Friendship

11/01/11.  Do you know there is nothing quite like sitting with a friend in front of an open fire with a warm cup of tea in hand and lovely conversation.  I spent a couple of hours with a friend today doing just that and came home refreshed and happy.  I love spending time with my girlfriends.   In my life I have made some very special friends who have remained constant during good times and bad.  You know the kind of friends who you may not meet every week, but you can take up the conversation again like ye only met yesterday.  It is incredible and I cherish those friendships greatly.

Do you notice also that you have different groups of friends in different areas of your life.  I did a course in the early 00's and made friends there who I am still in contact with.  We meet up occasionally and it is great to catch up with all the news and events in their lives.  I also have face book friends and lots of cousins on face book who are friends.  I have my friends who live near me here and whose children have grown up together and are friends.  The salt of the earth kind of friends who you can call on in an emergency and who are always there for you.  I also have my college friends, those who are going through the same struggles as myself.  Agonizing over assignments and exams and panicking as deadlines approach and there is not enough hours left to study.  I also have friends who are involved in Celtic Spirituality and living on the earth in harmony with the environment and all the animal and plant kingdoms.  We celebrate the turning of the year and the seasons. Appreciating the awe and wonder of this beautiful planet we are privileged to call home.   Some are in more than one group of friends but generally they are all different groups.  This amazes me really.

When I was checking up on my face book page this morning I came across a post from a friend about yesterday.  Ploughing Monday, always the first Monday after the 6th of Jan.  Here is the link for you to read more about it.  It is http://www.facebook.com/notes/celtic-ways/today-is-plough-monday/179818762049472  it makes for very interesting reading.  I love all this and have several books in my library on Celtic Spirituality and learning the traditional ways of our ancient and wise people.  I will make more posting about this during the year.  The next event we will mark will be St Brigid's day 1st February.  The first day of Spring a very important time in the Celtic calendar.  The days are getting longer and the land is being prepared for planting.  Brigid was a very important woman here in Ireland and there is a well in Kildare where she founded her monastery that is still visited today.   Her followers are the Brigidine Sisters and they are the Keepers of the Flame, but more about that closer to the time, I will also put up a link to this well and the order of nuns who look after it.

Anyway must head now have four chapters of my Lit 3 to read before Saturday.  Talk again tomorrow.