Recovering Well

It’s good to be home. I’m now sitting at a small table in our bedroom, with my laptop in front of me, beginning to catch up on everything I've not done since having my hip replacement operation just over a week ago. I’m recovering well and I know that in about five weeks or so, I’ll be walking around again (pain free with any luck) without crutches or a walking stick. Brian is quite wonderful at taking care of me, cooking, tidying and making sure that the house doesn't fall apart while I’m not looking. He keeps asking the Brownies to come and help in the night but so far they haven’t responded. I have the feeling we know too much about them. Buster and Elfie have spent the past week on my bed just keeping me company and making sure that I’m alright. Yesterday however, they decided that enough is enough and I haven’t seen them since. Nothing says “get up and do something” like the absence of one’s loving pets! 

We did have some excitement last Friday. The TV program BBC Country File came to film Brian in the house and also down by our little river. They are doing a feature on the connection between faery artists (painters, sculptors, musicians, etc.) and Chagford. The feature should be aired in their program (Country File) on Sunday, June 9th. If you are able to watch it and are interested in seeing where Brian gets his inspiration, then tune in. Elizabeth Jane Baldry will also be featured talking about faery harp music and the Chagford film group who specialize in Faery Tales. Please don’t count on me for information - I’m sort of stuck here on the edges of this at the moment! 

Brian and I, along with many mythic artists in this area, will be in an exhibition in our neighboring village of Mortonhampstead in June. I’ll give you information about that at the end of this writing. 

In a day or so, I’m going to have my first walk down the lane to see what’s happening in our domain. I’ll take my camera and see if I can catch any creatures doing what they do. But for now, as I said at the beginning of this - it’s good to be home.

Just a Bit More

I took a walk around the garden today since I won’t be walking in it for a week or two. I wanted to check up on the flowers and just see what was new. The bluebells are finally really beginning to show and all of the trees have at least little leaves coming out. It’s always a wonder to see the new growth in the spring, but this year it is especially heartening to finally see spring in its full splendour. It’s still pretty cold but we live in hope! 

I came across this fellow sitting in a group of small hazel trees. He looks extremely happy to be out and about. I asked him if he would like to be in our new book and he said that yes, he thought he would very much like that. I have the feeling he may be trouble, but - I have just the job for him in the story I’m writing and I think he’ll enjoy the experience. I DO hope so. He says he’s a Dartmoor Pixie but I have my doubts. 

I also thought I would share the spring gathering with you. Everyone seems to be at their best at the moment - cobwebs dusted, behaving themselves. Worth a picture, I thought. 

That’s it for a while - unless I come across something absolutely amazing tomorrow! 

Happy Spring!

Adding Spring to My Step

Hello from all of us here to all of you there. 

Spring is still struggling to gain a firm foothold this year. We DO have lots of flowers out and things are looking a lot greener, but winter still lingers in the corners just waiting for a chance to re-establish itself. 

Brian and I are busy working on our next book. Our summer will be full of scattered pages and stories, paintings and photos. If it’s anything like last time (Trolls) the house will just become one big workroom. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It IS rather exciting to see something taking shape so physically, except perhaps when you’re trying to cook a meal or find anything that doesn't pertain to the book itself. Lots to look forward to then! 

I can’t wait to be able to show you some of the new art that Brian is doing. It’s just wonderful! But - you’ll have to take my word for it for just a while yet. We’ll show some a bit later in the summer. 

Toby, Sarah and Sebastian are coming to visit in July. Of course we’re more excited about that than anything! I’d say we can’t wait -but actually we can because I’ll be on crutches almost up until the day they arrive. 

Here’s where I’m going to ask for your good wishes and healing energy for myself. I’m having a hip replacement operation next Friday the 17th. I had my left hip replaced 7 years ago and now I’m going for the matching set. My right one has been causing me much pain and making me limp for a few years now - so it’s time to do something about it. If any of you feel like sending me good energy and healing, I will gratefully receive it! I am of course asking the faeries for help as well. I just hope they don’t think it would be helpful to turn my leg into a goat’s leg or something equally as interesting. I should only be in hospital until Monday so that’s not bad either. Thank you in advance for good thoughts! 

I’m sending a spring photo of the little trolls doing their garden work again. They are very happy to be out and about, looking after the flowers. They spend most of their time among the cowslips - obviously favourite flowers for them. Maybe it’s the certainty that the cowslips will come up every year in the same place that appeals to them. It is SO very reassuring to see them every spring, being so faithful and beautiful. The bluebells are just beginning to open as well. I’ll miss being able to walk through them this year. I’ll have to just remember the amazingly heady scent of a whole hillside full of bluebells. It’s an easy thing to recall! 

I probably won’t get back to writing for the blog for a little while. I’m going to give myself at least a week or so to settle back home and recover a bit. I can’t indulge myself for too long though - far too much work to do and all of it exciting. 

Hopefully, with any luck, I’ll be skipping about a bit the next time I see any of you - at least I should not be limping any more. 

With all good wishes from us here to you there. 

Wendy, Brian, Elfie and Buster