I know!

I don't believe it either!

Have you found that when someone close to you is ill, everything else seems to stop? I'm on automatic pilot, remind myself to eat and drink, make all the necessary decisions and put aside everything that can wait. Truly back to basics.

I check the weather forecasts ten times a day - we have had snow and gusting winds of 40 to 50 miles an hour and I didn't visit the hospital yesterday or today, though friends and family 'across the water' did. (We are not on an island but a peninsula, and are dependent on a ferry service. The alternative is a 75 mile road over the Rest and Be Thankful pass which is prone to landslides..) Instead I slept, and slept, and slept some more!

There is a sense of 'keeping the home fires burning' and it was good for me to rouse myself and take a few photographs.

Tomorrow looks calmer and the ferries will be running, but gusts of up to 72 mph are forecast for Monday so they might well be off again. Country living, eh?

Barry continues to feel better each day, but it is still a mystery why he is so ill. More tests are due. Thank you all so much for your kind wishes, prayers, and virtual hugs - they really do warm our hearts and make a difference.

A day at a time then....and aren't mobile phones just marvellous?

..about thinking.

Quite the philosopher, I know!

Barry is in hospital and we wait for test results, and I am trying not to indulge in 'if only' and 'what if' kind of thinking.

Byron Katie says Reality is kinder than our stories about it.

The reality is that he is in excellent hands, and with the help of a whole team of skilled and caring people has improved hugely since last Monday,  I am  visiting every day, family and friends are being wonderful, and no amount of thinking will change the past or the future. Nor will it curb the gales which are likely to cancel the ferries today!

Stating the obvious I know, but sometimes the obvious needs to be stated and said out loud I find.

Another cup of tea anyone?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2657190

..a little break while I deal with some of the 'other stuff' I mentioned in yesterday's post!

This quote from Marie Kondo's Spark Joy struck a chord with me..

One of her clients said -

..the number of times when I suddenly stop in the middle of cooking or folding laundry and I realize that I am happy has definitely increased.

I do believe the same thing has happened to me, whether or not because of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying I will never really know, but I'm willing to believe it played a part.

Hoping you too have many happy moments (sometimes it's in between the other stuff!)

The thing is to notice them..

I do love Lotta's idea of a Blog Garden - her pictures of magnolias will cheer you and make you happy that spring is on its way.
Simple Life Lessons from a 3 (now 4) year old will have you smiling too.

I like a pop of primary colour, but in places where it can be easily changed - cushions, table napkins, flowers, cards, towels or even a wooden gate (though I don't think I will ever change the red gate.)

See posts here, here and here

The Scandinavians are fond of white, and the Venetians of warm rich reds and greens, the English fell in love with Farrow and Ball - I wonder why the differences? I love visiting stylish places and theatrical places. I have a memory of glancing through a window in Woodstock in Oxfordshire at a room almost entirely decorated in jade green and thinking I will do a room in that colour one day. I haven't found the right room yet...

What are your influences?

I love white. It lifts my sprits. Maybe that is why I love snow.

I have always painted the walls of my rooms white and when I walk into a 'white cube' style art gallery - the bigger the better - I feel as if I am floating a couple of inches off the ground!

Reading Spark Joy, I was prompted to dig out a simple quilted white bedspread and put it over the dark leather sofa - immediate spark of joy...(photographed in the evening - even sparkier in daylight!)

The books I mentioned yesterday are At Home With White by Atlanta Bartlett and Sensual Home by Ilse Crawford which has thoughtful text, beautiful photographs and these chapter headings -

harmony
balance
peace
comfort
texture
space
proportion
energy
spirit
light
shade
sustenance
love

These rwo books are keepers for me, but we change, and our tastes change, and one of the lovely things about clearing is we make room for the new....

Is there a colour which inspires you?

And is there a book about it?


We are back to rainy weather here, but I think I'll keep my snowy header photograph for a few days more....

Since Kondoing my home last year I would say that the difference is that it is more spacious and peaceful, and, more importantly so is the inside of my head, so I was happy to buy the new book Spark Joy by Marie Kondo.

She prompted me to look for photographs of my ideal/dream lifestyle and I took a fresh look at my two favourite books on interior design, which motivated me to go that bit further. For me, this was worth the price of the book, which I will now gift to my sister...

I picked up a  few little tips about storage, admired that she touched upon the difficult topic of other people's stuff (learn to ignore basically) and that she acknowledged that some people are quite happily untidy, and I was interested in a few small insights into Shinto and Japan - about which I will probably read more elsewhere now.

I would say this is a gentler version of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying with more stories, anecdotes, detail etc. It's also a very attractive book to look at and hold. I would say it is the gift version - but I prefer the more rigorous, punchy, straight-to-the-point and, to me at least, funny first version which I still LOVE!

Has any one else purchased Marie Kondo's latest book?

..Venice!

I have reached the final words of Peter Ackroyd's Venice Pure City  -

..vivacity, gaity, radiance, extravagance, energy, buoyancy, spontaneity, urgency, facility, exuberance, impetuosity. Oh! Venezia!

Who wouldn't be excited?

Here is another Fortuny garment I'd love to wear, and if you scroll down you will see the most dazzling selection of Fortuny gowns.

Have you heard of this artist and his Chandeliers Over Venice project? (This is for you Lotta!) There are lots of videos on Dale Chihuly and the full story here. Allow yourself an hour or three if you really love glass!

Hope to visit this exhibition in Venice.

I trained in Textile Design at GSA and remember coming across the revolutionary, and elegant silk 'Delphos' gowns of Mariano Fortuny. He began making them in 1907 but they are utterly timeless and now collectors items. You could wear them today and not look dated. The book highlighted today at Cornflower Books looks like a must read for textile lovers.

We leave in a month's time. After the Carnivale is over. Fun, I am sure, but not the Venice I really want to see (or the prices we can afford to pay!).

A writing month is one of the best ideas I've ever had.

Fantastico!


What is the best idea you have ever had?

I'm sure this will make you laugh (and if you have seen it before, it will make you laugh again).

The warmth comes from the cosy bathroom and the greeting on the card from a friend!

I've tried to create a sauna like feeling in our little bathroom - it seems appropriate in a Swedish house. (See more in this post)

The snow is still lying, and a hot soak will be just the thing.

I hope you are cosy wherever you are.

I love the sound of it.

The husshh.

It's as if the world slows right down for a while.

The later it got..

the bluer it got,

and the more it made the red..

SING!

..it starts with someone sending you a beautiful poem (thank you Cathy) and the sunshine streaming in the window.

I was lucky to have a day just like that, and a walk with the camera cheered me no end.

I still needed more sunshine on my face and visions of alpine hotels arose in my imagination, so after removing a thin skim of ice from the bench I settled myself with a rug, a hot chocolate and the last truffle and raised my face in adoration....

You don't have to go on some expensive excursion I realized. You can do it for yourself with a flask to the nearest park or riverbank, and a cosy muffler, hat and mitts....

Things got even better.

It snowed!

I hope you have a lovely weekend.

I should say italiano gennaio ..

I have found my BIG IDEA.

My Italian class has started again and I wasn't looking forward to it. (The thought did, briefly, cross my mind to give up.) I feel I am slow in learning Italian. I am not a natural at languages but I like to try. I did Latin at school, have school French, a little smattering of Swedish and Greek, and in preparation for our month in Venice I am doing this very good and very challenging course at Glasgow University.

SO. Instead of despairing at my slow progress I shall try some extreme Italian. I shall talk to Barry in Italian as much as possible (I know, poor Barry), listen to CD's in the car, label things around the house in Italian with post it notes, listen to Verdi, read blogs about Venice in Italian first then in translation, try some Italian recipes, some new Italian wines, oh the possibilities are endless and suddenly January seems more fun.......

I found some of the advice here and the little video here really helpful in getting me motivated again.

I am listening to this charming one over and over picking out the words I understand and am pleasantly surprised that I understand quite a lot of it.


(I did actually think of the idea of Extreme Italian as I was writing yesterday's post....Oh I do love blogging!)

I seem to do little bits of a lot of things in January. Some of them are things I meant to do in December and didn't get round to, and none of them excite me -  thus the feelings I described yesterday.

Boredom basically! I do feel a little ashamed and guilty admitting that because I know I have so much to be grateful for, and a wonderful trip to look forward to, but it is more of a restlessness than a complaint.  I am making little changes in the things I am doing - finding new recipes, changing routines a bit....

But what I really want is a BIG PLAN for January. My BIG PLAN for February has worked brilliantly for five Februaries now. See here if you are a new reader, and in all posts under Simply Write. (There are a lot!)

Ah, I think I've got it!

Bing!

and more good blues - June and August....

Winter is not my favourite season, though I do love that here in uk we have four distinct seasons.

November I can manage, changing food, clothes, house and car in preparation for colder, wetter weather, and a kind of mental shift takes place too, a slowing down which is quite attractive, at first. December is getting ready for Christmas which I do love, and enjoying the hygge feeling (see here). January can start off quite well with a burst of energy and plans, but by now that has faded and a kind of lassitude sets in (unless it snows of course which always gives me a buzz and a thrill). But grey, wet, windy short January days are somehow enervating for me, and I can feel listless and vaguely discontent (and rather guilty about that!). 

I need to think afresh.

Yesterday Gail's comment made me realize the problem with January - it's BORING. (Thanks Gail - you gave me a light bulb moment there!)

So...what can I do to make my January less boring?

I am thinking....

Yes, the January blues. Not the best kind.

I thought I'd try to keep them at bay with a look at some May blues -

Some August blues..

and some September blues.

A brisk walk, a phone call to a friend, a nice meal - what works for you if or when you get a touch of the January blues?

Maybe I need to think afresh about how I do Januaries? Hmmm.

This is of course aimed at my northern hemisphere readers...it is so hard to imagine that some of you are basking in bright sunlight! Do remind us what it is like!

We changed the Swedish Christmas candles in the apex window of the roof back to the moon today, and I'm tempted to have this for summer nights....

..and the tree is back in its corner in the garden. My favourite ornament is wrapped in tissue in the box with the Christmas fairy

and I've managed to reduce it all to two boxes!

I will always love Christmas. I don't think I will sign up to this all the same (but it did make me laugh!)

Have you got Christmas 2015 all tucked away in some far corner cupboard?

A haven from the cold - we had to scrape the ice from the car before leaving my sister's this morning.

A haven from the world's business and busyness. The lilies are a kind of purification after Christmas - even one shelf in the house as simple as this makes me feel good! The decorations are not all away yet, but I intend to spread this feeling of calm and order through the house tomorrow....and will think afresh about each thing as I put it away.

I love that I decide, mostly, what and who comes into my home - the stuff, the people, the media presence. It could become another useful question - Do I really want this extra item/that noise/that thing that belongs to someone else/this clutter/this dull painting/this news bulletin/that junk mail/that junk food/that person (add your own..) in my haven?


Is your home your haven?

One of the fun things about a few recent lazy days has been the new websites I have come across. Maybe you will take a look at this one - The Awfully Big Blog Adventure while I am away for a few days babysitting (my little sister!)

And after all the flooding here in UK I was rather amused at this post from Venezia about there not being enough water in Venice...

1   Clean the grill pan every time I use it.

2   Remember birthdays.

3   Try to make my blogposts more exciting than this one. :-)

If you like classical music you may enjoy this series of interviews on Living The Classical Life. I loved the one with the amazing Stephen Hough who talks so illuminatingly about learning and relaxation and creativity. Wonderful. I do like insights into how other creative people think - poets, dancers, musicians, sculptors, writers....

OK I've just thought of another resolution -

4   Take more time to listen to music.

Did it work for you?

Having a word for the year I mean.

Tonight I thought afresh about my idea of just finishing off all the shortbread and chocolates and starting to eat sensibly again tomorrow, and got up and put them in a tin on a high shelf. Now I have a treat for any visitors who come.

Simple.

Easier than I thought.

Thinking afresh might be easier than I thought!

I am loving your comments on your words. See here and here (especially the comments) for ideas on restoring, replenishing and reinventing for 2016. In the first few days of January anything seems possible, don't you think? Yay! We can do it!

In 2016 I will look at things afresh.

Habits, routines, goals, ambitions, lifestyle....if I have misgivings about anything I will look afresh.

Perhaps there are changes I could make, ruts I could get out of, ways of doing things that might be better than the way I do them now, or I might see that I have worked out ways which suit me very well.........but that comfort blanket can, you know, get a little suffocating!

How did you get on with your words for 2015 - growth, listen/walk/space, flow, nourishment (voeding), relish, yes, curate, thrive? (You know who you are!)

And have you chosen a word for 2016?

Dinner for ten today!

Wonderful.