September reflections

Just over halfway through September and the warm weather continues.  Despite - or perhaps because of - the start of term, summer days have carried on as if there is no other way to be. Surely this is Someone's Law? The Law which says that September will be hot and sunny as soon as the children go back to school?  This year, more true than ever. The evenings have been incredibly warm: I have been reluctant to go to bed, sitting on the warm stoop at 10pm, watching bats flitting back and forth in the dark.

The mornings have been so beautiful that I have frequently scampered out of bed and along the cliffs before cycling off to school...

From the bedroom window

Gardening has been a delight: cucumbers galore, butternut squash appearing, leeks, spinach, curly kale, potatoes...

School is a new year's helter skelter: new Maths scheme, new English, new way of teaching writing, new children... the last 'new' is all good: it is such a privilege to get to know these intriguing personalities and journey with them over the year.

Richard has been so busy at home: laying new paving slabs for parking; cutting and trimming trees and bushes; fixing our broken bike barn, after the roof of it blew off in a summer storm; repairing my faithful food processor, which stopped working after 28 years...and celebrating 32 years of married life with a beautiful reminder from Cat:

And every weekend has involved hosting friends old and new, getting to know our lovely neighbours...such a privilege to be able to use this lovely house as a meeting place.

#blessed #contentment  #hospitalityissosatisfying

Moon

Palely
in grey dawn light
faint-hearted ambassador
thrown awry
misplaced.

Deep in midnight
eager fingers
searched out hiding places
silver rays
threw sharp shadows
at home.

Moonlight

Thursday night. 9.30.

I'd just said goodbye to my guest. My special friend, Sarah. We have created an oasis of time together, meeting every week to share our lives, to pray with and for each other, to talk to God about our world and all our concerns for it.

It was cold and frosty. The moon shone as bright as day. The headlights quickly faded as she drove off, leaving me alone in the stillness with the moon.

I collected the dog, and started running. We ran to the beach.

The lanes were lit up as bright as day, my shadow sharp in front of me as I ran for the joy of being alive in God's night. A heron squawked overhead while the ducks in the field chattered, alarmed to hear me passing by when all else was quiet.

There is nothing as magical as being out, alone, with only the moon and a dog for company.