8 posts tagged “lodge”

What are you most looking forward to this weekend?

Plenty of fresh Cumbrian air and new perspectives

Even if your house is flooded or burnt to the ground, whatever the danger that threatens it, let it concern only the house. If there's a flood, don't let it flood your mind. If there's a fire, don't let it burn your heart, let it be merely the house, that which is external to you, that is flooded and burned. Allow the mind to let go of its attachments.

~ Ajahn Chah

Update : This is not just theoretical. Our little lodge in Cumbria has pipes that burst about 10 days ago. We arrived home after our trip south for Christmas to the news of flooding on our answerphone. So we are dealing with insurance etc etc at 100 mile distance. A great opportunity to practice this letting go :)

Packing again after the washing, ironing and email turnaround - I'm off to Cumbria soon. Not to stay in the lodge, as Dharmavidya and Prasada are there for the week (I'll spend tomorrow with them) but to stay with my sister Kathy and brother-in-law Dougal at Caudale Beck. I'll be seeing my sister Janet and my Mum, too, as they are staying nearby. Taking the camera, of course.

Taking waterproofs and wellies, too, of course - they might be needed in Cumbria at any time of year but how much more so at the moment, with the extreme weather the UK has been experiencing recently, with more on its way. Hoping my Amida Sheffield buddies aren't awash.

How many TVs do you have in your house?

One that works - in the drawing room
One that doesn't work - in a corner of the morning room

And a small one that does work - at the lodge in Cumbria

Train 'em young, I say! Here they are, helping out at the lodge, when they stayed before Easter:

I've sent off the final payment for a week in June at CenterParks, the Sherwood Forest one this time, and I'm checking out the travel details from Newcastle. Last year i didn't make it, due to Peter's accident. The year before we had a wonderful week at Elveden Forest. I share with Simon and his girls (Freja and Ella), Rachel, Mark and girls (Isable and Lucy) have the chalet next door, and a family of friends next door to them. Plenty of swimming and bike riding. I'm not sure how many more times we'll visit, with our lodge and camping in the Lakes so attractive.

Video: Show us the next DVD or movie you're looking forward to seeing.

1971 - I had a toddler and a new-born and I was well into my hippy phase, which, in some ways, I never grew out of, I'm delighted to say.

(But why does the picture of the DVD cover disappear once I've selected it from Amazon UK?)

We're taking this with us to the lodge tonight.

Concert For Bangladesh [2005]

Large cheques have been written in the last week. The largest - a mind-boggling amount to write a cheque for, was last weekend, when we bought this lodge in the beautiful Troutbeck valley. A retreat for weekends - and longer, when we can manage. Beside the woods, with views of the fells on the other side of the valley. Deer, badgers and rabbits visit from the woods, I'm told. I'm so excited. We'll go over on Friday evening when Peter finishes work and Freshers Week is over - I'll be in the uni every day until Thursday evening. At the moment the place is called 'Plot 16' - doesn't have the right ring to it! All the names of the fells around us have been taken. So we are going to call it 'Rowan Lodge' - you'll see the rowan tree behind it and there are more to the side. (Update - it's now Latrigg Lodge, after a small tarn nearby) This is a fantastic site - tucked in a corner and back against the woods. We can walk up through those woods and to the top of a ridge and then walk for miles. The route eventually leads to 'High Street' which was a Roman road over the fells.

Yesterday we went to Laura Ashley, where we sat for a long time, trying sofas and looking at fabrics. We certainly had plenty of time to decide the sofa we liked was very comfortable - we looked as though we'd taken up residence. We ummed and ahhd, went to lunch to weigh up the options and then returned to buy two small sofas in deep red chenille hopsack which will look beautiful against the glowing wood. They should arrive by the end of November. In the meantime we'll need to take deckchairs which will neither feel nor look good but will suffice.