Live the Pooh way

Magic moments.

I love this time of year. Autumn holds so much magic for me. The time for getting wrapped up all snuggly in hat, scarf and gloves. Autumn is my favourite time of the year. I love all the colours set against each other, especially a line of trees, like in these photos from Yorkshire sculpture park.

Or at Locke Park. I love this photo of the bowling green and the lovely tower tucked away in the back ground.

This montage is of Locke Park too. Love these trees with their golden orange leaves. Absolutely stunning sights.

I love this montage of local places around Yorkshire in Autumn. We are so lucky with our surrounding countryside. When I'm walking through our local parks, I call them my spiritual places.

When I thought of the title, I remembered the song by Perry Como, my grandma loved playing. Unfortunately, the lyrics we sang at school have stayed in my mind!
'I'll never forget the smell of your sweat from under your armpits!'

Also, the Quality Street advert sprung to mind from the 80s. Back when they were presented in a tin that was reused for storing buttons. You'd bite into a toffee and you really would have a magic moment!

This quote reminds us we all have Autumns in our lives and just as our red Japanese Acer has to let go of its wonderful, red leaves, so we have to let go of things not meant to be too. We then leave room for the lovely things.

As much as I love the fresh start feel of spring and a warm, summer breeze, I find Autumn is the best smile of them all. The mixture of wonderful colours for us all to see and celebrate.

Magic is possible. I love the Peter Pan film where they proudly announce that they all believe in fairies.

At the end of the day, you are never too old to believe in fairytales. Are you? We are brought up on a lovely, scrumptious diet of fairytales, nursery rhymes, fables, traditional tales and myths. We can't suddenly stop believing when we get to a certain age. Thinking young and having imagination, keeps us young.

I love collecting these lovely, handmade fairies at craft fairs. The Turnesc fairies are so delicate and gorgeous. I keep saying I'm going to make my own fairy garden too. The lady who owns this little company was so friendly and inspiring too.

In fact, one of my fave places to walk locally is Cawthorne Park. I find it a very spiritual place. We always walk to Fairyland and look through the ancient window. It makes me think of the pre raphaelites, flowers in their hair, walking by the pond, the beams of sunshine rippling over the water and lily pads.

Love this next quote. Magic is in our grasps! It's amongst us in nature: the stars, the sea and the trees. It's in our friends and family and pets. It can be a massive wave taking your breath away or a stunning sunset. It can be a hug from your mum or a cuddle with your dog. Big or small moments are all amazing and precious.

This quote is lovely too. I will never tire of seeing a blazing sunset or a robin sitting on a branch. I will never stop pausing to gaze in wonder at the branches and leaves as they touch the sky as the wind whistles through them. I will always love to see a bumble bee land on the lovely smelling lavendar. Yes, Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson. 'The best things in life are free'.

Each day, keep an open mind and take it all in. The old me was such a busy me, rushing from event to event. And even though I was squeezing every last drop out of life, I was also missing so much too. Now, it's like my senses have recome alive again and I don't just go for a walk to exercise, I really enjoy it and feel so blessed.

As a reader, I find magic in books and stories. When I look back on my schooling, I remember the storytimes where I was transfixed on the book and the teacher's lulling voice as they read Roald Dahl's 'Danny the Champion of the World'; Enid Blyton's 'The Faraway Tree' and 'The Wishing Chair' and Ian Serreliar's 'The Sword in the Stone'. I became so engrossed in these worlds and was walking alongside Danny and his father in the woods.
Even now, as an adult, I love Harry Potter and was so pleased when I was officially told I was a Hufflepuff as they randomly burst into song!

We do get bogged down by everyday life and need some escapism. I find mine in books. You are transported to all sorts of wonderful places, meeting amazing characters. When I read books, I think, I'd get on with these people; they'd be great friends.

I love this quote showing how reading feeds the soul. I always feel better for getting lost in a book and can't wait to get back to the book I'm reading and say hello to the characters again.

I do love the look and feel of books; I'm very much a reader who loves a front cover to draw me in! It is amazing how these letters and words on the page unfold such magic!

We all need books, whatever the kind and more importantly, fairy dust!

There is magic in people. I love this quote about the old, mucky Aladdin's lamp and all the magic hidden inside. We really don't know a person from just the outside. People need to stop judging so much.

We all have magic in us. Magic waiting to be shared with others. We can put a smile on someone's face who feels down and alone. We can help someone appreciate themselves just by giving a compliment. We can all make everyone's day that bit better with a bit of effort and a sprinkle of kindness.

We need to remind ourselves of the magic in us. We get caught up with everything we are doing wrongly and all the negatives, that we forget to focus on the good and the sparkly. It's good to remind each other too.

You can believe in magic and see everything through sparkly eyes, even though we know everything isn't always sparkly. We know life isn't all about romantic strolls around the park and sunsets. It's not all unicorns pooping rainbows. Such a shame, that last one! We do see the grey and the ordinary. We are aware of the crappier parts of life, but we choose to comcentrate on the parts that sparkle. Glass half full and all that.

I do love this quote. So many people in this modern world carry a cloud with them, like the Care Bear. Was it Grumpy? You don't realise until you step back and observe. I was always so busy and in my safe, little bubble, intent on seeing the best in people when time after time certain folk would moan and grumble. They'd say 'I don't mean to offend you but ...'. Then they'd have a critical moan about me! We need to be surrounded by people who lift us up, not drag us down.

I will never forget a lovely lady I worked with at Goldthorpe school. She'd breeze into the staffroom, look straight at you and tell you how your make up looked so good, your eyes shone. You instantly felt better for her lovely presence. We need to surround ourselves with more people like her. She had a twinkle about her, kind of magic and she lifted everyone around her. She definitely farted fairy dust and pooped rainbows!

I love this quote; it speaks to me about many of my friends and family as well as myself. It's knowing the good will always be there, even on your hardest days.

Stay magical. Stay you. You attract those whp see and feel your magic. Don't waste it on those who do not appreciate it, or even sense it in the first place!

Remember though, that this magic is easily reachable; it's in our grasp. Don't spend your life looking for that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow as it's already there in front of you. Appreciate that what you have. All those different, beautiful colours.

I love Barry Manilow and Take That and there song 'Could it be magic?' Well yes, it is; it'e the everyday magic around us: the Christmas magic we'll soon be feeling; the smile from a neighbour as they bring you a cuppa when you're locked out of your house; the healing hug from a friend when you feel your heart is broken; the re-assuring hand holding of a parent, your rock; the understanding text of a family member checking in on you. The lust goes on and on. It's not the Paul Daniels rabbit in a hat magic or Jonathan Creek hidden trap door magic. Just the overwhelming magic of humanity.