Walking for Health

First of all some beautiful spring flowers

just because they're so joyful!

Then on the homefront, a new crochet project which goes by the name of

Granny Rose Heart Pillow.

Please visit the Astri's lovely blog for this latest pattern

Apple Blossom Dreams

Isn't it beautiful?

I'm waiting for my heart-shaped pillow to arrive so that I can continue this exciting project.

Now about the walking.

Three years' ago, I bought some really comfortable walking shoes

when I did the Lausanne Walking Event

and the Quarter Marathon.

That was a good experience and my daughter came with me too

even though she normally prefers running!

Studies have been done to show that walking briskly for 30 minutes

every day is one of the most beneficial things we can do for our bodies

and our morale.

It has been found that this type of exercise lowers blood pressure, 

reduces cholesterol and helps maintain a healthy weight.

I took my pocket camera with me to take this photo in a door with a mirror incorporated.

I rather liked the fact that the Christmas decorations were still up!

Regular brisk walking strengthens bones and muscles

improves balance and coordination

helps prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

A beautiful and very colourful sunrise which I captured from the end of my balcony.

My Amaryllis blooms have been beautiful this year. This is the last plant of the year.

I love watching the different stages of opening.

Each day a little more

Until all four buds opened up.

A single tiny leaf in the late afternoon sunshine.

Seedpods blowing in the wind

Fluffy 'Old Man's Beard'

I love passing the railings on my walking circuit

especially in the late afternoon when all these cheerful little lights come on.

All these scenes from my walking outings.

I'm progressing with my January Sunrise blanket.

One square a day and there are currently 21 squares with three more

ready to join.

I'm really enjoying this project.

There will be others to show in my next blog entry.

These cold winter's days are perfect for doing crochet or any other kind of handiwork.

My tiny indoor window box of miniature daffodils is nearly over.

Somehow, the month of January needs the cheerful colours of flowers

that are made available to us.

Are you filling this long month of January with all the things you love?

I'm adding an extra photograph as part of a 2020 Project 

for crocheting a flower a week for the whole year.

Look at Anabelia Craft Design

Here

if you feel like joining in.

These two patterns are for the first two weeks of January.

I will be adding the others as they are generously given to us!

Looking on the Bright Side

In the normal course of everyday life,

there can be times when we may feel discouraged, disappointed or saddened.

We often have our mind set on something in particular which falls through,

making us feel let-down.

Allowing the difficult moment to pass, 

and creating the necessary space or distance between our emotional response

to an actual situation, allows us to dedramatize things as we see them in the moment.

In other words, letting the negative feelings fall way when things don't go as we'd hoped.

From that moment on, we're able to reconstruct a situation

without labelling it as good or bad.

Turn the page, rewrite the story, create something new and

accept what has happened, or in some cases, what has not happened.

This is all about looking on the bright side of things and adapting to new situations as they arise.

When I look at life, which is a mixture of light and shadows,

I can see that the shadows help us better see the light.

"The darker the night, the brighter the stars"

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

February is here with longer days and more light.

The florists are selling little pots of spring bulbs which bring joy into any home.

This last little narcissus flower smiled at me bringing me sunshine into my day.

Bunches of tulips are available in beautiful warm shades

just waiting to fill my prettiest vase.

and it's a joy to capture their lovely lines with my macro lens.

 These days, I'm watching four hyacinth bulbs develop in a little box.

I love these buds getting ready to unfold.

So happy soaking up the sunlight in front of the window

and opening a little more each day

bringing colour and happiness into my life.

Besides photography, crochet always puts me in a marvellous mood.

Joyful colours, the act of creating something new,

sometimes to make gifts, sometimes to decorate my little home.

I made this colourful heart-shaped wreath a couple of years ago.

Right now it's bringing cheerfulness to all who pass and also for me

every time I come home!

So if you're feeling just a little glum today,

for whatever reason,

just stand back from it all

breathe slowly and deeply

and create a new situation for yourself.

It works every time!

This time last year, it was snowing.

See HERE