Remembering

I'm seeing a western style of mindfulness seep into all kinds of activities these days. Stopping, taking time to breath is mainstream. Being in the moment is what we're all trying to work towards. But remembering (stuff from my head!) is also helping me this week.

Seven years ago I set out on a round the world trip. I travelled for 5 months and slowly unravelled to an earlier, deeper, rawer, more peaceful version of myself. The first step on that journey was to see that my emotions aren't real. I saw them racing across my mind like a timelapse sky. Storms building, releasing, blowing over. I saw the source of each eddy and swirl. Mostly it was related to eating chocolate the day before. Chocolate bar = wake up with darkness enveloping my mind. Who knew?

Last week on a day when the sky was stormy grey and blank I was gripped by negativity. Bad thoughts spinning under their own steam. Blame. Impatience. Feeling hard done by! I was being buffetted and so were those around me.  And then...I remembered. I was able to connect to the memory of a time when I saw these storms for what they are. Pure energy, rising, being channelled, with a life of their own and yet no substance.

And the space around them opened. Just a wink. Hardly a wink. And I could see none of it was real. And they evaporated right there, like wisps of cirrus cleared after the storm. Memory gave me confidence to know that I once lived knowing this. Feeling sorry for yourself is the worst waste of energy, no matter what's going on.

The weather was following my thoughts, clearing. Breathing again. And then...a rainbow....

Through fresh eyes

Can you remember the world through your three year old eyes? Before conditioning forced you to forget your natural happiness. My 3 year old discovered my old camera yesterday and instead of warning her not to break it, I let her use it and figure it out by herself. She started photographing her world with surprising passion. I've sent her off today to record her day. What will life look like from two feet off the ground? Truthful? Full of important details like bubblebath? focussed on colour? friends? or just pointed wildly at it all? I can't wait to find out.

 

The joy in each stitch

Knitting has a trajectory, and sooner or later we are ready for the challenge of a lace shawl. I must have knitted this whole thing twice as I unpicked my mistakes. The end result nourishes me with it's weighty, rippling drape that slithers out of your hands. It has its own soul and it is immensely satisfying. I've already started my next one...

And some knitting.. And penguins...

                                                              Drops eyelet baby cardi

Follow your arrow knitalong. Um, that finished in Feb. But anyway...

 

Woah!, what a trip.

Little sweet pea is sleeping through till 5am and although I haven't had one full nights sleep since..um August 25th 2013 (that's like almost a year isn't it!) I am slightly able to engage with life again and remember why people do creative stuff that has absolutely no purpose but is just fun. Imagine having the energy to just do stuff for the hell of it and no other reason. I hope and deeply wish my body will return to a place of energy and frivolousness. Enough to knit, or draw or dream. Deep breath.
She's ten months old, won't let me put her down for a second, and to me, is utterly delicious.

Here we are on hols in a cottage at the beach. Mmmmm beaches, deep love for beaches and their skies. I found myself watching shapes in the cotton wool kiddie drawn clouds and hunting for shells and perfect pebbles with the littlies. Idleness, fresh winds, hot sun, empty days, big and little sandy feet and sleeeeeeeep. xxx

On the impossibility of getting toddlers to pose for their knitwear shoots...

                           

  But then who would want them to - clothes are for having fun in afterall. This is a new 'In Three's' cardigan. So useful, easy to get on a moving toddler and will last for ages as the fit is so versatile. Everyone should have one. x

Pink knitting needles!

Is it wrong to feel this happy about them?