Monday Meditation (18)

‘Just living is not enough.….one must have sunshine,

freedom, and a little flower.’

Hans Christian Anderson

Happy and Glorious

If only the sky were as blue as when I took this picture a few days ago!

I’ve been watching the flotilla of a thousand boats pass down the River Thames this afternoon as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.  Watching on television, that is.  Must have been amazing to be there and part of it all - despite the cold and the wind and the torrential rain.

Favourite bit?  The climax as the London Philharmonic played its way through the usual canon of patriotic favourites, whilst a soaked-to-the-skin Royal College of Music Chamber Choir sang its heart out.  That summed it up: British weather, British spirit and British eternal optimism - planning as if it won’t rain when really we know it will but we’re determined to have a good time anyway!

Sending big congratulations to the Queen (from a soggy, rain-drenched Yorkshire).

The Weekly Zine

I know how it is.  You, no doubt, are super busy.  And I, when it comes to blogging, am pretty prolific.  I owe it to you, as a beaverish blogger, to make it simple for you to keep up with the doings at Dixon Hill.  I want you to be able to follow my ramblings and musings with the minimum of effort.

And so I’ve had a brainwave.  I’ve turned the monthly newsletter into a weekly zine.  If you sign up, you’ll get an e-mail every weekend rounding up that week’s posts.  You can either head straight to the blog with one click for a thorough catch-up or pick and choose from the week’s offerings as laid out in the zine. And, because it arrives at the weekend, there’ll be a small prompt in every issue - a simple way to connect with the world around you.  Think of it as a reminder to slow down and take a few moments for yourself; a reminder to be present and aware (‘cause, let’s face it, we all need reminders).

The zine should make it easier for me to connect with you, easier for you to catch up with me.  Click here to sign up; then let me know what you think and whether it works for you.

P.S. If you were already subscribed to the monthly newsletter, no need to do anything - the weekly zines will automatically come your way unless you unsubscribe.  You should have had the first one last weekend.

The Swarm

I’m feeling massively grateful today.

On Sunday evening, my husband found a dozen or so drowsy bees in our bathroom.  By lunchtime yesterday, an entire swarm had joined them, getting into the house through a pipe in the wall and finding its way into the bathroom through a broken tile.

A couple of panicked phone calls later and I’d discovered they were honey bees, looking for a new home and trying to decide whether our house fitted the bill.  It wouldn’t be possible to capture the swarm, I was told, and take it elsewhere.  So, unless we fancied coexistence, our choices were to leave home or kill the bees.  This tale, it seemed, was doomed not to have a happy ending.

Last night, however, the swarm made up its mind.  It didn‘t like the look of our house, after all (should I be affronted or relieved?).  It upped and off, leaving just a few confused bees still looking for their queen.

What a reprieve!  For the bees and for me.  I was appalled to think I might be responsible for the destruction of precious honey bees.   But living together was definitely NOT an option!  Let’s trust the swarm finds its perfect home today - one it doesn‘t have to share with humans.

P.S. I’m not a bee expert so haven’t a clue whether the bee in the photo is a honey bee or not.  The picture’s from my archives.  There’s absolutely no way I was doing a photo shoot with yesterday’s swarm!

Monday Meditation (17)

 ‘I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the work of

the stars.’

 Walt Whitman