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..to myself. I bought myself this nativity calendar because I so love the image of Milan Cathedral. You may remember it from my Christmas card last year. Utterly magical, and definitely putting me in the mood.  Short blog break - have a lovely weekend everyone.
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Living where I do, and dependent on public transport (which is pretty good here) dressing for travel in winter can be something of a challenge! You can get soaked just walking from the bus to the ferry, and with our 'four seasons in a round of golf' weather I try to be prepared for anything. So...too boring to photograph my winter wardrobe is completed by waterproof backpack, duvet coat with hood, thermal layers and always, an umbrella. I seem to have all four seaasons in the house just now - tulips, roses, gourds and pressed leaves and a St Eval cinnamon and orange candle - all of which I have photographed, but since the latest update on my phone changes have been made - it is the nature of the beast - and I've not yet figured out how to get them on here....sorry! Is your wardrobe ready for the season where you are? A little shopping in my own closet. Picking out a few things which simply make me feel cosy. I am also being mindful of what I am eating as I would like to feel good in my chosen clothes. Goal one is to fasten my jeans with EASE again. A modest goal :-)  What would your winter wardrobe goal be? ..and gloves. Just a few minutes putting some wintry favourites together in one drawer. I'm not discarding at the moment so no difficult decisions and ethical dilemmas - just picking out some things I feel like wearing just now. Easy. Simple. Fun even (is fun still allowed?).  The other evening I realised I was wearing my gardening clothes even though I had not gardened all day (it snowed). I had just put on the first things I saw in the morning.. I decided to do a quick easy wardrobe sort and start wearing some of my nice winter clothes. Step one took about 5 minutes - I removed all te summer things. Step two took about 10 minutes - I put like with like - all the trousers toether, all the sweaters together etc I'm simply not in the mood for a major wardrobe project but thought I would just pick out some favourites and start actually wearing them!  These plus of course wellington boots and walking boots will see me through the next wee while. ..thinking abut stillness. Stillness within. The period of stillness without seems to be ending with Storm Bert though it hasn't reached us here as yet.  I've had the luxury of just staying home and snuggling down for avery lazy day with log fire, candles (two power cuts) and clementines from Spain with their leaves still on. I hope you are warm and safe. One fine jug, one good painting - stillness inside reflecting the stillness outside.  I have so enjoyed the stillness of these last few freezing days. There has been no wind, the ground is hard as iron and yes, water like a stone. I've been in the night garden stargazing, I've fed and watered the birds and carried in baskets of logs and done very little else and been not in the least bored.  I've loved the simplicity of it and savoured the stillness.
..at home.   And at my second home. I'm sorry I can't credit this stunning photgraph of Yotk which a friend sent me today. It gave me such a pang of homesickness! I am so lucky to have made homes in these two beautiful places. I absolutely love them both. I wrapped up well and went out to photograph the delicate frostproof blossoms of prunus autumnalis and within moments the robin was there, ecpecting food. Bitterly cold, no wind and another starry night forecast. No luck seeing shooting stars so far. Have any of you been lucky?      ..took some good photographs!  chaffinch in a frosty hedge ..and shooting stars. We are looking out for he The Leonids meteor shower this clear frosty night. No luck as yet (it's 11.30).  Thank you to my grandaughter for the lovely photograph. ..literally. This one log gave a little firework display for almost half an hour this eveining! Very hygge.  The love of bare November days Before the coming of the snow.. Robert Frost  The time has come (in fact it is long overdue) to get rid of these. The pots got frosted and the plants got blight. They were lovely in their day. I am sad to see them go. I am glad to see them go.  They were half hidden behind some roses and I didn't realise just how far gone they were. A few more broken potss, some randon bits of wood, a cracked plastic bucket, a rusty chair - a little rust is quite romantic in a vintage sort of way, a lot of rust is simply a hazard. Why did I hang onto all this for so long?
What have you been hanging onto for too long? Can you get rid of it this very day? I expect robins are the most photographed birds in the uk. Please ignore the very strange comments on the first post - the mysteries of the internet are often completely beyond me!! Liz's lovely story of the robin and Dorathy Wordsworth (see yesterrday's comments) prompts me to tell, or retell, some robin stories.. Some years ago my husband called me to join him at the back door - I was at the front door. I said 'I can't, I'm feeding the robin.' 'So am I' he replied, and we realised that we had two tame robins. Read about Ross and the robin, which is probably where it all began. ..and building resilience, taking charge of our minds, learning the skill of happiness, making friends with reality, being strong whatever the situation, being happy no matter what....Gelong Thubten's approach to meditation is very proactive and positive and for me, right now, these seem like ideas worth exploring. (Hear hin on YouTube.) I dug out this favourite card recently..  It has taken a while, but the robin ate out of my hand. A delightful feeling. It waits on the top step for me in the morning.   I am still reading (well, listening to on Audible) Gelong Thubten's Handbook For Hard Times. A Monk's Guide To Fearless Living. Part biography, part guide to meditation, I am finding it fascinating, At the end if each chapter are tips on how to meditate and at the end of the book are a series of short guided meditations. Each relates to the subject of the chapters which include acceptance, compassion, forgiveness and courage. Plenty to think about during my news blackout! (Now over, but what an interesting experience.) Thubten distinguishes between mindfulness and meditation and suggests creating micro moments of mindfulness throughout your days.   I am new to the philosphy of Buddhism and am puzzled by the fact that Thubten promotes loving kindness to oneself and to others but has put himself through what sound to me like very punitive retreats, one lasting for four years. When he came out of that long retreat from the world, he said he gained a fresh perspective on current society and he writes a very interesting review of what he calls a culture of fear. I have also bought his first book A Monk's Guide To Happiness. Equally fascinating. Have any of you read his books, or similar, and do you practice meditation? What talented young singers! A super lunchtime concert at the University of Glasgow yesterday.  My friend showed me how to edit a photograph so that the subject looks spotlit. Shining a light on all things good and beautiful.. You in your small corner, and I in mine.        ..looking like a Dutch old master oil painting.  I have just cooked them. Lightly poached in water and some dark brown soft sugar - not too much - a shake of ground cinnnamon, a pinch of grated orange rind, they are best served hot with some good vanilla icecream. A little garden therapy. I can't help making patterns!   |
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