As @vincentnijman referenced recently, it has been hard to get into sharing this month, as things have been pushing us to the edge of sanity - and beyond, in places! We rarely rant excessively, epecially online, as we know that it is (hopefully!) going to change soon... but the struggles and chaos have hounded us too long, and we were near abandoning ship.... Today (now yesterday) something shifted though, and we end the day for the first time in weeks, quite energised and motivated!

In part because of finally facing the intense heat in the house full on, and working on through it. Also, taking appropriate breaks, eating well, drinking lots of lemon water and rich herbal teas. Prioritising the project of shelving/mezzanine type of structure. Talking through multiple issues, and DIY-ing together - despite our very different approaches 🤭😋

By the end of the day, we actually feel like we are making progress: it hasn't felt like that for me, lately! I've been so very overwhelmed with circumstances, and have felt quite ill with concern about whether or not we can actually do this - often sensing that our lack of skills, resources, facilities, tools and connections really is insurmountable and we're spiralling downwards.

The temperatures have tipped everything over the edge, and in a way this is positive. Reaching breaking point with nowhere to shelter and nothing we can do about it means we've had to dig a trench (as it were) and settle in for the season: the heat has to be faced and acclimated to - if we want to achieve anything. Neuroses, complaints, doubts, traumas, fears, paranoia... all have to be abandoned wholesale in this epic adventure of sovereignty and homesteading.

Small miracles, like the sunset, like managing to construct a relatively solid base for our mezzanine, like the most perfect shower from our funny barrel on the neighbour's roof, like getting a meal together from athe very few ingredients that haven't spoiled from being overheated terribly... and enjoying our very first olives from our trees, put under salt and water back in October or so.

❤️‍🔥

Today we clamber into our tent under very cool air, just as the horizon turns orange and turquoise, and the vibrant high grasses darken to delicious troops of silhouetted dancing figures in front of the drama. We wait for the shifting waves of bird noises to morph into the nightly insect orchestra, and we warmly embrace those magical moments when we pop out for a weewee, to be graced by oooodles of stars and fireflies vying for our attention... We 'wow!' and 'ooh!' and 'aah!' and then snuggle back in under the canvas, (mostly) protected from the wildlife jumping about in the night.

Since having a mini breakdown last week, feeling like we are stuck at the lowest level, without a means of pulling ourselves out of it... To now having the beginnings of multiple solutions, with new spaces opening up for bathing, relaxing, sheltering from the elements.... It starts to feel rather exciting to get up early, making the most of the less-scorchio hours wherever possible.

The long wait to move in next door continues; we shouldn't be so hasty, but we know that next door is so very much cooler and more stable than ours - even if we'll need to transform it most dramatically (if we want to live in it!) Vincent spoke to several neighbours this week, explaining our predicament, and asking them to speak on our behalf to the neighbour's family, to see if we can't move things forward with the sale... or at least get some consent to begin clearing and cleaning the place.

We pray every day, sometimes a lot of the day, and ask for harmony and security, calm and success. We try to keep our wee hovel as tidy as we can - but we can't very much! We try to clear any bad vibes or stagnant energies: we'd tell you all about the removal of the 'smart' meter that was on our property when we came here, but it'd probably scare everyone, and we don't want to leave any 'evidence' online; suffice to say no-one got even a tiny electric shock - quite a nice job, which we'll review again at a later date (like, when it rains).

So an eventful week. Lots of energy shifts, emotional disentangling, opening up of new possibilities and optimism. We're healthily and relaxed-tired, instead of being exhausted and rundown: this is a huge step forward.

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Waking up this morning, everything was easier, and we got stuck into a major cleaning session - in as much as we can keep a gnarly pebble-dashed room ship-shape; brushing the walls of ever-present spidery webs, dusting (again!) the tops of pans jars tins, which gather perpetual proliferations of dust from the cementy walls and ceiling. And sweeping and mopping intensively - more kilos of dust to return to the earth - and the moving of furniture to create an ever-so-slightly more efficient workspace. We sat down to another make-shift meal of boiled eggs, wurstel, edam cheese, pomodorini, and tarallini in olive oil. With herbal tea from a couple of days ago, which has matured in the heat quite magnificently.

A strong feeling of harmony pervades. A sense of being willing and able, capable and enthusiastic. This is all that we need 🙏💪💝 Our fears faced, our penance done. Let's celebrate this gentle morning, as we steam ahead merrily with our day!

Much Love and Tantissime Belle Cose a Tutti!