I love it all.......

My parcel arrived today - the one that was half expected. After all, none of us had to do this - we wanted to particpate for the pleasure of sending rather than receiving............. We are all participants in 'Alices swop'http://fancifulalice.blogspot.com/2010/01/swap-swap-swap.html and it certainly did for me just what Alice was hoping - it brought a smile and a lot of pleasure during this long cold winter.
Debbie had gone to a lot of trouble with each item and I loved it all. I especially loved all the trouble she had gone to in explaining her reasons for each item. My heart felt thanks go out to you xx

My parcel is on its way to Nova Scotia but it will do doubt take a bit longer to get there. I got great pleasure in choosing each item, I hope I have done Shelagh justice.

Thanks Alice, you and Debbie made my day!

Remind me again why I enjoyed London...........

During 2008 I worked on a six month contract in central London. I travelled from the island each Monday and back on Friday evening. It was mostly during the summer so I didn't have bad weather to contend with and most early mornings were made special by the pleasant walk along Ryde pier. I can honestly say, I really enjoyed that work time!
This week I made an overnight trip to London to go to the theatre will my niece. I know it's different as it's still winter but by lunchtime on the second day I couldn't get home fast enough......... If it wasnt for the fact I was meeting two good friends I would have been home a lot earlier. Not sure what has changed - is it me, or is it London?

Already have a further short trip booked later in February - will it be my last one for a while? Am I falling out of love with the big smoke? Time will tell.............

Journey to somewhere?

Nearly a year has passed since I first experimented with this blog and as well as learning alot, so much has changed. I am still in the fortunate position of not having to rush out to work all week but more than ever I feel that I am not doing enough with my time/life. I guess I have to be my own 'kick up the back****' no one else is going to do it for me :-)
I am succeeding with one of my resolutions: keeping a compost bucket, which here on the island is collected by the bin men. I have started looking at what we spend on food each week and we are now getting very little waste. My next resolution is not to buy any vegetables which come in plastic trays as part of the bigger aim to cut own on waste. I am being as frugal as possible with the water I use (bucket in the shower etc). The Isle of Wight has water meters so it does encourage you to be careful.

I still feel I need a bigger goal to work towards, but no sure what it should be.......... I am starting to investigate volunteer work but nothing yet has really caught my imagination.

I feel I am now taking my first steps but I guess I just have to decide where this journey is headed..............

So simple but just how I feel........

I found this on the Care2 website and it was so close to how I was feeling, I wanted it to be my first real post of the year:

20 New Year Resolutions:

 

•More Real Food, Less “Food-like Substances”

•More Fruit and Vegetables, Less Sugar, Wheat and Corn

•More Organic, Less Toxic

•More Chewing, Less Eating

•More Water, Less Soda

•More Recycling, Less Waste

•More Walking, Less Driving

•More Exercising, Less Watching TV

•More Outdoors, Less Indoors

•More Sleep, Less Worry

•More Calm, Less Chaos

•More Being, Less Doing

•More Consciousness, Less Ignorance

•More Smiles, Less Anger

•More Love, Less Hatred

•More Play, Less Serious

•More Letting Go, Less Holding On

•More Forgiving, Less Blaming

•More Generosity, Less Greed

•More Ubuntu, Less Me!

Ubuntu means what makes us human is the humanity we show each other. It is a Xhosa (South African) word and philosophy emphasizing community, sharing and generosity.

Goodbye 2009

I have needed to do this post for a while but just couldn't face it. I lost my mum in November following a short illness and am finding it really difficult. It has taken me till now to face being able to take references to her off my profile......

Goodbye 2009!