Lots of things make us feel ‘on top of the world’ – don’t they? It could be something as basic as waking up and feeling healthy, or being out in the sunshine, or finding that you’ve lost a pound or two in weight, or you are in the most scintillating company…

Well, it’s actually raining here – just a light misty rain – nothing to get miserable about, and the sun is behind the clouds but it’s not dark and grey like some winter days, and it might well come out soon; and no, I haven’t lost any weight recently but I am keeping even and I don’t feel unhealthy. On the contrary I reckon I must be in blooming health because I’ve just come back from a walk right up to the topmost fields on Rosie’s farm; Malachi and Inca, the younger of the four dogs went with me (Sasha and Jas couldn’t face going out in the rain). I took an umbrella and walked in my green Wellington boots.

The dogs led the way, up and up, until I could see not just the farm below, but the neighbouring farmsteads and properties, and beyond to the River Exe, the estuary, the headlands and the sea in distance. Even the dogs seemed to take pleasure from stopping every so often to take in the view from their changing vantage points.They enjoyed also bringing me sticks and an old tennis ball one of them had found; and it was fun to be with them, throwing the sticks and the ball, and patting their heads when they came up to me for contact. Malachi never goes too far ahead lest I should be out of her sight; she’s as watchful as a mother hen.

I can’t say that I’ve yet mastered walking up steep grassy hillsides in Wellingtons – no matter how well-fitting, my socks always slip off and into the toes of the boots – and my feet still manage to feel wet and cold. But nothing could dampen my spirits. And although it’s raining harder now, and we are all indoors again, I still feel on top of the world. It is not only because we five are easy companions, comfortable sitting in near silence (Sasha is snoring a tad and someone is gnawing on a bone) as we warm ourselves by the Aga stove, or because ‘Horsey’ the cat came in just now for some food and a bit of love… Ah! Typically of England, the sun has broken through and the world outside looks so much prettier for it, but that’s not all… my beloved sister Mary returned from Australia on Tuesday.

And for fans of The Carpenters….

Top of the World (The Carpenters song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“Top of the World”
Cover to the single “Top of the World”
Single by The Carpenters
from the album A Song for You
A-side	“Top of the World”
B-side	“Heather”
Released	September 17, 1973
Format	7″ single
Recorded	1972
Genre	Country pop
Length	2:56
Label	A&M 1468
Writer(s)	Richard Carpenter; John Bettis
Producer(s)	Jack Daugherty
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
The Carpenters singles chronology
“Yesterday Once More” (1973) “Top of the World” (1973) “Jambalaya (On the Bayou)” (1974)

“Top of the World” is a 1972 song by The Carpenters. Originally recorded for and released on the duo’s 1972 studio album A Song for You, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in late 1973, becoming the duo’s second of three number one singles, following “(They Long to Be) Close to You” and preceding “Please Mr. Postman.” Originally intended to be only an album cut for the Carpenters, country singer Lynn Anderson covered the song and was the first to release it as a single. Her version nearly topped the U.S. country singles chart, reaching No. 2. Karen Carpenter re-recorded the song for the band’s first compilation as she was not quite satisfied with the original.

In Japan, the song was used as the opening theme song for the 1995 Japanese drama Miseinen. In 2003, it was used for another drama, this time as the ending theme song for Beginner. It appeared on the 2010 soundtrack of Shrek Forever After when Shrek enjoys being a “real ogre” and terrifying the peasants, as well as in a prominent scene of the 2012 film Dark Shadows, with a performance by the Carpenters seen on a television screen.

“Top Of The World”