Good Friday 2021

Another Good Friday and welcome everyone to Georges Wood Blog. As you will have realised from my email we have moved from Halesworth and sadly could not bring the Wood with us, (it is now 10 years old!) though we have left it in the very good hands of new owners, who are already involved in maintaining it and will keep it as the nature reserve that it is.

 

It is now a year since I last blogged which is down to the attempting to move during lockdown – it has taken us a full year to achieve this - but we are now settled in our new home, a Barn conversion with amazing unspoilt views of beautiful countryside and walks,  with our nearest neighbours, apart from the Farmhouse across the track, a quarter of a mile away – idyllic (for us!!).

 

We shall be growing some more trees and George’s bench will have a new location – I shall be continuing to blog now just annually on Good Friday with photographs, maybe a poem or two and perhaps one of my ‘musings’ to amuse you – though some might call it a ‘ramble’ – maybe even a video of a real life ramble on the stunning footpath from the house here if I can master the technology!

 

But today I decided to choose just two photos for you to celebrate the Blog's 10th year (choosing  from so many it was so difficult to decide on a favourite)  along with a couple of poems. The photos are from a previous blog on George's Birthday 2015 and are of the Bench donated by Emily and Henry with the Inscription underneath. It has the ray of sunshine shining down onto the bench, so imagine yourself sitting there with the ‘ray’ as a two-way communication, feeling and receiving the warmth of George's presence and sending loving thoughts and memories by return.

 

                          A ray of sunshine from Heaven

 

 

                                     

 

The first of the two poems below is by an anomynous author:

 

The Broken Chain

We knew little that morning that  God was going to call your name,  In life we loved you dearly,  In death we do the same.  It broke our hearts to lose you,  You did not go alone.  For part of us went with you,  The day God called you home.  You left us peaceful memories,  Your love is still our guide,  And though we cannot see you,  You are always at our side.  Our family chain is broken,  And nothing seems to be the same,  But as God calls us one by one,  The chain will link again.

The next short poem embodies for me a deep spiritual understanding – that at some level we are all the same – call it our True Nature, the Life Force, Buddha or Christ Nature, it doesn’t matter, but we all share something in common as sentient beings which brings ‘unity’ rather than the ‘separation’ which colours all that we usually experience in our everyday lives. So when the poem says “I am that little Robin” this is the fundamental truth of Being that all is One. I might just change one word in the poem on account of the fact that we have physically left Georges Wood behind by substituting Woodland for Garden. The robins that nest there will forever be singing “I will never leave you” and the Oak in the centre of the wood, donated by Cecile, will, for maybe hundreds of years, carry the memory of George in its roots and branches.

 

 

 

 

 

This is the last Blog from ‘Georges Wood’ as such. I will continue to blog as I said annually on Good Friday in memory of George. For those of you who have read thus far, I am creating a new Georges Wood group address list so if you wish to continue receiving these from me let me know by email or simply put “yes please” in the Comment box at the end of the Blog and add your name as well so I am clear who sent it.  Thanks.

 

 

Love and Blessings to you all this Easter - Michael

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easter 2020

Hello Everyone and welcome to Georges Wood Blog.

These are strange and for some very difficult and challenging times, and I am reminded of the spiritual song that George wrote “I will Weather the Storm” which some of you will remember.  And this quote too:

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”

Haruki Murakami

Many people are finding time at the moment to contemplate and revalue their lives during this storm and in myself I have noticed recently that I often tend to overlook what is ‘always there’. For example on this blog (website version) George’s words on “What I want Now” are always there down the side of the page but no longer noticed. It’s like they are hidden in plain sight. These were not simply an expression of egotistical desires but on the whole represented George’s deeper values. And he even took the trouble to write them down.

We all have within us deeper values, but we tend not to give them much attention (if any) and my encouragement today is to take a quiet moment to perhaps look at Georges list and find three or four core values of our own (and they don’t have to be on the list!) that resonate at a deeper level – and maybe even write them down! – recognising that there is something ‘always there’ within, but often overlooked, to remind us of what is positive and important at a time when everyone else is stressing and when everything else around is apparently falling apart.

And how is the Wood? It has been cold and slow to stir into life, though every tree and shrub is showing that spring is stirring within – gently waking up and giving life to its deeper nature.  A beautiful example (to us all) of how rejuvenation is not only possible but also inevitable.

Accompanied me on my walk this morning

Bursting with such potential

Why did the bullrush? Because it saw the cowslip!

About to turn over a new leaf

Darling Buds of April

Catkins - twin kitten tails but not identical

Blossom, pond and memorial bench

Thanks for walking with me through Georges wood; and now just to wish you all a Happy Easter – always look on the bright side of life!! Whenever you hear the word ‘lock-down’ remember to remain open-hearted . Peace and Blessings to you and all your loved ones.