Hello everyone, welcome to February blog-time, grab yourself a coffee for a quick interlude.
Our "Joycie", golden girl of the north, is now sadly well and truly legless, fifteen years of sea salt air has taken it's toll, but what remains of her is still looking out to sea and Mr Blonde thinks there must be something over there worth looking at.
Thank you everyone for all my lovely birthday cards and birthday wishes, had a splendid day. As we live on a bird-watching island this card seemed particularly appropriate !
~~~~~
During the winter months a lot of folk fly away to catch a bit of sun somewhere but we decided to have a trip to Shetland and see if their rain is any warmer than ours.
Lerwick in the rain was still beautiful
and colourful
a pity that the Cake Fridge and the Cakeaway were closed !
The sheep are obviously used to sheltering in the rain
This is the rather wonderful Shetland isthmus, the narrow strip of land with sea on either side, linking St Ninian's Isle with mainland Shetland.
~~~~~~~
Recommendation of the month
This is a rather lovely magazine, with more articles than adverts !
~~~~~~
Walk for Peace
On 10th February a group of monks completed a 108-day 2,300 mile "Walk for Peace" from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C. to promote mindfulness, compassion and non-violence.
It has been wonderful to follow their progress.
The walk was led by the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara and along the route they were accompanied by an amazing dog named Aloka.
A beautiful song was created by SyLong, AI assisted, for the Walk for Peace and thought you might like to share in the the words.
~~~~
We rise before the daylight breaks,
Dust on our feet, hope in our hands.
Long roads stretch beyond our sight,
Yet kindness shows us where to stand.
Through towns and fields, through joy and pain,
We carry more than what we see,
Every step a quiet vow,
To walk with love, to walk as one.
When the world feels torn apart,
And hearts grow tired, afraid and weak,
We remember why we walk,
Because peace begins with me.
We walk for peace, step by step,
Through the cold, through tears, through time.
Not to escape this wounded world,
But to heal it, one heart at a time.
Strangers become familiar faces,
Sharing water, warmth and truth.
Stories spoken without words,
In gentle smiles and worn-out shoes.
We listen more than we explain,
Let stillness teach us how to see,
That every soul we pass along
Is walking too, just differently.
We walk for peace, step by step,
Through the doubt, through the night and rain.
Not chasing dreams that live far off,
But planting hope where we remain.
When we soften our reactions,
When we choose to understand,
The world begins to change its course
Through the kindness of our hands.
Children laugh along the road,
Elders bow with knowing eyes.
Different faiths, one shared wish,
To let suffering slowly subside.
We bless the ground beneath our feet,
And those who walk with us in spirit,
For no one walks this path alone,
When love is what we carry.
So when the road feels long and hard,
And the world feels heavy still,
Just breathe, be kind, take one more step,
That is how we walk for peace.
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
~~~~~~~
to hear the full song check out the Walk for Peace Facebook page
~~~~~~
Tilly cat has taken to sitting with my "support chicken" wonderfully knitted by my mermaid friend Elaine 💕💕💕💕💕💕
So for now as we head into Spring, we wish you sunshine and warmth and happy days from
June & Malcolm
🌼 🌼 🌼 🌼 🌼 🌼🌼
