Another little pearl of wisdom.........

A handful of motherwit is worth a bushel of learning. -Spanish Proverb

Slow it down and live it up..............

“Whatever the tasks, do them slowlywith ease,in mindfulness,so not do any tasks with the goal of getting them over with.Resolve to each job in a relaxed way,with all your attention.”
- Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Master

Found that on http://zenhabits.net/about/

All about being in the moment. I read somewhere a long time ago, that actually moving more slowly physically will make you take life at a slower pace - walking more slowly, eating more slowly, everything; and it's true. Life shouldn't need to be lived at such a harried pace that all we do is rush and push and collapse in a heap at the end of the day. Easy to say, harder to live.

How to make rhubarb schnapps

This is my variation, based on Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's one. Very easy, and cheapish to make. I use just the cheapest vodka. Take a clean Kilner jar and fill it about 1/3 or so full with rhubarb chopped into short sticks; add in about 3 tbsp granulated sugar, then top up the jar with vodka, put on the lid tightly and leave in a cool darkish place for about three months. It's ready when the vodka has turned pink and tastes of rhubarb. One of my favourite homemade "liqueurs" - hope you enjoy it. Makes a change from crumble :0) :0)

Further into the day...........

.......and I seem to have got my **** into gear this morning!! Third load of washing in, bathroom cleaned, pieced the whole of a quilt top, knitted a lace bookmark for a forum swap, made rhubarb schnapps, got the mint wine into a demi-john, tea underway (baked poatoes with wood blewtis and asparagus in cream and garlic), milk on for cheese, cream out of the fridge to get to room temp for buttermaking in a while. OH's shirts ironed too. I fitted in making 5 beeswax candles as well, which was a nice, if unexpected diversion - I found the little kit in the drawer when I was looking for something else. So, pleased with that lot, and it's out int he garden for an hour soon. The pics are candle, rhubarb schnapps on its way and a nice one of 3 of the muscovies trying to pretend they're not lurking by the back door :0)

New week........

Today is St Dunstan's day; born in Somerset in the 10thC, studied at Glastonbury Abbey, eventually becoming Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the patron saint of goldsmiths, with a pair of metalworker's tongs for his emblem. According to an old Devon legend, he was a keen brewer of beer (good man.......), who made a pact with the devil to ensure the destruction ofo the apple crop on which his rivals, the cider makers, depended. In exchange for his soul, the devil agreed to blight the apple blossom on 17th, 18th and 19th May, at the height of the trees' flowering.

A beautiful morning here again, looking forward to getting out in the garden later - a whole box of new plants to get in, and plant some pumpkins out on the compost heaps. All the rain and warmth has given a great start to the growing, so I hope it continues and I can keep up with it all. Pleased with the more unusual things too - coffee, cotton and rice looking good, and the wheat is now quite tall. Making a loaf from home grown wheat has been a long-held amnbition of mine. Bit of brewing today as well I hope.