Procrastination...

 



Embers smoulder in the fireplace as the sun starts to sink behind the rooftops. A seagull weaves across the sky, darting in and of heavy grey rainclouds. The sleeping cat in the armchair groans in contentment as a blackbird outside calls to her mate. The days are getting shorter as the countdown to the year’s end continues. It is hard to get motivated when the fireplace, the kitchen and comfort foods beckon so enticingly. Yet there is work to be done. Procrastination is my enemy and I don’t like to fight. I’m a pacifist. Not a fighter. But sometimes I think it might be quite helpful to slay this particular dragon… Procrastination; be gone... or do you have something to teach me, I wonder?

 

 (It's such a while since I've written a blog, but those of you who are linked up via facebook or twitter will know that I have been writing again, which is something that I am really enjoying)

..xx.. 

 

Windy day...

Buddhist prayer flags dance

While the wind chimes clatter...

Sunshine appears

Midnight Marauder

The clock is ticking in time with the raindrops pitter-pattering against the widow.
The sky is dark outside; illuminated slightly by the streetlamp, which is making the rain on the windows sparkle like the shimmering fairy lights across the fireplace.
Music drifts lazily over to me like a hazy mist lingering in the room.
Traffic rumbles past and disappears into the darkness.
Midnight stretches out his shiny black paws and starts to clean himself, in the hope that he’ll be allowed to stay the night…
Unfortunately for him, he isn’t…
But maybe he can stay a little bit longer…

The Swallows have returned for summer!

...with their wings as graceful as butterflies,

the swallows twist and turn;

 riding the wind like pegasus,

soaring through the skies...

Earth Day #Meditation

Today is Earth Day, so I wrote a little meditation that I thought I'd share via my various blogs.

If I had time I'd record it so that you can listen to it, but I'm a bit busy at the moment. Hopefully I'll have a bit of spare time sometime soon so that I can make a recording, but in the meantime you'll have to try it out for yourself. Maybe read it through first, then close your eyes and visualise it all. If you have any feedback, please share  it! Namaste. 

Take some nice deep breaths; in and out...
Let go... Relax... Breathe... In... Out... Breathe... Let go... Breathe...
If any thoughts come into your mind, let them go; let them drift by like clouds in the sky.
Breathe... Let go...
Enjoy the feeling of your body relaxing as your muscles relax and any tension slips away....
It feels good...

You are walking towards an old wooden gate...
You are feeling very calm and peaceful...
You can feel the warm earth beneath your bare feet...
You are part of the earth; connected to each other like threads of a beautiful tapestry... Feel the connection... Feel the earth grounding you... Feel the earth's energy flowing through you like a beautiful river of love and peace...
Pause at the gate for a moment... Feel the smooth wood underneath your fingertips...
Breathe... Smile...
Open the gate now and look around you... What can you see?
Breathe in the scent of the pine trees...
Notice the earthy smell of the forest floor...
Listen to the beautiful birds singing; so happy and carefree...
Taste the crystal clear air brushing against your lips...
Feel the gentle breeze caressing your hair...
Look up at the tall pine trees reaching so high into the sky... Sunlight is streaming through the branches, sending warmth and energy round you and through you and into every cell of your body...
How does it feel?
Enjoy the new energy flowing through you...
Breathe... Smile...
Walking along the winding path between the trees you feel such a deep sense of connection with mother earth... Gratitude flows through you... It is so good to be part of this beautiful world...
The birds are singing, the sun is shining and life is good...
Sit down for a moment or two, and lean your back against a tree... Feel the strength and wisdom flowing into you as you lean back into the trunk... Let the tree support you for a moment... Breathe... You and the tree are one... You are the tree...
How do you feel?
Your roots reach deep down into the earth, drawing up the energy from the earth's core, spreading up through the trunk and flowing along every branch, every leaf, and out into the air we breathe...
Breathe... Smile...
Place your hands flat on the ground now and feel the connection...
Thank you mother earth for all you give us, so generously...
You are always there for us, providing us with the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water of life... Thank you...
We are all one... Connected with every breath we take...
Stand up now and place your hands against the bark...
Feel the energy flow...
Thank the tree for being there for you. For supporting you. For sharing the energy and the gift of life... Wiggle your toes and feel the soft mossy green grass under your feet... Walk back towards the gate now, enjoying the birds singing and breathing in the scent of the pine trees...
How do you feel?
Look around you for a moment before you go back through the gate...
Smile...Breathe...
Close the gate behind you as you say goodbye... You'll come back again soon...
Take a few more breaths in and out... Notice your body...
Notice each breath...
Gently wiggle your toes...
Wiggle your fingers...
Smile...
Stretch...
How do you feel now?
When you're ready, open your eyes...
Take your time...
Have a drink of water and return to the here and now...

Granola Bars...

I made some rather chunky, tasty granola bars last night... here's the recipe, as requested via Twitter...

This recipe is a rough guide - use whatever fruit and nuts you like, but keep the quantities roughly the same.  
 

Ingredients
50g vegan margarine
200g maple syrup ( I use a mix of maple syrup & golden syrup and a generous splash of soya milk, to make up a total of 200ml)
225g oats
50g sunflower seeds
50g pumpkin seeds
50g almonds
50g hazelnuts
200g Dried fruit - your choice (raisins, sultanas, chopped apricots, cherries, blueberries, cranberries, pineapple, apple, papaya,etc. I sometimes add some vegan choc chips too, or poppy seeds, and sometimes a bit of cinnamon)
Vegan chocolate to cover, if required.

Method
Preheat oven to 180C / 350F / gas mark 4
Grease / line 20 x 30cm baking tray / ovenproof dish 
Melt margarine and syrup in a large saucepan.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix together well.
Pour into the baking tray / dish and bake in oven for 20mins or until golden brown.
Leave to cool.
If coating with chocolate, melt the chocolate and spread over the top. (5-6 oz, approx)
Leave to cool, then cut into squares or oblongs.
Enjoy!



apologies!...

So sorry for the lack of posts recently! I have been taking a photo (or usually more!) per day, but I just haven't had time to put them on the blog... Maybe one day I'll have time to get caught up with it all, but I'm not going to stress about it! Here's a photo from today though - my first ladybird sighting so far this year!

Project366, day35, a bit of bird watching :)

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#Project366, Day35, #febphotoaday challenge: A Stranger

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Today's challenge: A Stranger

#Project366, Day34, #febphotoaday challenge: Hands

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Thanks to Iona for the use of her hands in this photo and video!

  

Lost and Found...

The words for the spoken word bit on the previous blog...

Lost and Found…

The blank page reflects my

Blankness…

“Hello stranger; where have you been?”

Where have I been?

Where am I?
Where was I?
How did I

Slide

                                So far
                                                Away?

Without even
Realising?

Pretending I was too busy, I

Disconnected.
I switched off my inner voice…
Tried to ignore the whisper, the wise words
Crying out to be heard…
But I knew it was there all along;
The gentle voice,
Wise and strong.
I just needed to create
A bit of

Distance.

Press ‘pause’ for a while.

Because sometimes
Ignorance

Is bliss.

Or that’s what I tried to tell myself,
As I drifted,

Faltered,

Mourned

And grieved….

Feeling lost.

All the while ignoring my inner guide’s call

As my soul wailed a mournful song that went

Unheard…

But now with rueful smile I find that all along
It was me I’ve missed most of all…

Hello stranger; your lament is done!
Come; step out of the shadows
Back into the sun.

Step forward
Come on;
Come

Into the sun…

Stepping forward, I shiver

And feel
The ice start to melt…
The ice starts to melt.
It feels
Good.

3^rd Feb 2012

Lost and Found...

Lost and Found...

If you click on the 'Lost and Found' link above, it will hopefully take you to a recording of something I've just written and recorded... I'll post the words in the next blog...

Project 366 - Day 33 #video

33-366 
 I love the sound of trickling water...

Project 366 - Day 33 #febphotoaday challenge

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Theme - Words

I had fun making this :)

Project 366 - Day 32, ... Trees and Crows...

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  Well, we're into February now! This is a photo and video from my walk this morning. I've really enjoyed recording snippets of every day so far, but I'm realising that the more time I'm spending doing this means that I have less time to write, and that is something I really want to make time for this year. Writing is something I love to do, but it has really slipped down my daily 'to-do' list, and it needs to be placed firmly near the top... While I work out how to shuffle things round to create a space for writing, I will also reconsider my blogging priorities... In the meantime, I hope you continue to enjoy the photos & videos!... 

#Project366 - Day 31, Today

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Today... the final photo for this month!

Let's see how long I can keep this up!

I might knock the daily video on the head, because it's quite time consuming, and they aren't generating much interest, but we'll see...



Project366, Day31, Sea

31-366 The sea today...

Project366, Day 30, #Guidance for this week

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#Project366 - Day 30...

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View from the window this morning - I like the colours...



Project 366 - Day 29... #Rain...

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Rain...



Project366, Day29, A rainy Sunday

 Sometimes it's really nice to stay indoors on a cold, wet, grey Sunday...Watching the rain through the window...  

Project 366 - Day 28...

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another day, another cat, another photo...



Project366, Day28, Saturday morning...

 

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This morning...

 

 

Project 366 - Day 27... #Cat

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Cleo - I can't believe I've got to day 27 and there isn't a single photo of a cat yet!



Project366, day 27, Mouth of the Tyne...

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where the river Tyne meets the North Sea...

Project 366 - Day 26... #Lighthouse

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I quite like the wispy clouds...



Project366, Day26, today

 26/366 This morning... 

Project 366 - Day 25...

25-366

This is quite similar to the photo I posted a couple of days ago - it's the same window - but I wanted to record the fact that it was my birthday yesterday - this photo has some of the birthday cards on the windowsill...



Project366, Day25, #Sea

25/366 This morning ... it has been quite a grey day today... 

Project 366 - Day 24... #Pigeon

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a pigeon today...



Project366, Day24, my birthday :)

 24-366  

#Cats ...

Just some photos from today...

Midnight, being nosey...

Tabitha enjoying the sunshine...

Cleo and Teddy...

Midnight trying to look macho, but failing, due to floral cushions...



Project366, Day 23, #guidance for this week

23-366

Project 366 - Day 23...

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This morning...



Project366, Day 22; Sunday morning...

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A typical Sunday morning chez les Bruns ...

Project 366 - Day 22. #clouds

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The view from my porch this morning...

Project366, Day21, #Reflections video

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Project 366 - Day 21...

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Photo from a lovely day out I had today!



Project366, Day 20, Holywell dene walk

I put some photos from my walk yesterday into a little video...

Project 366 - Day 20...

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Grey St, Newcastle...



Project 366 - Day 19... Horse...

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so beautiful...

♡



Project366, Day 19, horses

19-366 ♡

Project366, Day 18. Video: Starlings

 18/366  It's quite a grey and gloomy day today, but the starlings always put a smile on my face when they pop by for a quick bite to eat...  

Project 366 - Day 18...

18-366

I'm quite pleased that so far this year I've baked all of my bread, rather than buying it from the supermarket. This was pumpkin seed bread :)



Project 366 - Day 17...

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I had a cold and frosty walk to work this morning…



Project366, Day17. Frosty morning (video)

  

Project 366 - Day 16...

16-366

A seagull, Cullercoats beach this afternoon...



Project366, Day 16, #guidance cards

 

 

16/366

 

today's video is an oracle card reading for this week,,,

 

Project366, Day 15 (video)...

  A clip of my start to today... I love watching the smoke dance hypnotically across the room. I was also drawn to look out of the window at the frost and pale pink sky...  

Project 366 - Day 15...

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I like how there's an orange glow in the sky as the sun was going down which links in nicely with the orange glow shining through the church windows...

Project 366, Day 14. Beach

14-366 - I actually took this one a couple of days ago, but just uploaded it today, so it still kind of counts...

Project 366 - Day 14...

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Beautiful blue sky along the quayside in Newcastle today!...



Project 366, Day 13, Photo

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This morning - I like the way it looks old and blurry.
There was a bird flying in the middle left hand side - I like how it isn't obvious what it is.
I'm tying to take different kinds of photos in this project, so that it won't just be a collection of different photos of the same view - although there's nothing wrong with that!

Project366, Day 13. Video: sea

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Today's video... I'm afraid that a lot of these videos are going to feature the sea!

Project 366 - Day 12... Shadow

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my shadow on Tynemouth longsands beach this morning



Project 366, Day 12. (video) Rain

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Just a short clip from this morning, when I was sitting in the car, watching the rain. Soon after, the rain stopped, and I had a lovely walk :)

Project 366 - Day 11...

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Sunset this evening - it was like a ball of glowing fire!



Trees...

"Have you ever noticed a tree standing naked against the sky,
How beautiful it is? 
All its branches are outlined, and in its nakedness
There is a poem, there is a song. 
Every leaf is gone and it is waiting for the spring. 
When the spring comes, it again fills the tree with
The music of many leaves,
Which in due season fall and are blown away.
And this is the way of life."
-  Krishnamurti  



Project 366 - Day 11 ... (video)

....just a snippet of the view this morning...

Project 366 - Day 10 ... (video)

Making soup...

 

Project 366 - Day 10...

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Sunrise this morning

So beautiful to wake up to!



Project 366 - Day 9...

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Today's photo - boats :)



Project 366 - Day 9 ... (video)

Video 9/366  There is a bit of sound distortion from the wind at times, and it's a bit shaky in places as I was walking along, but the main aim of the video was to capture the cheery birdsong that always makes me smile when I walk along this particular part of the path along the coast at Cullercoats! :) 

Project 366 Day 8 video

Midnight the cat watching Iona painting this afternoon... 

(I need to organise the other videos properly, for days 1-7. I might end up making project 366 just one blog entry a day, consisting of either a photo or video or writing, as I think I'll exhaust myself and give up, if I try to do 2 or 3 every day!!) xx

Project 366 - Day 8...

8/366

shells and stones from my walk this morning

 

One of life's great sources of satisfaction, for me,  is collecting a handful of shells and pebbles on the beach then putting them into my pocket and turning them over pensively whilst

walking along deep in thought. There's something quite comforting and reassuring about pebbles. They're solid and dependable.

Project366 Video: Day7: Feeding the ducks

 7-366 Having fun feeding the ducks...  

Pairs...

When  I was sorting through today's photos, I thought these pairs went together quite well!

Swan

Goose

Mother

Daughter

 

Day

Night