is a new bird for this year, huzzah! The only strange thing about it is that the loos are in the carpark so once you've got in, you then have to go out again in order to locate them. Still, they're not that far and very nice, so worth the visit, ho ho.

This afternoon, I've added about 600 words to Hallsfoot's Battle while Lord H has been watching the rugby. Rugby? Is it on??... To me, it appears to be a game consisting of lots of men rushing round a field, shouting and having sex - but I accept that might be simply my strange mind. I do understand that's not the point of it all. Ah well, dream on.

Tonight, we're back at the Cathedral (we can hardly bear to keep away) for the Guildford Choral Society concert, so I'm hoping that a bit of Mozart will round off our day nicely.

Ooh, and I've had my first Maloney's Law promise of a purchase as a result of the movie! So thank you hugely, Val, and I hope you enjoy the read.

Today's nice things:

1. Poetry
2. Icon paintings
3. Geographical knowledge
4. Gardens
5. Birds
6. Adding more to Hallsfoot
7. My concept of rugby
8. Concert
9. A possible Maloney sale.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website - getting in touch with nature