Letter to Monty 20

-
Dear Monty,

I am sorry to write to you so early on in the week.

Do you listen to BBC Radio 3 ? Sometimes spiritual things seem to happen when listening to classical music, and this past Sunday morning was a case in point.

11/3/12

Here I am in Craig y Nos, romantic setting of Adelina Patti's Castle grounds. I just wanted to write about this beautiful morning, and the humility of the radio 3 presenter Martin Handley. He introduced us to a lady called Phyl who stands in her garden to breathe in the air of peace. The music she wanted played was by Gustav Mahler...'Iam lost to the world' She recognised she needs to step out sometimes.

This is a busy world with its demands, responsibilities and pressures. This instantly reminded me of Moses who struggled with the burden of responsibility for the nation of Israel as they wandered in the desert having escaped persecution in Egypt. Moses was stressed out by the demands and complaints of the people (nothing new under the sun) So stressed was he that he wanted God to finish him off.... I sometimes feel like that, and I know others do too. We need to allow each other the time to step outside and breathe the air of peace. See how important gardens are !

To all those I cause upset to in my stressed out times I am truly sorry...but there is peace in the garden.

Paul.                                                                     

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Letter to Monty Don 48

-
Image
Dear Monty, I know that despite these rambles being addressed to you, they never reach your eyes or heart, but this question is most certainly directed to you : Can nature be ugly ? I am pondering this question sitting in my cupboard of a 'studio' where I am putting the finishing touches to paintings of  British native orchids, pollinators and butterflies for an exhibition next weekend. Now I believe that you understand perfectly well the response you may get when you make statements on GW - including the one about spent buddleja flowers being 'ugly'. I too have always deadheaded my buddleja for the same reason, and as you said to promote new flower spikes. But this ugliness is an intrinsic part of nature - it sets seed to create the next generation, the flowers last but for a few days. Is this ugliness a kind of acknowledgement of the frailty of 'beauty' .... and the cutting off and tidying away a kind of denial ? ( Perhaps I think too much.) I
Read more

Weariness and the NGS

-
Image
Hello,  I have to admit to a kind of tiredness that comes from somewhere deep inside me. It's a kind of bone deep weariness with my own self, and with what human life has become. Now I'm not saying that I'm depressed, but I'm trying to face the reality of who I am and what the collective 'we' are currently moving through; 'cost of living crisis', wars, famines, dirty politics, corruption. But then those things are always with us, like the realities of illness, separation and loss, but alongside and underneath there remains the living spirit of things. Well here I stand, still alive, still breathing in and out, and yes the garden and this post industrial valley is still singing a lively song. Today its the cuckoo, thrush, raven, buzzard, sparrow, bullfinch and the chirrrup of the blue tit family busy feeding their brood in the nestbox, protesting at our presence sitting under the shade of the umbrella. I believe that singing helps ! I have a friend named
Read more

Monty, where does the road take us ?

-
Image
Monty, I see you have returned to France. Your film reminded me of my visits to Paris as an art student between 1981-83. It is a city that cannot fail to make an impression with its wide open streets, avenues of trees, the river and public gardens. I particularly remember Versailles with its long canal. At that time I was not aware of having a particular interest in gardens, but the gardens at Versailles were astonishing. I saw them in early morning light, when there were not that many people there. I also remember being intrigued by the garden at the Musee Rodin. Strangely for an art student, it was not the sculpture that caught my attention but the garden with pyramid shaped topiary. Perhaps what I was responding to was the sense of order, balance and harmony. It almost feels as though I was meant to visit, and that the encounters I had which were sensually intense, were pre-ordained. There is one incident, which has great significance only to me perhaps, but which was of
Read more