The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary 317
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on day 27 of our latest lock down. This morning the neighbourhood is cold with the winter freeze but soon we will experience the death of winter and the birth of spring, but also this morning in Ballinwillin we mourn the death and passing of Joe Mulcahy our neighbour, a legend in the music business and a founding member of the famous Maurice Mulcahy Band. A band that gave huge enjoyment to thousands of people worldwide. This morning our prayers are with his family, friends and neighbours. Now destiny calls Joe to a place of music where his trumpet will sound again for all our spiritual enjoyment, where his heart will always remain generous, all heavenly doors will open to his musical light as you now quietly befriend your death and you have no need to fear. You are among your own orchestra in the big band with your pure white suit you are now equal to your destiny and nearer to Earths heart. Rest in peace Joe. Continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it and wear your smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 986
Her nearness always filled the air and when we were in trouble her wings would encircle and protect us. This type of love could grow nowhere else.
Good morning everyone and welcome to a Sunday with The Mindful Farmer at his farm and gardens at Ballinwillin House. Yesterday I was reading a beautiful piece in The Examiner written by the lovely Alice Taylor where she recalled the wonderful relationship between the Nana and the grandchildren and sadly she correctly states that now the Nana is in a nursing home and the grandchild is in a creche. What a change fifty years has made to our little country and society and I know life and circumstances have changed dramatically but the cost to society is huge. I remember when my Nana Ellen came to live with us. She was an angel. Always smiling. Her nearness always filled the air and when we were in trouble her wings would encircle and protect us. This type of love could grow nowhere else. Continue to pray, bless, power healing, peace, hope, love and happiness to all and wear your Sunday best smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 985
"why don't you turn the one day around and convert it into Day 1 “
Good morning everyone and welcome to Ballinwillin House Farm, Gardens and RetrEat centre. This morning I was having a chat with a guest at breakfast and we spoke about places he had visited in Munster but never outside. I said that we should push out our boundaries no matter our age as long as our health permits. He then replied that one day he would love to visit the Aran Islands and I said "why don't you turn the one day around and convert it into Day 1 and visit the Aran Islands and many more places and push the boundaries out". He smiled and said he had never thought that words could have such meaning and he went on to further state that this conversation gave him a complete insight into what could be with a little courage and a willingness to step outside our comfort zone. Have a beautiful, restful, mindful Saturday and say a prayer for someone.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 984
Nature doesn't go forward or backwards. It has perfected the now and so should we.
Good morning everyone and welcome to The Mindful Farmers window of wonder. What I think about this morning is last week the colours in the garden and around the farm were ablaze and now this morning I see that all is fading and it tells me that the year is growing old. The big, old oak trees stand bare and naked in the morning mist and when I look through the bare branches it reminds me to collect my thoughts and give thanks for being alive at this time "again". Nature doesn't go forward or backwards. It has perfected the now and so should we. Continue to pray, bless, power healing, peace, hope and happiness to all and wear your Friday smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 983
The future is always now and is always today so we have a duty to live for today. Enjoy today. It comes but once so live it to its fullest
Good morning and welcome to another seriously ill clement morning at Ballinwillin House Farm but in spite of the weather I always say to myself every morning no matter what that "I am going to enjoy today." The future is always now and is always today so we have a duty to live for today. Enjoy today. It comes but once so live it to its fullest and continue to pray, bless, power healing, peace, hope and love to all who need it and wear your Thursday smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 982
I will await this splendour like a child waits for Santa Claus as the breath of their beauty and perfume awakens from the darkness of winter and anoints all our eyes with wonder and this wonder will sleep deeply within my heart.
Good morning and welcome to The Mindful Farmers window of wonder. Still raining I'm afraid but between the rains I have been pruning my rose bushes in the gardens and the orchard area. When I'm pruning I am very mindful of the character and sensitivity, their beauty all be it losing its colour now. I treat them gently and feed them and cover their roots to protect them from winter frosts. They will get another light pruning in late February/ early March and another feed and then they will repay this tender loving care with an abundance of colour and perfume from May to November each year without fail and I will await this splendour like a child waits for Santa Claus as the breath of their beauty and perfume awakens from the darkness of winter and anoints all our eyes with wonder and this wonder will sleep deeply within my heart. Continue to pray, bless, power healing, peace, hope, love and happiness to all who need it and wear your Wednesday smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 981
If you have a warm bed you have a home, if you have a cake of bread you have a feast and if you have good and loyal friends you have a family and you are blessed
Good morning and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, Gardens and RetrEat centre. The weather over the past few weeks and especially the last few days has been really, really, terrible. Winds, heavy rain and very cold, animals and humans are really feeling it so we must respond and grand uncle Jack had another saying and it went like this - "if you have a warm bed you have a home. If you have a cake of bread you have a feast and if you have a good and loyal friend you have a family and you are blessed." Let us all think along those lines and let us all be grateful for all that we have in this world and continue to pray, bless, power healing, peace, hope and love to all who need it and wear your Tuesday smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 980
now I hear the beautiful innocent voices of Ada and JJ our grandchildren, "Grand Pat, tell me another story about when you were young." It does my heart good and helps their dream to grow.
Good morning and welcome once more to the view from The Mindful Farmers window of wonder. Yesterday a group of us discussed many issues and settled on memories. With our memories we need never be lonely. We need to be careful that we do not forget what our eyes have seen over the years and not to let them slip from our hearts for as long as we live. We must teach them to our children and our grandchildren and now I hear the beautiful innocent voices of Ada and JJ our grandchildren, "Grand Pat, tell me another story about when you were young." It does my heart good and helps their dream to grow. Continue to pray, bless, power healing, peace, hope, love and happiness to all and wear your Monday smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 979
Today this vast landscape of mostly wildness stretched out forever a vast plain of rusty brown shadowed by the deep thinking Maumturk mountains and watered by lakes and rivers as God saw it.
Good morning and welcome. Today as I drove from Scrib to Clifden I was awe struck by the amazingly different colours of brown as Johnny Cash's song 40 shades of green there was definitely 40 shades of brown. This is unique in Connemara at this time of year as the iron laden waters colour the grasses, reeds and vegetation then the mountains, the sunshine and the wind and the waters complete this miracle of wonder. As I was driving along having visited Glentrasna where John O'Donoghue, my late friend, resided for many years and got much of his inspiration to write from, I also was compelled to put pen to paper about the "rusty brown Connemara". Today this vast landscape of mostly wildness stretched out forever a vast plain of rusty brown shadowed by the deep thinking Maumturk mountains and watered by lakes and rivers as God saw it. Then there were the pale telegraph poles, frightened pale white at the thoughts of the oncoming winter as they whistled out loudly then the dark grey boulder paid homage to the overlooking mountains. The odd sheep grazing oblivious to the surrounding miracle and then the occasional home pudding out chimes of smike to complete the picture that I was so fortunate to experience and so fortunate to be awake to the wondrous beauty that only God could create. I felt so happy to be part of this natural beauty and blessed by all things and gracious in awareness where the greed air goes wild with light and delight - The Rusty Brown Connemara.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 978
May I live this day compassionate of heart, clear in word, gracious in awareness, courageous in thought and generous in love.
Good morning and welcome to a bright, fresh, Connemara, Saturday morning. Earlier this morning I was reading some of my great friend's work, the late, great John O'Donoghue, and I plan to visit Glentrasna later in the day. It is where he lived and got great inspiration from. Anyway, I was reading his work and some of it really inspired me. I arise today, blessed by all things, wings of breath, delight of eyes, wonder of whisper, intimacy of touch, eternity of soul, urgency of thought, miracle of health, embrace of God. May I live this day compassionate of heart, clear in word, gracious in awareness, courageous in thought and generous in love." Now there is a lot of thought provoking and advice in the above but if we could take a little of it every day and spread the word what a wonderful world it could be. Continue to pray, bless, power healing, peace, hope, love and happiness to all and wear your Saturday smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 977
There is always sunshine if you believe.
Good morning and welcome to The Mindful Farmers thoughts as he looks through his window of wonder on this damp, foggy, November morning. Last evening at a round table discussion which was wide ranging and at times quite deep and the subject of betrayal came up. One person said that betrayal is something others do to you but bitterness is something you "develop" yourself. It was widely agreed that when you look past the hurt of betrayal you will see that your resentment is just a temporary road block to your own peace and when you arrive at your destination of your own peace you will be a very happy and peaceful person and just as I finish writing now the wet and foggy morning has turned to a bright and sunny morning. There is always sunshine if you believe. Continue to pray, bless, power healing, peace, hope and love to all who need it and wear your Friday smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 976
I firmly believe that whatever pain or difficulties we experience they can act as a source of spiritual gain.
Good morning and welcome. Well, The Mindful Farmer is going through a period of severe pain at present. I am having continuous stem cell treatment on both knees and it is going on for about six months now with limited success but two more sessions remaining that will take me right up to Christmas and I am praying things will improve and my mobility will improve also. I firmly believe that whatever pain or difficulties we experience they can act as a source of spiritual gain. So much depends on our attitude and it can transform our lives. We must learn to stay with our pain and ask it to be more laterant and to help us, trust it like a visitor to the house and ask it to help us. This is the advice from a surprise visitor today. Thank you Carmel. Continue to pray, bless, power healing, peace, hope, love and happiness to all who need it and wear your Thursday smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 975
"there's beauty in the morning and a love that never fails. He is the one who never leaves our side and He created us from the dust."
Good morning everyone and welcome to The Mindful Farmers place of peace/ Grand Uncle Jack had another saying even when the mornings are cold and wet and dark like this morning. It goes like this - "there's beauty in the morning and a love that never fails. He is the one who never leaves our side and He created us from the dust." This beautiful saying will remain with me today as I go about my work and bask in the luxury of being fully understood and unconditionally loved. Continue to pray, bless, power healing, peace, hope, love and happiness to all who need it and wear your smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 974
For those of us who enjoy and experience the privilege of peace, there is a duty on us to share this amazing gift.
Good morning everyone and welcome. This morning we received a beautiful compliment from a lovely lady. Her opening morning greeting was "I have never known such peace." What a lovely greeting and compliment. She went on to say that the place and the room was so peaceful and she was so relaxed and happy. I could see it in her face. Her very kind comments certainly filled my heart with joy. For those of us who enjoy and experience the privilege of peace, there is a duty on us to share this amazing gift. Continue to pray, bless, power healing, peace, hope and happiness to all who need it and wear your Tuesday smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 973
In personal and family context we should all do our best to reconcile and issues that fester with time and the longer that these issues fester the longer they seem.
Good morning everyone and welcome to The Mindful Farmers story of the week. Last evening in the news bulletin, An Taoiseach, Michael Martin spoke of reconciliation in the context of former atrocities in the North of Ireland. In personal and family context we should all do our best to reconcile and issues that fester with time and the longer that these issues fester the longer they seem. So, on this Monday, the beginning of a new week, let us all do something to help someone heal an old wound and continue to pray for their healing to be widespread in our world and all our other prayers as well. Don't forget to wear your Monday smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 972
“Once you make a decision the universe conspires to make it happen”
Good afternoon everyone and welcome to Ballinwillin House Farm, Gardens and RetrEat centre. We had a big group as usual at the breakfast table this Sunday morning and the conversations were very varied. A question was asked about the gardens and the Thinking Path and a lady said it is dangerous to think too much and then she went on to say that she prefers to focus on wisdom and that wisdom enables us to forget and distance ourselves from sadness of the past. Needless to say this lady works in the mental health sector. I then guided her to the gardens of mindfulness, meditation and forgiveness. She complimented me on the gardens design and spent some time alone. Later, she returned and said to me "once you make a decision the universe conspires to make it happen." I obviously didn't probe her experience but we smiled at each other, shook hands and powerfully gave each other a meaningful hug and then she went on her way with a very happy bounce in her step. Another beautiful Sunday in spite of the inclement weather. Continue to pray, bless, power healing, peace, hope and love to all who need it and wear your Sunday smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 971
Then my mind brings me to the fact that there is a time for everything and in everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under the heavens.
Good afternoon everyone and welcome to my walk through the fields with me today. The fields are soggy from all the rain, the trees are swiftly shedding their leaves and then suddenly my thoughts are fleeing to the same fields of summertime where I was walking through the lush meadows of beautiful mixed grasses drenched by warm sunshine. Then my mind brings me to the fact that there is a time for everything and in everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under the heavens. It is wonderful when we have the capacity to admire the best in nature and in people even when the weather and the people are not at their best. Continue to pray, bless, power healing, peace, hope and love to all who need it and wear your Saturday smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 970
Hugging is remedial. It can cease depression and reduce stress. It has no side effects whatsoever, no unpleasantness, it is almost like a miracle drug.
Good morning everyone and welcome. Well, it is a blustery winter morning here at Ballinwillin House Farm, Gardens and RetrEat centre. Yesterday was cold, wet and blustery also and then unexpectedly an old friend visited and gave me a huge embrace and hug that made the weather elements fade into insignificance. Hugging is remedial. It can cease depression and reduce stress. It has no side effects whatsoever, no unpleasantness, it is almost like a miracle drug. Every chance you get give someone a hug today and every day and thank you my wonderful friend for that beautiful hug last night. Continue to pray, bless, power healing, peace, hope, love and happiness to all who need it and wear your Friday smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 969
we must all invest in the future and its beauty and nature and let us all bless the imagination of the earth that will send forth colour, fragrance and beauty for us all to enjoy
Good morning everyone and welcome to The Mindful Farmers view from his window of wonder on this fiery Thursday morning. Well, this morning I am admiring my new plants that I planted yesterday. Namely lavatera barnsley baby, two climbing roses called remember me and 5kg of daffodil bulbs all to look forward to in the spring and summer of 2023 God willing and my heart still ticking. In any case we must all invest in the future and its beauty and nature and let us all bless the imagination of the earth that will send forth colour, fragrance and beauty for us all to enjoy and in the meantime let us all pray that we will enjoy the time when it comes around. Continue to pray, bless, power healing, peace, hope, love and happiness to all and wear your Thursday smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 968
The next and future generations deserve that we as custodians of this precious threshold preserve this age old practice of animal farming in rhythm with nature and with its serene pulse and sublime patience will restore our minds in peace.
Good afternoon everyone and The Mindful Farmers news for today is, for me, very exciting. We brought the cattle from the hill farm, Johns mountain into the home farm at Ballinwillin House for their winterage which will last probably until late March/ early April depending on the weather. Down through the years this process or pilgrimage was a ritual where we would walk among the animals and admire their beautiful coats after a nourishing summer and autumn. What I like about this period now is that we will be in daily close contact with them which is something that brings great peace to my heart, soul and mind. I was reared with animals and I enjoy walking among them, talking to them and tuning in to their rhythm. The farmer has a duty to keep this intimate knowledge alive, nursing it, nourishing it. The next and future generations deserve that we as custodians of this precious threshold preserve this age old practice of animal farming in rhythm with nature and with its serene pulse and sublime patience will restore our minds in peace. Continue to pray, bless, power healing, peace, hope, love and happiness to all who need it and wear your Wednesday smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 967
I find one great way to please God is to adorn the gardens with TLC all year round. I find when I do this one of my hands is being held and guided by Mother Nature and the other hand is being held and guided by God.
Good morning everyone and welcome to Ballinwillin House Farm, Gardens and RetrEat centre. This morning The Mindful Farmer is super delighted as some roses arrived from Holland. Roses that were recommended to me by my dear cousin Ailbhe in London, namely Eyes on me and Eyes for you. Two of each beautiful, pink roses to bloom from May to November, ordered by my colleague Aoife and delivered within two weeks. I am so over the moon as they say around here. I love gardening and now during the long winter is the time to prune and feed plants and mind them and give the TLC so that they will be at their best next summer if it pleases God. I find one great way to please God is to adorn the gardens with TLC all year round. I find when I do this one of my hands is being held and guided by Mother Nature and the other hand is being held and guided by God. The gardens here are at the centre of all we do here and they keep us all grounded, mindful and a wonderful place to retreat at any time of the day. So today, let us all bless the imagination of the gardens in our life and continue to bless, power healing, love, hope and happiness to all who need it and wear your Tuesday smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick