Some of the yummy things I have been up to.

Back in April I wrote about how busy I had been and hinted at some of the lovely things that I had to look forward to. So here's an update.

I have been thoroughly enjoying teaching relax stretch and breathe once a week since January. The group was never huge but there was a steady group. Most of the group have now had their babies and I am waiting for the group to replenish, the (hopefully short) break isn't unpleasant, especially as all three children are around and free of commitments just now.

In March I trained with Maggie Howell, founder of Natal hypnotherapy and I have now completed the assignments, I just need to do my assessment weekend workshops and I can call myself a Natal hypnotherapy practitioner, and start bringing the wonderful NH message to lots of people.

At the end of March we had a wonderful  holiday in Florida...which deserves it's own post (or two!)

We all went down to Wiltshire in May, the five of us plus Joe and Kate. To celebrate with Chris's parents as they rejoiced in 50 year of marriage...50 years! This year Chris and I have know each other for more than half that time, so I know that it goes in the blink of an eye!

Center Parcs was the perfect place to celebrate. A day out at the near by Longleat safari park went down a treat and the weather, which was cold so late into the year, behaved and served us with warm, sunny days apart from the day we made the long drive back home (via a quick stop at Stonehenge) which was a bit grey and dreary.

Our home for the long weekend

A pool table provided lots of entertainment for all 

Celebrations

We had great fun watching the monkeys strip other peoples cars, from the safety of the safari bus!

Chris found a friend!

To celebrate my birthday I joined Chris in London for a Green Day gig and we also met up with a friend and his partner that we haven't seen for at least 20 years!

Pwesents!

Yummy breakfast

Mojito before the gig

The Emirates stadium

Blueberry pancakes

answers on a postcard please!

The Golden Hind

Tower bridge opening

Despite all this busyness I'm really loving a renewed flush of love for yoga. Doing the yoga for pregnancy training (to add to the relax stretch and breathe) requires that I have my own yoga practice, this prompted me to (finally) find a class again, and I am loving being back. My approach has subtly changed too. Where I was previously reluctant to do many poses I now throw myself in with enthusiasm, and am mostly pleasantly surprised as to what I can achieve. I am also enjoying being generally more mindful, really embracing the Yogic principles.

Today a couple of things had me pausing to consider what it means to be a parent...a friend...a doula...

Being a successful parent ultimately means making yourself redundant, the same can be true for doula work...friends, who knows maybe they are different...

There is a saying 'give your child only two gifts.
Firm roots.
And strong wings.

Our instinct is to hold our children close, to protect them from all the evils of the world...

"I'm her Mama, this is what I do. We Mamas run through all the possible outcomes. We worry sometimes. And we do what we can to protect those tender hearts of theirs. But sometimes, we forget that the outcome isn't really what matters. Or at least, that it pales in comparison to what came before. And that those tender hearts are huge and strong too", by Soulemama.

...yet in our hearts we know that caged birds don't sing. That once we have given them those roots and wings we must set them free. Even when we know that those roots sometimes come away from the ground when the earth gets loose and the wind blows strong or that their wings will tire and they may come crashing down...

I have waxed lyrical before about my gratitude to my children for choosing me to be their mama...that feeling only grows stronger now that they are grown and making their own way in the world...

I do pause and ask myself what the future holds...ach! Such a pointless quest! Oh but what an adventure it is parenting, living, trying to figure what it's all about...

I'm trying something on for size....mindfulness....stilling my mind....I am yet a naïve beginner in this pursuit...and I suspect may remain at this level for some time to come...but it almost doesn't matter, you see...as it's the journey that matters not the destination....and what's the point of a journey if you don't take time to gaze out of the window and admire the view, or pause along the path to smell the flowers or paddle in the stream?  So I'm taking a little time each day to pause, I am shushing the monkey chatter when I can, noticing little things that I have missed when I have been rushing about...
I don't pretend that it's easy, it certainly doesn't come naturally. Being positive and still and appreciative these are not familiar....yet....

So now that my children are using their wings with their roots firmly grounded, I am remembering my own wings and stretching them a little, whilst resting in between to give them chance to grow strong again.

I fear I'm rambling now, the page is blurry from keeping my eyes open too long...I can't remember where I was going with this post...so I'll sign off and get some sleep...maybe tomorrow...oh wait it's past midnight...maybe when I wake I'll remember where this was heading...then again maybe I won't...

An end to busyness.....

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I have been quite busy recently. Only a year ago I completed my diploma work and for a short time (2 months max!) I enjoyed a hiatus.

June saw me exploring becoming a doula but it was September when the true madness set in and I haven't really slowed down since. I am starting to now though, I have one more assignment to complete for the Yoga for pregnancy module (though it will be another 8 months or so before I can use the title). Then I will turn all of my focus to Natal hypnotherapy, completing the training, doing the assessment and building up the business.

I had something of an epiphany at the weekend. I was bemoaning the fact that we still seem to be in the red most of the time despite all the hard work that my beloved does to bring home the bacon. Usually his response is to simply say that we spend more than we have. This never feels quite enough of an explanation, yes we live comfortably, but I don't feel we live extravagantly....so where is all the money going? On Sunday he gently reminded me of how much the training that I have been doing has cost....including the travel and accommodation costs. D'oh! I just hadn't thought about it (and yes I can hear myself, and appreciate what a phenomenally lucky position I'm in). I sat and added up how much it had cost, since September.....and I was truly shocked.... Beyond the financial cost there are other realisations, mainly that I have probably bitten off more than I can comfortably chew without choking... So I have made some firm resolutions. Firstly not to take on any new training until I have completed what I've started (that already feels hard as there are at least two courses that I would like to do!). Secondly to be much more mindful about how why and when I spend money... Thirdly to find ways to strike a balance between busyness, the routine, the mundane, the exciting and to find moments of quiet stillness. I'm looking forwards to all of it, completing the studying, adopting a more mindful way of being, picking up my knitting, finally turning those frozen blackberries into jam...
It has been a wild ride for a while, and all the spending and using my brain has been fun. However now is the time to give it all chance to mature, to stop flitting around like a butterfly (ah I'm living up to the characteristics of my star sign!) and to work with my new and old skills at least for a few months before thinking 'what now?'
And just so that I don't find the prospect of slowing up too dull, I am reminded of all the lovely, celebratory and pleasurable activities that are already in the diary....gigs, a trip to Centre Parcs, theatre tickets and no doubt a few more things will sneak their way in before the year is up. Not to mention taking time to replay our wonderful holiday in my mind, get time to print off the (many)photographs and dream about the next holiday. Now there's the potential for blog or two, but I have an assignment to write!

a moment of reflection

Stopping by here for a moment of quiet reflection.

The earth and I are slowly awakening from winter hibernation, welcoming the return of the light (though I have had precious little chance of hibernation this year.....and do you know I have really rather enjoyed the unseasonable busyness!)

Yesterday the weather was bright and there was real warmth in the sun. Hubby and I went for a late brunch to Cross Lanes farm and after we headed into Barny (Barnard Castle!). We have been visiting for over 13 years, but discovered the Riverside walk for the first time.

 

I am also conscious of lots of babies being born at the moment...partly occupational hazard I guess. At least two were born on valentines day, now that has to be a bit special, doesn't it?

One of the valentines babies is Dash, son of Kelle Hampton, whose blog Enjoying the Small Things I have been following and loving since the story of her second daughters birth went viral on the internet just over three years ago. You can read here blog here http://www.kellehampton.com/


The driveway extension that begin at new year is done (well all but a couple of tiny snagging points). It looks great and best of all means we no longer have to play Butterflies to get a car out! (and yes I can hear many things in that last sentence....and I am grateful to be so lucky to have cars and the finances to get building work done).

Day one

The whole project was made more challenging by the wintry weather.

 

 

I have so many exciting things happening in the next couple of months, if I think about it for too long it can leave me a little panicky! So I won't dwell....other than to say life is great and I know I will rise to the challenges.

 

 

And then there is the small matter of some rather significant anniversaries....two fiftieth wedding anniversaries.

And it will be thirty years since that evening in March when my beloved and I first met...

 

 

It almost hurts looking at how young we were....so many memories...so many years...so much love..