Celebrating the Ordinary - if not the Normal!

A challenge has been set by Marie at Journeying Beyond Breast Cancer   to celebrate the ordinary by posting a daily photo of something for which we are grateful.  I know that this will not be practical for me; I just do not have the time to do this on a daily basis, but I will join in by posting when I do have time.

I'm going to start by posting some catch up images as over the Bank Holiday weekend I was away at a medieval living history event and was certainly grateful for all the fun we had in and out of public hours. Perhaps not exactly ordinary in the strict sense but certainly it fits the gratitude aspect ...

Day 1

There are several things in this image for which I was grateful. The first is that it wasn't raining - camping is so much easier when it isn't raining and especially medieval camping! Then there is the tent, which I had ordered just before diagnosis and which I picked up just after finishing radiotherapy. It gives me good space in which to work and live comfortably during an event. This weekend it went up swiftly and easily and it kept me warm and dry even through the torrential rain we had one night.  The main reason why I took this photograph though, is that it is the first time we used this firetray. Previously if we haven't had a fire as part of a demo, we have sat around other people's fires but this time we had a small firetray of our own to sit around in the evening after the public had left the site, thanks to Aidan. There is something special about sitting around even a small fire, chatting as it gets dark. It leads onto another thing for which I'm grateful and that is the company of the friends and neighbours alongside whom we worked during the day and with whom we socialised during the evening - and here symbolised by Aidan. There is a wonderful community of artisans and demonstrators.

Day 2

I'm cheating with the Day 2 image. This particular event is an annual one and this photo wasn't taken this year. It isn't very easy to take photos during an event because you can't be wandering round in medieval kit and with a camera! So this was taken a couple of years ago at the same event by a friend to whom I'd given my camera and instructions to take photos for me.  During the event that year the blacksmith made me a lovely hook the sits around the central pole of my tent and on which I can hang the medieval lantern that gives me light at night and which gives my tent a lovely cosy feel to it. Lots more to be grateful for here; John who took the photos for me, the hook made by Wayne the blacksmith and especially the lantern. That lantern was made by another member of our little community and who sadly died from bowel cancer earlier this year, so it is now very precious.

Day 3

I took this on Monday morning. It is the view I had while sitting outside my tent eating my breakfast. One of the lovely things about taking part in such events is being able to stay in such beautiful places and this site, with its lakes, trees and wildlife, is one of the highlights.

Day 4

And here is the final image from the weekend. The event is over; it didn't rain while we were taking down the tents, the car is unpacked, washing done and there is now a satisfying line full of clean white linen drying. Much as I love the lingering smell of woodsmoke in my hair and clothing, it is good to have a shower and get the washing done!

Truly a weekend for which I am grateful in so many ways.