Be The One That Makes Others Feel Special

Hallo again everyone. After weeks of rain here in Devon, we are finally having a few days of brightness, although it has turned much colder, but i would much rather have that. Here's Benji, my little Cavapoo, when we had a dusting of snow yesterday. 

I've faffed around a bit today (I'm pretty good at 'faffing' I'll have you know. In fact, it's probably one of my strong points!  Motivation...not so much. Patience....that's definitely a no-no).  Anyway, I digress - as it's the afternoon now and I'm just sitting around, I thought I would write another Blog Post.

Don't you just love the first quote above ?  Surely we can still be kind and civil to each other even if we don't agree on a certain subject?  What I don't like, is meanness, which can take many forms.... unkindness, unfairness, spitefulness, to name but a few. 

I'm not on Facebook quite so much now as, because of the algorithms (no, me neither!) they use these days, sometimes Posts from my friends don't appear until several days later.  I use Instagram much more, where  there are so many like minded women, who post photos of their pets, their gardens, lovely images of their walks etc, and it just seems like a much more serene place to be. Everyone is very kind and always very encouraging to each other. Now I'm not naive - I realise that Trolls appear there as well, but I haven't encountered any. 

I always love to read the School Reports  of my grandchildren (that is when they were actually going to school), and, obviously. I was delighted when they had done well in their various subjects, but what I loved most of all, was when the Teacher used to say that they were always kind and caring towards their classmates, and considerate towards others. You can't ask for more than that, and I always used to tell them how pleased I was to read comments like that. 

Caring about others, and giving to others, helps us as individuals as well. Not only do we physically feel better, but our self-esteem benefits as well, if we can shift our focus to what is around us and not what is within us. None of us knows what may be going on behind the scenes as it were, in someone else's life, so, surely, it's worth going that extra mile to be kind to all those we come into contact with. 

So then, on that note, I will leave you once again. I know it's a bit late, but I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy, healthy and peaceful New Year. May 2023 be kind to all of us. 

All quotes today courtesy of Pinterest.

The Month of January is Almost Over ....

Summer Memories Of A Garden In Full Bloom

The month of January is almost over, and I am very relieved about that.  I'm sure we're all mightily fed up with the Coronavirus at the moment. Suffice it to say that we are still in lockdown over here in the UK, and will be for a long time yet to come by the look of it, so we are all struggling a bit at the moment. That is why I have decided to concentrate on brighter things as I write to you today! 

The days are gradually starting to lengthen, and I am so looking forward to when I can start on my coastal walks once more.  It might be a few months yet, as we are not allowed to drive anywhere for exercise at the moment, but one day....At the moment, the footpaths would be far too muddy.  In fact, with all the rain and storms here in the South West of England, much of our coastline is eroding away, which is quite worrying, especially for those with houses close to the sea.  What happens then, is that the cliffs have to be shored up, sections of coastal paths closed and routed away from the sea.  The shoreline really does take quite a battering during these Winter months.  

For newer Followers of my Blog, I thought I would share some photos of my garden as it looks in the Summer.  Looking out of the window at the moment, it’s hard to imagine it being full of blooms.  But I know that time will come round once again, and even by the end of February, quite a transformation will have taken place, as new life starts appearing. The changing of the Seasons really are a wonder to behold, and I always say a silent prayer at the start of each new Season, that I am still here to appreciate it.  

Just looking at these photos has lifted my spirits, as I sit here enjoying a nice cup of green tea with lemon.  A garden can be hard work, but, my goodness, it’s worth if when everything falls into place. 

If you want to enlarge any photo, you can just double click on it.  I hope you’re all keeping safe in your own little corner of the world.   I know that there are a couple of my bloggy friends who are coping with certain things in their lives at the moment, and prayers are with them that all will be well.  Look after yourselves everyone.

Photographs are my own, apart from the quotes, and these are courtesy of Pinterest.com

Come For A Walk With Me ....

Time for another Blog Post, and it occurred to me that many of you might not know where I come from here in ye Merry olde England.  Actually, the name of my Blog is a bit of a give away - yes, I live in the South Hams, which is the most beautiful part of heavenly Devon (although others might tell you otherwise!).  Anyway, I’ll let the views speak for themselves. All of the images today were taken by me whilst out and about on my coastal walks.

The beautiful County of Devon is right down in the South West of the Country.  Next to Devon, you have Cornwall, which I’m sure many of you will have heard of, from various novels and TV dramas -  Doc Martin and Poldark, to name just two!  After leaving Cornwall, you just drop into the ocean! That’s one of the things I love about living here, the ocean is always around us.  

This next photo is one of my favourites and reminds me of why I love this area so much.  You can be walking along a narrow path, and then, there it is, the blue sea right in front of you.  Heaven!

These next four photos were taken at Hope Cove.  Walking from Thurlestone to Hope Cove is one of my very favourite coastal walks.

The photo above with the path leading to the sea, always reminds me of the poem by John Masefield, called Sea Fever .... “I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky; and all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by..... I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide,  is a wild call and a clear call, that may not be denied......”

We are surrounded by the sea, and I love nothing better than setting out on a coastal walk.  I used to walk for miles, but I have a problem with my legs at the moment, which has curtailed me somewhat over the past twelve months, but I do try to walk as often as I can.  I actually live right at the foot of Dartmoor, one of our National Parks, but, to be honest, it has to be beaches and the sea for me every time.  Devon is known for its hills and some of those hills  lead right down to the sea, and the lanes leading to the sea are narrow, with very high hedges, so that you can’t always see vehicles coming in the opposite direction!

This next beach has to be one of my very favourites....Bigbury on Sea.  Would you believe that I’ve been going there for over 73 years, as my mum and dad took me there from the time I was six months old, so it’s almost in my DNA.

This next photo was taken at Salcombe.  I really am so lucky to live in this wonderful spot, that I call heavenly Devon, as all these places are only 20 minutes from where I live. 

On a lovely Summer day, it’s one of the best places in the world.  Oh, okay, perhaps I AM slightly biased.  I was playing with a new Camera App with this last photo.  I have very fond memories of visiting Salcombe with a friend, a few years ago now.  It was a boiling hot day....too hot to do much serious walking, so we sat under the sun umbrella on the terrace of a lovely Hotel, which had gorgeous views all along the estuary, with brightly coloured boats bobbing up and down.  We started off with morning coffee and warm, buttered croissants, which drifted into lunch, accompanied by the obligatory glass of Rosè, and, believe it or not, we were still sat there at 4pm, so decided to have a Devon Cream Tea, complete with lashings of Devonshire Clotted Cream!

Well, I hope you’ve  enjoyed the little tour, and I’m sure I’ll be back again soon.  Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my Blog.  I really do appreciate it.

Time To Light The Lamps And Snuggle In ....

In a couple of weeks,  the clocks will be falling back an hour, and it’s time, once again,  to make our homes as cosy as we can, so that we don’t start to feel ‘down’ with the onset of the shorter days.  Summer is now becoming a distant memory, with the exception of certain people!  Daughter number 1 who lives in Ibiza, keeps sending me photos of sandy beaches, hot sun, and stunning sunsets. I am starting to go off her! 😉. This is the latest photo she’s been teasing me with. No wonder she loves it so much over on that beautiful Island. 

But, meanwhile, I shall be lighting the lamps and the candles (although I tend to use wax melts more these days) and getting through some lovely books from  my bookshelf.  With all that’s going on, I certainly don’t want anything too heavy at the moment. Something to lift the spirits is the order of the day I think.  Although I’ll never say no to a good thriller! 

Have you heard of the word ...Hygge?  It’s pronounced hue-gah, and comes from a Norwegian word meaning “well-being.”  In other words, enjoying life’s simple pleasures, often achieved with good food, drink, comfy surroundings, warm blankets and candlelight. So, as you will see, Autumn and Winter are just made for us all to practice some Hygge. Colourful throws on the armchairs, potpourri scented with smells of orange and cinnamon - anything to bring us cheer whilst these darker days are with us. Of course, I’m aware that in many parts  of the world, you are approaching Springtime. Forgive me, but I have to write as it is with the Seasons in my homeland! 

Most of the colours are fading in the garden at the moment, but I took this photo of a wilting rose earlier today. I think it still looks quite beautiful. 

I love this photo with my youngest grandchildren enjoying playing in the Autumn leaves 🍁 

Just came across this little quote, which I thought I would include in my Post today. It’s so true ...

So my friends, may your lives be filled with Hygge during the coming Season. See you again soon. 

Image courtesy of Pinterest.com

Start September with Positive Thoughts

Hallo again everyone. It's been a while!  I hope you are all keeping in good spirits as we start the new month and start to enter a new Season. 

Can you believe it's September already?!  Even in this most strangest of years, the days, weeks and months still seem to be galloping by. This will certainly be a year that we will never forget!  Even though people are gradually out and about a bit more now, everything is so different. But oh the joy of meeting up with a friend and actually going out for lunch after five months!  Something that I used to do all the time. My, how we used to take things for granted!

As you can see from the above photo, this is the time of the year when I start cutting back in the garden, which I was doing yesterday. I always call it putting the garden to bed until the next year. Fortunately, the roses are still doing splendidly, and the geraniums are still giving plenty of colour. 

Anyway, I thought it would be a good idea to start the new month with some positivity, and so I am including a few quotes courtesy of Pinterest.com. I think we can all do with these.  

Don't forget to hang on to HOPE.  There's never been a better time to say......this too shall pass....and it will.  Look after yourselves little peeps and keep safe. 

I'll leave you with a couple of pics of little Benji, who loves to play hide and seek in the garden. Hopefully they might make you smile 😊 

The Magic of Italy ....

If you love opera, and you also love Italy, as I do, you have really missed a stunning spectacle if you haven't been to the Verona Opera Festival.  (Even if opera is not really your thing, you could not fail to be moved by the ancient setting).  

I went a few years ago with a friend, and as it was her 'special' birthday, we decided to do it in style and opted for the best seats in the house (Poltronissime), where the Italian men wear their tuxedos and the ladies wear long evening dresses. 

 

Before entering the Arena di Verona, it is a good idea to eat at one of the many restaurants in the small streets that surround the Amphitheatre. This way, you can really make the most of the charged atmosphere, whilst doing some serious people watching at the same time.  There are lots of gorgeous, designer shops for you to feast your eyes on (I particularly remember the Louis Vuitton shop, which was immediately opposite the ancient Arena).

 

Once inside the Arena, be prepared to be blown away by the sheer scale and magnificence of it all.  The Arena sits 20,000 people, from the best seats on the floor of the Arena, right up to the unreserved places on the upper (very upper!) stone galleries, where you are perched high on the topmost ramparts of the original Stadium, which was built in 30 AD.  

 

 

When one thinks of opera, the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, the Sydney Opera House, and La Scala all spring readily to mind, but you will find that Verona combines a quite unique setting with productions and performances of a consistently  high standard. Where else could you be watching, on a hot Summer's evening, a performance of Aida, as I was, when at the start of the second act, immediately behind the stage, a huge, full moon rose majestically  above the ancient stone walls, and literally hung in the dark sky, surrounded by glittering stars, for the remainder of the  performance!

 

The Italians really do have a love and flair for the dramatic performance, and they are a very demanding audience, which seems to bring out the best in performers and musicians alike. When the audience is appreciative of a certain Aria, they will stamp their feet, cheer and clap, so that, even though the performers are in the middle of an Act, they will perform the Aria again, to even more spontaneous applause!

It really was a magical experience, and one that I will never forget. 

The Power of Female Friendship....

Well,  very gradually and slowly, things are starting to open up over here in England.  This week has been quite an exciting one for me (!).  First of all, a very good friend of mine, of some 50 years standing, came  and sat in the garden with me for a couple of hours. She has been shielding, so hasn’t left the house for four months, so it was a big day for her as well.  

We always used to see each other once a week, to either go to the cinema, or out for a meal.  So this past four months has been a long time for both of us.  We have been video chatting, which is fine, but just not as good as the real thing.  Obviously, still social distancing, and no hugs!  

Whoever thought that something like this would ever happen.  It’s all so alien to the very fabric of our lives, isn’t it?!  After all, what have we got, if we have no human contact.  

The second exciting thing, is that I actually put my jewellery on once again (!) and went out to lunch with another good friend, TO A RESTAURANT!!  How lovely it was to eat a meal cooked by someone else, after all this time. Everything was very well organised and I felt very happy and comfortable eating inside. The Pub\Restaurant is a favourite of mine, and only five minutes away. It was good to go along and support them, as they were only able to  open again last week.  What a time it has been for the hospitality industry - as well as so many other businesses and venues, of course, that haven’t been able to open their doors since March. 

Then - yes! I told you it was an exciting week!! - I met another girlfriend for coffee at our local Garden Centre. The Cafe part was only able to open last week.  Again, I was very impressed by the whole set-up.  We were met at the entrance to the Cafe and our full details were taken for contact purposes.  It was table service only, and a one way system was in operation.  

What a trying time it is at the moment for businesses, large and small, as they try to meet all the standards required of them, due to COVID 19.  I really do take my hat off to all of them.  

Apart from missing my family during this time, of course,  not being able to meet up with my girlfriends is what I’ve missed the most. I think a lot of you know that I’m an only child, so my female friendships have always featured prominently in my life. Most of them I’ve known for 30, 40, and 50 years, which is a long time. True friendships are to be treasured, and, yes, nurtured.  

I have been blogging for ten years now - I’ve actually stuck at something for once 😁🙈 - and I’ve made a lot of friendships during that time, from all over the world.  We might not have actually met each other in person,  but I know we all feel that we do know each other, and it would be great fun if we did actually meet up!  We have seen our families grow, we have shared the happy times, and we have tried to all support and encourage each other through the bad times, which we all have to go through at some stage, for that is just part of life’s rich tapestry.

So, little peeps, as I close again for now, I wish each and every one of you, friendship in abundance.