Mood lifters

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Here are my mood lifters as promised to Cait:

  1. An hour in the garden, not working too hard but poddling:deadheading roses, watering my lavender cuttings, picking some sweetpeas; inspecting the kitchen garden, looking for snails and throwing them over the hedge into the field next door (hope you don't mind Peter) and looking at crops, deciding what to eat tonight, just gentle pottering.
  2. Half an hour watching the bantams clucking and busy in the hen run, their contented little noises seem to soothe any angst and I bet if anyone measured the effect of watching chickens would be to lower the blood pressure.
  3. Taking a cup of tea outside onto the bench in the sun and watching the view and the birds coming and going (I feel I am getting a theme going here, hadn't realised how many of my mood busters were connected to being outside).
  4. Sorting and putting away laundry. There is something about matching socks and making piles of clean, sweet smelling towels that is soothing and satisfying. Of course this one doesn't work when you end up with piles of unmatched socks, final proof of utter inadequacy as a housewife, so can backfire if you have been having a bad sock week.
  5. Lighting the woodburner and sitting down with a fabulously beautiful magazine (The English Garden is good) and a glass of wine.

Reading back through these they all have an element of taking some time to yourself and slowing down, connecting with your life and your place, being in the moment, being kind to yourself.

Comments

  1. Chris Stovell10 August 2007 at 11:34

    A lovely list, Elizabeth, made me feel calmer reading it. Yes, I think you've hit the nail on the head, it is about taking time out for yourself.

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  2. Faith 10 August 2007 at 11:44

    Ah yes Elizabeth- all of those I like to do and just substitute doves for chickens and we could have the same list!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Suffolkmum10 August 2007 at 12:49

    Chris is so right, I felt calmer too. It so funny that writing them down makes you realise how important some things are to you. I love the idea of sitting on your bench watching the birds. Sadly, every week seems to be a bad sock week here!

    ReplyDelete
  4. ellen10 August 2007 at 17:22

    Thanks for visiting me and leaving a comment. I appreciate it. I have been sitting here reading through your entries and enjoying it all.
    Gardens and birds and solitude are such a balm. I love to go out every morning early and check the vegetables and watch for the shy little quail that scuttle along, calling for their babies to hurry up and keep safe.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Exmoorjane10 August 2007 at 17:36

    Deeply soothing.....for the time being I shall have to enjoy the pleasure vicariously through you as my garden tends to send stress waves through me, mind and body, at the moment! No gentle pottering here, I fear.
    No news on Walker yet - agent still has it. Not sure I dare email and find out what he thought.....eeek.

    ReplyDelete
  6. laurie10 August 2007 at 18:42

    i agree with the whole list, except for the bantams, which isn't a practical thing for me to experiment here in the city. so i just substitute "dogs" and there you go.

    it's funny how soothing folding laundry is. i think it's one of those things that are just intrinsically satisfying--you start with a big wad of crumpled up and dirty stuff and in the end it's nice and smooth and neatly stacked and smelling sweet.

    and you feel like you've done something.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Westerwitch/Headmistress10 August 2007 at 21:22

    Oh they are so spot on and I can relate to all of them and you are right they are all about taking ME time which is so important and so many of us are unable to give ourselves permission to do that.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous10 August 2007 at 22:06

    A very outside person you are. Lovely list, calming and restful, especially taking a cup of tea outside to the bench.

    Crystal xx

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  9. Anonymous11 August 2007 at 02:50

    I found your mood busters left me with a lovely homely feeling...very nice...thouroghly enjoyed reading them Elizabethm..

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  10. Grouse11 August 2007 at 23:00

    Absolutely. Was just emailing someone tonight to say one of the reasons I married my husband was his ability to make the uneventful a luxury and the little moments such a treat.
    To recognise this is a blessing, so you are blessed by the bucketload Em!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous11 August 2007 at 23:22

    Thankyou for the advice on my daughter ..I will take that on board.....

    ReplyDelete
  12. Pig in the Kitchen12 August 2007 at 22:14

    I'm echoing other comments, but i also felt calm reading this! I liked the cup of tea on the bench. did you take the pic of the rainbow by the way? It's lovely.
    Pigx

    ReplyDelete
  13. Kitty13 August 2007 at 17:01

    Aah, feel relaxed just reading it - and I love the idea of having a bad sock week!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Bluestocking Mum14 August 2007 at 08:34

    It was very soothing. You do have a very 'peaceful' aura to you if I might say so (and don't sound too pretentious)
    I have to say I don't share your views on sorting and putting away laundry...that is my most HATED job!!

    I am with you sitting on the bench and looking at the birds...I can while away hours sitting and watching them!

    warmest wishes
    xx

    PS-I can't find a specific post but I may have missed a thread about us meeting up. Would love to do something. I go away again last week of hols so would have to be once kiddies back to school. Would love to visit Wales-you or Bodrans. I thought about you both lots while I was at Porthmadog last week and wished I had your numbers with me! Ggrrr!

    x

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  15. Anonymous16 August 2007 at 17:35

    Love your mood busters Elizabeth,I can just picture the scene.....glorious....hhmmm....that's me calm now....

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous16 August 2007 at 17:37

    I told you my memory was bad ...that's the second post I have made about your moodbusters......Oh dear...

    ReplyDelete

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