Living in the country with my husband and those of my children who are still at home is the best life I could have ever asked for. Wild birds abound and small pockets of forest are scattered amidst green fields. In spring there are lambs to feed and every so often the chicks from a forgetful hen to tend. It is quiet living here, watching my home garden change its flowers with the seasons. I love painting/drawing, taking photographs and writing. I have had an autoimmune/neuro-inflammatory illness for 20 years. For nine of those years I was unable to leave my bed. I know what it feels like to be lonely and to need encouragement. Sometimes all it took to make my day was someone to say a kind word. To let me know they believed in me and loved me. Now I know others who have suffered loss or are in ill health. I want to be able to encourage others in hard places by sharing photos which are beautiful and words that remind them they are cared about.