Contentment in hard times.

 First of all, thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post. I have had my usual mix of good and bad nights; more good than bad this week!

My middle of the night time reading has been this book .

I think I am already a contented person. I've always remembered Paul writing that he had learnt to be content in all circumstances and I aspire to this.  I wanted to read this as the author talks about finding contentment in middle age when children have flown the nest, you may lose health, loved ones, jobs etc and must follow a new path. She talks calmly. It is like talking with a friend. I found myself highlighting sections. I am about half way through and am finding it to be a very soothing read. It's very much "what shall I do next with my life ?" The author chooses a  yoga teacher training  course which I have enjoyed reading about too. Maybe I have enjoyed it because I am reading in the dead of the night when a soothing account is much appreciated. 

My most favourite books are slow, calm reads. I may be shallow but I only read calm, happy stuff. Thrillers, suspense, drama, mysteries, blood and guts reading genres just aren't me!

So August faded gently into September.  The morning and evening air is fresher and the days shorter. The evening skies have been beautiful. I have been using an astronomy app which explains the night sky you are looking at. Last night, apparently the bright cluster of lights were planets,  Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto ...l amazing!

 Even the early evening glimpses of the moon delight me. 

Sky watching teaches me how small I am within the universe and thus how small my worries and concerns are too. It helps!

With shorter days comes cooler starts and ends to the days. The heating has been on some days and we had our first log fire.

We also had our first porridge breakfast. I added a swirl of lemon curd and blueberries. Comfort food. Excuse the stirring spoon plonked in the  bowl! 

We have had a lot of rain so my gardening has been indoors.

I rooted basil cuttings from a supermarket plant. Each time I used some leaves in cooking I cut the stem and put it in an old jar filled with water on the window ledge. 

A large top heavy kalanchoe toppled over breaking six branches off. I placed them in a jug of water hoping they might develop roots. 

They are now all potted up together with the promise of flowers budding up nicely.

This jade plant was shedding its leaves and dying off. I read that it likes a sunny position. I had it in a gloomy spot. Now I have moved it it has grown 3 inches in just a few weeks and one of its fallen leaves has rooted!

My sanseveira cuttings are now growing well and are ready to be potted on.

I like propogating plants.  You get happy gardening results with little physical strength required,  no need of a spade and you can do it sitting down too!

Unusually for me, I have felt really bad tempered lately. I put it down to all the Covid stuff; people arguing about wearing masks, jobs being lost, people meeting at huge events leading to fears of virus spikes.etc. There seems to be a lack of empathy and thought for others. It just all got to me. I think I was even a bit snappy with Steve. As we climbed into bed one evening, I said wearily to him, "Do you know, you're the only person I've actually liked today." He grinned, "Well, that's good to know!" 

My best friend and I decided yesterday that a safety-managed meet up should now be ok. She is a retired nurse and I respect her views that we should be ok.. So she came round for a socially distanced  cup of tea and a chat. We bought each other flowers! We put the Covid world to rights!

And now September is here and my equilibrium is happily returning. I realise that I am constantly learning; this week  about planets, plants and people. I feel calm again and contented with life. I think Covid will not only continue through Autumn but escalate too. But I must follow advised precautions and then just carry on carrying on, happily and contentedly. 

Much love,

L.x.