Midsummer Update from West Cork

It's hard to believe that this is the last day of June! The summer is flying by after a rocky start. It didn't begin to warm up in Ireland until recently. We had four solid weeks of rain and cold weather; at the beginning of the month we were still lighting fires in the evening.…

10 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Everyday

Happy Earth Day! How are you celebrating? Sustainability is important to my family. We are very appreciative of the ways that Mother Earth supports us, and we try to make decisions that will have a positive impact on the planet. Our home is heated entirely from wood off-cuts, created when my partner mills wood. The…

Seasonal Comforts

What's bringing you comfort these days? Family time, kitten cuddles, walks with my dog, binge watching historical dramas, tasty food (specifically nachos made with leftover vegetarian chili), and craft projects are keeping me going. As the pandemic continues, and the nights grow longer, I worry about the coming months. Covid-19 cases are increasing daily in…

Macro Monday #59

I snapped a quick photo in the garden this afternoon for Macro Monday. We enjoyed a weekend of warm, sunny weather and the sun continued to shine today. It was lovely to sit outside and start a new knitting project while Blessing played beside me. We haven’t spent as much time in the garden as…

Macro Monday #48

It was a busy day in the garden. A few weeks ago we planted seeds for the new flower bed. (You can check out pictures of our DIY projects here). Half of them didn't sprout which was pretty disappointing. We expected to have a lot of nasturtiums from the seeds we collected last year, but…

The Gardener

Have I lived enough?Have I loved enough?Have I considered Right Action enough,have I come to any conclusion?Have I experienced happiness withsufficient gratitude?Have I endured loneliness with grace?I say this, or perhaps I'm just thinking it.Actually, I probably think too much.Then I step out into the garden,where the gardener, who is said to be asimple man,is…

Today’s Garden Report

Over the last week I've been in a sort of quarantine slump. My partner has gone back to work and his life has more or less returned to normal. My teenage daughter's mood reflects my own; it's hard to keep the team's morale up when I feel somewhat despondent at this stage. We were both…