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Saturday 1 October 2011

Another Season is with us ....

Hi little bloggy friends.  Hope you are all doing well.  I am delighted to say that, at last, my energy levels seem to be very much back to normal, and that dreadful fatigue has almost gone.  My husband came back from Buckfast Abbey a few days ago, and he had bought me home a bottle of Buckfast Tonic Wine. 

Buckfast Abbey is a beautiful, peaceful place on the edge of Dartmoor (National Park) and is only about ten minutes from where we live.  The Abbey is home to a Roman Catholic community of Benedictine Monks, and for nearly a thousand years, people have been drawn here. They have come to search for God.  God  is everywhere, certainly, but as they happened upon this place, they sensed that its beauty, its silence and tranquillity, its community of people who were similarly searching, made it a place where God might easily be found.

The Monks make their very own Tonic Wine and it is very well known.  All I can say is, I have only had two glasses so far, and yet I feel so much more alive and energetic.  No wonder the Monks live to such a sprightly old age!


Well, here we are at the beginning of October - that wonderful season of "mists and mellow fruitfulness", although, at the moment, it is like high summer on the Mediterranean, here in my little corner of England!  The shops are starting to put their Christmas displays up, chunky knits and boots are the order of the day in all the fashion stores, and Heathrow Airport up in London have just displayed their brand new fleet of snow clearing machines!! Hey Ho!!  It's a funny old life, isn't it?!

May October bless you all with health and kindness, and here's to many more sunny days. Cheers!


22 comments:

SkippyMom said...

What lovely pics. The buildings are beautiful.

I don't drink wine, but I think I could make an exception for something like that. Sounds invigorating. :)

Hope you have a nice weekend and your nice and cozy. Glad you are feeling better.

Denise said...

Good Morning my Dear.At times I do wish I had been born English.Isn't that a little weird of me?It seems so romantic to me.In my dreams only.I'm very happy where God put me and all the Dear ones in my life.Have a wonderful day.I'm off to visit my Dad-81 years today :)

Grammy Goodwill said...

What a wonderful post to start my day off thinking Godly thoughts. Thanks for sharing the pictures and your thoughts.

Shady Del Knight said...

Thank you for the warm and loving words, Thisisme. I'm delighted to know that you're feeling much better thanks to that tonic wine. Here in Florida we are enjoying the first cool morning in many months and a reinforcing cool front is on its way to lower temperatures even more. It's invigorating! Stay well and have a happy weekend, dear friend!

Anonymous said...

Hi Diane,
I'm so happy to hear you have gotten your energy back - I think those days of sunny weather was doing you good. We all need the D vitamins so bad. It sounds like a very interesting place to live. Enjoy your wine and have a lovely Saturday!
Hugs
Eva

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

I'm glad you're feeling much better Diane!
Have a great autumn!

BB said...

Great post This...I went to the drugstore the other day and they were putting up Christmas 'stuff'. It made we ill. I was in my bathing suit with a cover up on. It's just too early! Hugs my awesome friend.

Carol said...

We have reached 29 degrees here today on 1st Oct!

My son has put on his new winter vests but not as an extra layer but his only layer!

Barmy weather. Does feel strange.

carol

Unknown said...

I'm not a big wine drinker but that wine sounds delightful!!! Thanks for sharing the photos, they are beautiful! :) I LOVE LOVE LOVE October -- well Autumn really, and October when it starts feeling the most like Autumn!

Southhamsdarling said...

SkippyMom - the wine certainly seems to be doing the trick my friend :) Amazing weather here today, and I hope that you are having a lovely weekend. Hugs.

Denise = Good Morning my Dear does sound very English!!! I hope you had a lovely visit with your dad on his birthday.

Grammy Goodwill = so glad that my post gave you a good start to the day.

Shady - Hallo Tom my dear friend. I am so glad that you are getting some cooler temperatures at last, and I can imagine how refreshing that must be for you.

Eva = yes, it is so good to be feeling less tired! I hope your weekend is going well, despite the rain! Hugs.

Duncan - great to see you here today! Happy Autumn to you too!

Bouncin'Barb - thank you! I agree, it is far too early to have all this Christmas stuff in the shop. The local garden centre has a huge display already. It tends to put me off to be honest. Enjoy your weekend my awesome friend!

Dizzy - yes, these temperatures are amazing, aren't they?! Hope it will continue just for a little while longer. Loved the comment about your son and his vest!!

Kristina = thanks for popping over today = I love autumn as well. Have a lovely weekend over there.

Raindrops and Daisies said...

So glad that you are feeling a bit better and hopefully with all the lovely sunshine you are having
you will be right as rain very soon!!

The wine sounds great, I could do with some of it too!!

Only 84 days until Christmas
or 2022 hours!!!!
So my boys told me today.

Happy October

from a very wet and wind swept Ireland


x Fiona

Rebecca said...

what a lovely post and gorgeous pictures i would love to visit this abby it looks amazing. Happy october to you and so happy you are feeling better.

ps come by for a visit i hve a surprise for you

Glenda said...

Pass that bottle around! I'm needing a little energy here as well. We've had our first "cool spell" here in the Carolinas and I'm loving it. I'm looking forward the cooler weather - we've been melting all summer. So glad you're feeling better - a little sunshine after all your dreary summer weather will help also.

Southhamsdarling said...

Raindrops and Daisies - Hi Linda. Yes, it's lovely to be feeling better. We have had an absolute heatwave here today and the same forecast for the next few days. I am so sorry that you have rain over there. Eva told me that the rain has been lashing down in Dublin all day :( Gosh, I know, Christmas will be here before we know it!

Becca - I'm so glad you enjoyed the post today and, yes, I have been over to your blog, and I couldn't believe my luck when I read my name as a winner! Thank you so much. I am really looking forward to receiving my CD!

Glenda - I'm so glad that you are getting a little cooler now over there. That heat for such a long time must have been pretty awful, as it just saps your energy anyway. Hopefully your energy levels will now rise again, with the cooler weather.

Daydream Living said...

I know it's weird this hot weather in Sept.Oct, but I love it, hope it will gradually go away, not instantly...
glad you feel a bit more better, hugs, Maureen x

Belle said...

How sweet of your husband to bring you the tonic wine. I'm so glad it helped. We finally got cold weather and rain today. I'm glad you are still enjoying your late summer. God bless.

Southhamsdarling said...

Daydream Living. Hi Maureen. Yes, this weather is rather special and I agree with you, I do hope that it goes away gradually and that we don't suddenly wake up to cold and wet! Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Belle -yes, I thought it was really sweet of hubby to bring back that Tonic Wine. I exect you are glad to get the cooler weather. Take care my friend.

Teresa said...

glad that you're feeling better! the wine looks interesting. i don't drink much wine because it stuffs up my head. sometimes i'll give in and have a glass of sangria. good stuff.

the pictures were really cool.

orchid0324 said...

Dearest Lady,
How wonderful to hear you're feeling bteer and your husband's gift worked and feeling alive now♬♬♬
Oh, I think I vaguely remember watching about the wine made by monk in England on TV documentary-show. Wow it sure must be great wine. (haha, hubby and I both don't drink, though).
Blessing to you and yes, autumn greeting as well♡♡♡ Miyako,

Unknown said...

Glad you are feeling better. So many people I know have been battling some kind of sickness for days or weeks.
I love this time of year as well with the new crispness in the air. I understand it may even be in the 40's tomorrow morning for a chilly Sunday morning. Have a great rest of the weekend.
Odie

Gawgus things... said...

Quelle surprise, a drop of vino has perked you up!

Desiree said...

I missed this! But, no worries...I'm here now! That tonic wine soumds like something I could do with :) I've also been low on energy the last few days, but thankfully, I managed to get everything done that I'd wanted to do today :)
Enjoy your Indian Summer while it lasts!!!