Today started just like any other day, with the sun shining into the bedroom window showing us that it was going to be another blue sky, and sunny day. Though the temperature has gone right down in the Maltese islands, there is always the sun to warm you up. Something else has been very warming today, it has warmed my soul rather than my body. The story goes as follows:
After my morning walk and as I approached the entrance to our flat, our neighbour woman came walking across the street with a tin in her hands, in it she had some eggs laid by her own hens whom she keeps behind a wall in our street. We got talking and we must have stood there in the sun for half an hour. Then, with a smile she handed me over two of her precious free-range eggs, here she said for you and your husband, one each. I thanked her and was touched by her kind gesture.
Later on today I again nipped out to go to the shop, and this time from across the street, out of the house where Rita lives (another friendly neighbour who has connected with us)came Tessie. Now I’ve never in my life met someone as generous in her approach to a stranger as Tessie, she chatted and told me all about her life, and brought me into her home, as she lives only around the corner, to show me the huge nativity scene that her son had made. We immediately hit it off with each other and talked ten to the dozen about life here on the island, how very interesting! When I left it was with an invitation to come and visit, and then she ran out into her garden and handed me a home grown, beautifully scented lemon.
It is not about the lemon or about the eggs, but it is about the friendship that these local women are generously offering us. It is exactly what I wanted here, to meet the people of this land, and to hear all their stories, stories about their lives on Gozo.
For me this is a perfect ending to 2016! and a great beginning to 2017 – the year in which I would like to give the gift of my time and attention to new friends, and to friends from the past.
A hearth warming way to end the year!
My feeling about seeing the world is that it’s going to change you necessarily, just the very fact of being out there and meeting people from different cultures and different ways of life. Ewan McGregor
They sound like lovely people. I am fascinated by the beautiful colour of the hen eggs! Happy new year!
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Thank you. Well I just had another look at the eggs, and they are definitely brown. Would it be a trick of the camera, come to think of it I took the picture with my mobile phone. Glad you like the colour though.
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It’s a great colour. Was the lemon yellow – it looks quite green on the photo?
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Yes interestingly the lemon is quite ripe and yellow. I think that the bright red of our festive tablecloth 🙂 has thrown the colours of the picture.
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It is heart warming to meet with strangers who offer friendship and be strangers no more. Have a wonderful New Year. Mx
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And you Mary, have a wonderful New Year and I look forward to your posts in 2017 X
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Hey Agnes, wat een wonderlijke ontmoetingen! En een prachtig citaat van Ewan! Ik hoop ooit eens, niet op Gozo, maar te Ierland vele nieuwe ontmoetingen te beleven!! 😉
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Dat is een mooi vooruit zicht Vanessa. Ik kijk daar zelf op vooruit om je in wezen te ontmoeten, je zult er ook wonderlijke mensen ontmoeten.
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Oh, goodness. I have tears from that lovely post. It is SO much more than eggs and a lemon! You are among friends!
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Thank you Jodie, humankind
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We all have so much to gift each other. It makes life beautiful.
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Glad to be in a place that offers good neighbors who in turn offer gifts such as these to people like you who are gifts for friends like us.. Happy New Year, Ewan!
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A beautiful story. Happy New Year.
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Thank you and wishing you a very Happy New Year also 🙂 May all your wishes come true.
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Wishing you a happy and safely 2017
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What a wonderful sentiment to end the year, Agnes.
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Thank you Helen, look forward to your posts in2017
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What a beautiful, positive story! Thanks for sharing this, and a beautiful new year to you!
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Thank you for your kind comment Damyanti, blessings and peace to you and your loved ones during 2017, Happy New Year!
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It’s nice when people sincerely care. So much disingenuous how are you’s these days. Seems a good sign that you’ve met these people and probably says much about the energy you are emanating as well. Are those eggs and that lemon green?
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Thank you Melissa, no the eggs were ordinary colour but somehow my camera decided to play games and turned it out this soft lemon green, more suited to Eastertime! 🙂
I hope it is not too cold and wet at your place these days, here a bit bold but sunny, so happy.
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We’re having a bit of cold and wet lately, but no complaining, it’s been a very gentle winter really. Enjoy your getaway!
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Thanks Melissa, just right now it started to rain, but then a bit of rain is good for the land 🙂
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Indeed it is.
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so moving and heart touching
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Thank you very much Tanveer, so glad you are enjoying.
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🙂 bright blessings and peace to you dear one
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Likewise Taneer manifold.
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warm regards ❤
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