November Mindfulness: Nourished

November Mindfulness: Day 2 'Nourished'

Unsurprisingly, I'm playing catch up on day 2.... I took the photos, planned the posts... not sure I have a reasonable excuse for not even uploading a photo!

'Nourished' did make me think a little bit more deeply about what true nourishment means just now. Yes, I eat well (even with the 'good' dark, organic, low sugar chocolate... mostly); I can't drink any alcohol because it would prevent antibiotics from working; I drink loads of water & herbal teas; I take various supplements - some antimicrobial, or ones that work in some way to complement the antimicrobial action of medications/ herbs, and others to boost antioxidants and aid in detoxing my body as it (hopefully) is so exhausted because it's clearing out nasty, twisted (ha ha... Lyme jokes) spirochetes.  But that didn't really feel like it went very deep - it was too literal, so I think this collage better represents how I 'nourish' myself right now.

'Nourished'
#herbaltea #organicchocolate #cactusgarden #breathe #ifyoucandreamityoucandoit #butterlies
#justwhenthecaterpillarthoughttheworldwasoveritbecameabutterfly
#somepursuehappinessotherscreateit #art #myart #arttherapy #flowers #candles

There is tea (green tea, ginger tea, matcha tea, turmeric tea, kava tea, 'breathe deep' tea, 'throat coat' tea, 'bedtime' tea, milk thistle tea, fruity teas, fruity green teas, minty teas.... basically everything except 'real' tea - British and I dislike tea.... I've got the healthy ones though & I think that's what counts here!) - all with the obligatory hipster(hippy?)-but-I-love-it tea bag tags offering a dose of philosophical existentialism a few times a day, and some amazingly tasty coffee-chocolate from our local health food store.... no, my diet's not perfect, but I TRY!!  

More representative of how I 'nourish' (/boost/ motivate/ pick a synonym) myself are all the little things I surround myself with. I like to look around me and feel the little boost I get from these things I've inadvertently collected or created over the years.  I find this in quotes, art, plants (although I fear they might really be struggling for light now the clocks have gone back, unless they can get on board with my personal Lyme-time-zone), books, scented candles, special cards, my piano, (a million) notebooks, paints, pencils, pens, sketchbooks (different from notebooks), colouring books and a variety of my own creations.  Lots of little things that make me smile, make me think, or remind me how much I enjoyed creating them.  Some are clear messages - and perhaps the reason I've sworn at 'cheerful' inanimate objects on the odd occasion; some are things I have spent valuable time and energy (and spoons) creating myself - painting, drawing, planting....  Creativity is truly a form of escapism and is probably where I find mindfulness best.  And even if some objects seem irrationally annoying on bad days, most of the time they serve their purpose and remind me to focus on the positive.

Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality.

~ Earl Nightingale ~

Grow positive thoughts

 As I began to recover from Lyme disease, I decided I wanted a project I could work on, something different, something new.  Perhaps it wasn't conscious reasoning at the time, but I think doing something I'd never done before was important.  I couldn't compare the 'before' me to a reduced capability, slow working, inefficient 'new' me (or 'me in progress'.... perhaps). I chose to grow vegetables in containers. I researched, I joined a gardening forum (a PAID subscription forum..... no messing about here; I was going to LEARN & I was going to SUCCEED). 

I'm not sure why exactly I chose container gardening. I considered painting classes, or yoga classes, but I wasn't well enough to make any kind of time commitment,  especially to a course I'd paid for - my health was still very unpredictable (& my wallet not exactly overflowing with spare cash for classes I may or may not have been able to attend) - I needed something I could do at my pace. Container gardening, specifically, removed the physical barriers - I wasn't strong enough to dig, and it let me explore something new. And I discovered I LOVE it! 

THIS is totally true:

Below is an assortment of random photos of growing my own veggies (it quickly went from 'my' garden in the first year to 'our' garden in subsequent years. ... my mum loves it too! And grudgingly, I have to write it is (/she calls it!) her garden now, since I'm not there - but I have got to enjoy it at different stages, for different lengths of time since the year I started it!) 

Initially,  my dad seemed to find the whole thing hilarious, frequently laughing at my excitement when seeds successfully germinated,  and my baby plants began to grow.... then fruit..... Until the next spring when he said, rather hopefully, "so, are you going to grow those tomatoes again....?"

Mostly from year 1 - MY veggies!
But LOOK - we grew a pineapple  (took 2 years)!
Pepper seedlings, baby tomato plants, yellow tomato flower, aubergines (eggplants), baby courgette (zucchini), baby corn plants, cantaloupe melon, accidental zucchini /squash creation, mixed salad leaves, multicoloured carrots, "those [cherry] tomatoes", sugarsnap peas, PURPLE bell peppers, CORN!, PINEAPPLE!, beetroot  (beets) - quite a selection.... & we added more/ tried new things different years. 
SO rewarding, & OK, yes, I got excited! :-)

Research published relatively recently (last few years) that shows microbes in soil might actually affect our human 'microbiome'; and this may contribute to positive mood, and feelings of relaxation and contentment felt while gardening. So it was a GREAT choice of 'new hobby' - all round beneficial.... and those freshly picked veggies and herbs.... just can't beat them!!

"Adopt the pace of nature:

 her secret is patience."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

A week of good wishes for YOU

We're one week into 2015 and my blogging intentions have not exactly been realised (i.e. I've failed miserably - but I'm aiming for positive, so the first way sounds better!). 

So here is a week's worth of happy, positive, and inspirational words; wishes for 2015, and for life.

http://www.pinterest.com/gmun22/

“This world is but a canvas 

to our imaginations.”

  ~ Henry David Thoreau ~

http://www.pinterest.com/gmun22/

"Life isn't about finding yourself. 

Life is about creating yourself." 

   ~ George Bernard Shaw ~

http://www.pinterest.com/gmun22/

“The time you enjoy wasting 

is not wasted time.”

~ Bertrand Russell ~

http://www.pinterest.com/gmun22/

“Learn from yesterday, 

live for today,

hope for tomorrow."

   ~ Albert Einstein ~

http://www.pinterest.com/gmun22/

“Do not lose hold of your 

dreams or aspirations.   

For if you do, you may still exist 

but you have  ceased to live.”

   ~ Henry David Thoreau ~

Let your art blossom   © Gail Munro

And the day came when the risk to remain 

tight in a bud was more painful 

than the risk it took to blossom.

~ Anais Nin

http://www.pinterest.com/gmun22/

And throughout the YEAR!