Hi guys , fleetwood Mac is on in the background. The Chain is playing and I am humming along as I write this blog post. I have a book and a dog by my side , it's cold outside and I have been thinking about the last week and the week ahead. Pretty basic pondering for a Sunday night ....
This week I saw Fifty Shades , got some good test results, cried a lot, read a lot , missed by babies and hugged my mum extra tight. I am still putting pen to paper with my journal and trying to put my feelings into perspective and finding solace in quietness and the therapy that comes with writing down the crap that runs through my head instead of turning it into a dumping ground for negativity, I put it on paper and forget it while still acknowledging it ...just not lingering on it.
I also left room for some gratitude in that journal, room for funny inspiring quotes, moments that gave me joy, kind things someone said or did that they won't likely remember but I will. Life is made up of so many moments that we have to stop sometimes and take in the good times, they might be something simple like a smile from a stranger, someone holding a door open for you, a hug from a friend you have not seen in ages , but sometimes it's easy to forget these things when life gives us a battering . Writing all the good bits of life down in one place is a good way to remind ourselves about the other parts of life, the parts that we will look back on years from now and and realise how great they truly were .
So to the sea I went this week as I always do when I need to just breathe..........to feel wind on my face , the taste of salt on my lips ,and the noise of the waves and the wind all around me.. The sea is so big and engulfing that me and my worries and problems seem to hardly matter in the greater scheme of things. I often bring a hot drink sometimes soup and sit there when the waves are really crashing and in the car it's quiet and warm and somehow comforting.
I don't know about you but when I am stressed I find it hard to concentrate so I have had to write down every single thing so I don't forget.. Bills to be paid, medication due to be taken and the time they were taken.. Shopping to do, birthdays to remember , doctors to ring, and even the things that bring me joy like reading and reviewing I have to write down to remind myself when they are due, library books due back, calls to return, letters to reply to. That's when moments when I see a card or a note come through my door like I did this week from a friend it can really make a difference in my day. I have a friend that I try to write to every week. We both don't make it every single week but we do try to. It's an old fashioned retro form of friendship that I love and appreciate and in a time when it would be easy to send email seeing a card or letter pop through the letter box can mean a lot that a person took the time to sit down and write or type a letter, swapping our news, talking about books as always and sharing the good times and bad. This is one of the things that goes in my gratitude journal.
Here is a some simple things that bring me joy.................
Sending a card to someone who is not expecting it .
Receiving them too, that always brings a smile.
Walking in bad weather, then hot tea and a book afterwards
Cooking a stew and smelling the aroma around the house.
Baking cookies ..them eating too many......
Hugs from the little people in my life.
Hugs from the bigger ones too.
Long chats with friends on the phone.
Unexpected texts from friends and family
Listening to music and singing along
Going to sleep listening to an audio book
Bubble baths and books
Hot soup and toasted sandwiches
Hearing my niece say I forgot to give her a kiss then putting her arms out for a hug and a kiss.
Hearing my nephews giggle
My godson poking me so I tickle him and listen to him explain to me about his tractors and trailers.
A friend talking to me in the middle of the night when I was in hospital and scared even though she had to be up early for class in the morning.
Waking up to tea with enough time to read a few pages before having to get up in the morning.
Hearing someone say I love you
Reading with my niece as she sits on my knee and turns the pages.
Watching my mum roll pastry for apple tarts or scones , the radio on in the background and the smell of the oven heating , cosy and warm in the kitchen with my mum as we talk and she she gestures as she talks with hands covered in flour.
Walking my dogs when it is windy watching their happy faces as they bounce along looking up occasionally at me , taking in every sight and with their nose in every new scent.
Making my bed with fresh bed linen and going to be bed early that night to read and smell the clean scent of my pillows.
Having at least one thing , even it is tiny, to look forward to each week.
Wearing bright colours on dark drizzly days .
Making lists and feeling organised when life feels out of control.
Seeing the spring flowers and bright colours of the new fashions in the shops, the darkness of winter feels like it is leaving and brighter days are ahead.
Finding singers that I instantly love ... This week .. Hold Back The River by James Bay and One Last Night by Vaults.
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