This year so far has been a weird mix of bright sunshine and dark rain clouds, physically and metaphorically. I either feel light and airy, or weighed down by stresses so heavy I don’t know how to get out from under them. I know sometimes the weather has the guiding hand in my emotions, but at other times the warmth is there regardless of the … Continue reading A Winter Wellness List
December’s posts this year all share the theme of Mindful Christmas. There’ll be short posts each day encouraging us to pause and look at our celebrations in a more measured, mindful way. Every day has a concept heavily tied in to Christmas, and the plan is to look at them individually, examine what role they play in our own Christmas and, if we decide we … Continue reading Gratitude: Mindful Christmas Day 20
I settled down today at the office on the hottest day we’ve had for a while. Not a day sensibly for lighting a candle, and yet I did. I like having a candle in the office, especially on dark and dreek days. It adds a touch of cosiness, of warmth and homeliness. More often than not it’s a scented candle. This summer was a St … Continue reading When Everyday Smells Like Your Cosiest Coffee Shop: September Small Things Day 7
And so it begins…. My treat for today was a new magazine and a watch of Walking On Sunshine. How have I missed that one before? I have to say, my heart simultaneously skipped and dropped at the sight of a Christmas magazine on the stand. I know come 15th September we’re into double figures… but I also know that Christmas is as far away … Continue reading A New Magazine That Really Suits Me… And Sarah Got Some, too: September Small Things Day 4
Crazy busy weekend, eh? Not for me personally: I spent the weekend either hunched over coughing and sneezing or asleep on my bed which (currently) lies in the middle of the living room. We’re having the ensuite bathroom re-tiled, a job which takes far longer than I ever realised possible and takes a lot of slicing and cutting. The plumber is very nice, but even … Continue reading Life is made up of the Small Things.
March 29th 2021 and England has taken another step towards freedom. A little less locked down. In England, from today, the rules are now that six people can meet outside, two households can get together inside, outdoor sports are allowed again and weddings can begin again, although they’re limited to only six attending. Time to crawl out of the cave and start blinking at sunlight … Continue reading I May Come Out of the Cave, but I’m NOT Leaving it For Good.
Today’s title is freely nicked from a hymn I remember singing in my school days. The chorus (which is the bit that has stuck with me forever, or at least 45 years whichever is longest) goes like this: Freely, freely You have received, Freely, freely give…. The hymn is actually about receiving God’s grace and forgiveness of sin. Whether you believe in God or not, … Continue reading Freely, Freely You Have Received…..
How to Hygge the British Way 