The Homeland

 

here i find myself once again in my Island my madeira. ithas been a long time since my last visit due to the this horrible virus we kept away, but now that we are here am wondering why was I so worried? It feels safe here, I feel safe. we arrived on Friday to glorious sunshine then on Sunday the weather changed somewhat! Due to the Tonga volcano were going through the tail end of that eruption with rough seas but its easing.

So far I have done two walks one down to the promenade to see the sunrise so beautiful. and another walk more inland with my camera always dangling at the end of my arm, clicking left right and center. the hibiscus with so many bright colors that gladdens ones eye and sea views the waves crushing against the rocks..... Oh!  how I had missed my Madeira!

    

Same old same old

 

Here we are two years have gone by and Covid still here and it has no intention of moving on! we are still living through it like a film  in slow motion. Christmas was spent with my girls and to be honest it all felt a little flat not much joy to be had, we had dinner and even had a little drink but there was no laughter even Hubby was not in his best form usually his the one who makes the most noise.

 

We are thinking of going to the Homeland it has been quite a while since my last visit hopefully we'll make it this year. Was hopping that 2022 was going to bring good news but this Virus that keeps changing just doesn't want to move on, so we just keep going hopping that we and our family keep safe.

 

Living in a small village does help we have no crowds and the countryside is very close by, most mornings I walk down the road and follow one of the many footpaths that we are lucky to have close by.... I can walk for miles and not see anyone I find myself relaxing, and for a little while one can almost forget that our world is being devastated by a silent enemy.

     

Covid and my husband

 Covid and my husband is a bad combination! this virus is making my life a misery my old boy gets so angry when he hears the news about all this testing that one has to do if you need to go travelling. We both have had our two jabs and he was hopping to go to the Island to visit his brother his only living relative but this testing that you are expected to do not once but three times and it costs a fortune its driving him crazy! Lol his becoming an angry old man. :-( 

How can one afford to go visiting family? At this rate looks like that we won't be able to ever visit my family at the Island of my birth! Don't get me wrong I love my life here and going to Madeira was lovely to visit my family and the lovely friends that I've made along the way..... I must say I had decided that this year I was not going to go to the Island but hubby wants to go visit his only brother but having to pay for the said tests is driving him crazy and in turn making my life a misery. 

Unlike him I have most of my family here in the UK so staying here on this beautiful Island that I call home is not much of a hardship. Living in a little corner of Essex and not watching too much news one can pretend that all is well, and the countryside is a good place to forget the worries of our very sick world. Love going for long walks in the mornings best time of the day everything looks shiny with the morning dew there, in the middle of the countryside the worries of this terrible disease can for a few hours be forgotten well almost!

  

Morning walk

 With all the rain that we been having am forced once again to walk on the road. Yesterday arrived home with very wet, so today I've opted for the road. But we are do a few good days with lovely sunshine, The morning started well at 5am I could see the sun in the horizon but now it has clouded over so will see what the day will bring!

Am not going for my usual walk this morning decided that I better rest my poor feet it has been a little overworked of late. Walking is one of the things that I can do and feel safe, what with this terrible 21 first century plague our world is in a sorry state so walking the footpaths keeps me sane, while am out walking at least for a few hours it almost feels like that its all a terrible dream. 

  

Dandelion

 Walking through the countryside at this time of the year you sure to find the much hated sun-like flower  the dandelion. Gardner's hate the so called weed but at this time of the year when not much is growing this double headed flower brightens the countryside like a beacon of sunlight.

Remember as a child picking the seed heads and blowing to the wind and watching the parachute like, little seeds being carried by the wind so helping the plant to disperse its seeds.

Wild flowers are just as beautiful as the plants that one plants in the garden and they have benefits too! Like the leaves when young can be eaten in salads they have a high content in vitamin A and C. Also in the old days dandelion drinks and broths were recommended for a variety of ailments, from jaundice to consumption, also have read that wine can be made from the florets, and the roots when dried and ground could be used as a coffee substitute.

A weed!  yes.... but so much more and its does not damage your loan  just feeds it

Just one more walk

 

Today am taking a break, so not walking through the fields and the footpaths my favorite place to be. The countryside is awakening the primroses dog violets are growing in profusion through the countryside.

On Wednesday did a walk to Cressing all Saints Church the daffs and primrose looked so beautiful around the Church. 

The civil parish of Cressing has within it the villages of Cressing and Tye Green plus the Hamlet of Hawbush Green. Cressing Parish contains a number of presumed Villa sites along the west and east sides of the Brain valley.

In the village of Cressing archaeological investigations in the medieval All Saints Church and Churchyard have been identified evidence of a late Iron Age settlement and Roman remains. The Church was built upon the site of earlier structures, likely to be from Late Saxon to Saxo-Norman

Following the Norman Conquest in 1066 lands in Cressing Parish were in the hands of a variety of individuals including the King and Count Eustace. The place names dates from at least 1136 and is thought to derive from the presence of ditches and brooks noted for the presence of watercress.

Parts of Cressing became the centre of an estate belonging to the order of the knights Templar (The Templars) which was granted to them by Queen Matildain 1137. The Witham church estates which probably included parts of Cressing were granted by King Stephen 1135-54 to the Canons of ST Martins London.

Just love living here surrounded by so much history. Surprising how much one can learn.

     

 Walking the Essex way in lockdown.

Still in lockdown and things still don't look very good! I hate listening to the news it all sounds so dreadful all this people dying! 

When are we going to hear some good news? While am walking at least for a couple of hours, I feel relaxed the sound of the countryside is so soothing the bird song, even the traffic that at one time disturbed the peaceful countryside but now it feels normal like life is happening, but then you come home and the television is on and hubby is watching the breakfast news and it all comes crushing down on you that we are living a nightmare.