Peter and Penelope are great friends, they think alike, have their own language which often does not require words, and they are often mistaken for each other as they look so similar.

Like Twins in fact.

This may sound strange as one is male and the other is female, but they both share a wonderful golden sheen and beautiful posture as they stand in their gardens elegant serene and all knowing.

Yes they are peacocks, formed from metal and paint and yet they seem somehow alive.

Peter lives with me in my beautiful colourful garden and Penelope lives with my friend whom I call the Old Bean, she also calls me the Old Bean! And we are also very similar.

Like twins in fact.

Same sense of humour, same way of communicating without words, same sense of sometimes living in a happy pinkness then finding oneself in a black bubble that cannot be burst.

We are true friends and as CS Lewis once said 'Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: What! you too? I thought I was the only one!'

Peter has helped me through many upsets, and I have often sat beneath his caring feathers just alongside the white hydrangeas on the top step of the path, with tears or feelings of deep sadness inside, and felt the calmness of his silence.

Slowly coming to understand how to go forward.

It was this that inspired me to buy Penelope for the Old Beans birthday as she has been feeling very low and I could not seem to jolly her along, her life is fraught with difficulties as she has a wayward teenage son and an elderly mother to care for.

She works hard and yet seems to be on a roller coaster, one minute calm and caring and really quite the funniest person you could ever want to know.

Then life suddenly whips the roller coaster upside down and she finds herself clinging on trying desperately not to just let go and fall to the floor.

All I can do is to shout up to her hang on Oldest Bean, it will be alright you know.

The tears fall from her beautiful green eyes and she cannot speak.

Then Penelope came along and I placed her in her garden near the door so they could see each other and watch each other carefully.

I told the Old Bean Penelope was there to look after her, comfort her and give her the inspiration to see beauty and hope when the clouds were grey, the roller coaster was warming up faintly in the distance, and the tears were close by.

Peter and Penelope together have formed a bond to look after us two Old Beans and keep us together, safe and protected when we find it all too much.

Last night I heard Peter flapping his feathers and imagined him sleek and luminescent in the moonlight returning from his nightly visit to Penelope.

I knew all was calm and right as I felt the most serene deepness of sleep take hold of me and I silently wished the Old Bean goodnight, and sweet dreams.

Old Bean we are heading for the pinkness once more.

Peter can feel it in his gorgeous feathers.

Audrey

A Moodscope member.