The hyphen of life.

Philadelphus coronarius, Fragrant Mock Orange, any garden lovers dream, hardy and therefore easy to grow it smells absolutely divine in the summer sun, with a sweet Orange smell. For the past four years it has been creeping over from the neighbours garden fence at the back of us. When near the fence I could smell its sweet fragrant orange scent so beautiful and delicate.

So when I looked out of the window the past couple of days to see it had finally arrived in abundance over the garden fence and was billowing over the roof of my shed (sure makes the shed look prettier) I couldn’t wait To get out there with my pruning shears and take some cuttings!

I just love bringing fragrant flowers in my home, from the single rose I brought home from my walk the other day, to the two lonely peonies, it gives me so much pleasure every now and then to walk past them and smell them.

My children laugh, as if I’m a character from a movie in some dreamy version of life. But this is life, this is beauty sometimes we are so busy looking at the heavens - at the glory, mysteries and wonder of the infinite universe to stop and savour the fleeting beauty of all that is around us.

I was thinking about life a couple of weeks ago as I walked through the church yard with the little one all the dates on the headstones some a few hundred years old, some a few decades, some a few months. All those numbers, yet arguably the most important part of that stone, is the hypen between birth and death, that hyphen represents a life lived millions of moments, thoughts, love, tears and laughter.

We are sometimes so busy focusing on our differences in this world we sometimes forget what unites us. Nature, moments, that hyphen.

So stop and smell those flowers today on your walk. Or in your home and count your blessings at what a beautiful world we actually live in and do something small for someone today. No matter how small that will make them smile. Be a part of their hyphen, in the smallest of ways.

The Nativity of St. John the Baptist

🌼 St John’s Tide Play 💧Free doll tutorial in my website shop

I’ve seen so many lovely solstice posts I’ve the past days, Summer has officially arrived. Tomorrow as Catholics we celebrate the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, known also as St John’s Tide and I thought there was no better way to involve the little one in the day than to make a doll for play and storytelling. I thought I would give you a little background on this important date in the liturgical calendar.

John the Baptist, Jesus’s cousin, is one of the most important figures in the Bible and he is the only Saint to which the church have a solemnity (the highest honour of the Church) on his birthday and the day he died, as opposed to a feast day the day he died. John was conceived six months prior to Jesus and so the Nativity of John the Baptist is celebrated six months before Christmas.

Writings from the time as well as the Gospels recount large crowds following him as he prepared them for the coming of the Messiah, indeed many believed he was the messiah, but he never took advantage of their spirituality, instead sending them to Jesus when the time came, and then slowly, selflessly disappearing into the background. In the Gospel of John he writes that John the Baptist said “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn 3:30) A direct mirror of nature between the summer and winter solstice. So from his birth on the 24th June as Christians we pave the way for Christ’s coming, in prayer we decrease ourselves, our earthly desires to allow Christ to increase in us, for us to do good work here on earth, in love, in hope, in charity, for our fellow human beings.

Many celebrate the Eve of St John’s Tide light fires heralding of Jesus, who is “the light of the world” (Jn 8:12) traditions no doubt carried over from ancestors long before Christianity. Swimming is also popular in some countries, as well as splashing each other with water, symbolic of baptism. Some people bring branches in the home to symbolise John’s life in the wilderness.

We will be celebrating tomorrow with some storytelling and water play! How do you celebrate midsummer? Cont in comments…

Elderflower Foraging

Well after a very slow start to the growing season (everything has been late with the cold spring) I FINALLY found some Elderflower on our walk. Which means lots of Elderflower goodness coming our way….

As I haven’t got enough to make gallons of the stuff I am thinking of making a special batch for a long awaited reunion with my sister in law @halehkoala in a few weeks time…to go in some fizz! Not very Waldorfy I know 😂 but I’ll save some for the children to have as a soft drink of course 😅

Elder flower cordial freezes wonderfully a great way to use it is to freeze it in an ice cube tray, great to add to alcoholic drinks and keep them cold too - or add to tonic water a little before serving and let them melt.

Other elderflower ideas coming soon.

Is there anyone out there who doesn’t like elder-flowery things?