We may be in Lockdown but there is always a silver lining to everything challenging that appears to test us. And here amongst the storms (political and climatic) we get to take a closer look at the change in seasons during the early days of Spring. Look what sprung up! Check out these cool things that have been popping up since the 1st of September Down Under.
The first of September has raised her head
With plenty of flowers, pink, mauve and also red
Daffodils now have been and gone
But between the storms the sun has shone
Orchids and tulips, yellow and pink
Macadamia nuts? That’s what we think
Heaps of birds on the scrounge
I can hear their chorus from the lounge
Like the fantail who darts with you from A to B
The cutest and cheekiest bird you will ever see
The doves and waxeye love dining out on grapefruit
Auckland, New Zealand is back in Lockdown (three days at this stage) and the rest of New Zealand/Aotearoa has some restrictions – but there is a silver lining to another 21st century event – Mother Nature…
No time to muck around
Auckland is back in ‘LOCKDOWN’
We’re tucked away in our nature retreat
In solitude, writing and feeling sweet
The Hibiscus, in full bloom after a day of water falling from the sky
Got our supplies and living ‘off the land’
Dancing to the drummer – in our own band
Plenty of onions, herbs and silver beet
Blueberries, bananas and oranges oh so sweet
A small gift from Papatuanuku (Mother Nature) – Gaia
The water tanks are almost full!
Thanks to the torrential rain, oh so cool
Fruit trees and flowers have quenched their thirst
The tanks in the summer are FULL, it’s a first!
Solar panels, have kept our water hot
I tell you self-sufficient ‘on this small lot’
Bananas straight off the vine – we are sharing with the local bird menagerie though as you can see 🙂
Clara aka Flat White in ‘Scorpions In Stilettos‘ is keeping a journal of her roller coaster of emotions and the triggers in her life, how she reacts versus responds to the world, her thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
Some of her ‘real, authentic’ thoughts hit the pages of the book and some didn’t.
Here are a few for you to ponder over.
Wow what does Flat White have to do to stay in shape like this??
To slip from one world to another
The freedom it offers like no other
You see when I was young, I got bored
And at times it was often ignored
Her favourite childhood fairy
So, I created myself an imaginary friend
Not exactly a popular trend
But I didn’t like being on my own
And had a lot of time all alone
Flat White’s child hood escape, the garden next door
I would sit there so meek and mild
And let my imagination just run wild
I’d sit alone anywhere and contemplate
You grown ups may call it to meditate
A Kereru (wood pigeon) in the next door garden
I relaxed every muscle in my body
Becoming no one, nothing, no body
I would breath in 1, 2, 3
Breath out feeling free
Now I’m grown up I’ve returned to meditation
Now every morning it’s my ritual I do without hesitation
Treat yourself to a luxurious bath or shower with your favourite music playing. Wash your hair, scrub your body, brush your teeth. lather your whole body in moisturiser.
Get out of the house, go for a walk. take your headphones, go to the beach, the bush and walk. Smile at strangers and be surprised at how many people smile back at you. Bring your dog and observe their behaviour. you can learn from your dog. Your dog doesn’t have any filters or judgements, he/she is just real and loves to play.
Message friends and family with personal jokes, or reminisce. Initiate a catch up even if you are too busy!
Think long and hard about what interests you. Adventure? Murder mystery? Crime? Sex? Romance? History? Find a book about it and read it. There is a book about literally everything.
Evolve into the person you would ideally fall in love with.
Let traffic merge into your lane when driving.
Pay double for parking tickets and leave a second one in the machine.
Stick your tongue out at babies.
Help an animal.
Compliment people on their behaviour, clothes, accessories.
Challenge yourself to not ridicule anyone for a whole day, then two, then a week.
Stand, sit, walk with a straight posture.
Look people in the eye.
Ask people about their story and listen.
Talk to acquaintances so they become friends.
Back outdoors, hang in the sunshine.
Daydream about the life you would lead if failure wasn’t a thing.
Open your eyes, notice different things and take in details.
Take small steps to make this all happen for you…”
Kindly written by Author: Emma Elsworthy. Thanks Emma, I love this and am practising many of these. Thanks so much for sharing!
Ever tried to change your behaviour, your habits with new ones, trying out new rituals?
We are in the process of changing a few ‘outlived habits’ that are well past their ‘use by date’ – still on our Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Dairy Free diet and now learning more about the Circadian rhythm to improve our sleep.
Here are some tips I found the other day.
It’s all about baby steps, one step forward, so it’s not too much of a huge change all in one go…
Rise out of bed before the rest of the globe – start with 7am, then 6am, then 5:30am. See if you are lucky enough watch the sun rise!
Jump into bed earlier so you can fall asleep earlier, like 11pm, progress to 10pm, then 9pm and wake up in the morning feeling re-energized and comfortable. Stand in your garden barefoot, or lie down and feel the sunshine on your skin.
Get into the routine by starting the day, if you don’t already, with a good healthy breakfast, eggs, fresh avocado, fresh fruit …
Stretch your body, do the Victory pose, reach for the sky as hard as you can, touch or aim for your toes, roll your head, stretch your fingers, stretch everything, all of those redundant parts of your body.
Purchase a 1L water bottle and down 1L of water a day, then once you can do that, go for twice as much!
Buy a diary that resonates with you, funky bright or neutral colours, what ever resonates with you… and a beautiful black or blue pen and write down everything you do, including dinner dates, appointments, assignments, coffees, what you need to do that day, your goals, your self-care. All those little steps, so you can look back and see how far you have come!
Dig your fingers and toes into the earth. Go a bit further and plant a seed or two and celebrate your success as it grows every day. Prune a shrub, rose or tree and watch mother natures magic as they grow new shoots and flowers.
Re-arrange your room, shelves and books, fold all your clothes and do a ‘feng shui’ spring clean, donate what you don’t want to your favourite or closest charity shop. Clean your mirror, your laptop, vacuum the floor. Light a beautiful candle, burn essential oils.
Breathe. practice your deep belly breathing. Ground yourself often.
Mu's Musings 