SENSORY OVERLOAD OR RE-IGNITION

Took me, myself and l off for an impromptu day out to my favourite spiritual sacred place today - Chalice Well, Glastonbury.

Starting out standing in the overcast sunlight of Saturday morning awaiting the bus, looking at the array of Autumn colours appearing, delighting at seeing conkers for the first time this year, always an Autumnal delight.

Perched on a high seat towards the back of the bus, we rattled and wobbled our way through the Somerset countryside, always a delight to see. The levels not yet underwater from seasonal flooding, the patchwork of green fields, adorned by sheep, cows, bulls, calves, donkeys, jackdaws, magpies, buzzards and majestic goss hawks. The river and canals are lined in places with bullrushes and high grassy reeds. Chuck in the signature Somerset aroma of farmyard poo and you have the perfect countryside setting to re-ignite one's senses. I always admire the country cottages with tiny doors and many years of history, many wouldn't look out of place in a Snow White-type story. With their picket-edged rooves and leaded light windows. 

When you step off the bus into Glastonbury you're immediately met with another set of sensory delights, the sound of music, the sights and the smells just bring your heart alive and make you smile. Brightly dressed people mill about their business without a care in the world and without the judgement that so often arises in other places. Everyone here is happy, bright and joyful. The scent of sage, frankincense and a bit of cannabis wafts around as the signature perfume of this lovely town. I just love it.  The brightly painted shop fronts line the route to my favourite place, and famous murals beautifully, skilfully painted adorn many of the buildings too, a joy to see. 

Then you arrive after a short walk into The Chalice Well's sacred, tranquil garden which houses waterfalls, an array of flowers, trees, meadows, and a variety of benches scattered throughout for quiet contemplation, to meditate, sit and think, sit and listen, sit and see. 

Of course, no visit is complete without a paddle in King Arthurs's Healing Pool, where the water runs red and takes your breath away it's that cold and fresh. Once your feet are dry and tingling with warmth, l always head up the steps to the Lions Head fountain to collect a small bottle of iron-laden water, it is said to be drinkable, personally, l don't drink it but take it home to put on my altars. 

Past the Lions Head fountain walk up the cobbled path, pass the Angel seat shrouded in bushes to the infamous Well the most sacred part of the garden.  Step down to the wellhead which is currently adorned with Harvest/ Mabon seasonal fruits and flowers from the ceremony held last week. Take a seat on the wall or the steps and meditate. Taking in the absolute serenity and tranquil energy that oozes from the magic of the Well. Shutting out the muffled road noise to listen to the trees and birdsong which permeate the tranquillity.  Time stops here, worries stop here, visions appear- sometimes, peace comes, emotions come, happiness evolves and touches every fibre of your mind.  And when you leave you are filled with inner peace and calm and warmth.  Directly opposite the Well is the beautiful Mother & child statue which has caused some controversy this year. How you/ l view her is your own interpretation, she is whatever you perceive her to be a representation of. For me, she is the ultimate Mother & child statue she to me is not religious but is divine and sacred.  A lot of people are humbled by her and honour her- as l do.

The meadow area to the rear of this part of the garden gives lovely views up to the Tor and across the distant hills, I didn't venture up there today as after the recent heavy rains it's a tad slippery and muddy. I did go and sit under the cherry tree which was briefly the home of the Mother & Child statue, it has a blanket of sweet chestnut cases at the moment and a few well-used chairs for contemplation.

Down the cobbled stone stairs passed the Kings Arthurs pool back to the fabulous giant Yew trees which are currently home to families of squirrels.  Many people hug these trees and feel their energy. Today l just sat and watched Mumma Squirrel running back and forth with mouthfuls of materials for her family's hibernation home in the high trunk of one of the trees. Whilst she toiled back and forth her kitten babies played chase along the branches. In the neighbouring Yew tree, another squirrel family was also in residence. 

Then smiling to myself, l chatted to other garden visitors and walked down passed scent-filled herby shrubs to the Vesica pool where l sat and listened to the running water. Always a lovely calming sound isn't it, flowing water.

After leaving the tranquillity of the gardens l walked along the very noisy busy main road and around the corner to briefly visit The White Spring to collect a small bottle of calcium-laden water, it is drinkable but again l personally don't drink it. I do wash my face and anoint my heart with some.  Today l also stopped to chat to the guys selling spiritual wares buying a crystal and some jos sticks. 

With my senses buzzing I trekked off back into the town to buy more spiritual supplies, delighting once again in the sights, sounds and smells before travelling back home, enjoying the sights and scents of the Somerset countryside once again.

Senses well and truly overloaded or reignited......until next time.Thank you. 🙏

 

THE SAME YET SO DIFFERENT

Hi all, so the first week of term is back and done.

 New pupils, new staff, and new school years have started everywhere. Yet things feel so different.  I'm about to retire after 22 school years with my employer because mentally and physically l can't do the job anymore. I've listened to my body and it hurts a lot now from doing things I've done for many years. The stamina is lacking even if the mind says l can still do physical things.  

I feel mentally mixed -on one hand, l can not wait to no longer have to wake early with an alarm, wear the same drab dark clothes, and trek 30 mins in all weathers, light and dark mornings. Then on the other l will actually miss some of the morning treks seeing and being amongst nature as it changes seasons. I look forward to wearing my own bright clothes, and jewellery, waking naturally when I've had enough sleep, and taking my time to merge into the day with a proper non-rushed breakfast.  Planning my days and weeks activities, instead of the same 6 weekly routine. 

I feel guilty for leaving my work family, and my department colleagues whose lives I've been a part of for 15-16 years, some are actual friends now, confidantes, trusted guys- which for me is major.

 I mean the department will no longer be cleaned or set up like I've done it for the past years, l can 'read' the room and instantly know where things should be, where the boss man would like them to be. I am the font of department knowledge for the little things that keep it ticking over smoothly. I know when the staff members are looking for something or need to know things. l can assist pupils. l am a smiling helpful staff member, part of a team. 

That team is part of another team which functions within an even bigger one, which has in turn become its own unique community. 

Every school year I've been here things have been the same, yet different. Same routines, slightly modifying annually, yet new beginnings for staff and pupils alike. New lives blossom from the same learning facilities. Many learn and welcome new cultural differences too, all within the same structural buildings that have seen thousands of people come and go over hundreds of years. 

And now as l work my last weeks, my last term, my last school year doing the same things with the same people, things and feelings- my feelings are different. Mixed emotions because this 'institution' has been a part of me, and my family for so long. It has given me regular paid employment, which has provided for my family, and given us opportunities to travel, to see and experience things we never would have. It's employed 3 of my 4 now adult children. I've met and been privileged to have known and nurtured some now famous successful people. I've laughed, loved, sweated copiously, bled- a little and grown with this place. Because things were the same year on year but different.  Various world issues have also affected my time here as they did others- various medical issues sars, bird flu and of course COVID-19 when the whole world stopped. 911 when the whole world grieved. The passing of the Queen, Prince Phillip. the passing of my own Mum and family members when l grieved. Staff members have passed and the same community members pulled together to support each other. 

And things carry on the same, people get up, brush themselves off and carry on the same but different. 

THE BIG RETURN- I'M BACK

 Hi, how are you doing? I'm back, a little greyer, wiser- maybe, a little rusty at this that's for sure. 

The last time l posted l had a parent, sadly now l am in all senses an orphan who is about to retire from the world of work.  Hence coming back I will need somewhere to talk when there are no actual humans around.

So what happened, well we sadly lost Mum to the ripe old age of 95 nigh of 96, and we had a few trial runs at her passing!! In the end, she had her peaceful end surrounded by those who loved her in a place that respected her and looked after her albeit for the last 4 days of her life.  

Things started going downhill from June 2022 with little falls here and there, which gradually worsened. Cognitive capabilities began to fail, and hospital stays increased which made for difficult visits as we all work, l don't drive and there are grandbabies to negotiate too. We made the decision to help us more to move her up to where we all live so that we could see her and help her. We found what we perceived as a lovely home, modern, clean, lovely outlook close by. They sold us the perfect ending and care. Little did we know that they were liars, they in the end couldn't/ wouldn't cater to her needs. She'd given up on life and spent hours sitting alone in her room knitting looking out at nature, actual and imagined. Had she been in her own home, she would still have been sat alone for hours knitting, looking out at nature and the changing seasons, the passers-by who used to wave at her. But the 'care home' shipped her off to the local hospital where things went from bad to worse, to be honest. Physical and mental neglect, even we found out later, abuse. After a few weeks which felt like months there, they asked for her to be discharged.  We found hurriedly a new lovely home that actually cared, run by people the family knew. And as I've already mentioned that's where she spent her last 4 days on this earth. 

Thurs 8th June 2023 9.34am will forever be etched in our thoughts and memories, it was a sunny cool morning, with the scent of roses and honeysuckle. And we gathered together as a family to say our final goodbye. 

What followed was a lot of trips back and forth to her hometown 'to arrange things'. We went to see her for the last time too, she was dressed in her new outfit, laid in her beautifully lined 'bed', looking a bit like her late twin sister- she'd hated that. 

I had to go back to work before our final big family gathering, something l found hard to digest. It didn't feel right being at work, carrying on as 'normal' before she'd been sent on her way. Two long weeks l think it was until friends, and family from far and wide gathered. She's planned and paid for all of it we just had to pull it together and make it happen and we did. I think we did her proud, it wasn't an overly sad day, she didn't want that. 

Then we spent the rest of the year emptying and packing up her home of 35 years, we distributed the copious handmade pictures and treasure to family and friends. So every one of us has a keepsake made by her. She's made photo albums, records of every decade of her life from the 1930s up to 2021 even including the covid year when the whole world was locked up. History l find fascinating- seeing aunts and cousins from their childhoods is timeless.

Then we sold the house- the whole process of that is as expected an emotional rollercoaster, from removing the last filled box to the marketing promotion to the viewings from strangers who felt like they were intruders. The first one was her old gardener which was ok and felt right, someone she knew was interested. Didnt feel so invasive. The final accepting couple fell in love with it and were we were told very excited about buying it so that final chapter closed Mum's story. Sad ending but a happy new beginning.

Then of course the financial bits are dealt with, a little conflict caused by Mum herself but something we could do nothing about. Her legacies paid out and our new lives started or assisted at least. We are all duty-bound now to honor her wishes and make the most of her generosity. For me, this is a testing time as what l would've liked to do isn't quite happening as yet, if it ever will. In the meantime, l will give up my paid work which l physically and mentally can no longer manage and have a life, hopefully now of happiness and fulfillment,

Of course, along with every sad ending, there is always the joy of a new beginning and a new life and daughter no. 2 had a surprise baby on the back of Mum's passing. As she said a gift from Mum herself, and she is that. Auburn hair and the biggest blue eyes, the cutest smile that warms and melts our hearts. 

There is the story of the baby blanket too, but l will leave that for another day very soon. 

For now, l am back I've updated you on the main events and will regularly keep you updated.  I'd like to think- hope you will enjoy reading my waffling.  If you do please comment. 

Thank you and I'll see you soon. 👋