In the living of it

We have had a dear visitor come to stay with us, and took a little holiday ourselves, traveling with him to some rocky highlands of Dingle and then to some delights nearer to home. It's such a rich and rugged landscape here. Its all wildness around the edges and then its soaking, mossy, green gorgeousness in the middle. Ireland really is emerald and a jewel in many ways. I enjoyed so much to travel about in her graciousness again- hearing trad music in a pub in Dingle and watching this stormy drama of blue rolling heavily in over a low golden sun way out on the peninsula.

Its always good to travel with a loving friend of the spirit too, someone you can yap too all the way over the mountains and back, with a hearty laugh and a tear or two. Someone's hand to hold near the sea edge and share surprise smiles over the first snow of winter.

After all our excitement poor little Maddy was ill for a few days but has bounced back beautifully as she does. If only I could remember each time she is ill how strong she is and relieve myself of at least a little of the of the anxiety. Come to think of it I am more confident about my skills to nurse her, and in her own capacity to heal, its just been small steps. Ever vigilant regardless.

Today I found myself unusually alone and moongazing on a dusky walk. Its inspired me and woken up all my senses tonight.

Even here, in this pocket of light, a house amidst a dark garden, it is beautiful. I think about where we are right now, this moment, and its like a little tidal bay here too. I think I know just the one, somewhere off the coast of Connemarra ( Galway) with its white coral sand. A black rocky curve it is,  opening up to a great ocean with no means to know what will be and what will come. In and out this life goes on its strange and wonderful adventures. To be glad of the living of it, thats the trick it seems. Goodbyes and hellos.
I tell Madeleine who is often upset leaving a friends house that you have to say goodbye before you can say hello again. Sometimes she buys it, and maybe somewhere on some level she knows the truth, that we are all in ever changing cycles and tides. Impermanence is all that is certain. There is a lot of peace in accepting that.

Its three quarter moon and waxing its way to Solstice. The light comes back and the days grow longer, and everything will expand again. I have been finishing hats and arm warming cuffs today, three of them, and next I will make some more crowns. Creating, making, creating, making and staying warm for now. We will wait for our sun to get higher and brighter again and look back at this dark part called winter with its icy days and candle light and remember all this good busyness. 

Some cuffs/wrist warmers in a mixture of aran, donegal and handspun yarn from Italy.

A basket of work, hats crowns and ear warmers as in just below. With this, I feel like I should be off on my way with basket over my arm selling my wares.
There is something very ancient and kind of reassuring making handwork like this. It feels so right to do this work at this time of year.

Now its time to prepare for Solstice and Christmas. More work to do along the way, between baking and last bits of shopping, though we have hardly shopped at all and wont need to much, between handmade's and secret santa/kriskinlde in my family. And, did I mention there is a chocolate factory in my village. Wilde's irish chocolates- Me and M don't mind at all, another visit over there to the factory shop, if we have to.


Oh yes lists to be made..... and a blog in between, with a word or two on how Christmas is in this house and what me and Maddy have been up to with making Christmas decorations.... and our lovely live tree, that will need to be mentioned too, and the needle felted crib, my joseph that looks more like Devandra Barhardt........ and.......and that my work is selling...... and that this seems to be a good way to start being creative again.......and well......Happy Solstice..

xx