Look Thy Last On All Things Lovely Every Hour

The Vegan B&B is going well this year. One family a week ish and that is perfect for me. As I always think…it is like being paid to tidy your room! This is something I thought, as a child would be a good motivating force. Now later on, it spurs me on to mow the grass, clean floors, bathrooms and deal with potentially dreary things like washing up with enthusiasm and always a good soundtrack. I had brilliant German girls this time. One described how she had her dream job, she was the editor of a spoken book recording company, how amazing is that? I think of being in such a job 50 years ago (obviously I would have to have been born and able to have the conversation) but meeting with Richard Burton and asking him to do the voice over or narration for War of The Worlds. My favorite possibly all time voice. Richard Burton introduces the idea that the chances of anything coming from Mars were a million to one! She said she had conversations like that all the time with actors she loves and can now call in to read the parts! She was also an energy healer. Her friend was a vegan. We were all the same it turned out as it always does. We are one! They went on to Valentia but loved it here, especially this view down the valley and Rebecca and Legend, the pigs.

Everyone is loving and admiring the living willow fence, which is great as this is its best time of year. There is tiny translucent green new growth. That is a Leycestaria Formosa (Pheasant Berry) to the left and beloved Cupid to the right. Cupid by Sam Cooke

Last night, while guests streamed the Eurovision Song Contest and laughed their hearts out upstairs, I repainted the Harmony Hall sign in oils and in a deeper red and watched a Brad Pitt film called Moneyball.  It reminded me that to get a different result, you have to do something different and so I woke up this morning galvanized into action to make some changes! Firstly, I mastered the chord less drill and put the sign back up. I reckon that's a strong unique selling point and all further success may well spring from this! 

This is the velvet lawn stretching for a good bit up to the gates. It reminds me of Kilkenny Castle where I always feel like singing that Chris De Burgh song the traveler, lyrics going: 'saddle me the black, I'll meet you down the road'. Chris de Burgh's Traveler  I always fancied living in the castle and being able to ask some competent lovely animal-oriented guy if he'd get my trusty steed ready and we'd canter off into the sunset like that. The castle grounds go on for several acres, my lawn goes on for about 50 metres but still, as I haven't been riding for ages, that might be as long as I can stay on for!

I am still so pleased with the house cleaning that Revive did. The men were so easy going and sound. The house had been streaked, as so many coloured plaster ones are (K-rend is great but it does start to go downhill). In about 48 hours they had it like this and did not shy away from doing the concrete paths around, the horse box and a few other shed walls to make it a true over haul. 

I love this flower, I do not know what it is but while it is giving 100% I wanted to take a photo!

These are two of the plants given to us for the Meditation garden. I wanted the picture here showing they liked their spot because Rebecca is determined to trample everything and who knows how much longer they will stand, the plants that is - Rebecca herself is a little tubby but she looks like she will stand on those stubby legs for many years to come. I notice the new flowerbed looks stony but I have taken out every tiny pebble I swear. It must be a trick of the camera! 

Call him a pansy but dammit, the flower is always there and coming back and hanging in there and I love the colours

Replenished sign, originally painted and designed by Sophia Westwick, who is celebrating the arrival of a little baby this week. I bet he's a beauty too.

A variegated something settling in nicely to the Meditation garden. 

Cave just down from the Meditation Garden. Official opening 12th June Sunday, afternoon, everyone welcome. Slightly hoping that my great Shaman friend might come and get all things ancient acknowledged and involved, down there.

The tulips come as such a surprise even though I planted fifty million of them months ago! Some Surprise, on The Cake Sale album

Is it possible that there is a pony anywhere with a more beautiful eye? It is no coincidence as I painted him maybe 2 years before he turned up on our road! I think the likeness between Magic and the pony on the right below is uncanny. Literally the same eye liner.

I hope totally that enough synchronicity like this happens to make living well work out. I say this as I keep applying for jobs and grants and I fear that the B&B, retreats and tutoring may not see me through. I pray that I will not have to compromise and go and work for Merck in Carlow! Merck in Ireland (80 million were on their prescription painkiller Vioxx which caused heart attacks and death. So don't forget they care about no one and nothing and work with the FDA to hide the risks of certain death from their products!! But apart from that they are a great addition to the local job scene! Merck not just bad but terrible practice!  

Anyway, I put all these photos up to let people know what a nourishing place to be, Harmony Hall is these days, even if your job is challenging. Come on down and get away from it all!