Just Humans Being...

  As we ventured out yesterday, we were thinking how surreal the world has become when people are colour co-ordinating face masks with their clothes (no doubt this has been a thing for a while - just not in our little world!) - it’s quite bizarre, especially when they look so glum; almost zombie-like, pushing trolleys around shops along to the awful versions of festive music being churning out all day. We choose not to wear masks, we don’t use nasty soaps or wash our hands any more than usual, we hug our family and friends...even those visiting from other areas and guess what? We are all fine! We don’t personally know anyone who has caught the lurgy, but have heard of people who have had it and the deaths we have heard of have all been elderly with other health issues. We take full responsibility for our own health and if we do by chance get sick - then of course, we will happily isolate ourselves, but we believe we will remain well. I remember reading an interview with the Swedish

  As a child, I think I drove my folks mad by always questioning them, whenever I was told to do something a certain way – I would ask why? More often than not, the reply would be “because I say so” or “it just is” which meant I never got a satisfactory answer. Perhaps this is why I have gone through life always questioning and if the answers don’t make sense – I do my own thing, luckily I met someone who feels the same way and together we continue to follow our own path. Why couldn’t I wear bright red woolly socks with my navy blue school uniform? Or a T-shirt instead of the silly round collared blouse? What was wrong with yellow or blue nail varnish? It was quite ridiculous that I was pulled up daily from my third year in high school for not conforming...I was sent to see the head teacher, given detention, but I continued to wear my own versions and actually enjoyed finding ways to bend the rules. I was told that the uniform was to give us a sense of belonging, an identity...re

  At what point in history did we start putting our elderly relatives into care homes? As I write, I have no way of knowing...no internet to help research and Sime’s still snoozing, well it is only 6:30 and dark - most people are asleep, but I woke with this thought and no doubt I have written something along these lines before. Having cared for both my Grandmother (Nan) and Sime’s Mum (Bebe) and knowing how difficult it was especially with Bebe as her dementia progressed...I was thinking about how families managed before care homes. Certainly in the UK, we have become quite disconnected from our older generation and it seems that their opinions are no longer valued by younger generations. How differently we live today and yet Nan grew up surrounded by family, cousins in the same street or just around the corner. Neighbours were like extended family and everyone helped each other - taking care of the children and keeping an eye on aging grandparents. Lives were entwined. Young and

  We often wonder when this mindless merry-go-round of consumerism will end. When people suddenly realise that they don’t need to keep buying the next best thing, to fill their homes with chain store tat and their wardrobes with clothes they rarely wear. Why is there so much importance put on stuff? How did the human race get persuaded to spend huge amounts of money on winter religious festivals? The whole crazy buying thing is quite bizarre to us. If you are a consumer – do you look into where your stuff comes from before you make your purchase? Does it concern you that your fellow humans are being paid peanuts to make some of the items you buy, or that there is still slavery in the world? Large corporations continue to exploit people because they can and will do so until they are found out and they will no doubt blame “customer demand” for pushing them to make things cheaper. What would happen if we all stopped? If we found a local person to make something for us and instead of u

We first came across the intriguing story published in 1939 of Peter Kelder, Colonel Bradford and “The Fountain of Youth” from a book we picked up in Lanhydrock’s second-hand bookshop in 2017. We have no idea whether the story is fact or fiction, but it led us to start practicing “The Ancient Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation” - five exercises which have been found to reverse the aging process and improve health by stimulating the energy centres. The story in a nutshell is that Peter Kelder met Colonel Bradford, an elderly retired British Army officer during the 1930s. They became friends and Colonel Bradford talked of his travels and how he had heard about a monastery of Lamas (Tibetan Monks) who had discovered “The Fountain of Youth” and the older visitors of the monastery who mysteriously regained their health, strength and vigour. The location of the monastery was unknown, but the colonel felt a strong desire to find it...and so he did. He embarked on his journey of discovery and whe

Who needs a TV when you have several bird feeders? The cabin is a bit like a bird hide and we get hours of entertainment watching our feathery friends flying around and chomping. They have already gone through a large bag of peanuts and are now on some mixed seed and sunflower hearts we picked up from the local garden centre. We have also made our own fat balls – which are probably a lot healthier than the ones you can buy and the birds love them. We put all the ingredients in the food processor...Peanuts, sunflower seeds, ground flax (linseeds), oats, polenta and water. Whizzed it up and left the mush to stand for about 30 minutes, then separated the mixture and rolled into balls. We didn’t weigh anything out, just whizzed it all up until the right consistency. It’s really easy to do and probably much cheaper. In the garden each day, we have mostly Great tits, a couple of Blue tits and this morning we have seen our first Coal tit. We also have Greenfinches, Goldfinches and Chaffin

  I could capture the breathtaking views from this cabin, wrap them up and send them out as gifts to folks who need some beauty in their lives, but our camera just doesn’t cut the mustard! This morning is quite magical and is one of those occasions where I want to share the joy... I had to get out there - not just content in seeing the beauty from the warmth of the cabin, but I wanted to be out and to feel it. Witnessing the world awaken is quite an incredible experience and although this morning is probably no different than any other, I feel excited for the day ahead. We know that being in nature recharges us...perhaps living in nature supercharges us! As our feathery friends arrive to feast on the goodies we leave out, my rumbling tum is telling me it’s time for our breakfast too. Enjoy the photos! Love Kay (and sleepy Sime) xx