Easy lovely day. It began most touchingly, as I received a beautifully-calligraphed package delivered to the cottage from Carmarthen- Dr. Garlick had sent me a volume of his poems!!! It got here in less than a day, because the inscription said that he enjoyed our talk yesterday so much. And OH! What poems . . . I read them all through while Tallis took his shower . . . I could not be more grateful. What a lot of work for an eightysomething gentleman (on crutches, no less) to do for me. Love him.
We walked a mile to the Coast Trail, out our road and down to the bay, and hit the trail. I was overcome with delight at all the pretty wildflowers, and the glorious cliffs and surf and gorse and heather and ponies and rock walls and wheat fields and lovely red and blue rock and caves. The boys were very patient with me as I took picture after picture. We walked clear around the head, enjoying the views of Ramsey Island, and the nursing baby seal, with her Mum and Dad, in one of the the little bays, and the sand beach that I threw a wishing rock from, and the wonderful sea wind and the actual SUN that showed its face for the first time today (!). We didn't say much, just peacefully walked, and breathed, and I could hardly wipe the wide grin off my face, the entire time. Pure joy. Perfect freedom. Sacred quiet, even when we chatted. Flow. We have gotten to understand each other's rhythms in a new way, this trip, as our little comunity has been so close. Eating all meals together, going to sleep at the same time (what a concept), a gentle symbiosis. There have been no disagreements, no drama, just much laughter and many whole-making silences. When we get tired, we just seem to get more kind.
We had a sweet time in Saint David's Cathedral, seeing it at its best with actual sun filtering in. I prayed in the prayer chapel, and said the Pilgrim's Prayer by the bones of Saint David, lit candles for my beloveds, and said hello to Giraldus Cambrensis' tomb. Then I sort of drifted, just enjoying the rare and sacred beauty of Wales' most sacred Christian shrine. A small silent retreat. Cathedrals always make me think of Madeleine, of course. I met up with the boys eventually. Terry was sitting quietly in a pew, looking contemplative and listening to the organist rehearse. I came up and gave him a long holy kiss. We are feeling very tender here.
Then we walked, not saying very much, home to Amber Cottage, and got ready for a nap.
My feet are really painful, but I am doing what we call "Pulling a Sylvia", and just telling them to be quiet when they scream at me. Kila asked about my blisters, and I said I was ignoring them, as how many times in a lifetime have I hiked the Coast Trail? This would be the third. She asked Terry, who was beginning a nap on the bed, an hour ago, "Is she always so ridiculously cheerful?" And he said, sleepily, "Quite often". :) She told us when asked that we couldn't pay with a VISA . . . so I volunteered to go into town for cash.
I hobbled up our little street, leaving the boys asleep. I desperately want a nap too (would be the first on the trip), but someone had to go get the cash to pay Kila tomorrow at 7am. And this is fun, renting the town computer, hee hee.
Soon I shall go out into the rare and glorious sun and go wake my beloveds, and we will probably eat at our favorite pub, the Farmer's Arms.
God bless all who read this, may you too find surprising peace inside you today.
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