’Tolerant like the sky,
all-pervading like sunlight,
firm like a mountain,
supple like a tree in the wind
he has no destination in view
and makes use of anything
life happens to bring his way.’
-Tao Te Ching
Blog Archives
Inspirational Quote: Be Like A Turtle
“Try to be like a turtle… At ease in your own skin.”
- Bill Copeland
Inspirational Quote: Gone with the Wind
Inspirational Quote: Flutter By Butterfly
“Happiness is like a butterfly.
The more you chase it, the more it eludes you.
But if you turn your attention to other things,
It comes and sits softly on your shoulder.”
- Henry David Thoreau
Top Ten: Things To Be Thankful For
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Today, our friends across the pond gather together to get merry around a heaving table which buckles under the weight of a bursting banquet of delicious grub worthy of any tudor king. Traditional delights include pumpkin and pecan pies, sweet potato mash topped with melty marshmallow and the infamous roast turkey, to name but a few.
Yes, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in true American style and that means BIG. BIG food. BIG love. But most of all, BIG thanks. Whatever your nationality, appetite or marital status, everyone should take the opportunity to be grateful for this day. Look around you. Think about all the things, BIG and small, that make life worth living but are sometimes taken for granted. Whichever way you look at it, there’s always, always, always something to be thankful for. Stop. Think. Thank. Share the love.
THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR…
1. A proper cup o’coffee.
2. The written word. A-Z. A good book. A trashy magazine. Words carved into park benches. Even insults etched onto the back of toilet doors.
3. Friends. Say no more.
4. Sunshine. When it decides to make an appearance.
5. Music. The food of love. Play on.
6. Spring. Summer. Autumn. Winter. Yes, that’s four but technically it’s one.
7. Breakfast. In bed. With the newspaper. Freshly squeezed orange juice. And a kiss with maple syrup. Thanks very much.
8. Birthdays. Any excuse for a celebration.
9. Trees. The ambassadors of Mother Earth. Givers of life.
10. YOU! Yes, you.
Fall in Love with Autumn
It’s that time of year again. We mourn the end of summer. The end of flip flops. The end of al fresco dining. The end of strawberries. We brace ourselves for the beginning of a frostbitten winter, reluctant to be swept forwards in a blustery breeze. But is autumn all it isn’t cracked up to be?
Colours in fashion this season include dulcet hues of mellow yellow, glitter gold and warm-up orange. Rosy pinks and cucumber greens melt into rich fire reds and popcorn creams. Blushing leaves flutter groundwards like a whisper, weaving yet another texture into a tapestry of silk and crunch, crackle and soft. A playful wind teases rusty leaves, tickling them into spirals that twinkle and dance in the breeze coming to rest, finally, on the pile of leaves painstakingly collected by a gardener and his rake. Suddenly, a childlike desire to jump backwards, arms stretched wide, eyes shut, into the leafy pillows. A playground for the young hearted. A paradise for hedgehogs.
Hopes for sunshine and blue skies are forgotten. Naturally, then, the chances of sunny rays are greatly increased. The sun that seemed so timid and shy throughout the summer months, now peeps through the clouds like a child with a glowing smile. Golden light pours through branches, windows, fingertips. The Midas Touch. Tired skies are transformed into honey and butter yellow that coats both countryside and city alike in a palatial glow. Carpets of velvet, ceilings of gold. A rich landscape adorned with a kaleidoscope of jewels that glitter and glow. Trees rain gold, ruby, amber and garnet.
The air is fresh, full of chill yet devoid of bite. No need for a winter coat, a light jacket is perfectly suitable with a chunky scarf wrapped around your neck. Feet and toes breathe a sigh of relief, protected and warm in woolen socks that nestle comfortably inside toasty boots. Fingers poke through almost-gloves, snuggling up to a mug of strong, milky tea that is cupped like a knot between both hands. Wisps of steam float gracefully into the air, ghostlike ballerinas dancing on a cloud.
The pace changes in Autumn, the tone settles. We can take our time. There’s no rush now, the summertime buzz has softened into a sigh. Wasps are mellow, drunk on fallen apples. Autumn apples, apples galore. Steaming hot apple pie, humble blackberry and apple crumble, apple and cinnamon eat-me-now muffins. Thick creamy drinks and comfort food are socially acceptable once again. No one will notice the loosened belt hidden behind layers of cotton and wool. In fact, an extra layer around the middle would certainly be appreciated in the bleak mid winter.
Conkers. Memories of school days.
Kick kick kicking bundles of foliage. Going out of your way to step on that crunchy leaf. Priceless satisfaction.
Get that extra blanket out and wrap up warm. It’s going to be a spectacular show.
The Americans call this season ‘Fall’. I call it ‘Fall in Love’.
Feel Good Friday: That Four Letter Word
Sep 23
This gallery contains 40 photos.
As Hugh Grant famously mentioned in the introduction to Love Actually… “I think you’ll find that love, actually, is all around” Well, hats off Hugh. I think you might just be onto something. Actually. Not convinced? Check these beauties out. I even found one myself. SHARE THE LOVE
