Today, the sun has been shining in between the clouds and I’ve been feeling upbeat with a good level of energy. My energy has definitely shifted now that I have changed the structure of my working week. I was wondering, why I didn’t think about this earlier in lock-down, why when things are all starting to open up again?
I think for me and probably for other people too, whilst in lock-down, we didn’t know how long this was going to go on for, so life felt a bit on ‘pause’ and in limbo. Plus, there was the mounting fear of how much of the country was going to get Covid-19 and die. Also, with the very strange times of just staying at home, everyone and everything just came to a standstill.
Certainly for me, I felt that I had no space in my life, I felt overwhelmed by it all. It’s strange, as my routine of going out hasn’t really changed, but I feel more relaxed, with more energy and more connected to myself.
I was talking to Kate a few days ago, about how the lack of movement in our lives, made us stagnant. If we are rushing to get ready to go to work or getting ready to go out, etc…this helps us shift our energy into a different place. Then we come home and there is a different energy, but in lock-down we haven’t had that.
It feels like the world has/had come to a standstill.
This picture was shared on a WhatsApp Group, taken in Edinburgh. Grass and flowers growing through the road on the Royal Mile, no one at work to tidy it up.
I have noticed that in quite a few places. Holyrood Park is massively overgrown, also the paths through Arthur’s Seat is really overgrown. Again, no one working to cut it. Everywhere you look, nature is growing, with no human intervention to cut it. It’s lovely to see.
But all because, everything has come to a standstill, everything has stopped during lock-down.
I was thinking more about this around when we go on holiday. Again, there is a lot of rushing around getting everything sorted, then we go away, then when we return, it’s like we are starting again, with a new fresh energy.
Often when we are away, we think about our lives back home, getting a different perspective, as we are looking at it, from the outside in – rather being in it.
We may come up with new ways we can live our life when we return.
So when we return, it’s like starting again – we are resetting the clock on our life.
Of course, with lock-down, we haven’t had that. Which I think is why my and probably others energy has been so stagnant.
Well, this has been my reflection on life today.
What do you think?
On our walk today, there were a couple of groups / classes going on in the park. Some guys doing some weights and gym type things and a group doing some kind of martial arts. I guess, if these things can’t take place outside, they are happening outside.
So lovely, to be seeing them, rather than behind closed doors in a gym. I hope this kind of thing continues.
Both groups seemed to be in ‘the zone’ so I didn’t disturb them for a photo, taking a sly one from afar!
You can click on either photo to see it in full-size and see the details of what these people are doing.
Poetry Corner
Today we have a poem from Fi, which she sent to me for Poetry Corner saying “Another poem I like”.
It is ‘How Did You Die?’ by Edumund Vance Cooke – at the bottom of the poem there is a YouTube video of it. Thanks Fi.
If you have a poem you like or is your favourite, please do submit them to me for Poetry Corner.
How Did You Die?
Did you tackle that trouble that came your way
With a resolute heart and cheerful?
Or hide your face from the light of day
With a craven soul and fearful?
Oh, a trouble’s a ton, or a trouble’s an ounce,
Or a trouble is what you make it,
And it isn’t the fact that you’re hurt that counts,
But only how did you take it?
You are beaten to earth? Well, well, what’s that?
Come up with a smiling face.
It’s nothing against you to fall down flat,
But to lie there — that’s disgrace.
The harder you’re thrown, why the higher you bounce;
Be proud of your blackened eye!
It isn’t the fact that you’re licked that counts,
It’s how did you fight — and why?
And though you be done to the death, what then?
If you battled the best you could,
If you played your part in the world of men,
Why, the Critic will call it good.
Death comes with a crawl, or comes with a pounce,
And whether he’s slow or spry,
It isn’t the fact that you’re dead that counts,
But only how did you die?
Jennie’s Mini-Blog Corner
Today would have been the day that Rebekka flew to Vienna so we decided to turn it into something positive and make it a mini grad celebration instead! We didn’t do much specifically except we got some takeaway pizza and sat in the park and chilled/chatted for a long while. It was super wholesome and lovely. Also spent a good deal of the day listening to music (old school Taylor Swift for the win) and being nostalgic and silly. Not much knitting today but lots of giggles! We’ll have to make up for the lack of knitting progress tomorrow.
Readers Corner
After having so much fun doing the ‘25-Day Push Challenge’, Fi has decided to continue with a new challenge – the ‘30 Day Push-Up Fundraiser Challenge‘, in which she does 100 push-ups everyday for 30 days! She is raising money for Ewen’s Room which promotes Wellbeing and Mental Health AND Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.
She is also using an App, that counts her push-ups, these have to go virtually flat to the floor to count! So she is really pushing it.
She is writing a daily blog about her challenge – I guess, she got fed up just appearing in ‘Readers Corner’ so decide to do her own blog 😉
You can read her blog here – https://fi-aftertherain.blogspot.com/2020/07/welcome-to-my-30-day-push-up.html
She has a fundraiser Thermometer on her Blog Page. If you want to make a donation, you can send a PayPal donation – http://paypal.me/fioweo
It Made Me Smile
This made me smile!
25 Day Push-Up Challenge
Day 19, nearly finished! Today, I tried putting the camera on a large rock on Arthur’s Seat, whilst I was out for a run.
As I come to the end of today’s blog, I am feeling happy with life. I can’t remember the last time I wrote that in this blog! A renewed sense that life is going to be O.K and glad that I am alive on this planet.
The struggles of staying up late writing this blog, have gone, writing the blog feels very much part of my daily life.
I used to feel, a kind of reluctance when time was heading towards 8pm, but now, that has gone. It is just part of life. I think the many sections in the blog, helps me fill it up with posts from others, so I then can just write some reflections at the start and end. This really helps and doesn’t leave me wondering why would anyone want to read about my daily life, trying to find something more interesting to write.
It’s been a lovely sunset again tonight. It wasn’t really warm today, but I think the sunshine definitely lifts my mood and energy.
I hope you have had a good start to your week.
Thanks for Reading.
Jim xx
Helen
Having your camera balanced on a rock to film your push-ups added a whole new element of suspense! Will the phone fall over? Will Jim finish his set of push-ups before the next gust of wind? Will a crow swoop down and snatch the phone off the rock? So much drama!