Two for the price of one,

Dear Diary,

Two for the price of one today. BOGOF :)




Waking is hard from deep slumber. Last night’s tiredness was the ‘exhaustion’ type after a long and busy day at work. Funny isn’t it, there are two types of fatigue; the physical-exertion-in-the fresh-air type which just feels good and the tense muscle type, more often caused by stress or overdoing it.

But there is a light in the sky!

Sunshine. Why does it lift our spirits so? It makes everywhere look better too. Do its rays stimulate endorphin production or something?

And joy of joys it is the first of my nine days at home, my do nothing days/play days which are essential for the soul. Difficult I know if you have young children, but I have been there. Those days, though hard and tiring, will not come again and they just fly by.

God I am in Granny mode again, stop me now. …

*

I have taken up the tarot again. The pack must be at least thirty years old and has been languishing on my bookshelf, untouched for nearly as many. It’s moved with me on my many ‘moves’ but strangely enough was never consulted in my (many) stressful times.

I have dowsed, prayed, visualised creatively, thought positively, consulted my favourite astrologer (Jonathan Cainer), read umpteen uplifting books, spiritual and more and visited clairvoyants and mediums. What for? All to find some kind of harmony, comfort, a sense of order perhaps in chaotic times? As well as to try and find the truth about my own beginnings, but that’s another story. All were tools for growth and offering in their own way some explanation, some guidance on my life’s path.

I am not in need now, I would say I have never been happier and think it is my turn to help other people. So I have dusted off the old pack and will start again on reading those signs…..

When I first studied the Tarot many moons ago, it was as they say ‘spookily accurate’, frighteningly so, even to me, not easily spooked and quite used to psychic revelations. But its accuracy was not in any way evil or negative I hasten to add.

*

Writing is a wonderful pastime, hobby, passion, call it what you will. At the minimum all you need is a pen, paper, and in my case a Thesaurus is useful, if you are prone to overdo some words. I do overdo the ‘f’ word (yes favourite!). Lovely, and great too, boring words like that. I hate them! But tool-wise you don’t need a lot, it must be the cheapest ’hobby’. A portable one too. Pen and paper close by are all you need really, the rest is up to the I-magi-nation. A computer helps of course to ‘bang it all out’.

I am still having fun adding music to my play lists; I am on my third list now. The feedback so far is positive but if you don’t like it or feel it interferes with your concentration you can easily click the Pause button or switch the volume control off. Music is a personal thing and personally I could not live without it! All our family are the same; my son writes songs, sings and plays the guitar. He gets withdrawal symptoms if he is parted from his guitar and we all know what they feel like don’t we?

Blessings.

Sunshine, Sun on water. The rainbow effect on the cottage walls of the reflection of the crystals hanging in the windows.

Poems written by my daughter which arrive in an email for me to comment upon.

Good news, yes there was some today. Journalist Alan Johnson is alive and has been seen on video.

Hope. Another virtue, another name.

I called my daughter Verity as I liked the name but also because the virtue is one of those most important to me. (I escaped the f word that time!)

Sometimes hope is all you can do. Sometimes worries niggle away in your insides and keep re-surfacing in your thoughts. But Hope is there to call on and also Faith.

Faith is a lovely name too. (Hello dear Faith).

Faith is believing in something you can’t prove.

Unlike scientists I do a lot of that. Actually most of what I believe about life cannot be proved.

You are all thinking that the next blessing will be Charity but you are wrong. Nothing against Charity of course but Time is against me.

Back to earth now.

TV . Mostly it is not worth watching but occasionally it is just what I need when I am exhausted or brain-dead after a long day at work.

I have become an avid watcher of BBC’s ‘Springwatch‘. I know I have my own version going on outside the cottage and I only have to look outside any window or take a tour around outside, but the TV programme is fascinating nonetheless, especially seeing inside the birds’ nests. I have learned a few things too; I learned that the male woodpecker has a red spot on his head. I learned that foxes are living in the city of Glasgow and have lairs bang next door to busy roads. Also a lot from Scotland about the corncrake whose numbers are increasing on the Isle of Islay.

And I had to laugh at Bill Oddie camouflaged up, sitting on a riverbank, holding out a stick so he could get close up to a kingfisher. It worked though. It’s a long time since I have enjoyed a programme so much, I hope I catch it again next week.

I am inspired to get up really early (inspired yes but WILL I?) so I can sit by our riverbank and watch for the kingfisher in a similar fashion. But instead of a stick I will sit by our bridge as I know they fish from there. Their irridiscent blue colour is something well worth waiting for.


I will sign off now as I have to go to Hay. While there I will visit that lovely Radio 4 greengrocer (whoops the ‘l’ word) but will avert my eyes from the tempting clothes shops. I'll go in the Oxfam shop instead.

There is something about Hay-on-Wye, it seems every time I go there the sun shines. The place does have special energies of that am sure. Apart from all the tempting shops and the array of book shops which are a bibliophile’s delight, there is always a feeling of positivity in the air, something I just can’t put into words and something that I could definitely not prove!

Bye for now,
Caitx