Aruna Crocus

After a wind swept winter there are increasing signs of a resurgence on the hill. The crocuses which Anne Massey-Lynch donated on New Year's Eve are reaching the end of their gestation and beginning to bloom in the Abbot's conservatory. Abramina will be making her annual Spring Pilgrimage back to Harnham after a long winter in Holland. We all welcome her back and look forward to her warm, supportive presence.

We hear from Cesare, who spake on behalf of the Milanese, that our ex-kitchen manager Jim is blossoming and doing well in the Italian warmth. And the monastery was fortunate to receive the kind help and dana from Rit and Laszlo on Wednesday.

Silent Woodpecker

Spring Storms

In the small deciduous wood immediately behind the Dhamma Hall shrine, spring was being heralded daily with the loud drumming of a female great spotted woodpecker. Sunshine instead of snow came for most of this week and the gorse has been shining bright gold. Though a strinkling of frost sheltered in the shade of the stone walls and there are clumps and drifts of snowdrops here and there.

At dusk above the monastery hundreds of crows pass overhead flying together. What's interesting is how the flock shifts as if directed from within by individuals or teams which on one occasion lead, and other times follow. As darkness falls the community of monks return one by one to their various rooms and personal shrines. This flock too is guided from within by its own kind of internal frame of reference.

On Thursday Spring changed her mind. She sent the sun home, and now Spring's storms have come to test the trees. The loud daily herald of our great spotted woodpecker drumming has fallen silent. However none of this has prevented Caroline coming to offer Thursday's Dana, and no winds could stop Cathy, Kathy and Rita on Friday.

Jody Higgs

Farewell Jody


On Monday all five Harnham monks travelled to Edinburgh to perform the funeral service for our good friend and long time supporter and trustee, Jody Higgs. She had lived with leukaemia for 13 years, outliving the doctors generous prognosis by four years. The ceremony was a quiet one, attended by family and friends, with many a moving reflection on her life. Her Inter-Faith work had culminated in her speech being read out to the Scottish Parliament during the week after she passed away. It had been greeted with applause from the House.
At a later date (which we will announce on the Monastery calendar) there will be a memorial service and ashes interment ceremony at the monastery to which all are invited. She will be held in many hearts/minds as the community continues on with its winter retreat.

Changes

Changes.



Our week has been dominated by the sad news that our good friend Jody Higgs passed away on Sunday evening. Although we all knew that Jody had been unwell for many years when the time comes it is challenging. Most of us from the monastery will join the family for a ceremony of taking leave in Edinburgh on Monday 11th.

Also this week we saw a large group of Thai university students coming to make a generous donation towards the new kitchen project. The Fire Regulations Officer has told us we are obliged to 'upgrade' our standards. Not surprising really but slightly inconvenient. Never mind, planning is going ahead and if all goes well, the new kitchen in Kusala House will be completed (with the help of Jeff Jackson) in early March which will make it available for use while the main house kitchen is worked on by Farad. Meanwhile we continue to enjoy the quiet of retreat for at least three more weeks.