Live Simply Simply Live
  • Blog
  • Studio
  • Home
  • Cards
  • Coronation Wood

Simply..new discoveries....

31/10/2019

8 Comments

 

Cafe Cossachok Glasgow
Picture
folk decor
Picture
the whole ceiling covered in Russian shawls
Picture
hot borsch in an (edible) ryebread bowl
Picture
and for me, selyodoschka pod Vodoch'ku! Herring with gherkin, onion, sour cream, crispy potatoes and a shot of vodka. Delicious,
Can't wait to go back!

8 Comments

Simply..fuzzy photographs....

29/10/2019

10 Comments

 
..but it was dusk..

I definitely have a bit of Bella Brown in me (see the film This Beautiful Fantastic on iPlayer) as I can't help making patterns.

Picture
even when raking up leaves.
Picture
and look - here comes the local bus, without which I could not live here.
Picture
I love that bus.
10 Comments

Simply..can't resist....

29/10/2019

11 Comments

 
..fruit with the leaves still on!
Picture
How beautiful is that?
Picture
Spanish clementines in a natural basket for the princely sum of £1.50.  I've had my eye on the cheerful mug from Dunoon ceramics (sadly no longer made in Dunoon) for a while. A fun shopping trip.

What have you treated yourself to lately?

If the answer is nothing, what will you treat yourself to the next time you are shopping?
11 Comments

Simply..a gorgeous day....

28/10/2019

15 Comments

 

..and a walk (barefoot) befor!e breakfast set me up nicely....I'll let the photographs speak for themselves!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Threw another log on the fire and made breakfast!
15 Comments

Simply..the click point....

28/10/2019

13 Comments

 

The click point is a phrase from Marie Kondo, meaning the point at which, in your tidying and clearing. things are just right.

I can recognise my click point in different aspects of my life and know what it takes to get there and just how far I can stray from it without feeling that it has gone forever!

In the house it's when it is just clean enough, just orderly enough - not perfect (that way madness lies) but just right.

A bit Goldilocks - not too clean, not too dirty, not too messy, not too ordered, not too little stuff, not too much. With helpful routines (who would have thought I would love routines? Thank you Fly Lady!) I can be content with how things are in my home.

Everyone has their own click point.

Do you recognise yours?

In my body I know when I have good energy, when I am eating well - just enough, mostly good things, when I am moving enough, when I am getting enough rest. In my mind the click point is when I am not too stressed or anxious, but in the flow (another great phrase) and moving easily through my days.

All this takes attention and experimentation....and time. That's what me time is for me - there's another phrase! - taking time to figure out what's best for me and seeing that I do it. And knowing that what is best for me is in all probability best for those around me too.

It's a clear frosty morning and what will be best for me now is to take a walk down to the shore before breakfast and take some photographs to share with you later.

Have a great day!
13 Comments

Simply..playing with light....

26/10/2019

13 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
and shadows
Picture
Picture
and reflections



The gypsophila will dry in the vase and then I will use it to make a winter wreathe for the door.

(A tip if you are buying gypsophila - smell it first! Some of it has a really bad, sour smell.)


PS  The delightful film This Beautiful Fantastic is currently on BBC iPlayer.
13 Comments

Simply..lighting....

25/10/2019

7 Comments

 
..is one of the easiest ways to create enchantment (my word for the year)..

Picture
I love playing around with lamps and candles.

After a long day in the city I get home too late to light the fire, but an electric heater to quickly warm up the room, half a dozen tea lights, little battery ones and this small directional lamp spotlighting the flowers quickly creates a lovely and relaxing atmosphere for the hour or two before bed...

I think I'll sleep well.
7 Comments

Simply..it's never too late....

24/10/2019

10 Comments

 
..to get fitter!

I went for a paddle at dusk..

Picture
Picture
Picture

Since I took up the Wim Hof method I have come to like the cold!
10 Comments

Simply..laugh....

23/10/2019

8 Comments

 

I do love shoes and this year there seem to be lots that I really like, so this made me laugh..

Picture

I haven't bought any yet.

Can't make up my mind...
8 Comments

Simply..is it possible to feel bad....

23/10/2019

8 Comments

 
..about feeling good?

I found myself feeing almost apologetic the other day for being cheerful!

Saying 'Really good  thanks' when someone asks how you are feels like an act of bravado.

(Try it today - you may be a little taken aback by the reactions.)

Yes, there is politics and war and pestilence and tragedy and accidents. There always were and always will be but I ask myself will any of those things be changed one iota for the better by me being miserable?

There is only one guaranteed way I know of to make the world a happier place today and that is for me to be happy. I reckon that might also increase the likelihood of someone else being happy...

Being Happy Is A Rvolutionary Act.

Let's be revolutionaries today!
 
And laugh about it.

Whyever not?


8 Comments

Simply..one for sorrow....

21/10/2019

23 Comments

 
..two for joy.
Picture

Do you say this when you see magpies in a tree?
23 Comments

Simply..joy....

20/10/2019

2 Comments

 
..at beautiful sunshine
Picture
a day spent mostly outside
Picture
and the wonderful news that a young friend has had a baby boy.

2 Comments

Simply..fun....

19/10/2019

8 Comments

 
The prunings from the clematis were way too pretty to put straight in the compost bin so I draped them all over the place...
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

They can go in the compost tomorrow when they've wilted, meanwhile they are sparking joy!
8 Comments

Simply..Tosca....

18/10/2019

4 Comments

 
Picture

An exciting and flawless performance by Scottish Opera on Wednesday evening in Glasgow's Theatre Royal.

Scroll down on this page for a tiny video snippet...
4 Comments

Simply..having it all?

17/10/2019

7 Comments

 
On the theme of self indulgence (!) I think I am greedy in my garden to have all the styles of gardens I love in one - which can of course lead to a mish-mash and a glorious guddle! (Which admittedly has it's charms.)

After my visit to Tatton Park in August I thought how Japanese style fitted with my aim of lower maintenance yet is, to me, exciting and aesthetically very pleasing, so the new gravel drive gave an opportunity to explore that.

Picture

My daughter has a corten steel bowl like this beside some low chairs by her back door and I am always struck by how calming it is - how zen-like- just water, filled to the brim.

Minimalist, beautifully proportioned (mine is a metre wide). and almost zero maintenance :-)

I had an acer in an old pot tucked in the garden border because I didn't really know what to do with it and I was getting frustrated at the slow delivery f the firebowl because I thought all the leaves would have fallen from the acer and I wouldn't be able to judge whether it was right for this spot or not. The moss which I had thought I should remove was actually an added bonus!

Elemental. The metal will rust to the colour of the acer leaves and I may look for somthing evergreen to put beside it for the winter when the acer leaves have fallen - a small pinus mugo, or a Wallichiana pine which I love but which grows too big but could be treated as a bonsai in a beautiful pot..

Picture

Good for the soul.

Do you have a fun project which absorbs you? Challenges you, but not too much - not enough to be stressful, but enugh to keep your mind engaged and away from everyday worries and the world's bad news for a spell?

If not, can you think of one? And perhaps share it here? Tiny or huge - Heather is learning to follow a knitting pattern, Lynne is having a whole new kitchen fitted, I am thinking how to reconcile my wish for a Japanese garden with a wildlife garden, an  English flower garden, a naturalistic Scandinavian garden....
7 Comments

Simply..self indulgent?

15/10/2019

18 Comments

 
Picture
 
Sitting on the porch with a snuggly soft blanket and a cup of hot chocolate yesterday.

I reached for the old threadbare travel rug  as it was a bit chilly to sit out, but felt the thickness and softness of this one under my hand - it was on top of the other in the cupboard. It seemed ridiculous to use this lovely bedroom blanket outside but I took it anyway, and found myself making hot chocolate instead of coffee.

The experience of sitting there was such a delight that I began wondering about my attidutde to self indulgence. Pampering was not a word in my vocabulary growing up. We were brought up to be hardy!  I can remember as a very young child my Dad rubbing me down with a hard towel after swimming (or I should say being in tthe chilly water - I couldn't swim) and telling me it was good for me.

I had loving parents and we were never treated harshly, but we were not indulged either!

Maybe this is why it feels special.

So all this gorgeous 'hygge  and the candles and cushions and throws and taking photographs of it all don't come naturally. I make a conscious decision to do these  things in the knowledge that the small 'indulgences' and lovely photographs help me  through the hard times. They don't make me soft, they make me strong. They make me grateful.

Snuggled on the porch for half and hour with the sun on my face, some gardening done (I have to 'earn' it of course!), listening to the robin and the wren, watching the light and the shadows change...

Pure pleasure.

Whyever not?

I can;t think of a reason.

Can you?
18 Comments

Simply..thrilled....

14/10/2019

13 Comments

 
..with my new garden feature....

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

After a number of delays and several phonecalls it arrived really early this morning before I was even dressed. I flung trousers and a jacket over my PJ's and spent the next few hours positioning it and filling and levelling it and deciding whether or not to put the acer beside it, all the while drinking lots of coffee and having some outdoor breakfast.

I had a fun time and quite forgot I hadn't got dressed properly....
13 Comments

Simply..not over yet!

12/10/2019

8 Comments

 

Look what I found! A recent comment from Cathy prompted me to go out and look closely at the garden which I had thought was over for the season....


Picture

A rose bud, a sweet pea still stronly scented, even honeysuckle; these tiny pickings spark joy! They will only last a day or two but bring a little smile to my face.

If you have a garden do you still have flowers to pick? I know some English gardens are still full of colour and can go on into November or beyond.

If you watch the television programme Gardeners' World here in UK you will have seen where I live. They featured Benmore Botanic Gardens which is over the hill from me (half an hour by road).

With a 2 - 3 metre annual rainfall it is quite a challenging gardening environment!

Picture
8 Comments

Simply..warming....

12/10/2019

10 Comments

 
Picture

Cranberry green tea with a tiny sprinkle of nutmeg and a couple of raisins and an almond dropped in. We were served spiced drinks like this in Stockholm one December.

I bought the Alessi coffee spoons at The Hepworth gallery lovely shop. Simple, with a nice weight to them and perfect for scooping out the juicy raisins and almond.

Simple pleasures for the darker months.
10 Comments

Simply..a little mad....

11/10/2019

14 Comments

 
..but not in a good way!

Travelling a lot on public transport and having quite a sensitive nose, I feel assailed and almost overcome sometimes with the smells of all the chemicals we put on our bodies -

soap, bodywash, shampoo, conditioner, hair food (!? have just spotted an ad for this), hair spray, body spray, foot spray, aftershave, deodorant, perfume, make up, moisturiser, toothpaste, breath freshener, mouth wash, washing powder, fabric conditioner, dry cleaning fluids.....

I want to shout 'People! You do know that all this goes into your bloodstream don't you?'

But I don't.

:-)

Some pollution is self inflicted!

This morning when I came down to the sitting room the combined smells of lilies and quince were enchanting...


Picture
14 Comments

Simply..this and that....

10/10/2019

13 Comments

 
I am still enjoying EatTo Beat Disease (see this post) but it is such a tome that
I went through the index and listed all the foods recommended to help my eye condition (macular degeneration) and put the list in my purse to refer to when I am shopping.

Instead of listening to the news I put on some Mozart.

I photographed these flowers at the University of Glasgow last week and wore my winter coat for the first time today.

I loved hearing about what you are up to and what you are mad (in a good way) about.

Thank you.


Picture
13 Comments

Simply..going a little mad....

9/10/2019

6 Comments

 

(in a good way!)..for lilies.

Picture

Big shop, stacked another delivery of wood, defrosted freezer, cooked soup for said freezer, cooked dinner, and am still waiting for the special delivery for the drive...

What are you busy with?

And what are you going a little mad about?
6 Comments

Simply..stalled....

8/10/2019

4 Comments

 
I think I stalled in my review of Jordan Peterson's 12 Rules For Life at Rule Six because it was the hardest to read (hardest in the sense of painful). It deals with suffering and malevolence.

Rule Six is Set Your House In Perfect Order Before You Criticize The World.

He quotes one of the Columbine High School killers who wrote;

The human race isn't worth fighting for, only worth killing. Give the Earth back to the animals. They deserve it infinitely more than we do. Nothing means anything anymore.

I thought when I read this of David Attenborough saying that human beings are A plague on the Earth. And of a man discussing how young men come to be radicalised - You are a young man seeking adventure. Do you want to stack shelves in Wolverhapton or be a Desert Warrior?

I admore people who are willing to bravely address the tragic aspects of life.

Around the time I was reading Rule Six I heard on Private Passions (my favourite programme on BBC Radio 3) barrister Sarah Langford. She is a defence lawyer representing criminals - from thieves to child abusers.

Articulate and honest, her insights into lives most of us can hardly imagine, were riveting, if painful to hear. She has written a book called In Your Defence.

I don't know if I could bear to read it.

In his very dense chapter, well worth reading, Peterson gives examples of people who emerge from terrible pasts and do good, not evil, and he ends with two pages of advice to those who think they may be heading to despair and nihilism.

I am full of gratitude to people who do difficult work with in Sarah Langford's words the mad, the bad, and the broken.

Rule Seven will be light relief!

If you can access it Private Passions with Sarah Langford can be heard here (and I loved her choice of music!)




4 Comments

Simply amazed....

7/10/2019

6 Comments

 
..at how my body's defence systems actually work!

Picture

I am really enjoying this book. It's a big read, but not a difficult one.

The author describes how our body's five defence systems work to protect, heal and regenerate,
and explains how foods are now being tested in the same way as drugs to assess their effects on diseases.

It's specific and detailed (which accounts for the size of the book) and I am finding it fascinatng.

Along with Eat Right For Your sight by Jennifer Trainer Thompson I am using it to refine my diet bit by bit adding more and more beautiful (normal and readily available) foods!

Another source of inspiration is the Blue Zones newsletter.

There is lots of good news out there on the health front. YouTube is a good place to start I would say.. you can listen to Dr William Li on Ted Talks and at medical conferences - it's all on there.


(I've not forgotten the 12 Rules For Life reviews....just got a bit behind!)


6 Comments

Simply..accepting....

6/10/2019

13 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
..and enjoying Autumn.
Picture
Some repair work and cleaning up under a new-this-year swallow nest, getting ready
Picture
for the first delivery of wood.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
and swapping summer textiles for the winter ones
Picture
None of them new - just brought out of the cupboard and greeted like old friends!

i'm thinking now about stocking up with food. Home cooked meals in the freezer or at least the ingredients to make a good meal for guests, tins of beans to bulk up a stew or to have on toast for an emergency meal (ie when I've run out of food or am too tired to make anything).  Covent Garden lovely soups freeze well and are only £1 in the supermarket just now, and I will make more of this easy recipe from my friend Lynne while there are still courgettes available
Cook courgettes, frozen peas and a good handful of mint in some stock till soft. Blend till smooth and drizzle with single cream or a tiny amount of truffle oil to serve.

Any other storecupboard ideas most welcome.

As you know I live a long way from the shops and sometimes I get lazy about shopping and put it off till I have run out of food...

Must do better!

I hope you are enjoying whatever season you are in where you are.
13 Comments
<<Previous

    Categories

    All
    Live Simply
    Live Simply
    Simple
    Simply Beautiful
    Simply Bin It
    Simply Chill
    Simply Christmas
    Simply Christmas
    Simply Do A Good Deed
    Simply Draw
    Simply Draw
    Simply Eat
    Simply Fitter
    Simply Fun
    Simply Get Rid
    Simply Grow
    Simply Headspace
    Simply Holiday
    Simply Home
    Simply Home
    Simply Inspirational
    Simply Laugh
    Simply Learn
    Simply Listen
    Simply Live
    Simply Low Maintenance
    Simply Money
    Simply Move
    Simply Move
    Simply Organise
    Simply Paint
    Simply Routine
    Simply Seeing.. Or Not
    Simply Stylish
    Simply Venice
    Simply Write


    Author

    An artist seeking a simpler life - (but not too simple!)

    All words and images copyright Freda Waldapfel 2010 - 2020

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.