Living here must be the best way in the world to learn about the birds and the bees; I guess that's why so many people say that they'd like to bring their children up in the country. Our chicks being born was an absolutely fantastic thing to watch - no heat lamps or special pens, no human intervention - pure and simply, a mother hen who knew exactly what she was doing. She sat on those eggs for twentyish days, leaving them for the smallest amount of time to get food for herself, she lost out on exercise, she lost out on the run of the farm, she lost out on the first pick of the food, she lost out on interaction with the other hens, time with the cockerel, but in the end she was the winner because after almost a month of total and utter dedication she was blessed with some beautiful little babies and it didn't end there. I have witnessed her showing them how to walk, how to eat & drink, how to forage for worms & grubs, I've seen her protect them by putting herself in the line of fire and all of that was done with pure instinct. Isn't that fantastic; it's so simple. Don't you think that as humans we spend most of the time just really complicating things and sometimes when it comes down to it, we've forgotten how to even trust our instinct. France has given me time and with time I think I'm learning to trust my instinct a little bit more.
My dad built me the most beautiful swing for our wedding, I'm sure you all remember it. That swing now rests under our huge oak tree at the bottom of our fields and I often spend a few moments sat there pondering 'stuff'. Yesterday, I sat there and remembered my beautiful wedding day, the feelings I had getting ready in the morning, all the wonderful people (you) around me all day, helping to make Stu and I happy with all the different bits and pieces that were going on. People who were simply there because they love us and they wanted to share in our happiness in those moments. Some really wonderful things have happened in the last couple of weeks; another extremely important wedding on the other side of the atlantic and news from a very close friend of a little bambino on it's way. These are the beautiful things in life that put a smile on our faces - it's not even necessarily the actual wedding or baby being born, but just the lovely news and how that person is feeling that will lift us for that day. Somehow being here has enabled me to enjoy those little moments more and has definitely made me realise that our friends and family, those that we hold nearest and dearest, no matter where they live in the world are the most important things we have. That swing is a wonderful place to reflect, you'll have to try it when you come and visit.
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