Savouring simple daily pleasures

As we wrap up this year, and wind down while simultaneously winding up for Christmas, Ive been pondering the inevitable, predictable and comforting cycles in life.

I happily spent a hot afternoon in the garden (post Christmas shopping in the city for the morning) trimming and cutting back my prolific hydrangeas, which were delightfully providing a nodding sea of blousy white pom poms on our driveway. They had reached a point in their abundance where the branches were so laden with blooms we could scarcely get the cars through without batting the wing mirrors against them and - in my husbands case- fearful of scratching the cars. 

We'd spent a pleasant morning in the heart of the city, armed with a Christmas wish list, and arriving before the shops opened in order to escape the crowds and the heat of the day. Feeling accomplished and a glittering glow of Christmas cheer, we paused for an alfresco coffee in the dappled shade of a street side terraced cafe before making our way home, the boot of the car laden with secrets. 

It was thoroughly enjoyable but coming home to the coolth of the shady porch, changing into denim shorts and a singlet, donning a wide brimmed sunhat and heading into the garden with a cat for company, was blissful. 

I had to trim back no less than 2 barrow loads of branches and blooms, and as I watched them wilting in the hot sun- as were the cat and myself by now - I pondered the significance of their lesson:

Beauty in abundance in each season, but a period of abundance is often followed by that of dormancy; both necessary for the wellbeing of the plant and its future growth, fortitude and beauty.

While it seemed so sad, and brutal even, to cut back so ruthlessly, I was able to offer a generous armful for neighbours and friends to collect for their vases, and to adorn their homes, to be enjoyed further, even if just for a little while. 

The driveway looks neater, and well manicured and maintained now, the white blooms are still prolific and just starting to tinge with a hit of blue as we transition into full summer, the bushes are happily still busily producing new buds and shoots, and the bees are busy finding new flowers to land on. 

The Hydrangeas will gradually turn from white, to the palest of blue, to a deep sky blue, and finally to a dapple mauve and purple hue, before browning entirely and becoming skeletons of their summer abundance.  Storing their nutrients and energy ready to burst forth again next year. 

Tea Break

We can look to these cycles as metaphors for our own life's  rhythms and patterns. As one part of our story concludes and another begins, the past chapters are now closed but have brought us to a new place, moving forward into something even more fulfilling, stepping more fully each time into our true selves, roots strengthening, and new shoots reaching out and upwards each time a cycle of growth is completed. 

So the big blousy blooms I cut back are not wasted, they were enjoyed and observed in their prime, and made way for the next season or new growth. 

I am so looking forward to the "between the years" week, as we finally will reach a point where we have no commitments, social engagements or have to's by Boxing day- (I know!) 

So I may take a little break from the blog while I work on my writing further, read the novels I have stacked up, and enjoy living with no time constraints or obligations for a few delicious weeks. 

Wishing you a peaceful festive season, and a new year of new opportunity, new growth, and brand new chapters to freshly open. 

 Savouring simple daily pleasures

I am grateful you have found me and my little corner of calm, peace, and contentment. 

In finding this you must be someone who cares about the things I care about- and value gentleness, mother nature,  and all the small, good things life has to offer.

Have you ever noticed that if you consciously start your day with positivity- an uplifting thought, more begin to flow naturally?

Much like priming a pump, once you have one, another will follow as your mind travels and then a steady trickle will develop, and continue to flow through your day. 

If a situation arises that might cause this to wane, take a pause, breathe, and begin again- and sure enough, you'll find, with practice, it gets easier and easier to get back on track, and stay breezy, positive and grateful.

I have employed this method throughout the last enormously busy week especially, making this morning's longed-for little outing even more special, appreciated, and wonderous. 

The week has been a blur of schedules taking me across town in peak traffic daily, long days, longer evenings, and a juggle of running a home alongside it all. Snatching up the few moments spare on a  commute to listen to something gentle, positive, uplifting, or funny, has really helped. Staying present and being mindful, having good conversations, and spending time with one of my daughters, have all contributed to this being a week I have enjoyed and savored not just coped with and "got through" as I might have allowed in the past. 

Today has been like a balm for my soul; I woke at first light, and after a strong coffee enjoyed with my cats I took a long leisurely walk up to our village, pausing frequently along the way to observe a flower, take a photo, or greet an acquaintance. I sat people-watching with a creamy coffee, before strolling to the artisan bakery to collect freshly baked pastries to take home for a breakfast treat. En route home, I passed near a little flower stall, situated just off the main street, and in my relaxed, slower state of mind, decided to take a slight detour to see if there were any bouquets or posies left.  Happily, there was just one remaining in the little wooden booth, in its mason jar of water- it was meant to be. 

I felt like I was walking through a beautifully written description in a novel as I made my way the last kilometer or so home, clutching my paper bag of pastries in one hand, and the wildflowers wrapped in brown paper and sting in the other. 

The entire excursion had been so very simple, so ordinary- and yet so special, exactly when I needed to soothe the hecticness of the past week. 

I began this post when I first returned, then got distracted, so returned to it just now, after a simple, leisurely al fresco dinner of grilled chicken, crispy garlic new potatoes, and a big green salad. The joy keeps on bubbling- a skein of geese flew overhead moments ago, honking their calls to one another as they traveled into the setting sunlight, and now, as the light fades, a bright glorious almost full moon is just peeking through the blossom laden trees in a blush pink sky. The birds are settling for the night, the crickets are starting their Chirruping stridulations, the air is still and fresh after the heat of the day, and my cool, crisp freshly made bed awaits me. 

I would be hard-pressed to conjure up a more perfect day to recover and reset from such a week.

Feeling an abundance of gratitude, and a little fizz of joyful anticipation for another equally beautiful day tomorrow. 

I have a little exercise for you to try when you have a moment- 

Set a timer for 1 minute and write down everything you are grateful for right now. 

Now set the timer once more, and this time write down everything you'd be grateful for if you knew you'd never have it again. 

Go on, try it. Shift your focus and feel the depth of the well of gratitude and abundance. 

 Savoring simple daily pleasures

As pressure builds during this busy time of year, even while employing techniques regualrly throughout the day of taking a pause, mentally regrouping, breath work, hydrating- and all that good stuff, its all too easy to get caught up, feel the overwhelm creeping up and go about our days in a constant state of alert, heart rates elivated and cortisol spikes a plenty. 

On this, the eve of my -notoriously- busiest week of the year, I decided to spend as much of this Sunday at home, ensuring the house was clean and tidy, laundry up to date, beds all freshly made with clean linens, fridge, and pantry well stocked with good, nutritious food, the lawns mown, and a hearty family meal followed by an early night to round off the weekend. 

The girls have been bust socializing at various beaches enjoying the early summer sun, and I took a walk with a podcast up a favorite shady woodland track. 

On my walk, I had a good talking to myself about the week ahead:

I wanted to reframe the jam-packed week - looking at it as something to savour and enjoy, not dread or worry about before its begun. 

There is no denying I will be shattered come next weekend- the week entails my regular weekday full-time job, heading straight across town when I finish there each day to don a headset and Backstage crew Tee Shirt to help at the annual dance school production until late each evening, and somewhere between the drive home and my 5am wake up my third role of homemaker, wife, and Mother- keeping the household fed, watered, clean and ticking over! 

But, and Its a bug BUT: I am choosing to savour and enjoy all the little moments along the way. Im going to look for and enjoy all the Ordinary Magic - the little tiny tasks, moments and treasures we can choose to notice and enjoy in our everyday. I will no doubt look back on these years with fondness and be so very grateful I was able to participate, and share the joy of such a special time in my little dancers lives. 

Spending time with my daughter doing something she loves to do; the evening drives in as the sun sets and watching the city sparkle with Christmas lights, the social aspect and comraderie of all the other parents who are doing exactly the same as me for that week, and when I return home, I intend to savor my sanctuary- making it a space in the busyness and rushing and adrenaline of performance, where kindness is commonplace, and peace prevails. 

I am going to do small things each day and enjoy them greatly- even if that's just the satisfaction of folding the line-dried washing, still warm from the day's sun, or stepping into a hot shower after a long day, using a favorite scented soap and anticipating clinging into my long-awaited bed. The freshness of a salad I have taken the time to pack earlier in the morning as my picnic dinner by the stage door.  A heart-shaped leaf I pass on my way to the theatre. 

I plan to look to my furry babies in the moments of quiet, where, in their feline wisdom they never seem to get numb or ambivalent about sheer joy- a nap, a meal, a cuddle, a cozy spot to get comfortable, and the quietitude and haven of home- all equally joyous to them each and every day. I need a sprinkle of that too. 

So, while I enjoy the ordinary magic of the gentle bubbling of the pot on my stove, the cicadas chirruping in the garden now the sun has dipped, and the deep sense of well-being felt after a sunny active, and productive day- I will leave you with that thought. 

To seek out the ordinary magic in your everydays- to elevate, add sparkle, and a sense of such deep contentedness even in the midst of a hectic schedule.