…just to have a walk.
Yes, I know.
A bit weird.
I had somewhere to be around 7ish this morning, so I went with my Babe to a nearby park before that.
He’s been stepping up his exercise regime, so I had a go too.
I got once round the (basketball?) courts!
Then I just enjoyed the view.
Been a bit weird this week. More than normal, anyway.
Still, there’s always room for oddities.
I might even go for a walk again, another day.
Who knows what could happen in this great, wild world?
😀
Got the sheets washed, duvets clean and aired, ready for spring to make its mind up and stay.
Or summer.
Whatever.
The last few days have been pain days, but I’ve still managed a lot more than I thought I would.
Watched lessons and zoom calls.
Maybe even understood most of them! 😆
I keep the laptop off on Sundays (except, very rarely, if there’s a deadline I need to meet), so I try to catch up by Saturday night.
Rest (and recharge) time tomorrow – yay!
I have refreshed my memory of beauty encountered on our getaway last weekend…
Fresh flowers by the bed 🙂
This giant on the patio!
A wealth of patterns, and textures, and shadows…
My studies have shown me interesting things.
…like the building blocks of creativity.
And I’ve been listening to music, to let the joy in…
I’ve had the lyric video for this on the blog already, but here’s the people version…
Rainbows and sunflowers!
(Of course, in my head, I will always hear Kermit ❤ )
This one came out of left field, but it’s something to think about.
May joy be unconfined!
Yesterday was our 30th (Pearl) anniversary.
Where did the time go?!
My Mum made us a photo framed with pearls.
I remember those youngsters!
We got back today from an overnight stay in the country.
Our room – the kitchen is behind on the left, and the bathroom on the right.
The price includes fresh bacon, and eggs from the onsite chooks, for breakfast.
It was a peaceful place, and we had a lovely time walking around the garden, sitting with a pot of tea enjoying the view, or talking over crackers with pate and a glass of wine.
Yes, we do know how to party!
A bit more of the view –
We reminisced about the years gone by, and talked about plans for the years to come.
It’s fairly common for us to take time to sit and talk, but there’s something about a cuppa tea on a wooden verandah, with mountains in the distance, that just takes it a bit above the ordinary…
We had hoped to see the stars last night, but it was too cloudy.
We caught the sunset, though!
❤
Well, winter came back for a visit.
It’s still not quite as cold as it could be, but my toes are gently freezing…yesterday the wind was so strong that I didn’t even consider putting the washing on the line. I had visions of our clothes winging their way to the river, and beyond!
The asparagus has sprung up again, and is ensuring that we don’t have to buy any for a while.
It seems the wildlife is also finding its way to the garden – I surprised a snake in our yard today, just next to our back path. It was only about a couple of feet long, so mid-size, I guess… they can move fast, can’t they? Don’t know what sort it was, but I thought I’d stay out of its way.
We’re off on our anniversary jaunt tomorrow, or at least an overnight stay not too far away.
It’s been many years of winters, washing, and anniversaries. Not so many snakes, though. 😀
But, it can be easy to let things slide, and take all the good stuff for granted.
Time to take stock again, and remember what’s important.
We’ve had our moments over the years.
But we’re still here 🙂 🙂 And there are a lot more years to come!
❤
Finally, the rain came!
My weather app was promising full on rain most of the day, but we didn’t get that until not long ago, and then, not for long.
Here’s a bit of colour, if you want a break from the grey!
🙂
It’s pleasantly cool, and peaceful in my little nook.
I’ve had a “Positive Vibes” incense stick burning, and have been meandering through time.
This morning I started a book – a memoir of time spent in Venice in the summer of 1957, apparently a transition time between the days of the “Grand Tour” and the advent of the package tour.
I spent a small part of the summer of 1994 in Venice. It’s one of the places I would have liked to see again, and to see better. My summer was firmly in the time of package tours, although I wandered round Europe on my own.
Sometimes I think about writing my memoirs of my travels. They wouldn’t be as glamorous as the book I’m reading – no taking care of titled children in the palazzo, rubbing shoulders with the elite! More stumbling around in my big boots and Tyrolean hat, trying not to collapse in the heat…
I want to remember what I can, though,
while I can still remember it.
My travel style was a bit chaotic – turning up to places and finding hostels when I got there, finding interesting nooks and crannies, but probably missing any number of tourist landmarks. This was long before you could look up your itinerary online. I’m sure I would be more prepared if I were to go again.
But, if I close my eyes, I can just hear the sound of the canals, the gondolas (and other water craft) clunking against the docks, the sound of many voices and languages… I can still, faintly, feel the heat radiating fom ancient stone.
And, just for a second, feel the serenity.
My Sweet Bean turned 21 today.
❤
Where has the time gone?!
There were no riotous parties, but he seemed to enjoy his day.
He chose his “cake” (a salted caramel chocolate cheesecake, I think).
It looks good!
Half of us couldn’t eat it (lactose and chocolate) so the rest went back into the freezer for another day.
So – time marches on.
I don’t feel quite old enough for my “baby” to be 21, but then, we’re looking at our 30th anniversary on Sunday.
Decades of goodness 🙂
Age has its sweetness, and glimpses of beauty…
a resting point on the way to the next flourishing years.
Don’t mind me.
I’m just trying to distract myself from the need to finish an essay for the nearly due assessment.
Look!
11, K9, 10, and a floral TARDIS!
😀
(got them off Facebook yesterday…)
Yes, I’ll stop procrastinating. Soon.
A lot of the questions I’ve been answering for my assessment are about my opinions on things. They’re taking longer than I thought they would… I’ve had to do a fair bit of reading, even if I know a bit about a topic. After all, how can I give an opinion on something if I’m not clear on what the something is?
Also – there are a lot of interesting side quests along the path of research!
So – I need to take time out, and clear my head a bit.
Tonight it’s a blog post.
Yesterday it was coffee (or hot chocolate) out.
I feel rested just looking at it 🙂
Well, back to the essay.
Or a bit more scrolling.
Whatever.
😆
I was dreading the advent of the hot weather this week.
I did have trouble yesterday – maybe hanging the washing in the sun (without a hat) wasn’t the best choice – but today has been on the right side of sunshine.
I’ve spent the first part of this week mulling over life, and living. A great evening service on Sunday night, and an inspiring Zoom call last night, have got me fired up for…something. Not sure of specifics yet! But I’ve been taking my time, and thinking through, and reading some books I’ve had waiting for a while.
The Sisterchicks book is one I bought a few months ago. The book series involves women (friends) coming to some sort of crossroads in life, and working out where God wants them to go next. They always involve travel 🙂 This one is set in Venice. The two women are middle-aged, and looking back on their lives, in order to go forward.
I thought I could relate.
The other book is one I’ve had for thirty years, but haven’t really used yet.I originally got it to put prayer requests in, and there are a couple in there – both long answered ❤ I’ve started writing in it now – I keep it with my daily devotional/writing books.
There’s no publishing date in it, but Google tells me it was published in 1870, and my copy has a newspaper clipping in it from 1869. I found it in a little second-hand bookshop in St Mary’s, Southampton (on the 10th May, 1994). And the preface is by J.C.Ryle, which I hadn’t noticed before now…
I feel like it’s been a good week so far!
I spent most of the afternoon in my cosy chair in the art room, with the windows open, an incense stick burning, and looking through papers while listening to old CDs.
Well, that’s a blast from the past!
Makes me feel young again 🙂
Also –
It also reminds me that I’ve been around for a while.
The sun is setting.
In the grand scheme of things, I don’t have too many years left.
Just enough to bring beauty,
add colour,
and let incense rise.
❤
What’s happening?!
It’s not even officially spring yet and we’re looking at summer temperatures next week!
It’s like winter took a peek round the door, then slammed it shut and took off running…
Thankfully it was cool enough to do the cleaning during the week for our inspection. Apparently we’re good tenants. 🙂
When we moved here I thought I could keep most surfaces clear, and reduce the need for dusting. Nearly a year on, I have a variety of clutter. I still don’t need to dust as much as at other places we’ve lived, but I did for the inspection. I have a tiny duster to flick over my bits and bobs, but some things are still too small, and have to be dusted by hand.
I don’t know where she came from, but I do know she topples easily off the shelf.
I also didn’t realise she had freckles until I looked at this photo.
My boys collect Lego minifigures, which come in packets, so you don’t know what you’ve got until you open it. This means you can get doubles. I got one from Biggest Boy the other day – an alien tourist.
Sometimes I feel like an alien in this world.
And I do like taking photos.
So – a photo by an “alien”, of an alien taking photos.
Why not? 😀
…and, speaking of aliens…
Well, it was this morning.
As it is, of course, every morning.
Each day starts new, and has 24 hours of potential in it…
I’ve been taking notes from lessons, each somewhere around two hours long.
I know I should summarise, just write down the good stuff. The trouble is – it’s all good stuff!
In the end, it was a good thing I had caught up on my notes (although there’s aways more to come). Today was a low energy day. I read for a bit, watched stuff for a bit. Got feedback for my first two assessments – all good!
It’s a new day for my favourite band (group?) as well – a new member, to replace an amazing singer, who is going on to do solo work.
I have to admit, I was apprehensive about what the new sound would be like.
Seems there was no reason to worry…
The new guy is the lead in this song.
His name is Adam. If you’re wondering about the “2 Adams 2 Many” sign – this is a five person group, and three of them are called Adam…
It’s good when something is better than you thought it would be.
Even if it’s a day that otherwise didn’t go the way that was expected.
🙂
And for days when there isn’t a happy new song waiting, I have my collection of cheery sayings!
There’s always night –
but there’s also always a dawn.
❤
a bit of creativity, a bit of eco consciousness, a bit of inspiration.... hopefully not a lot of pompousness and blathering :D
i'm not entirely sure what's going on here... let's travel along and see...
1000 Fields of Roses 