Tales of woe from The Enchanted Village

Calamity and woe has hit The Enchanted Village in spades over the past few weeks.

My dear friend, Tuppence, has just come through a frightening experience and is thanking her lucky stars for the gift of sight, which she so very nearly lost. She has now been visited by a joyful army of ladybirds, late visitors to her garden, who have popped in to wish her well. Here's to a safe recovery.

Up the road, the partner of another dear friend is nursing broken ribs after a nasty fall. Down the road, Mrs Pope, that village stalwart, is painfully recovering from sciatica and has barely moved from her chair for the past few weeks.

Then there's Pelly Sheepwash, nursing a terribly bad back while her get-up-and-go has just got up and gone. I am hoping Tuppence will look out from her window and see Pelly's get-up-and-go safely returning along the lane, led by a battalion of butterflies. It will be arm-in-arm with Night Nurse's freedom-from-pain,which I hope comes soon.

And then the Logginses. The building of a log house does not run smoothly. But I predict good news will be on the way, as they have spent too long in temporary accommodation away from the village.

Meanwhile, Mr Grigg - who is well, I hasten to add - swore at me yesterday when I politely turned down an invitation from our neighbours, Mr and Mrs Champagne-Charlie. Mrs Bancroft taught me long ago never to turn down an invitation. But it was to the hunt dinner, and sometimes my principles just get in the way.

I am off to make offerings to the gods now. The village could do with more enchantment.

That's about it.

Love Maddie x