A brownie came to call this morning. No ordinary brownie, but a brownie with a tool kit.A brownie with hammers and wood screws, motorised drills, and his very own ratchet. Like all other faery workmen of his kind, his sense of accurate timing was a little deficient. He said he'd arrive a cuckoo's call after 1 o'clock in the afternoon. He arrived a pigeon's feather before 10.30 am in the morning. Luckily I rose just as Pendragon was leaving at eight, and wasted no time in dressing,breakfasting and finishing clearing the blue room so that he would have ample space in which to work.He had come to fit the shelves. beautiful long maplewood shelves, extending the length of one wall.Our Blue Room is rapidly becoming the elegant work space that I need to begin my new working Lives. Lives,rather than life, as there are several roads down which I intend to travel. Firstly, the Artistic road, secondly the Theatrical Road, and Thirdly the Entrepreneurial Road, all to be pursued,either one at a time ,or all at once ,whichever route seems to be the most effective. All have begun to some degree,but I am constantly reflecting,and re-settting my aims and objectives, so nothing is static,everything is fluid and open to change. I feel that the way forward will become clear, as my successes arise. I am not even going to consider the "failure position". Life remains full of opportunity, and to some degree,what will be,will be. I am happy for now simply to explore the avenues stretching ahead of me, and satisfied that I am making headway in opening the necessary doors.
The brownie followed me upstairs to the Blue Room,looked gloomily into the compact space,but listened earnestly as I shared with him my vision for the maplewood shelves. Sensing that he wasn't going to find it the easiest of tasks, I suggested the best way to begin,was with a hot cup of acorn coffee. I threw in a smile and the promise of a couple of marshmallow hobnobs,hoping that that would be enough to get his tool bag opened, and those bits of maplewood being honed into sharp looking shelves. It worked a treat. Brownies are never lazy,taking much pride in their work, and when I reappeared at the top of the stairs,mug in hand, he was whistling and measuring and counting and looking out tools. I left his morning snack and retreated to the kitchen,knowing I'd left a brownie happy in his work. Never underestimate the power of an acorn latte,and some marshmallow hobnobs to move the soul. Wars ,I am sure,have been won or lost ,on such as these . The shelves were done within the hour, and I waved goobye to my brownie handyman.They are beautifully carved,and well finished. Now all I have to do is to sort out the million and one things which I took out of the room this morning.And that won't take an hour.no, I can see that job running on for some days. I find throwing things out very difficult. It is in the faery nature to hoard, just in case the need for something should arise in the future. We particularly like to stash away small,sparkly things, but really anything would do. Buttons, ribbons, balls of yarn, and old parchments,- even more old parchments, dried up ink plumes,gowns I'll never wear again but love to look at,gowns I never liked at all,half empty aroma pots, delicate figurines,did I mention old parchments ? - and letters and cards from Pendragon,my family and friends. They all have some meaning for me.They all represent some important happening in my life, not necessarily a major event but just something that mattered and somehow changed me. I do not apologise for hoarding things. When they are ready to leave us ,they do. We grow out of and beyond our collections in our own time,making enough space to collect the new focus of our reminiscing. I wonder what I am going to put on those shelves ?
Happy memory searching to all of you,my friends, and much tea time enjoyment of the marshmallow hobnob, From Amarantha Willow ,The Rainbow Faery.