Sometimes I Get Tired of Thinking of Titles for These

A bit of a lazy morning today. Nice temperature out this morning (61°). Humidity not so great (84%). The humidity is a bit easier to handle when the temperature isn’t as high. Still, my preference would be lower on both counts.

A tiger lily along the driveway. They're so bright and cheerful.

Yesterday was a busy day. I rode the bike and did my stretches but no Pilates. Joseph wanted me to ride more because I’m on Attack of the Clones. However, due to the way the day was shaping up, I decided not to.

In the garden. I should have taken a before picture as well.

After breakfast was done and the goats were out, Amena, Cedric, Seth, Joseph and I went out to pull weeds in the garden for half an hour. I’d been dreading that because the weeds were just out of control. However, weeding for just 30 minutes with that many people, even if they all didn’t put forth the same effort and pull the same number of weeds, did make a difference and it completely changed my bad attitude about the garden. Cedric actually enjoyed pulling and wanted to finish the row he was working on. How could I argue with that? This morning the plan is to do it again.

A nasturtium. They are bright and cheerful as well.

I decided it was then time to ride so that’s what I did. Then, because I couldn’t find the broom in order to sweep the living room before doing Pilates and because I checked Facebook really quick and Nick had sent me a message asking what we were doing today because he and Jared wanted to go to Goguen’s to swim to an island, I decided not to do Pilates but only the stretches Walter Cyr showed me for my back. While I was doing that, I was thinking about how I could make Goguen’s and my plans to visit a couple of Farmer’s Markets in the afternoon work. If I didn’t ride again, I could shower instead and then we could eat a slightly early lunch and then pick Nick and Jared up. This would give them a good two and a half hours to be in the water before my target departure time of 3:00. So that’s what we did.

Mint taking over part of the garden.

Everyone got ready to go, we had leftovers for lunch, and we left. Because there were already five of us and we were picking up two more, we took the van which is fine because the drive isn’t too long. The seats in the van are right uncomfortable if I sit in them for too long. The kids had fun. It was the perfect temperature for me in the shade. I hadn’t wanted to get in the water and took lots with me to do so it was just a win win for everyone. There are a couple of ducks that the boys got to feed some old hot dog buns to. There were some baby catfish along the edge that they all had fun catching and Nick actually swallowed one. He attempted one but it stung him and with the second was he was successful. Jared went out on a kayak and I couldn’t help but think that Daniel would probably have gone with him. I wanted to cry. So many things that we do that used to be quite fun are tempered by Daniel’s not being there. We would have left at three but Jared was still out on a kayak. Because he was taking forever, the children went back in the water and Rich Goguen took Nick out on his boat with a motor. They found Jared and I guess told him to get a move on because then he came straight back and we left. If I remember correctly, it was 3:44 when we finally left.

Cedric still at it.

We got home, I told the boys they could play with Legos. I told Amena that I would be at least going to the Farmer’s Market in Westminster, maybe the one in Sterling and that when I got back, I’d take her to the Trivett’s for Sarah’s sleep over birthday party.

Joseph and Seth in the water.

So that’s what I did. I was slightly impressed by the Westminster Farmer’s Market. There were a dozen or so vendors and quite a few people milling around. I bought some vegetables and talked to the guy who was selling them. From him I learned that yesterday was a pretty average day there. If that is average, I think it would work for my purposes especially since there were no vendors of soap. I’d heard that there was someone who sells soap there but she wasn’t in evidence which means either she just wasn’t there yesterday or she has stopped going.

Amena and Joseph in the water.

Even though I hadn’t been able to leave as early as I’d wanted to, I decided that since I was out and about, I might as well continue on to the Sterling Market as well. I hadn’t brought my directions for it because I wasn’t sure I was going to go but I remembered well enough and it was quite easy to find. In spite of it only having four or five vendors, it was the third largest I’ve seen thus far. Nice area, but not, I think, one I want to try.

Joseph and the ducks.

Paul got home relatively early and because there were no girls home, we took them with us to a little Mexican place that has hot wings, a misnomer if there ever was one. They each got some wings. I don’t remember what Paul got but I had the fajita plate. The food there is good, and very reasonably priced, but I don’t care for the rice and to me, if I had the recipes it would be very easy for me to make at home. To me, the point of going out is to eat something that I don’t know how to make or something that I wouldn’t normally eat. So, while the food there is good, it isn’t my favorite place to go.

Cedric feeding the ducks.

I got to bed somewhat later than I would normally have liked but that is partly because I wanted to get my 1,000 words written for the day and partly because once I was in bed I wanted to read a bit. This, along with the fact that I woke up at 4:00 with a headache that was annoying enough to take a pill for, explains why I didn’t get up until 7:00.

And now, bring on another day! Have another good one, and let me know what you think of my 1,160 words from yesterday.

“Think you there will be war?” Cailin asked as they rode.

“It is already upon us.”

“That is why you were sequestered in the tent all morning?”

Hywel laughed. “It is. What were you busy with?”

Cailin tossed her head. “Delivering laundry to Anwen with Eirian.”

“Ah, now that sounds like a right exciting occupation.”

Cailin jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. “It is. If you happen to be visiting with a new mama and her babe. Especially if that babe is as wonderful as hers is.”

“How does she?”

“Well. The babe is growing well. I don’t think they’ve decided upon a name yet. Anwen is such a good mother,” there was a bit of awe in her voice. “Her children obey her with alacrity and are happy.”

“Aye,” Hywel agreed. “She is as good a mother as Cadfael is a leader.”

“Hmmm. You know him well?”

“We grew up together. He still has family here in Morven.”

“And Cadwalader is your cousin?”

“He is.”

“How many of these others do you know?”

Hywel considered for a moment. “All of them. I have not yet seen anyone I do not know.”

“And they are all members of the, what did I hear them called? The Freedom Fighters?”

“Aye.”

“You never mentioned that you were friends with or related to half the kingdom,” she said shaking her head.

He smiled. “Would it make a difference?”

Cailin laughed, “Should it?”

“Cadwalader thinks he’s seen you before.”

“What? Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“But how?”

“He doesn’t know. He hasn’t been to Morven or Bychen for a couple of years and it has been even longer since he’s been in Mynydd.”

“Then he can’t have seen me because I’ve never been anywhere else.”

“That’s what I told him. However, his memory for faces is very good so he must have seen someone who verily looks like you.”

“Maybe he knew my mother. Rhiannon says that I very closely resemble her.”

As they neared Bychen, Hywel told Cailin about the two people he would be visiting. One had had a case of the spotted fever and was on her way to recovery. The other was the son of the village tanner who had slipped and in falling had accidentally immersed his hand in a bucket of caustic ash. The burns weren’t as bad as they might have been, but still, without proper care he could be maimed for life due to scar tissue.

Once the visits were complete, Cailin convinced Hywel to stop on the way back along a stream. There was a large clearing that would be perfect for an open air meal had it been either time to eat or they had had food with them.

They walked, hand in hand, along the stream. “Your limp is almost gone,” Cailin observed.

“Funny thing, that.”

“In what way?”

“Well, I truly thought that I would have it for the rest of my life.”

“Was it hard? Walking with me?”

Hywel stopped and turned her toward him, holding his hand out. She took it, placing her other hand on his shoulder and they began to dance out into the clearing. They danced in silence for a few minutes. “Was it hard? It was extremely difficult at first. I was still healing. Walking with you around the cot was all I the energy I could muster. But,” he said with a smile, “was it worth it? Yes!”

They came to a stop and Cailin spread her skirt out over the grass, inviting Hywel to sit with her which he did. Then he lay down, relaxing with one arm under his head, gazing up at her. She smiled down at him, and ran her fingers through his hair.

“You are beautiful, you know.”

She shook her head. “Fair to look upon, perhaps. Beautiful, no.”

He took her hand, bringing it to his lips and planted a kiss in the palm. “You are the loveliest thing I have ever beheld with my eyes.” He lowered her hand and placed it over his heart. “You are the loveliest thing I have ever beheld with my heart.”

Later that day, after Hywel and Cailin had returned to Morven, evening meals had been consumed and nightly chores completed, Hywel lay in his bed thinking of the woman he was to marry the following afternoon. Cadwalader had again insisted that he had seen her somewhere and had enlisted Cadfael’s help in determining where. He was of little help because he hadn’t actually seen Cailin. Hywel had wanted to introduce her to his many friends and cousins but there just had not been time. She had been kept very busy by Eirian and the many arrivals had kept Hywel more occupied than his usual chores and healing duties in spite of the fact that there had been very few illnesses or injuries as of late.

He and Cailin had had little bits of time together but more often than not, it was not private. Even as he felt that he had known her forever, he realized that he actually knew very little about her and that she knew about as much about him. They each knew that Rhiannon had been happy that they had finally found each other but even that puzzled Hywel. How much did Rhiannon know? And why was it so important? He was satisfied and convinced that their union would be a good one but he was realistic enough to understand that they had a lot of learning to do. He smiled, closing his eyes. It was probably a good thing that winter was approaching; with the slower pace of life during the cold months, they should have ample time for learning and growing and exploring.

That night, Hywel dreamed. In his dream, he opened his eyes and turned to his left, gazing at his wife and baby and feeling of their beauty and goodness and love. He reached out and gently caressed a small pink cheek with his forefinger and then leaned further to smooth back a lock of tangled hair from his wife’s face. She smiled and snuggled deeper into her pillow. Hywel smiled in response, feeling the same warmth swell through his body that did every time he thought of how very lucky he was to have them there beside him.

Parting the curtains enclosing the bed, Hywel rolled to the edge and stood up, stretching. Next, he walked over to the fire, adding wood after stirring the ashes and then turned his attention to the shuttered windows. He paused, fingering the wood of the shutters, admiring the workmanship of the perfectly joined pieces, before unlatching them and opening them wide to let in the sun. He closed his eyes and turned his face to the sun, grateful for the warmth as well as the fact that the windows were glazed and therefore needn’t be shut all winter long to retain heat from the fire.