final edit

Having spotted the last post about her, Lottie decides she is going to edit all of my cat content from now on.

Lottie tries to assert herself

If I stay very still, they might not even notice I'm here. (She's not supposed to be in the bedroom you see.)

Rainbow

Do you see it's faint double across the top? Now that was a sacred/mindful moment.

And here are some random things:

1) Lottie has taken to chewing my hair.

2) P's out tonight and I feel lonely.

3) I haven't seen my parents in nearly 3 years, and my brother for longer than that.

4) I started my morning writing sessions again today cos I missed it - the feel of my black ink pen across the page and the headspace I get from doing it which is very much like meditation.

5) I've been an avid, passionate reader since I was a child. But I've always found it hard to name a favourite writer, or a favourite book. But having recently discovered the quiet and beautiful genius of Alice Munro, I happily and heartily name her as my favourite writer. If you haven't read any of her stories yet, you MUST. Right now!!

the weather

Today is the first day since coming down with the lurgy that I noticed what's going on outside. I haven't been outside for 5 days, and have been too out of it to even notice what kind of day it is. But today, I noticed. The sun was shining, the sky was a clear blue. So I put my winter coat on and ventured into the garden.

I was surprised to find that it was quite warm in the sunshine. It was quiet, there was practically no breeze, and I found a lone dandelion growing in the garden.

Jakey & Lottie soon joined me. Here's a little video I couldn't resist taking when Lottie started rolling around on her back in a very unladylike fashion.



As you can see, I have yet to master the art of video making. At the end, you can't see very well in the video what Jakey is staring at, but here is a closeup.

simple pleasures

I've been in bed all day. About an hour ago, I dragged myself into the kitchen, shuffling about in my pajamas and flannel bathrobe, the cats watching me with little quizzical tilts of the head. I'm in the grip of a horrid flu. It's my second cold in a month, but this one is far worse than the first one. I hadn't had anything to eat all day except for a cup of miso soup, and I suddenly had a craving for toast and jam. I hardly ever eat jam. I remembered today that I only tend to crave it when I am sick.

Lately, I have been reading about the my sacred life project on a few blogs. The idea is to photograph something sacred each day for a month, whatever is sacred to you. The idea is to connect you with sacredness in every day life. I really liked this idea and wanted to do it. Then I began to think about what these things might be and what makes them sacred and I realised that the thing that makes something sacred is something that I cannot photograph. And that is a certain state of mind, a state of awareness, mindfulness.

I have been interested in zen buddhism for a long time, but have never had a regular meditation practise. Then I realised that what I thought meditation had to be (sitting still on a cushion and stilling the mind) is only one way of meditating. There is also walking meditation, there is yoga, you can meditate while lying down, washing the dishes, cooking dinner, having a shower. It all depends on your state of mind.

Recently, I came across some writings by Jon Kabat-Zinn who defines mindfulness as paying attention in a particular way; being awake, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgementally. The non-judgemental bit is the key thing for me.

Practising mindfulness therefore, is like switching on your ability to truly appreciate the every day moments of your life, the ability to enjoy the simple pleasures that might otherwise just be thought of as dull and boring habits. And so this is what I am going to write about, these mindful moments, these simple pleasures. Things like eating brown toast with strawberry jam and a bowl of peas with butter.

After I had my toast, I had a sudden and intense craving for peas. I watched them as they boiled in the pan. Did you ever notice how they start off at the bottom, and then, as the water heats up, each pea bobs to the surface in its own time. And then, when they are ready, they release a subtle smell of "green". Being ill does force you to slow down. All your movements feel pronounced, some senses are dulled but others are heightened.

I ate the peas with a dollop of sunflower butter and a dash of salt. A bowl of steaming peas never tasted so good.

5 good things

Name 5 good things right here, right now:

1) Amina playing in the background peppered with scents and splashes from P's bath

2) the cup of tea P brought me before getting into his bath

3) P

4) Jakey & Lottie asleep in the room with me

5) Being here now


Spied on Kelly's blog.

Underground

out my window

This week I watched this tree across the street from us, change. I can't believe it shed its leaves so quickly!!