Silent Connections

When I was seven I was given a key to a door.  You might be thinking that is rather a young age but I am not talking about a door to a building, it was a membership to the RSPB, to what was then called the YOC (Young Ornithologists Club).  I got a magazine every other month which I remember reading from cover to cover each time it arrived through the post.  That membership opened a door to a world that I loved and have continue to love to this day.

A few weeks ago my husband and Cameron went on a bike ride one evening, whilst they were out they saw Short Eared Owls hunting, a bird I had never seen.  A few days later Alice and I went up to the same spot with my husband to see if we could we could see them too.  We were richly rewarded.  When I spotted them through my binoculars it was one of those moments when we feel what we are seeing inside, words will just not do.  There were four birds in all, possibly two adults and their young hunting.  One of them flew incredibly close to us, near enough to see them without using the binoculars, we realised that we were watching them from a spot that the owls themselves use for regurgitating their pellets.  They were so beautiful, flying in the setting sun, the rays catching their stunning markings.

One of Alice's friends had a birthday recently, she was able to have an outside gathering of friends.  It was a gloriously hot day which was spent in a beautiful place amongst the trees on the side of a hill. A wooden platform built in the trees provided the perfect place to soak up the beauty of the woods, lying on my back watching the fluffy clouds slowly drifting across the sky, so relaxing! We had a walk up to a nearby tarn (a small lake in my part of the world) for a lovely swim to cool off.  The views from up there were hazy but magnificent and wonderful to drink up.

We have spent time in other lakes and rivers swimming, the view of the water giving a totally different perspective of the world.  I have been amazed at how long I have been able to swim without stopping, often in deep water, it is so so different from swimming in a pool.  The beautiful scenery makes all the difference too, not quite like the clinical walls of a public swimming pool!  It is so relaxing and calming.

The heather is in full bloom here now, in all its purple glory.  There are places where it looks like a sea with the wind blowing and creating ripples, the contrast with a moody grey sky was stunning on a recent walk I did with two dear friends.  We sat in silence in a stone circle, a really special place, surrounded by the heather, soaking in the beauty of the surroundings being held by it all, circles within circles entwined and supporting each other.

Yesterday was my shopping day.  It was so busy in the town, tourist season is in full swing bringing people to the beautiful area that I call home.  I do find it exhausting navigating my way through the sea of people, playing a game of dodgems where few people are concentrating.  I collected a special item which has been for a repair.  At the beginning of lockdown, whilst working in the polytunnel, I managed to snag my gold rope necklace.  I realised it was caught on something just a second too late, as I stood up it snapped.  I have been without it for weeks, months, a necklace that is always round my neck day after day,    I am so happy to have it back with me.  It was my granny's, a necklace that she too wore every day, a 40th birthday present from her husband my grandfather, she would have been 101 this year.  The necklace is a reminder of her, she is with me all the time, I have missed that comforting presence.

Some thoughts

When I was looking back at last year to write my last post I realised that lovely as it is to be reminded of what you have been doing from photos there are so many other things that we have done that are no photos for either because there was no camera to hand or we were too focused on the moment to consider taking one.

I have also been reading old posts from the past few years which reminded me of some of the things that I have shared on here.  I am writing posts once or twice a week which seems to be sustainable for me, this adds up to about five posts a month, I have realised that if I am to write about more of things that we are doing I need to be compiling more roundup type posts that cover a broader range of things rather than those that focus on just one.  I used to join a lovely link up focused on slow living, there were nine topics to write about every month suggested by the host, they helped you to focus on taking things slow, my kind of living.  Inspired by that link up, which is no longer running, I have come up with my own seven words that I will be inspired by and write about each month, like keeping an online journal.

Nourish what we have been cooking and eating using as seasonal and local ingredients as possible, maybe sharing recipes and tips.

Lessen our attempts to lessen our impact on the world inspired in part by the ideas of a circular economy of reusing, repairing or recycling by making something else, of buying less - especially packaged items, buying in bulk and decluttering.

Grow what is growing in the garden, what we are harvesting to eat/preserve.

Thankful what we have been grateful for this month, it could be many things or just one.

Create anything we have created be it with wool, fabric, wood, metal or words the list is endless.

Learn it is never too late to start learning and discover something new and it is always good to share this with others.

Fun saving the best and perhaps most important till last, we all need to have fun and enjoyment in our lives lets embrace it and share.

I would love it if you would join me.  If one or many of these words don't inspire you feel free to leave them out or come up with your own that do.  If it is not your thing I hope you will still visit here and read along with me each month.  Either way I could do with your help.  I have been trying to come up with a title/name for these monthly posts and can't find the right words.  I have thought about using the month name with conscious, mindful or focusing but they are not quite right.

Any suggestions?

I shall be posting my first monthly roundup on Tuesday 4 February.