trimmingthesails

Simply A Moment (15.02.22)

It's a little while since a mid-month Simply A Moment has made its way on here ... a chance to stop, catch breath, just notice what's around and within, and record the small, the inconsequential (or even the very consequential underneath) while it's still bright and fresh. This week has been one of stirred-up memories, as I've been ploughing on with sorting our forty-year accumulation of boxes and files of paper. These have become monsters, lurking in my peripheral vision, casting long shadows across my life - and this year I'm facing them head on, winkling them out of every corner and taming them: purging, discarding, shredding, shrinking them to a manageable size, and corralling them into much smaller spaces. Ugh! (For the process, that is; I'm sure the result will be heart-lifting). So it was a welcome break to stop, stand, stare and listen ... (click on the photo for a clearer view)

I think I might take the rest of the day off for some R and R, well away from paper of any kind ... Just a teeny-weeny break? There's ironing to do, beds to make up, and I'm sure I ought to be thinking about a cake :). Sending warmest good wishes your way! Alexa

 

Me on a Monday ... (07.02.22)

This dark and damp Monday morning finds me, very early, saving and keywording (New Year's Resoution) photos from the week, and enjoying again the memories ...

• This wonderful ship-in-a-bottle at the Maritime Museum in Greenwich always makes me smile ...
• A glimpse through a hawthorn hedge on a hillside walk, revealing a circle of sheeps' wool ...

• our two-and-a-half year old grand-daughter giving the wooden hippo in the park a Covid Test in his nose ("I know it's not very comfy, Hippo, but it won't be long"). And then inserting the found twig into the circle I made with my finger and thumb so she could check the result ("You've not got Covid, Hippo!"). Actually, poor Hippo had seven consecutive tests while she worked her way through the trauma of having had a tearful lateral flow test herself the day before to make sure our visit would be safe :(.
• and a quirky bird-shaped bell hanging outside a stone cottage in the fleeting watery sunshine. We're only five days in and already we've had more rainfall in February than the entire month of January ...

And the week ahead? My utilitarian word for the year (Clear) will have a hand in shaping it. Having finally put together a comprehensive what-to-do-if-we're-incapacitated-or-die-and-here's-how-to-access-everything document for our children, it's time to clear redundant paperwork and files. There'll be some very wet walks, some indoor seed-planting (given that the garden and the greenhouse are sodden underfoot), and the daily game of Wordle to enjoy. I never knew my family was so competitive! And I'm most impressed that our grandchildren (11 and 13) are joining in, when English isn't their first language. Then there's this year's photobook to catch up on. Hmm ... I wonder if I ought to factor in some hot chocolate, a rug, and a little dose of Inspector Gamache? Hoping you are all staying well and enjoying some fulfilling moments as the seasons turn, wherever you are! With warm good wishes, Alexa.