Today is Independence Day in India. Happy Day to all Indians! It is raining here at Bealtaine Cottage, as you can see!

I have many reasons to feel close to this day and celebrate also. The best Midwife and Nurse I have ever had the pleasure to know was a tiny Indian lady called Mrs Munasingh, who delivered my daughter. A strong, compassionate, yet physically tiny and graceful, Mrs Munasingh, whose first name I never came to know, acted as my personal Midwife and gave me such a sense of security that I had a brilliant, drug-free labour and birth, free from doctors and formalized delivery. She was nothing less than an Amazon of a woman and totally in control…Bless you wherever you are. I often think of you!

The second reason, not that any are needed, to celebrate this day, is the lifestyle I feel I share with so many of the people of India…in that I am a Vegetarian and now Vegan.

 The idea of vegetarianism is deeply ingrained in Hindu and Jain traditions in India and most Hindus are vegetarian and so are almost all Jains.

As it rains I am attempting to fill as many vessels as possible and wheelbarrow the water over to the tunnel in between downfalls!

I bought this mirror at the Boot Fair yesterday for 6 euros…cool or what? The veranda is all second-hand! Sun-lounger 8 euros…same market! Mirror on wall, same…