Beauty, humbugs and peace all around.....

'Dum ta dum, tiddle pom, pom, there's work to be done, fiddle pom pom!', Archibold was feeling rather breathless and tired and rather as though he needed a good sit down and rest. He was carrying, or rather dragging a large sapling of a birch tree behind him as he climbed up the hill, it was great relief that he spotted Eleanora sitting by a stately oak tree at one of his favourite look out spots. 'Oh Eleanora, how fortunate', he huffed as he sat down with a thump on the bank beside her - for as all gnomes know - it is considered very rude to pass by another gnome without stopping to pass the time of day. 'Why Archibold My Dear - you look all of a bother, perhaps a humbug might help?' Eleanora offered him a sticky mint humbug from a bag in her pocket. 'I think that perhaps poor Mildred must not be quite herself at the moment, this last batch of humbugs, though excellent to taste, are so very, very sticky'. Archibold mumbled agreement as he made loud sucking noises.  Humbugs were a staple of the gnomes diet and however sticky this one certainly was - he was already feeling much better. "I think she is still adjusting to humans being a part of her life on a daily basis, that and having to replant her mint garden so that it didn't look so obviously cultivated, well it has all taken its toll on her usual good humour.' Archibold rolled his eyes and nodded vigorously in agreement, he was rather relieved not to have to reply owing to the extreme stickiness of his humbug. Aunt Mildred had even taken to waving her stick in public and was known to be in a generally very bad mood indeed. The two gnomes sat companionably as they looked out at the fields below. Full of gently waving heads of golden wheat dotted with trees in full glorious leaf - it was indeed a most wonderful sight. 'Look My Dear, just look at how beautiful the path is, so green against the gold',  Archibold smiled with delight, for it was true - the path had been trodden into a vivid green by the feet of all the different gnomes, humans and animals as they had all walked along its welcoming way by the edge of the meadow. 'Feeling much better now' he burped (humbugs have a habit of helping with digestion), must go, have to deliver this sapling before dusk so Hector can demonstrate tree planting'. And with that, Archibold practically bounced away as he was feeling so much better. Eleanora smiled and waved him on his way. 'Perhaps I will sit just a while longer, so good to feel the great peace all around, so undervalued and yet so essential for the lifting of ones heart'.  She closed her eyes and and from her heart, began to gently hum a little song to herself and to the beauty of the golden twilight all around. Below is a story from two weeks ago that I accidentally deleted! Wild strawberries and other Delights...... Posted: 19 Jun 2012 09:56 AM PDT So happy to say that this episode, 'Wild strawberries and other delights....' of Horensia's blog, read by Alice is on YouTube: 'Hortensiagnomus9' is where I post the blogs.... 'So busy, just so busy' thought Hortensia. She was picking wild strawberries with Baby Harriet, who was helping by eating as many of the little crimson, jewel-like berries as she could safely stuff into her mouth at any one time. 'Do take care Harriet, too many can lead to a funny rash, best leave the rest for jam and dinner!' Harriet burped loudly and decided to gaze at the leaves fluttering in the breeze. 'Such amazing greens this summer' thought Hortensia, 'all that rain has been so good for the trees, I don't think that I remember the trees being so full of leaves for many a season '. She sat down next to Harriet for a good listen. The trees made different sounds in the breeze, some seemed to roar, some made a fluttering rustle, some tossed their leaves in the air with great freedom - so many rhythms and layers of sound and all in glorious, vivid greens lit up by golden sunlight - 'how very lucky we are Darling - a real treasure of a day!' Sometimes some of the humans out on their walks, saw the wild strawberries too, mostly they just took a few, but Hortensia was up early to gather a good crop just in case. 'Next stop is the elderflower bush, fritters for tea Darling - Aunt Mildred's favourite!" Early Summer was a busy time for the gnomes, such an abundance of delights and the beginnings of gathering for the Autumn and Winter ahead. Mostly though, it was the wonderful variety of greens for salads and fresh teas that was causing much excitement - that and the wild garlic! Aunt Mildred was getting ready to make her most important staple of gnome life - her mint humbugs! There is hardly a day that goes by without a gnome needing to have a little sit down and a think whilst sucking on a mint humbug, they could be relied upon in an emergency and were essential for all celebrations. The recipe was a secret of course, though in the past, some of the younger gnomes had tried crawling up the bank under her kitchen window - to catch Aunt Mildred in the act of making her very desirable sweets - and to glean the success of her recipe. Aunt Mildred however, was vigilant about the possibility of such naughtiness, and the young gnomes were always caught in the act and sent scampering away with threats of no tea and NO Humbugs! 'How I love summer' thought Hortensia, and with that she and Harriet set off home for a spot of lunch and a wee nap! She was looking foreword to when Archibold and the others returned from their escapade and training day with Archimedes on his island home - and of course - to hearing about all of their wonderful adventures!