Thursday 29 July 2021

Devorgilla Days..............A Book About Hope and Healing

 This is the second book I've read recently about women who have serious health problems. In June it was Josie George's book 'A Still Life'  The  memoir of her life with an unexplained painful illness that sometimes reduces her to having to rest for days on end. She writes about her small world between her home, her son's school, her friend's home and the community centre. It is beautifully written, noticing all the small things and finding joy in life as it is for her. The book sprang from her blog.

Now I've just finished "Devorgilla Days" by Kathleen Hart and this time her book came from her Instagram Account. 
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51NTs73qyXL._SX309_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
 

Eight years ago Kathleen Hart was diagnosed with breast cancer but there were many complications after her surgery and she was ill and in hospital for months. But even before that she'd had other health problems so that eventually her partner left her and bailiffs took away her furniture as he'd not been paying bills. She was advised to try yoga to recover from her illness but then had serious back problems and ended up flat on her back for months and it was just after getting back on her feet that she came across the details of a small cottage for sale in Wigtown - Scotland's book town. Hundred's of miles north she visits and buys it straight away.
She names the cottage Devorgilla after a feisty Scottish C13 princess. The book is about her first two years there, the friends she makes, learning about bee-keeping and Scottish dancing and getting really immersed in life in the town. The book also charts her cold water swimming in the bay at Garlieston and the people she meets who all help in her healing.
 
Many years ago me, Colin and Lucy the dog, stayed on the Caravan Club site at Garlieston on our tour of Scotland - and Col decided it was somewhere he would love to live. We visited the bookshops in Wigtown and drove to the pilgrimage village of Whithorn and I can remember many of the places she mentions in the book.

 

Summer of Sport 2021 - Olympic Update Day 5

Blue, Colors, Competition, Event, Five

Woke yesterday  to hear that there had been another Gold in the pool - 4 x 200m freestyle relay, Andy M had been knocked out of the Tennis Men's Doubles and the GB team in Rugby 7's had lost their match too and then the first thing I watched was the 3m springboard synchronized diving. It was a bad day at the office for the GB lads. I'm just amazed at how they fit all the twists and somersaults into 1.8 seconds between board and water.

There was an unexpected medal in rowing but  then the other men's 4's didn't get a medal they were supposed to win. Swings and roundabouts  So many things going on at once that BBC kept flitting between one thing and another and then changing from BBC 1 to BBC 2 for some reason that only they know. After a look at Gymnastics they changed to the Individual Dressage in time to see Charlotte Dujardin. (How on earth do they get the horses to lift their feet like that?) Charlotte won a Bronze  - her 6th Olympic medal in total - more than any other British woman.

I think GB ended the day with  a new running total of 16 medals

Back Tomorrow
Sue

29 comments:

  1. I'm not particularly into sports - but I'm very pleased Charlotte has done so well.

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    1. I just love watching all sports but was never any good at anything!

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  2. They're doing rather well really, all things considered.
    Devorgilla Days sounds lovely - must look out for it, thanks.
    xx

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    1. It was a quick read about a woman who's really been through tough times with her health.

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  3. Will look for that book out of local interest. Brought up in Galloway, I've just recently moved back, to Whithorn this time :) Thanks for the post.

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  4. Replies
    1. Hope you like reading it - I always worry when I write a book review that other people will thinks it's rubbish

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  5. I love the sound of the book and I had several holidays in Scotland especially one when I took my Grandson he was 8 at the time (a coach holiday) he was the only child there and the men enjoyed having him around and talking to him. I remember one day there was a lone piper in the hills - a lovely memory.
    Thank you Sue for that memory.
    Hazel 🌈🌈

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    Replies
    1. I'm glad it brought back happy memories for you

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  6. It was LADY Devorgilla, she was not a princess. She married John, 5th Baron de Balliol when she was 13.

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    1. Just copying what Kathleen says in her book, so you'd better write to her and put her right too!

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  7. Yes Sue I too am enjoying Olympics - it is, as you say, Swings and Roundabouts - but we are doing so well.

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    1. No so many medals overnight. Athletics starts tomorrow.

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  8. I like the sound of Devorgilla Days.

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    1. Quite a quick read about a lovely part of Scotland

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  9. I have just returned from a few days in Scotland staying with a friend, so will look up the book. I know what you mean about the swapping from BBC1-2 very annoying.

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    1. Hope you enjoy the book if you read it.Seems silly swapping but they must have a reason?

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  10. I do like the surprise wins - from any country - the unexpected athlete that comes from behind to medal! The joy on their face and the screaming celebration back home by their family and friends. Terrific!

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    1. It's lovely to see happy people after all the hassles of the last 18 months

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  11. Devorgilla Days sounds like a good read and the area she writes about sounds wonderful. I've really enjoyed watching the Olympic swimming competitions as well as the gymnastics. Your country has done very well in many of the competitions!

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    1. I'm loving being able to see more of the Olympics than previous years - even though the times are all wrong for us here

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  12. Having known people with serious illness, I find it amazing and impressive how strong these individuals become. Your books exemplify this strength. I've been to Scotland too and really loved the seaside and lovely villages. 16 medals for GB is a fantastic accomplishment.

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  13. While I am not watching the Olympics, I check every morning to see how many medals Canada has won and in what. Like you say, ups, downs and roundabouts.

    God bless.

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  14. Dressage is training. It is a relationship between horse and rider, involving long years of training from basic up through levels of communication - known broadly as "aids" but so much more than that - the rider's signals, tension on the reins, flexion of the horse's head and neck through the bits, the rider's position in the saddle, altering of the horse's balance and rhythm. Not easy to explain unless you have ridden a horse and know what a difference your position in the saddle and the nuances of rein control mean.

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