Yes the photos below were taken at Spotlight at the weekend! and you know what that means…maybe I’m closer to moving into my new house.
A close friend’s mother died last week and it forces one to think about, and be grateful for, family and friends. I delighted in taking Sam out for a meal and thought that I must make it a ritual to have some time together more often. I wanted to spoil him and make sure he knew how important he is to me. (Without filling him with dread of obligation though!) I am such a clingy, helicopter mother no matter how hard I try not to be.
I am continuing my mindfulness meditations as the course has now finished. The Mindfulness Works company continue to send little snippets and resources to me and one of the things was to go for a mindful walk. I am living out at Titirangi at the moment and I tell my long-suffering friend that it is the wop wops. I find it completely foreign in many ways and it also reminds me of Dunedin. I feel as though I’m in a different city. Being with her though means long discussions into the night, delicious vegetarian food and lots and lots of herbal tea. I had been in all day today until I went for a coffee and well, all right a piece of sickly cheese cake which I regretted the moment it passed my lips.
I decided to go for a mindful walk as the evening was still quite light and I immediately became aware of all the birds. Big fat wood pigeons swung overhead, their wings beating fervently as though to keep them airborne. I don’t know how they balance those big fat tummies on the wires. I kind of expect them to tip up and flop to the ground. I also wonder how they keep their clothes so white. You’d think being out all day and night you’d be sure to spill berry juice on your bib. Tuis were going crazy like teen-aged drunks in the blossoms and fantails well, fanning their tails. Last night I listened to a morepork which sounded as though it was right outside my window.
I don’t know if it was very mindful taking pictures all the way but I did anyway. I promise I didn’t “arrange” any of the pictures.
These are some other things I became mindful of as I walked.
I am reminded that on my niece’s wedding invitation it respectfully asks people not to take photos but rather, be present and enjoy the day and let the professional photographer do the camera work. It seems a good idea to discourage people spending the day looking through a lens rather than actually concentrating on the celebration.
Living with friends makes me realise what a house-keeping slob I am. I had no idea that people have permanently tidy airing cupboards and beautifully arranged pantries. I thought that they had just done them right before i arrived out of some kind of guilt trip. I am fantasising that
I will be like that but I suspect that’s all it is- a fantasy. I hoping Deb will pop down regularly and show me how it’s done. What’s even more difficult is that my compulsively tidy friend will be living in an exact replica of my place two doors down and that we have mutual friends. It could be a kind of before and after scenario and I know which one mine will be. She is minimalist and very tidy. No pressure then!!
Have a great week and remember, there are only 87 more days until Christmas. Arrrgh. FG
Fluffy George 