01 Nov October 2025 Digest

Welcome back to Mucknell Abbey for a quick catch up on what has been a fairly quiet month. We started the month with a week of Community Retreat, giving us some much needed silence and rest after almost all of us had been unwell with colds. We didn’t have an external retreat conductor, instead taking it in turns day by day to give a short reflection. The variety across the week was testament to our varied interests, and a lovely opportunity to learn from one another. During the rest of the month, we’ve definitely noticed the nights drawing in, and the shift in focus in the Kitchen Garden and on the estate, as autumn and winter jobs gradually replace the summer tasks. Read on to catch up with a few bits and bobs from the month.

Kitchen Garden

The work in the Kitchen Garden has been quite varied this month; we’ve been harvesting the last of the squash, as well as enjoying some of the veg which stays in the ground until needed, most notably carrots, leeks and celariac. Growing our own occasionally leads to some interestingly shaped veg – the carrot you see below is all one carrot. We’re not quite sure what prompted it to grow so….creatively. From the orchard we are still enjoying apples and pears, and just starting to process the quince too, which will be turned into jelly/jam in due course.

Sr. Alison also took advantage of a week’s holiday to build some new compost bins for the garden, which look very professional indeed.

Welcoming a new Alongsider

This month, we’ve had Jem join us as an alongsider. They’ve been exploring monastic vocation for many years, and spent the past year as part of the lay community at Hilfield Friary. Their passions are trans theology, a variety of textiles crafts from sewing garments to spinning yarn, and engaging with nature in a whole range of ways, including working in the kitchen garden. They’re looking forward to getting familiar with our way of life, and settling into the daily, weekly, and yearly patterns that echo the natural world and the liturgical round.

Rocky’s Ramblings

Rocky has been mostly sticking to his regular routine this past month, although this was slightly disrupted by Br. Stuart’s absence on holiday for ten days; Rocky took the change of personnel well, although was slightly frustrated by my tendancy to take pictures of him rather than feed him; in the first photo below you can see him expressing his feelings on the matter. As I pointed out to him, he has very little to complain about in the grand scheme of things.

And finally…

I’m sure I’ve mentioned before on the blog how much I have come to love the rhythms of the church year since coming to the Abbey just over 8 years ago. As we head into winter, there’s a sense of turning once again to the jewels that give light in the darkness: All Saints is just around the corner, which means that Advent and therefore Christmas will not be far behind. The regularity of the liturgy that guides and holds our lives in this place is in itself a testament to the enduring presence of God, who will never leave us or forsake us. As I was recently reminded, God is a Good Shepherd. I pray that as we seek to walk in God’s ways, whether they be in green pastures or deep valleys, we might trust in his guidance and in the light of his presence with us. Amen.