Effort rewarded

[nedd]

Bit of this

I have a bit of a Mantra. "Effort will be rewarded". Sometimes it gets me into gear sometimes I remain stationary.The other night my effort was rewarded by the breath taking sight of a large moon rising over Red Hill. Whippets bonus for dragging himself off the sofa was extra exciting nighttime smells.

Once I went out to play I didn't want to come in. Apart form anything else it was so brass monkey, that the cold was diverting my attention away from the sodding shoulder. So I added on a lap of the village on to the end of the walk. Specially for Christmas tree spotting purposes. Fairy lights were twinkling around the pub next door. There was a floor to ceiling job standing sentry in a bay window down the Lane. And in the sheltered housing a beautiful tiny silver wired affair graced the window. I was very taken with this. Obviously a house hold of order as every thing was arranged symmetrically.

Bit of that

It got me wondering about other families Christmas traditions.

Fresh or fake tree?.

Then there is the nutty problem of when to haul the glitter and baubles out from the roof.

Fairy (oops Angel) or star on top.

Is the resulting tree worthy of a splash in Good Housekeeping or is it like mine a miss mash of years of accumulated treasures.

Me: I have a tree that comes in from the garden and stands in the same place every year.

A pink fluffy fairy that has the indignity of a branch stuck up her skirt balances on top.

We pull the decorations out the last week end before christmas. And have carols on the cd player to get in the mood.

And although I don't admit to it. I pull out old xmas cards that I can't bear to throw away and put them up again every year. Some have such beautiful art work on.

And I take it all down on new years day.

What about you?

A cheery little ditty.

youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=...

[Hidden]

Its amazing how simple things can bring distraction and fun into our lives. Walking the dog can become a bit of a chore when its cold and dark, but add another element to it and its suddenly an adventure for you both.

I hate walking for walkings sake - used to be a cyclist, and its now part of my daily routine. I don't have a doggy companion although I do think this would make the walking a better experience.

I take my camera. Thanks to the digital age, I don't have to reset the camera for different shots, I do all that on the computer. I've been doing it so long I see the world as a series of photos. I concentrate on colour and texture, which is then again manipulated on the computer.

Taking the camera makes me find different places to walk, but I may return to places at different times of the year. I am amazed at how much is on my doorstep - rivers, hills, forests, lopsided cottages, cows, sheep.

On the bad days when I daren't risk getting in the car, I pick a walk and view a slideshow which eases the futility of walking up and down the street.

Nedd, what you have described is the beginnings of mindfulness, appreciating the moment with all your senses. It may be worth exploring more if you benefit from it.

Had a chuckle at the cold overiding the pain. Back in the early days, before any therapies were started, I used to stick my hand in very hot water to confuse my brain with acute pain messages, just to get a few moments away from the chronic pain. I DO NOT ADVISE THIS.

[nedd in reply to Hidden]

Honestly the things we do to try and divert the mind from the pain. So far I haven't tried the hot water trick. It is a thought though.

I love the idea of going for a "walk" via a slide show. I agree about a camera being a good companion. I have just started to use a compact job after ditching my SLR. I find I get totally absorbed in a scene getting drawn into the minutiae of the moment. Which thinking about sounds like mindfulness. Shall have to research it. Thanks for tip.

[teadrinker]

Oh Zanna, that's funny, as in "don't try this at home, children!"

Bought a tree yesterday. Spent ages choosing - my criteria is based on whether it will go in the boot of a family hatchback & can I shift it myself? Got an old-fashioned Norwegian spruce, partly because they were half the price of the Nordmans, and partly because I miss the fun of finding the needles in the carpet in June. And discovered the spruce is much lighter than the Nordman so no pain on carrying it! Still too early to put up decorations so left tree in garden to gather frost, but in view of impending wet & windy weather I've had to bring it into the garage otherwise it will go the same way as the fence in the last storm. Rabbits, who are sleeping in the garage at the moment very curious - why would you bring a tree inside?

Definitely a star on top, held on with sellotape. I will be fed up with the decorations by New Year & traditionally my parents always kept them up til 6th Jan, but they come down before the start of the school term in my house. Back to work!

[nedd in reply to teadrinker]

It didn't occur to me that one variety of tree would be lighter than another. I agree there is something magic about finding pine needles months after Christmas. It often brings forth a swear word followed by a pleasant memory. It will soon be here and gone. Have a good one.

[Hidden]

To get back to your question, nedd, our tree lives in the loft and now I have an agile person back from uni, they can dance up the ladder and skip over the rafters to get it.

So maybe it will be up before long.