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Simply..a lot happened....

24/1/2021

..during my recent blog break.

The new laptop broke down (which was the reason for the break), the electric blanket gave up the ghost, the juicer bowl stuck to the base, and the sight in my right eye dereriorated further. Oh and the doors of my bus jammed shut with me still on it!

The laptop is fixed, I have a hot wter bottle, with a lot of patience I released the bowl from the juicer and clearly, I got off the bus - though it took a little time. The eye problem is not so easily solved alas, though some tretment is planned which may help.

Otherwise all is well, though it is taking time to get back into the rythm of blogging and I am still having difficulty posting photographs - but am working on it. I have had a few paddles in the loch and some lovely walks, and am still enjoying poetry and the shore most days.

As I was cooking some sausages today it began to snow - at last! So I got all togged up and wandered around the garden with a sausage on a fork.

Are you still in lockdown where you are?

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Simply..I am so choosy....

23/1/2021

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I am so choosy about where I get my information from. Are you?

I want my news from a person, a named person, one with some editorial/peer review/fact checking background. One whose political affiliation and/or vested interests are known. One who is accoountable. And even then I may retain a degree of scepticism! More than one such source is even better.

I don't want information/misinformation from an anonymous algorithm driven search engine, unaccountable to anyone, which targets me with only what it has decided I want to hear - essenially a robot.

Or maybe I will step off my little soapbox and, just for a bit, let the world get on with what it does, and feed the birds and observe the snowdrops and the stars :-)

Lovely.

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Simply..zero degrees....

22/1/2021

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..and so beautiful.

I put on quilted coat, another scarf, woolly hat and gloves and stood out in the garden till my eyes adjusted a bit to the dark. The moon had a bright halo, and to the left of it Orion stood out first. As I watched more and more stars seemed to switch on until the sky was brilliant with them. It's awe inspiring, isn't it - a frosty starry night!

Indoors again before my nose froze, to a glowing fire and a late supper of ripe pear, feta cheese and walnuts and a little glass of wine.

The water is heating for a deep hot bath.

Happy..

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Simply..News....

21/1/2021

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I've never forgotten a history lecturer saying -

News is news because it's not the norm.
.
If it was the norm it wouldn't be news.

Most of us live in the realm of the norm.

Thankfully!

:-)

(I am not at all sure how this stands up in a time when norms have been altered .....but I leave you with the thought.)

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Simply..hello again....

20/1/2021

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Still here! Hope you are too.

Have just been planting up a pot with two pretty hellebores and three little ivies from the supermarket to brighten up the back steps.

I took a lovely photogrpah to show you but.....can't upload it!

I've been thinking a lot about news - what it is, and where we get it from. Will write about that tomorrow and about the news from my own ltiny conrer of the world.I do hope all is well in your corner and send warm wishes to all the American readers on this important day.

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Simply..this and that....

10/1/2021

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Sorry!

My new laptop has decided to join the rest of the country and lockdown.

I may be some time. Meanwhile, stay safe, stay strong and find some January joy wherever you can.

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Simply..under my nose....

8/1/2021

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Decor that is wintry but not Christmassy...

I like the neutral colours after all the bright red and green

A garland of white foxes!

There is a tiny Santa on his sleigh in this little painting (but he is on his way back home).

The first daffodills thrill me.

Hot plums, toasted flaked almonds and cream.

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Simply..keeping it simple....

7/1/2021

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Thank you Charlie Mackesey

I will.

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Simply..haiku....

6/1/2021

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From Shorelines, the book of poetry I am reading through January.

Haiku

Shiki (1867 - 1902

Long the Summer Day...
Patterns on
The Ocean Sand...
Our Idle Footsteps

Here is my winter adaptation

Short the Winter Day...
Patterns On
The Frozen Grass...
My spark-joy footsteps

It feels like deep mid-winter tonight - snow forecast. Stay warm!

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Simply..accepting....

5/1/2021

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the necessity of lockdown against this terrible disease. The stories of hardship and heartbreak can be overwhelming, even for someone like me lucky enough so far to be relatively unaffected.

So it's one day at a time, and today is the twelfth day of Christmas so time to take down the decorations. Doing that and cleaning out the fridge for a fresh start took most of the day (work expanding to fill the time available I suspect).

I took a walk too in beautiful sunshine - it was warm enough to sit on a rock on the beach for a while.

Isn'tit lovely to receive a thank you card, or letter/call/text...

I am thinking about how to decorate the rather bare house for the rest of winter now. Daffodils bought at the supermarket will help and I have just remembered that I always say at this time of year that when I take the decorations down I notice how badly the rooms need decorated - not this year! They are freshly painted (September) - SO NICE!

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Simply..by no stretch of the imagination....

4/1/2021

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..is s t r e t c h an exciting word for 2021, but I think it is the one!

The latter half of 2020 in particular was a very passive time for me, and I need to get moving again. But I cant just jump in to where I was before the pandemic.

I will ease myself into 2021 rather as a cat eases itself into life after a sleep with a full top to tail stretch A luxurious, enjoyable streatch. I will stretch myself physically and mentally. I will stretch a point now and then to accomodate others' opinions. The word has an element of better in it, and I can stretch just a tiny bit or to the full length of my reach as I choose.

I won't stretch the truth though, and I do not want to stretch my waistband any further ....

Have you decided on your word?

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Simply..come walk with me....

3/1/2021

5 Comments

Come walk with me
Along the sea
Where dusk sits on the land
And search with me
For shells are free,
And treasures hide in sand.

Anon

This is the first poem in Shorelines and I thought it would be a lovely thing to read a poem each day of January and then take a walk upon the shore with that poem in mind. It was a bitterly cold walk at dusk tonight, and before I ventured out with as many layers as an onion - thermals and two scarves - I made sure the fire was stoked up and a tray was set with cranberry and orange tea and a slcie of Betty's Christmas cake (thank you Lynne!).

I am so glad I went! It was beautiful. Joyful.

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Simply..Joy in January?....

2/1/2021

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Where to find it? I don't think the government are giving amy out, and indulging in what could easily become a morbid obsession with world news is unlikely to provide much, nor is scoffing all the leftover seasonal goodies which I would normally be sharing with visitors but now feel obliged to consume all by myself..and it may be a long wait for the vaccine.

No.

It's time to take back control and assume sovereignty over my own life again.

If I am to find joy in January I will have to look elsewhere. And I think I may have found a beautiful starting point in the lovely Christmas gift of an anthology of poems called Shorelines. (Thank you Maggie!)

I may have found my word too....

Where will you look for joy in January?

Because it is quite important that there is some, don't you think?

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Simply..2021....

1/1/2021

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Wishing all who visit here health, strength and happiness in 2021

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Simply..in profound gratitude....

31/12/2020

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..is how I am going to end this blogging year.

'Is your glass half empty or half full?' asked the Mole in Charlie Mackesey's book The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse. 'I think I'm grateful to have a glass.' said the boy.

I have a glass - a very pretty charity shop find...

and I am very grateful that it is full of Brandy Alexander!

(A friend and I 'met' for cocktails last night.)

I will raise a glass at midnight tonight to all my friends here and say a deeply felt THANK YOU for helping me through 2020.

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Simply.. a little help....

30/12/2020

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I am setting aside today to Unravel 2020 with Susannah Conway's help She has a free workbook to guide me in looking back in order to look forward....Treating it lightly.

A very short freezing walk to the shore yesterday! I chose to see this wonderful clouod as a good omen - a giant bird of hope for 2021. Funny how we do that...

Susannah Conway also offers a guide to choosing a word for the coming year - that's next. Under consideration are Glad, Recovering, Adventure, Hope and Best.

Will you be choosing a word for 2021?

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Simply..nearing the end....

28/12/2020

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..of a very strange year, and I don't know how I want to end it here on the blog. What I do know is that I want it to end!
I've never felt like that before.

I am thinking about my word for next year. My word for this year was stronger.

Sometimes just getting up and carrying on is brave and magnificent.

I love these words by Charlie Mackesy.

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Simply..the laziest Christmas....

27/12/2020

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I have had the laziest Christmas ever..and I've loved it.

Though I did have a frosty barefoot walk this morning, and I do go out to feed the birds.

The house smells wonderful as I have just made these spiced nuts (a Nigella recipe). Toasted in a non stick pan with oil, garam masala, celery salt, muscovado sugar and rosemary they make a lovely nibble with a glass of mulled wine...

Here is another Charlie Makesy bit of wisdom -

'What is the bravest thing you have ever said?' asked the boy.
'Help' said the horse.
'

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Simply..kindness....

26/12/2020

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Being kind to yourself can start now..

'What do you want to be when you grow up?'
'Kind' said the boy.

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Simply..a little bit of....

24/12/2020

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..enchantment for your Christmas Eve..

I hope you can pour youself a lovely drink, snuggle down for half an hour on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and listen to The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse.

(also available from Penguin on A)udilble)

Brilliantly read by the author and illustrator Charlie Makesy, this is utterly enchanting.

My special nessage to anyone who is alone - please look after yourself beautifully!

Happy Christmas and I hope you will all be as cosy as this fox.

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Smply..so much beauty....

22/12/2020

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..to look after.

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Simply..the longest night....

21/12/2020

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..the shortest day, and a turning point hopefully!

We need light, lots of light - fairylights, candlelight, and starlight. There will be more daylight from today, and some sunlight would be wonderful (it's been very murky here of late).

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Simply..not cancelled....

20/12/2020

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I feel for the parents of children young enough to be expecting Santa and old enough to be able to read all the Christmas Is Cancelled headlines. They must have had a lot of reassuring to do today here in uk where much tighter restrictions have been imposed.

The fact is Christmas Day is still Decemberr 25th. We have to think what kind of meaningful Christmas we can have - a thoughtful one might be nice.

It wasn't cancelled on radio 3 today. Christmas Around Europe was a delight and very moving while I wrapped gifts to get to the post tomorrow, though how I come to be doing so much at the last minute beats me! I've had all the time in the world after all....

How are your preparations going?

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Simply..what can I say....

19/12/2020

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..except that it's only 371 days till next Christmas!

Smile...

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Simply..a very sweet thing....

18/12/2020

16 Comments

A very sweet thing happened today - a tiny coal tit sat on my hand.

And I got an early Christmas present of an owl box!

My wildlife Christmas is happening....

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<<Previous

Simply..a lot happened....

Simply..I am so choosy....

Simply..zero degrees....

Simply..News....

Simply..hello again....

Simply..this and that....

Simply..under my nose....

Simply..keeping it simple....

Simply..haiku....

Simply..accepting....

Simply..by no stretch of the imagination....

Simply..come walk with me....

Simply..Joy in January?....

Simply..2021....

Simply..in profound gratitude....

Simply.. a little help....

Simply..nearing the end....

Simply..the laziest Christmas....

Simply..kindness....

Simply..a little bit of....

..enchantment for your Christmas Eve..

Smply..so much beauty....

Simply..the longest night....

Simply..not cancelled....

Simply..what can I say....

Simply..a very sweet thing....

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