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 286
Yesterday was beautiful and peaceful. The family together, everyone working in harmony both in the fields and in the kitchen culminating in a wonderful evening meal which we give thanks and praise for. When you work and work on this earth it is very special on this period to be lucky and blessed enough to enjoy all its fruits and as I sit here this morning the beating of my heart, the ebb and flow of my breathing, the movement of my mind are all wonderful signs of Gods ongoing creation of me.
Good morning and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on day 2 of our newest lock down. Yesterday was beautiful and peaceful. The family together, everyone working in harmony both in the fields and in the kitchen culminating in a wonderful evening meal which we give thanks and praise for. When you work and work on this earth it is very special on this period to be lucky and blessed enough to enjoy all its fruits and as I sit here this morning the beating of my heart, the ebb and flow of my breathing, the movement of my mind are all wonderful signs of Gods ongoing creation of me. It is very easy for us all to get caught up in the trials and tribulations of life but at this time we must rest and give thanks and I can afford to be honest with myself about how I am, how the recent days have been and how I feel now and how I share my feelings with my spiritual ancestors and all in heaven, but what is always very special for The Mindful Farmer over Christmas time is the time I spend in prayer and in the fields. Have a lovely day and continue to pray. Bless and power healing to all who need it and wear your St. Stephens Day smile.
God bless.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 285
A very happy and peaceful Christmas to you all out there from The Mindful Farmer and family. The Mindful Farmer is very fortunate in that all my memories of Christmas are very happy ones and my thoughts and memories from childhood up to today are nearly all related to the home, where ever that was going back over the years right up to now.
Good morning and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on the first day of our newest lock down. A very happy and peaceful Christmas to you all out there from The Mindful Farmer and family. The Mindful Farmer is very fortunate in that all my memories of Christmas are very happy ones and my thoughts and memories from childhood up to today are nearly all related to the home, where ever that was going back over the years right up to now. Home is the place where we discover who we are, where we are coming from and where er are going to. It is where we are helped to establish our identity and it is where we learned to love and be loved. It is where our needs of the mind, body and spirit are first recognised and met and it is where we learn to become whole, stable and yet always open to change and surprise. Home is the definition of God and today is all about God and how with him and his holy mother we live with the rhythm of nature. Have a lovely, peaceful and mindful Christmas day and wear your glistening Christmas smile.
God bless.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 284
Down through the years no matter where in the world or in Ireland I would always return home on or before Christmas eve and the highlight apart from family was always walking the fields and returning to the old spots that inspired me as a child walking by the river bank, climbing the hedges and ditches and feeling the clay, the land that we are all created from.
Good morning and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on day 23 of our latest lock down. Down through the years no matter where in the world or in Ireland I would always return home on or before Christmas eve and the highlight apart from family was always walking the fields and returning to the old spots that inspired me as a child walking by the river bank, climbing the hedges and ditches and feeling the clay, the land that we are all created from. The beauty of the universe and the land has tremendous healing powers and when you remember great times and beautiful scenes and occasions continues that healing. For me these special memories of Christmas Eve takes me back to my childhood and then at night time looking up at the magnificent sky. These are some of the reasons The Mindful Farmer has such beautiful and fond memories of Christmas Eve. I’m sure you have plenty memories too. So today, revisit some of these healing memories and continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it and wear your Christmas Eve smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 283
It is another wet and windy morning out there and very dark and yes we are in a very dark time of lock down and uncertainty and what I really miss in the past nine months is not being able to hug my friends. The hug is a huge expression of love, warmth and healing towards the other person and I was thinking about this earlier when I left the house but then my heart got a lift.
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on the 22nd day of our latest lock down. It is another wet and windy morning out there and very dark and yes we are in a very dark time of lock down and uncertainty and what I really miss in the past nine months is not being able to hug my friends. The hug is a huge expression of love, warmth and healing towards the other person and I was thinking about this earlier when I left the house but then my heart got a lift. The cock crowed as he does every morning and then as I was driving out the avenue I caught my first glimpse of the emerging daffodils and it gave my heart a lift and enough to put behind me a very tough and traumatic day yesterday. There is always hope. There is always another day if we are lucky enough. If we pray enough. Continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it and wear your lovely smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 282
We always refer to living in the now and then one step at a time and on December 22nd each year we get a few minutes more daylight each day from now on. In Connemara they say we get one cock step of time each day. The Celtic mind had always a refined sense of occasion and there are blessings for every possible happening.
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on the 21st day of our latest lock down. We always refer to living in the now and then one step at a time and on December 22nd each year we get a few minutes more daylight each day from now on. In Connemara they say we get one cock step of time each day. The Celtic mind had always a refined sense of occasion and there are blessings for every possible happening. In the Celtic culture the occasion means a social event and we tend to break time up into divisions we look forward to and manage. To live like this is to experience time as a constant invitation to growth, to become more than you have been and to allow false to fall away. There is no place for false in our lives and as we live the life we are meant to live be lived and as our blessings wait to usher us towards the grace and beauty we need now that we have the extra light to infuse us.
Continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it and wear your beautiful smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 281
Today is always a special day particularly in the Celtic world as we reflect on our heritage, our roots and history and The Mindful Farmer would be known to many of his friends as an “child celt” as I often refer to our passage over the years. We are a special breed of people and we must believe it and live it. It is who we are and who we are meant to be. When you look at 500 years ago archaeologists have identified this Neolithic monument as one of the worlds most important prehistoric landscapes.
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on the 20th day of our latest lock down. Today is always a special day particularly in the Celtic world as we reflect on our heritage, our roots and history and The Mindful Farmer would be known to many of his friends as an “child celt” as I often refer to our passage over the years. We are a special breed of people and we must believe it and live it. It is who we are and who we are meant to be. When you look at 500 years ago archaeologists have identified this Neolithic monument as one of the worlds most important prehistoric landscapes. There are many mysteries surrounding the constructive genius of this monument for instance, many of the 5 ton stones strategically positioned. How were they transported and positioned? We could talk about this mystery forever but what is important for me is that it reminds me to shine its light through my heart on this day and make me feel so special, so Celtic and so Irish. So lets all feel special today and to mark this day every year I always plant a new tree or shrub and this Monday I am planting a beautiful shrub called Winter Sweet. We all need sweetness in dark, cold times. Continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it and wear your beautiful smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 280
It is another lovely Sunday and a special day here at Ballinwillin House as we welcome home our baby daughter from Abu Dhabi. There will be great happiness due to her return. It is always sad having a child working in exile either by choice or non choice. The family is always important but never more so than at Christmas.
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on day 19 of our latest lock down. It is another lovely Sunday and a special day here at Ballinwillin House as we welcome home our baby daughter from Abu Dhabi. There will be great happiness due to her return. It is always sad having a child working in exile either by choice or non choice. The family is always important but never more so than at Christmas. I believe this is so because we harbour all our best childhood memories from Christmas and in my case anyway it is my yardstick to measure happiness but also think of the loved ones that have passed to their spiritual homes where they guard over us. But at this time when you dream it is always about home and you are always among your own. It is a time where the rhythm of our voices rise like birdsong. When you are not at home the country of exile is always cold to your heart and voice. It can be a place without echoes where nothing of yours has happened here but when you come home your friends and family will open all doors to a new beginning and all our hearts will brighten with overflowing happiness. So The Mindful Farmer would like to share his happiness with all you out there. 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 279
At this time of year as it is nearing its end we all tend to focus on the years work but we all know this years work was very difficult for many people and every household. The end product this year for many people wasn’t looking too rosy from a financial point of view.
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on the 18th day of our latest lock down. At this time of year as it is nearing its end we all tend to focus on the years work but we all know this years work was very difficult for many people and every household. The end product this year for many people wasn’t looking too rosy from a financial point of view. Many of us will say, and correctly, money isn’t everything and this is true. Many will rightly say health is wealth and this is very true and our health will always improve if we surrender to the earth and its soil. For our work to be fruitful we must do it with trust, abandonment, vision and commitment. It is important to move slowly through time by living in the now.
Continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it and wear your beautiful smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 278
Yesterday I was all over the country delivering to Neighbour Food markets and private deliveries to our wonderful, loyal customers. My final set of deliveries brought me from Galway towards Clifden and back towards Maam cross and out Carraroe. At that stage of the day I was on the go for over 18 hours and I was feeling quite tired. It is the nature of our business at this time of year to be run off our feet with deliveries but suddenly as I faced in towards the Maamturk mountains it was as if the wild boar “toirc” were ready to greet me.
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on the 17th day of our latest lock down. Yesterday I was all over the country delivering to Neighbour Food markets and private deliveries to our wonderful, loyal customers. My final set of deliveries brought me from Galway towards Clifden and back towards Maam cross and out Carraroe. At that stage of the day I was on the go for over 18 hours and I was feeling quite tired. It is the nature of our business at this time of year to be run off our feet with deliveries but suddenly as I faced in towards the Maamturk mountains it was as if the wild boar “toirc” were ready to greet me. If I can try and paint the picture that flashed in front of me – the stark, dark mountain range in front of me was suddenly lit up by a December sunset, flaming in colours of pink, red and orange and as it faded off to rest, it cast its shadow across the rusty meadows and grasses of Connemara that clothed the dark, damp rocks in their restful home. I know I haven’t painted this picture in the amazement of its present to me but I said to myself “what a beautiful country we have, what a beautiful moment I have experienced and what a great day to be alive”. I thanked God for his flash of genius for this moment that set my heart on fire. Continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it. Open your eyes to the beauty all around you and wear your beautiful smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 277
Last evening we had a conversation about what kind of people we be when this pandemic is over. As a child of rural Ireland I believe I still remain immersed in the soil where from I was created and where I will always be until I return home and I do realise I am at home with my inner self with very little attention about my outward appearance.
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on the 16th day of our latest lock down. Last evening we had a conversation about what kind of people we be when this pandemic is over. As a child of rural Ireland I believe I still remain immersed in the soil where from I was created and where I will always be until I return home and I do realise I am at home with my inner self with very little attention about my outward appearance. As long as we have changes for the seasons and be comfortable then we don’t need to worry too much, just think of the birds as they fly, free and easy and in the now. When we are over anxious about externals and external issues it will limit the expression of who we really are. Look at the glow of every day. What could be more sacred or beautiful? My great hope for 2021 is that we will be a better people. More caring, more mindful and more peaceful. Continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it. Be mindful, be careful and wear your beautiful smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 276
Living today is a challenge for us all. Living during a pandemic tests all your resources. It takes great courage to survive a long pandemic. To live fully now means to trust that it will be enough because we are exactly where we are meant to be at this time.
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on the 15th day of our newest lock down. Living today is a challenge for us all. Living during a pandemic tests all your resources. It takes great courage to survive a long pandemic. To live fully now means to trust that it will be enough because we are exactly where we are meant to be at this time. Living in and through each day makes us vulnerable but it can also bring peace and serenity when we surrender tomorrow in order to live through today and we will be happier and free. We will be more mindful and caring living in the now and at peace with your soul and spirit. Continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it and wear your beautiful smile. People who you meet need to see it, it is a warmth to their soul also.
Have a great Wednesday.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 275
I suppose we all take for granted awakening each morning. Do we give thanks for the beauty of a new dawn? For the gift of our eyes to see all this beauty of Mother Nature so that we can feel at home in our world?
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on the 14th day of our latest lock down. I suppose we all take for granted awakening each morning. Do we give thanks for the beauty of a new dawn? For the gift of our eyes to see all this beauty of Mother Nature so that we can feel at home in our world? Feel at home in the shores of a new dawn and all new possibilities. Our new awakening allows us to be grateful so we can draw from the harvest of our past experiences to fulfill our hunger and allows us to look forward toward the exciting possibilities of a new day. Continue to pray, bless and send power healing to all who need it and wear your loving smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 274
It is another Monday and the start of another week and facing into a hectic Christmas period. It is a time of gift giving and receiving, good will giving and receiving but it is only when we learn to receive and be open to be empty that we will get gifts such as understanding, appreciation of our friends and our loved ones, the ability to look anew at people and things that we may have taken for granted and a sense of gratitude we may have been given.
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on the 13th day of our latest lock down. It is another Monday and the start of another week and facing into a hectic Christmas period. It is a time of gift giving and receiving, good will giving and receiving but it is only when we learn to receive and be open to be empty that we will get gifts such as understanding, appreciation of our friends and our loved ones, the ability to look anew at people and things that we may have taken for granted and a sense of gratitude we may have been given. So for the next 10-11 days and over the entire Christmas period lets shine a light on all who you meet and transfer energy and happiness to all you come in contact with. Continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it. Be mindful, be careful and wear your beautiful Monday smile and I know all Limerick people are smiling today after their fabulous All Ireland win yesterday. Well done to all!
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 273
Another Sunday, always a special day for The Mindful Farmer, a day to rest as much as possible. A day to give thanks and praise and above all to pray for all intentions and those of others. Also today is All Ireland Hurling Final day. My beloved county of Limerick is playing in the All Ireland Senior Hurling final against Waterford. Just think of this - in the middle of December - who would believe it? Yes it is happening in the middle of winter.
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on the 12th day of our latest lock down. Another Sunday, always a special day for The Mindful Farmer, a day to rest as much as possible. A day to give thanks and praise and above all to pray for all intentions and those of others. Also today is All Ireland Hurling Final day. My beloved county of Limerick is playing in the All Ireland Senior Hurling final against Waterford. Just think of this - in the middle of December - who would believe it? Yes it is happening in the middle of winter. Many a strange event has happened during this pandemic year and yes we are surviving. Who would have thought this time last year that our world would have changed so much and that is one of the primary reasons we must have faith and live by it. The main reason I believe we have survived so well, so far is if we can create something positive even from our disappointments, then what can stop us? So on this restful, beautiful Sunday put positivity on top of your agenda and fill your hearts and minds with it. Continue to pray, bless and send power healing to each other and wear your Sunday best smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 272
It’s wonderful to have a deep conversation with someone who has a deep and cultural background going back over the generations. Our ancestors always wrote of the importance of darkness, they also identified silence, suffering and pain as the way to finding our true selves. Pain will always transform us if we can endure to embrace it. We are a resiliant race of people who wont break easily. We are a people who can grow to embrace our full capacity.
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on the 11th day of our latest lock down. It’s wonderful to have a deep conversation with someone who has a deep and cultural background going back over the generations. Our ancestors always wrote of the importance of darkness, they also identified silence, suffering and pain as the way to finding our true selves. Pain will always transform us if we can endure to embrace it. We are a resiliant race of people who wont break easily. We are a people who can grow to embrace our full capacity. We can’t ever enter the garden of roses and perfume without suffering a few thorn pricks. Why? Because also the people who come before us as “our ancestors” had all these experiences and they passed them on to us. Where do they come from and where do they go? I was always told by our community in West Limerick they are always with us and always never far away. This was agreed with my inspiring friend last night. Continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it and wear your beautiful smile. Be mindful and caring, God bless you all.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 271
It is a Friday and another end toward another week and another day for us to give thanks for. Yesterday was a very long day. From work, butchering, and then in to meet the great people hosting Neighbour Food markets. In one of my conversations with one of the wonderful hosts she referred to work ethic and how important it is to give the example of work ethic to all around us and live by that example. Then she asked me what legacy do I want to pass on? The discussion continued and we both agreed that we can’t be responsible for what our ancestors did or what was done to them.
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on day 10 of our latest lock down. It is a Friday and another end toward another week and another day for us to give thanks for. Yesterday was a very long day. From work, butchering, and then in to meet the great people hosting Neighbour Food markets. In one of my conversations with one of the wonderful hosts she referred to work ethic and how important it is to give the example of work ethic to all around us and live by that example. Then she asked me what legacy do I want to pass on? The discussion continued and we both agreed that we can’t be responsible for what our ancestors did or what was done to them. We look at the recipe from their lives and then it is up to us to take the good things from your families past and then mix in our own ingredients and to give the next generation something inspirational , nourishing and delicious to build on by living in the now and our feet firmly placed on Mother Earth. Then at the end of our discussion we exchanged pleasantries again to meet again next week and I was on my merry way determined to contribute to our generational legacy.
Continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it and wear your beautiful smile. The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 270
The Mindful Farmer is quietly celebrating this morning as he, among a selected few, were guests of honour at a celebratory food honoring in Kinsale last evening at the wonderful Blue Haven hotel where management, owners and the entire team were celebrating the opening of their new and amazing restaurant called Rare.
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on day 9 of our latest lock down. The Mindful Farmer is quietly celebrating this morning as he, among a selected few, were guests of honour at a celebratory food honoring in Kinsale last evening at the wonderful Blue Haven hotel where management, owners and the entire team were celebrating the opening of their new and amazing restaurant called Rare. It is an amazing feeling to have your food honored in such a wonderful and celebratory manner and I am so grateful and thankful that I have been guided in this direction to provide such wonderful food from my farm of healthy soil, healthy grass, healthy meat and being able to supply our wonderful loyal customers so that they can enjoy these products, fresh and organic, onto their kitchen table for the health of their family and friends. But now the show must go on and today is another day to live to the full and I will merrily do so as a very happy and mindful farmer. Continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it and wear your beautiful smile. Oh I nearly forgot, today is Thursday and the Farmers Journal day - more great news. God bless you all.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 269
This morning I am going to chat with you about “art”. Now you might all say what do I know about art and you may be right, but on the other hand I do know that we are all a work of art and beauty and I can see into the inner beauty of the many people I see on a daily basis. I can see the beauty that flows through people’s eyes, their smiles, expressions, gestures, peacefulness, warmth, joy and concern.
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on day 8 of our newest lock down. This morning I am going to chat with you about “art”. Now you might all say what do I know about art and you may be right, but on the other hand I do know that we are all a work of art and beauty and I can see into the inner beauty of the many people I see on a daily basis. I can see the beauty that flows through people’s eyes, their smiles, expressions, gestures, peacefulness, warmth, joy and concern. All this beauty is within us all only to shine a light on it. We should focus our looks to our own image and not that of others. Going through life we all patch together a cloak of life experiences and the cloak is beautiful and a work of art and beauty. So for today, give yourself a huge hug inside your cloak of beauty and art.
Continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it and wear your beautiful smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 268
Going around the farm this morning I noticed that all the leaves are finally down and fallen and at the end of another life cycle. This is of course a natural life cycle for all deciduous trees and a time of rest. All living and growing things are part of a life cycle of endings and beginnings, planting and harvesting.
Good morning everyone and welcome once more to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre on day 7 of our newest lock down. Going around the farm this morning I noticed that all the leaves are finally down and fallen and at the end of another life cycle. This is of course a natural life cycle for all deciduous trees and a time of rest. All living and growing things are part of a life cycle of endings and beginnings, planting and harvesting. Just as it is in our life cycle and many of us have a fear of death which really is a resistance of the natural flow of life. Death is a natural transition into beauty and harmony. We should all walk to the gates and into a love filled new world tomorrow to a peace that is beyond all understanding. We all like to sleep after toil. Therefore while we are here walking on Mother Earths carpet lets be joyful, happy, mindful and caring. Continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it and wear your beautiful smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick
The Mindful Farmers Daily Diary Day 267
Over the weekend I had a very interesting discussion with a mental health coach and councillor and it was about our perception of people and in particular the homeless who this lady works with and she was saying that our response affects all people and situations we come into contact with.
Good morning everyone and welcome once again to Ballinwillin House Farm, gardens and RetrEat centre 6 days in to our latest lock down. Another Monday and yet another start to what can be a wonderful week. Over the weekend I had a very interesting discussion with a mental health coach and councillor and it was about our perception of people and in particular the homeless who this lady works with and she was saying that our response affects all people and situations we come into contact with. When people need help we just help unconditionally, no judging. If we treat people who are down on their luck and who still have huge potential within them, like all of us, then our response to them will be quite different and in turn that positive response will in turn help them to realize their own possibilities and then she finished by saying “it is only with the heart that one can see rightly what is invisible to the naked eye”. What a wonderful message for the week! Continue to pray, bless and power healing to all who need it and wear your lovely smile.
The Mindful Farmer
Patrick