The Colours of January

The illuminated Lausanne Cathedral

as the bells rang out to celebrate the New Year!

The crowds were dense, but we found a bench to sip our mulled wine

which I had made at home and put into thermos mugs!

The tower was bathed in a deep blue light afterwards

and the crowds dispersed to continue their celebration

or to go home

I'm not a night owl, so I did the latter!

A delicate sunrise taken from my balcony with the cock on the church steeple.

I enjoy my daily walks and loved these tiny oval red berries

hanging on the branches like Christmas lights.

The centre of a beautiful Amaryllis bloom which opened up on Christmas morning.

A late afternoon walk with sun-kissed branches and a waxing moon

rising higher in the sky.

I decided to crochet a Temperature Blanket for the very first time.

These are the colours that represent the temperatures in the first seven days of January.

Cool colours, which are my favourites.

The average daytime temperature has been around 6-7 Celsius.

The dominating colours so far are Wisteria and Sherbet.

The middle round of the small squares is the coolest temperature of the day 

and the second round is the warmest.

I'm using white to join all the squares.

I couldn't resist getting a small pot of sunshine in the shape of these yellow Primula.

My daughter and I went to see the new film version of the musical 'Cats'.

It was very good. The costumes and settings were wonderful!

We had already seen it in London some years ago on the stage.

The Magnolia buds look very promising against the Winter's sky.

A small perfect rosebud was still blooming in one of the neighbourhood gardens.

Tightly encased catkins still know that they have to wait a little longer

before stretching their limbs!

I have used this image for my January header.

It's a subtle reminder that Spring follows Winter.

More catkins in the park nearby against a gorgeous limpid blue sky.

Another beautiful sunrise in shades of pink, blue, lilac and purple.

This one inspired me to take out my coloured yarns to start a separate crochet project

Here are all the colours.

Seven squares already joined in a row.

I'm considering adding single coloured squares to frame the others.

I've chosen Bluebell to do this.

This month of January is full of new energy

and we're already gaining an extra minute every day.

We are getting some grey days but a generous amount of sunshine and clear blue skies as well.

January doesn't need to be dull

it can be whatever we want it to be!

We just need to seek out the colour and beauty around us

and if we can't see any ...

well, let's just create it!

The Spirit of December

Here we are in the last month of the year!

How did that creep up on us?

The days are so short now and night comes earlier and earlier.

The lighting is sometimes so grey and dull that photography becomes a challenge.

Candlelight sets the scene early mornings and early evenings!

There have been sunny days with blue skies and I always go outside to take in the beauty.

There have been many rainy days too and walks with my umbrella.

The park benches are collecting fallen leaves

The leaves in my basket of strawberry plants have turned beautiful colours.

At the beginning of the month, there were still tiny flowers and green strawberries

that will not longer ripen.

One day, I walked down to the big park Mon Repos

and did capture these beautiful beech leaves before they joined all the others on the ground.

Next year's buds have already formed as the last leaf on a young tree still holds on.

In November, I took a very interesting course called:

30 Days of Perception

with Kim Manley Ort.

One of my favourite exercises was to go out with our camera and take a photo every ten steps.

The above collage of four photos is part of one such outing.

It was raining and I was holding my umbrella.

The photos are as follows, going from the bottom left clockwise:

A wall at eye-level with ivy and fallen leaves

A Sequoia tree trunk which looked amazingly like a man's profile

The wet road as I crossed to go to the park with car lights shining on the wet surface

Drops of rain still clinging to the wire barrier as I left the park.

The exercise suggested stopping after every ten steps and observe

looking up and down and all around.

I was fascinated to see this lovely green moss and how it had even grown a little

green 'button' in the hole of a piece of metal on the paving stones.

I was preparing some Christmas decorations and noticed this out of focus golden glow

out of the corner of my eye.

I turned my head and took the photo with the soft focus as I had seen it.

The golden glow came from tiny golden bells put onto a little silver dish

so they wouldn't roll away.

One morning, I walked into my bedroom to see tiny and magical dots of light and shadows

playing on my bookcase and wall and on the miniature chest of drawers

a souvenir from my father.

I just love moments like this for they're so fleeting.

I have been busy making crocheted gifts.

These are envelopes made for paper napkins.

More candlelight to observe as I noticed the twin flames reflected in the glass front of

my chiming clock.

That little angel moves around, doesn't she?

But now she's permanently on the small round table next to my couch

next to the candle holder in the shape of a waterlily!

You can see them both in the very first photo.

Can you see the tiny little heart that formed on the candle wick when I blew out the candle?

When we take the time to look around us and notice tiny details

we bring joy into the moment.

The Fifth Season

The Autumn storms have started and bring beautiful cooler days

to enjoy after a very hot and humid summer.

There's a different feeling in the air and the lighting is changing.

I like this change.

I plucked these three beautiful leaves from an ornamental cherry tree in my street.

I love the gentle warmth of their colours and their sharp cut-out edges.

I love all of the four seasons for different reasons

and also love that the Chinese celebrate five seasons:

Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer

and Late Summer.

Behind each of the seasons, there's an elemental energy:

the Five Elements:

Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood

By observing Nature,

we can see these five energies in the world around us

and also see how these same energies are reflected within our own bodies

and personalities.

Late Summer corresponds to the energy of the Earth: Mother Earth.

Maybe that is why I like it so much!

Day 15 - Morning Walk

Early morning walks are my favourite

mostly because it's so lovely and cool at that time of the day.

These are early morning shadows in the grass.

I start off by crossing a bridge surrounded by trees,

then up some steps.

This morning I went into the park

and encountered a friendly fallen branch

On the way home, 

I saw these pretty bindweed flowers.

The grass and the earth felt good under my feet!

This afternoon I watched a very exciting men's tennis finals at Wimbledon.

I can hear thunder getting closer.

We're going to have a storm.

It's nice to be snug inside.

***

I want to thank all my visitors that come here every day, well over a hundred daily!

I know how time-consuming it can be to leave a comment,

especially when someone goes through a whole month of posting a new blog entry

every day!

A kind thank you to all those who pop in to say hello!

I hope you all had a lovely Sunday!

Mind Full or Mindful?

The rhythmic patterns of undulating water are calming.

"It has been shown that being near, in on or under water 

can make you happier, healthier, more connected and better at what you do."

Taken from the book "Blue Mind", by Wallace J. Nichols

Watching soft waves lapping over sand in shallow waters

with the gentle ripples just catching the sun and drawing my attention 

to a beautiful white pebble beneath the surface.

Being mindful seems to be talked about a lot, but do we really know what it is?

Our busy lives are very full, so are our minds as we rush from one occupation

to another, sometimes doing several things at once.

Even our leisure time can become stressful when we try and cram in

too many things.

"It is only through the senses that we experience what it means to be fully human"

extract from "Sight and Sensibility" by Laura Sewall.

The ocean brings in a new energy.

When we are near the sea, all our senses are awakened;

sight, sound, smell touch and hearing.

The ocean awakens us so that we may understand life and live it more deeply.

Tender embrace

Noticing things as if for the very first time in a contemplative manner,

without labelling or judging.

This little catkin full of yellow pollen entwined in last year's leaf.

I loved how the soft natural background brought my attention to this lovely scene.

A play of shadows on a white wall and door 

brings me into a whole different dimension that feels surreal.

Shadows can transport us into a whole new world.

I recently came across these sweet snowdrops nodding their little heads

in the breeze.

They brought me totally into the moment, despite the town environment.

As I contemplated their welcome presence

all other sounds and distractions disappeared.

My breathing slowed and I felt my body relax.

I brought some pussy-willow into my home and notice how the little fluffy balls

change a little each day.

Nature is a perfect way to absorb life mindfully.

Walking along the lake, besides the lovely view on the water and mountains,

I am taken by the shadows of the decorative iron railing.

Walking mindfully, conscious of each steps I take, and how that feels,

is another way of calming the mind and letting go of any overflowing thoughts.

Have you noticed that when in shock, saddened or grieving, our breathing

becomes more rapid and shallow?

This immediately increases our feelings of anxiety.

The best way for me to calm down is to slow my pace, 

become aware of my breathing and consciously slowing its rhythm.

Here is a link to slow, calm breathing:

HERE

The cardiac coherence is a rhythmic or a coherent heart rate variability (HRV)

that balances the nervous system associated with stress and emotional state.

This can be attained through this 5-minute breathing technique.

Perhaps you use your own methods of practicing mindfulness,

it is possible that you're even doing it without even giving it a name!

It is useful to know that bringing ourselves into this state can

lower our blood pressure, reduce our stress levels, enhances sleep and improve our concentration.

Being aware of the beauty before us, and immersing ourselves

quite totally, allows us to take a step back from our over-active lives

and minds and bring us into a field of inner peace and contentment.

Breathe in the sky!

Many people manage to make space in each day to do mindful meditation,

but even without this, sitting quietly and breathing calmly for five minutes

will certainly be very beneficial.

I'd love to hear if you give that a try and how you feel about your experience.

Walking meditation is something which anyone can do.

Try it!

Slow breathing is something that can be practiced anywhere.

I sometimes do it when waiting in a queue. 

It calms any feeling of impatience I might have.

It can even be done when stuck in traffic jams or when travelling on public transport.

As a last thought,

Jon Kabat-Zinn, in his book "Wherever You Go, There You Are"

says:

"Mindfulness provides a simple but powerful route for getting ourselves unstuck,

back in touch with our own wisdom and vitality.

It is a way to take charge of the direction and quality of our own lives,

including our relationships with the family, our relationship to work

and to the larger world and planet, and most fundamentally, our relationship

with ourself as a person."

I have enclosed a photo of some of the books that I have found useful.