Back to the Abbey...

I have moved my caravan back to its shady spot in the Abbey grounds. It's like coming home. I just sat on the step for a while and breathed in the peace while Tinker joyfully kicked up his heels and rolled in the grass.

It's so lovely here, especially with Christmas so near - I have a few projects that I'm working on for the festive season, so I have been busy gathering pine cones, and the head gardener has kindly offered to bring fresh holly to decorate my caravan at Christmas. According to her, the Abbess frowns on plastic for decoration so he has to gather holly every year. She showed me the grove where the fir trees grow, and the one chosen to be the Christmas tree this year. This is the most perfect place to contemplate the real meaning of the season, and to pray for peace and joy in the world.

I have settled in here for a while, and will use some of the time to explore the Abbey and its grounds. I hope I can be of use here as well, everyone is so quietly busy that I'm sure there is plenty of work for idle hands!

This morning I was walking through the grounds when I was overcome by the most delicious heady scent of roses and I found the Abbess' rose garden nestled behind ancient stone walls. It is filled with the most mouth watering selection of roses, but the loveliest grows in a quiet corner near the sundial. As I got closer I realised the sundial was surrounded by shamrock.

What memories that brought back as I gazed out over the lovely green vista beyond.