Kitchens and gardens

Chez Ceridwen day 3
C. was off out early to do a shift in the Transition Cafe.  I had a leisurely start, pleasantly surprised that my legs felt fine after yesterday's exertions. Deep, dream-filled sleep and a long soak in the company of birdsong may have helped.  So very restful and spacious to be away from screens for a few days.

Morning in the big house, learning about music journalism and recognition theory in education, playing with kittens all before brunch in town.  A wander around Fishguard - very friendly natives, a most impressive tapestry, in the very efficient library.  

Caught up with C. in the Transition Cafe slivering industrial quantities of colourful veg into a summer slaw for a Woman's Institute lunch the following day whilst supervising a new volunteer.  Again that slightly surreal quality of 'I've been here before,' very touching to be there in real life.   I washed a few pots, something I didn't manage to do in C's house all the time I was there.  

C. raced for the bus home and I wandered a bit more again seeing so much that was familiar from C.'s blips.  Stumbled upon possibly the best haberdashery shop in the world, bought a winter waistcoat for £1 in a charity shop, a Christmas present (!?) in a craft shop, curled up on a comfy sofa in the Corner Cafe, lilting welsh banter flowing all around me as I read my book and waited for the bus home.

Walked down the lane and into the kitchen to piles of scones hot from the oven and afternoon tea.  C. appeared not to have missed a beat from one kitchen to the next, whilst I drifted around at leisure.  There's something very grounding about wandering on your own in a new town, finding your own way home.  And something deeply touching about a family baking together, Gwyn even made me a delicious banana loaf to take onto my friends the next day.

Final evening, made so welcome I felt I'd been sitting at that kitchen table forever.  Many tales and images from C.'s family life.  Each one making a deeper kind of sense of the person you meet on the screen.  As our stories do.

Last golden light on the garden, last deep dark sleep in the perfect peace of my Heidi bed.