The light is coming - February’s ‘news’

Monday

So much of the month has been taking up watching the dark skies outside. Watching the stains on the walls get bigger as the horizontal rain seeps through the Perthshire sandstone, pooling at cracks in our internal insulation and then spreading along ceilings and floors. Some days have needed bowls to catch the drips as the stains become three dimensional. The porch door no longer closed, the wood swollen. The kitchen cork flooring bubbled at its joints. I suppose plastic flooring and doors would not have buckled but would they have just hidden the ingressing water? Creating hidden mould spores and longer term damage? This creeping, days upon end facet of climate change is not what the news talks about.

Tuesday

Towards the end of the month, the sun has come out, for a couple of days, reminding me that February can be my favourite month. The light! It is so clear and clean and sharp. And suddenly the day doesn’t end when our youngest gets home from school. Now the chance of jumps on the trampoline returns. Enough to have a walk and see the black grouse in the filed by the road making their unique clucking sound.

Wednesday

I’ve finished the labels for the frozen meals - lamb curry with coconut, slow cooked lamb stew and lamb tagine. Surprising how much needs to be thought about, and I’ve probably still left required info out. But better something than nothing surely? Amazing Kath O’Callaghan has been very patient!

Made with our lamb, our own herbs when I could. Slowly, deliberately. They are really very good. Feeding 2-3 people, I am going to sell them for £12.50 a pot. If no one buys them, at least I know we have a meal in the freezer when I am not up to cooking.

Thursday

Our latest group of Woofers have been indispensable. The shed’s wing that was crushed a year ago is now reinstated and better than ever. Two chicken coops have been mended. The barn has been pointed inside and a leak outside been filled. Wool and rovings have been sorted in readiness for the Wool Producers show in Perth in March. Trees have been planted, Fence posts have been replaced. Dog food containers have been repurposed for sorting screws of a myriad of sizes. And my French has vastly improved. A win all round but certainly time for a breather.

Friday

We have been enjoying the sauna. I’d love others to use it too but no one has booked a session. Perhaps I have advertised in the wrong places? Or is it just time and patience? I’ve been adding my home made herb distillations (flower water) to the sauna steam bucket and it smells amazing. We have our next community coffee morning next week, perhaps I’ll cover the notice board in flyers.

What I’ve been…..

• Watching: 1) Two brilliant series - ‘Madam’ on Netflix, based on a true story in New Zealand. It’s currently only available in UK, Australia and New Zealand. Any Virgin River fans will recognise the husband. Did you know he was a close friend of Heath Ledger? 2) ‘Small Prophets’ on BBC. Micheal Palin is in it! The characters are quirky and interesting. It’s classic decent British TV that isn’t a period drama nor using the worst aspects of modern society as the punchline.

• Reading: The Glassmaker by Tracey Chevalier. Ahh Murano and Venice…..

• Listening: The Rest is Science. Fascinating philosophy and science mix.

• Pondering: How catered chalets are remnants of empire and patriarchy. (Is that a bit too strong? I did say pondering. I haven’t concluded my theory.)

• Cooking: Lamb as above. A lot of lamb. For sale. Did I say that already?

• Gardening: I’ve been thinking about cutting the willows but haven’t quite got there yet. The season will end soon though so it is time.

If you haven’t already booked your place at one of our three retreats coming up - it’s time! Day retreat of yoga and mindfulness in March, a weekend of felting also in March and a weekend of drawing in April. All easy to book at www.burmieston.co.uk

PS. We celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary, 26 years together in a lovely new restaurant in Perth called the Italian Corner. The waiter may be bit too keen but the food is lovely.