The world from my window

Ancient folklore features in my latest posts for the website  A Dorset Year . For the first one, in which we ponder the fate of the 2,000 year old yew tree  in Lush Places, I'm joined by my new neighbour, the lovely Natamagat, who is helping me with photographs. You can tell which ones are hers. They're much better than mine, but then she is a photographer. In the second post, I'm surrounded by rooks and a solitary raven . Nevermore. That's about it. Love Maddie x

About seven weeks ago, I wrote a piece for my column in the oldest woman's weekly magazine in the world, The People's Friend . It came from the heart. But my writing speciality is light, uplifting prose, sprinkled with humour, and based on a love of the countryside and a strong sense of place. I like to take a sideways look at life and focus on characters, detail and quirky situations. It's sometimes thoughtful and reflective, but never gloomy. What I wrote was never published because it didn't fit my style. But I'm publishing it on The World from My Window now because today I have reasons to be cheerful. When I wrote it, I had been referred by a specialist for an MRI scan. I am pleased to say that, although I still have the health issue that led to me having the brain scan in the first place, it was clear. There were no nasties up there causing my sudden hearing loss. What a relief.  It wasn't a big thing compared with problems some people have ...

      That's about it. Love Maddie x

We're in the pub in Lush Places, our ears ringing from a night of wonderful music. The gritter lorry goes by, churning its contents across the road and over the pavement. Baby, it's cold outside. We're huddled around the bar and having animated conversations about the brilliant night we've just had in My Kind of Town. And then a hush descends. Our cheery landlord, Mr Pie, pipes up: 'The band's here.' And then a colorful array of characters walks in through the door, led Pied Piper-like by our own Ding Dong Daddy. The assembled throng breaks out into applause. Locals from this enchanted village have just had the most wonderful evening, watching, listening and dancing to the Afro Celt Sound System, a band founded by Ding Dong Daddy twenty years ago. They blend world rhythms into an unstoppable force, performing them with sheer joy on the stage. The uplifting spirit of the music is totally infectious and we are all still on a legal high. ...

Take a trip across to A Dorset Year to see what's been happening today in Lush Places. That's about it. Love Maddie x

And so the new year begins... That's about it. Love Maddie x