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You can always tell a blogger - they photograph their food before they eat it! It's a wonderful and relaxing treat to have such food put down in frnt of you. Leisurely breakfasts and healthy lunches..  Salads and juices with 7, 8, 9 ingredients.    A restaurant on the beach as the sun set - torches lit the beach after dark and we waded into the still warm sea.     Desserts included the best affogato ever! All making me rethink my cooking at home..
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Though maybe chill wasn't the word for temperatures of 31 degrees! In the sense of relaxing and taking it easy, it was perfect. Had a wonderful week in Cannes on the beautiful Cote d'Azur. I hope you hve had a lovely Midsummer Day.
..for five minutes or a fortnight, with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, in a hammock, playing with a cat or watching wildlife, a bath by candlelight, having a nap...what are your favoutie ways to chill?      I have only got part way through reading Simply Chill posts. This one still strikes a chord, and this one. I so enjoyed the comments on both.
I am going to take a little time away from the blog to chill. I hope you might enjoy browsing the archive while I am away! In my gentle reviiew of the ctegories of the blog I will skip Simply Bin It for now and look at Simply Chill.  After all, What is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare? And which month if not June is the best time to make time to Simply Chill? Depending on what device you are using, you will find this category on the side bar, or you may have to scroll down a long way... I hope you have time for a browse of this quite large category. Don't miss this one (do watch full screen) It's from a lovely television progranne from a few years ago. Tell me what you think of it! Did you find perfection? (See yesteday's post.) If you can't spot it around you, create it. Listen to the perfect music for this day or this moment, make the perfect lunch or sandwich, find that perfect birthday card or present for someoone. Here is my pocket of perfection for today. I find it helps me keep a balanced view of things and reduce anxiety. What use are we to anyone after all if we are overwhelmed and stressed?  ..except that it's only 371 days till next Christmas!
Smile... The damp chilly greenhouse may have been Covid-safe, but I now have a horrible cold.
There are times when it's wise just to give in and retire to bed. Back soon. Take care (especially if eating outside!) ...upon a star, makes no difference who you are. Or so the old song goes. Everything your heart desires will come to you.
I listened to twelve versions of the song and I couldn't find one I liked enough to share. Now I wish I could get it out of my head! I have been humming it, singing it and whistling it for days. So, I will go for the real thing. You know how I like the real thing. I am watching the weather waiting for the first starry night, when I will wrap up warm and sit on the porch with a drink and choose which wondrous star to wish on. But the wish of course, must be secret, or it won't come true.. I  As you know I acsolutely adore the smell of quince. I got to wondering why I had such a visceral response to this scent and sat thinking about it this warm morning recently, when the air was full of the delicious perfume. I picked up a fruit, put it to my nose and inhaled deeply and it came to me - it smells like a new baby!! A freshly washed new baby. If you have ever known the delight of holding a new baby on your shoulder and putting your face into it's sweet neck....that's the feeling that comes over me when I smell this smell. How odd. How lovely. Are there particular smells which affect you strongly? And do you know why? Sometimes I find things, but more often than not things find me. Here are some of the things that found me today about the pandemic and reactions to it other than those of politicians and economists... (Because of the random nature of this phenomenon I regret can't always credit them.) We must stay calm and centred so that we don't contrubute to the fear and anxiety. Two separate lines from a poem by South African Anton Taylor: The sun rises each day and so do the numbers and We must choose: I or Us We choose Us I think it was Jack Kornfield's wife who said that when you see the empty stadium or theatre what you are seeing is love in action - we are protecting people we will never meet - 'look into the emptiness and marvel at all that love'. Ask if the pandemic is happening to us or for us. This could be the time to do that inner work. We all have forgiveness to do for our hearts to be free. Dolly Parton has written a song about it one line of which is: If the virus don't kill us, the stay-at-home will!  Shall we just keep calm and carry on?
Mindful Escapes: Breathe, Release, Restore is a new programme on BBC 4 with truly wonderful nature photography. The very best thing about it is not being told that all the fabulous plants and animals are facing imminent extinction and that it's all our fault!! There is very little commentary - we are allowed to gaze in wonder and amazement.... Here is a short sample from YouTube..just three minutes but the programme is 30 minutes long and late in the evening. Perfect before bed. Now tell me that didn't slow you down! It seems you have to sign up for emails from Marie Kondo at konmarie.com to get this little meditation video. I can't link to it directly. I do find the emails attractive and short and not too frequent, so you might like to give it a try? I will keep this on my phone to use anywhere, anytime I need two minutes to chill. Lovely.  A cool moment..  Small pot of espresso  Dissolve tblsp sugar  Pur over lots of ice cubes  Add 100ml milk  Enjoy!
This is the first time I have made an iced latte In fact it's the first time I have had an iced latte It won't be the last. Do you have a favourite hot weather drink? I think if this pandemic experience has taught me anything it has taught me to be more patient. To appreciate slow. To take the time to do ordinary things properly. Mindfully.  Ready for ripening seeds.. I wonder if when it is over I will speed up again? Has coronavirus taught you anything about yourself?  Don't you just love that moment..  ..when the sun comes out from behind a cloud just as you sit down with a cup of tea.
Bliss. I bought a little notebook long and narrow, for lists. I do like lists! It was divided into Morning Afternoon Evening and In-between. Using it for the first time to plan my day I filled in various tasks under each heading and when I got to In-between I was about to add a few more chores when I thought No, In-between should be pause for thought, consider what I've just done, ask how successful it was, or wasn't, or how it made me feel, take a breath or a break before rushing on to the next thing.... It's quite important with big things too. A major project at work or at home, an excursion, a holiday, a family event happy or sad. One thing about this time though - you have to take it. The chances are no-one will give it to you! I've grown to love the In-between times, they bring me back to myself, whether it's a minute or two between phone calls, or a few days of juicing and retreat which I've had this week. I forgot to link to Toppings Booksellers. I see they have shops in Ely, Bath, and St Andrews as well as Edinburgh.  The odd tick from the heater in the hall. A crow caw. My own breath. Otherwise, utter silence.  I put a log on the fire and light a candle. My head is processing all the excitement of a few days in Glasgow and Edinburgh with Mary, and I'll be posting about them soon, but today I have become aware of how important the in-between times are. Today I am having a retreat day. ...put off asking for help even when you know you really need it? And then finally ask and find it is freely given and wasn't a big deal? We think we ought to do everything ourselves, don't want to be a nuisance or a burden, are afraid of looking foolish because we don't know how to do something, or we dread being told no and then we might die of embarassment. Somehow it is very hard to say the simple words Would you help me with this. (For some weird reason I can remember how to say it in Swedish but find it sometimes almost impossible to say in my own language.) I have an eye condition which means that in certain light I don't see very well and I have had to learn to speak up and ask for help on many occasions. I have found that people love to help. I have never been refused help when I have asked for it (and I do know that no-one actually dies of embarassment!) So I turn things around in my head and ask myself If someone asked me to do this would I think they ought to do it themselves, or they are a nuisance or stupid? In all likelihood I would think they must have a reason for asking and I'd probably be happy to help if I could. There's also perhaps the idea that to ask for help is to show weakness but knowing what courage it sometimes takes I prefer to think it shows strength to be able to ask for what I need. Always learning... What do you think?  First snow on the tops means it's time for the orange and cinnamon candle. Love it.
 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? Continuing Life Lessons From Phoebe. Lesson nine : play every day.    Never ignore a ball that comes your way.  And if all else fails just run fast all around the house, hurtle up and down the stairs, dive on and off the furniture leaping in the air and round and round in circles. At least once a day, more if you feel like it. Lesson ten : Just be yourself. This is maybe the best lesson of all. Phoebe is never anthing but just Phoebe.  Shall we just be ourselves and be content?
We are enough. At least for today. |
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July 2022
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