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Simply..romantic?!

31/1/2023

Are you kidding? said a voice in my head. The world is in crisis There is violence corruption greed malevolence dishonesty hate victimhood species extinction breaking news (no-one needs breaking news) poverty climate change hunger war strikes uncertainty and chaos!

So am I going to put my life on hold until all these crises are resolved? Maybe I'll hang that on a peg for the moment and look at what I mean by romantic. I also noticed how defensve I feel about choosing this word. My inner critic needs no nourisshing or protection - she's doing just great.

I looked up definitions of romantic. Characterised by the expression of love. No bad thing I should think. Having an idealised view of the world. No harm in seeking an ideal... what would life be like if we did not strive for an ideal? Sentimental. Well, sentiment is feeling and if the feelings are delight and joy bring it on I say.

I don't need a partner to have romance in my life. I don't want a lover, or another husband. But my soul needs some romance! I will spend February exploring , nourishing protecting, (and not apologisng for), my inner romantic.

Will you join me?

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Simply..the slippers....

30/1/2023

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It was the slippers that did it. I woke and slowly, dully swung my legs out of bed to the floor and looked at the pair of boring grey slippers awaiting my feet. I opened the curtains - another day of sullen grey-yellow cloud.

What is missing from my life I said to myself, is a little romance. And in that moment I changed my word. Romantic. I will explore my inner romantic. A little kernel of excitement cracked open somewhere within me....somewhere near my heart.

I threw the slippers in the bin.

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Simply..changed my word!

29/1/2023

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I don't think I've done it before, but it's allowed! My words for 2023 were 'Go High' but that seemed to translate into 'Try Harder' which felt more stick than carrot, and I don't do sticks.

In the comments on this post an interesting little conversation got going. MaryB mentioned her inner gardener, and Susan in Dorset reminded us of the concept of the inner child and pondered which inner passion, aspiration or identity she might choose to protect or nurture.

What comes to mind for you?

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Simply..a lot going on....

28/1/2023

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A little travel, a new window in the studio, and a Highland funeral in the beautiful village of Tayvallich.

Thank you so much for all your thoughts on the fence. I will be pondering..

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Simply..to fence or not to fence....

24/1/2023

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The fence between the front garden and the single track road and down the drive has rotted away and I got rid of it before the winter winds demolished it completely. It was the same as this bit which divides the front garden from the back. All the Swedish houses in the row of 12 had these modest picket fences at one time and I like it very much. It suits the house in its rural setting and is suitably simple to my eye.

But..replacing it is going to cost £1000 plus. (This quote is not for the fencing right around the garden but just part of it.)

I think I have 3 choices.

To reinstate the original design. Expensive, not much maintenance required though I should probably avoid letting too many plants grow over it.

To plant a yew hedge instead. It will need cut once a year and is slow growing so will take time to create a sense of enclosure. Considerably cheaper than the fence. Greener. Aesthetically pleasing once established.

To use shrubs and plants as the boundary. I don't have a dog to keep in, or young childresn, and although I want to keep the deer out they can easily jump a hedge or low fence..

What do you think?

I have so enjoyed visualising where you all live. Thank you!

Please note that posts may be a bit erratic for a few days....

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Simply..deeply moved....

23/1/2023

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I am so deeply moved by yesterday's brilliant image I am finding it hard to get beyonnd it. It works on so many levels and tells at least ten stories.

I will leave it up for another day.

I think it will become iconic.

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Simply..stunning....

22/1/2023

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This stunning picture tells at least a thousand words.

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Simply..keep forgetting....

21/1/2023

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I keep forgetting to ask you if you would, when leaving a comment, say where you are writing from! It is lovely to know and fills me with wonder that we are all in touch with each other sharing our thoughts by pressing a few keys. Here are just some places on this earth I have gleaned over the years - Texas, Wales, Cambridgeshire, Glasgow, Switzerland, West Virginia, Edinburgh, Sussex, Dorset, Paris, Washington DC, Australia, Christchurch New Zealand..please add to the list!

I love this image on the snuggly rug I bought in Stockholm.

It seems to me that the Scandinavians can take a simple childlike image and make it sophisticated and grown-up.

How do they do that?

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Simply..curtains of rain....

20/1/2023

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Not today thankfully - it has been sunny and very cold. This is the title of one of my favourite paintings by another artist in the village - painter Jackie Stevenson. I am sure you will enjoy her watercolours of the local landscape. See here.

She is particularly good at capturing the ever changing weather, and you may recognise some of the scenery!

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Simply..coorie doon....

19/1/2023

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That's the Scottish equivaalent of snuggle down which is what I am doing these cold days. The top of the hill on the right is north and the north-westerlies come loud down the glen..

..so I coorie doon by the fire for yet another lazy, cosy day, making plans for when the weather changes and spring comes.

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Simply..beautiful....

18/1/2023

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One of the talented artists who lives in our village is Guy Elder who built this wonderful pavilion in his garden. I am sure you will enjoy browsing his website here.

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Simply..pretending....

17/1/2023

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..I am in a lovely country hotel with a good restaurant. Fig chestnut and stilton tart with a glass of good wine, by a blazing log fire.

And a spa experience. While outside, it is frosty and starry and there have been a few flakes of snow...
.

With flowers, of course.

Ever the romantic!

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Simply..no snow....

16/1/2023

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..but sunshine and frost. Lovely.

As many of you know winter is not my favourite season. I can do 'hygge' in November and December and enjoy it. I love Christmas and usually have visitors at New Year. But after that is over, especially if the weather is grey and wet and windy, a kind of cabin fever can set in! That's putting it a bit dramatically, but I can feel quite low and find it harder to motivate myself.

I talked with MaryB in Saturday's comments about my books and how I miss them (I have AMD), but today I took from the shelves some of the books which interested me when I could read easily. Alnoost all the authors do podcasts or have YouTube channels....brilliant! This will keep me going through some of the darker days.

Are you as affected by the seasons and the weather?

Stay warm.x

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Simply..don't fight the darkness....

15/1/2023

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So says Lia Leenderetz n her Almanac. In January, she says 'You are laying the foundations for the year, now. Sleep more' she says 'The light will come soon enough. Don't fight the darkess.'

I find this so hard!

Hoping for snow tomorrow.

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Simply..I do have clutter....

14/1/2023

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..but it is mostly in cupboards and drawers, some of which are way too full.
Here is some advice Professor Gustavsson gave a student who was deciding where to position a tree in a landscape design. 'Honour it with its own space'.

I think the principle applies in the home. You might like to experiment with the idea. Choose an object which is really special to you and clear off a shelf, a table or a worktop and place just that one thing in the space and live with it for a few days.... For me it creates a feeling of calm, and a fuller appreciation of the bowl or jug of flowers or whatever item is chosen.

You might try it in each room of the house.

Take a before and an after picture! It helps you to see it more objectively.

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Simply..one bunch of flowers....

13/1/2023

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..can go a long way. They are the first thing I see when I open my eyes in the morning

and are in every room of the house.

The huge bunch of gypsophila I bought on the 6th of December dried naturally in the vase and I now have them in the bedrooom. I love the different textures.

I also see this first thing.

Do you see something beautiful when you first ope n your eyes? Something to start your day with a smile?

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Simply..shop local....

12/1/2023

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Grey, wet and windy. I was very tempted to just stay home. The bus was cold, the town quiet, but I ended up havng a really fun shop.

In Highland Stores I bought a good quality long sleeved tee shirt for £10 and a pair of cosy socks for 6. With time to spare I browsed The Wee Shop, a local charity shop, and found this lovely cake plate. Although I am not eating cakes myself just now, I am still offering some to guests! Two battery candles in the saame shop will give me a chance to try them out. Are they more envitonmentally friendly than real ones? How can I possibly tell? A friendly coffee in the Burgh Hall cafe then to the supermarket where as well as the basic groceries I came in for, I bought these pretty napkins and two bunches of tulips.

I wass feeling really cheerful by the time I came home even though the weather was if anything worse!

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Simply..why I procrastinate....

11/1/2023

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It has finally dawned on me why I often leave things until the last minute. I have recently realised that I actually enjoy the pressure of having to do things quickly, in a rush, against the clock. I like the adrenalin rush!

In my busy working life bringing up a family, working full time and studying, deadlines were frequent and I often rushed around madly meeting them. At times it got a bit much but on the whole I enjoyed the fast pace.

Going at a slow pace in order to think about a fast pace and why I someitmes like it..need it even.

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Simply..fresh....

10/1/2023

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A splurge on freshness to wean me off rich food, sweet cakes and biscuits (a very first world problem I know). I am so lucky to have such beautiful and nourishing food.

And flowers! The smell of those little narcissus....intoxicating.

Here is a salad you might like to try if you too are planning to eat healthy for the rest of January.

One onion thinly sliced, one orange segmented, one lettuce, 2-3 tblsps oil, 2-3 tblsps vinegar, salt and pepper. I can eat any amount of this! It made a nice accompaniment to the last of the brie, onion and cranberry tarts from the freezer.

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Simply..a Christmas gift....

9/1/2023

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..to yourself.

Do you buy yourself a Christmas gift?

I have just bought myself a subscription to Headspace, as headspace is something I feel I need this year.

Giving myself a gift each Christmas started one year when, although I had droppped many hints about what I would like, no-one had picked up on them and I did not get what I had been hoping for! A few days later it dawned on me that I could quite simply buy it for myself, without any fuss or even mentioning it to anyone.

I now buy myself something I really like every Christmas.

Whyever not?

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Simply..ready for the new?

8/1/2023

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I feel as if 2022 has left me with more loose ends than a bowl of spaghetti! And as if the time is out of joint and I have not yet processed enough of its happenings to be quite ready to move on. The communal trauma of the pandemic is I think still playing out, with everyone at different stages in their recovery and all of us trying to be kind and sensitive, but walking on eggshells. Many people are still vulnerable.

The world events - politics and war, strikes and royal rows - are far from resolved but on the persoanl front four of the people I love who have been in and out of hopitals since early December are all home - so that is wonderful!

I an enjoying January's episode of As The Season Turns, beautiful flowers and the new winter bedlinen in the guest room.

What are you enjoying this January? Are you full of optimism and new plans?

I think I need another week or two to catch up..

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Simply..lipstick colours....

7/1/2023

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In the forest today..

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Simply..goodbye Christmas....

6/1/2023

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You've been lovely.

Twelfth Night dinner -wild venison and chestnuts in red wine, followed by home made ice cream with cherries in kirsch. I am so glad I did all that cooking early in December.

Once all the leftovers are eaten up it's back to plain fare..

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Simply..wet, wetter, wettest....

5/1/2023

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The lichen on my neighbour's rowan tree (Sorbus sargentiana) is a sign of clean aair which is good, but also a sign of how wet it is here in the west of Scotland! It has poured all day today. I hope it improves for my visitor who arrives tomorrow.

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Simply..Go High....

4/1/2023

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My word(s) have found me!

I have enjoyed listening to Michell Obama reading her book The Light We Carry in which she articulates what this motto means to her and her family.

It's a kind of shorthand for their values which she lists -

Hang on to our integirty, always try harder, think more, tell the truth, do your best by others, keep perspective and stay strong.

We invoke it any time we feel we are being tested as a reminder to steady ourselves...

I envisage using it when feeling low or frustrated or, heaven forbid, cynical. (Have you ever known a happy cynic?) I imagine it giving me a little lift, even a centimetre higher could make a diference at times, don't you think?

Has your word for 2023 found you yet?

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Simply..romantic?!

Simply..the slippers....

Simply..changed my word!

Simply..a lot going on....

Simply..to fence or not to fence....

Simply..deeply moved....

Simply..stunning....

Simply..keep forgetting....

Simply..curtains of rain....

Simply..coorie doon....

Simply..beautiful....

Simply..pretending....

Simply..no snow....

Simply..don't fight the darkness....

Simply..I do have clutter....

Simply..one bunch of flowers....

Simply..shop local....

Simply..why I procrastinate....

Simply..fresh....

Simply..a Christmas gift....

Simply..ready for the new?

Simply..lipstick colours....

Simply..goodbye Christmas....

Simply..wet, wetter, wettest....

Simply..Go High....

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