Three cheers for coffee

 The Hygge Way! In the past three years, I have slowed my pace down, quite a lot! I had been thinking about slowing down, often, but it was my health that made me in the end. And leaving my teaching career. I slowed down so much that I actually stopped. Not just a pause, but an emergency stop when I look back!  I then started to carry on but at a much slower pace, not fitting as much in and taking more notice of things. More simple things that I had taken for granted before. I had been too busy to notice them or apprciate them. Now I did. The quote above from pinterest is so important because it was what I needed to do, and was doing, without realising I was following a certain way. This quote too, showing the importance of noticing the small, everyday details. I was back as a youngster, taking everything in and questioning what was around me. Not chasing onto the next event. I have found a few lovely books about the Hygge way of living. TK Maxx has a fab selection of these ha...

The sentimental hoarder T'is me. I am her.  I have seen this book on pinterest before and thought, yep. This book could have been written about me. From a young age, I have kept things and collected things. From my Strawberry Shortcake dolls to my fragranced erasers! And this has continued through the years. Especially with books and teacups!  I do love keeping things. I really do. And it does have its upsides. Like the feeling of remembering that Wedding Scrapbook I lovingly made, full of all my ideas, notes, photos and cards. Or the feeling of leafing through a box of old letters and postcards from friends and family from years ago.  I loved saving my certificates from being younger, my programmes from the theatre trips, even my ticket stubs from the cinema. I would look back over them, remembering who I went with and what we watched. I do get a thrill from collecting things I love and am passionate about. I love Ilooking for them and finding them! This quote is fab. We...

Water your own grass! I love this quote.  Many of us go through the 'grass is greener' phase. It is only human. As long as these thoughts are fleeting, that's ok. We may look over our fences or conifers and see a much greener lawn than our paved area with cracks and rockery that needs weeding. What do we do? We weed and fill in the cracks. Maybe, that is what we need to do in life too! We need to work on our cracks and fill in the places where something is missing. And we need to deweed, from the roots what is not working for us or is getting in the way. A bit like putting polyfilla in the cracks as we age!  This is easier said than done. We do get distracted. It is only human to think about the greener grass, that better job, that bigger house and faster car. They are material things though. It might help to think about the fact you have a job and a car! I love my little car with its scratches. It takes me places, is easy to park and is as far from a status symbol than any...

To blog or not to blog?  I cannot imagine not blogging! I feel I will blog forever. It is such a big part of my life post teaching. It has brought so much fun and fulfilment. When I say it is therapy, it really is. Although, I do find I am writing when I should be doing the washing up, like now!  I love thinking of the ideas, or one just pops into my head, and I love seeing where they take me. I mainly write what is there, in my mind, then search pinterest for photos and quotes linked with the theme. I could not write these blogs without pinterest. I am an ideas person; I'm full of them! Just need to sometimes be more of an action person too! Many of my ideas and imagination come from my reading. Love this quote. We need our ideas to help us start. Once we have started, the writing can then flow. I can be inspired anywhere- on the bus, in a cafe, at the park. You have to go with it there and then! When my lovely friend told me to write a blog over two years ago, I never dreame...

Book hoarders unite I love being a book hoarder. I love knowing I have a pile of books in most rooms waiting to be opened, ventured into and enjoyed. I get that sometimes, it is just as good to buy the books and have them waiting to be explored.  The thing is, like teacups, I cannot stop buying them! I justify it by thinking, I will give some of my others to charity or friends. Yet, here they are, still piling up on my coffee table. My daughter moved a pile the other night, so she could see the TV! This quote is so fab. I totally agree!  I have always collected books, from being little with my Enid Blytons. I would go into WH Smith in town and spend my birthday or Christmas £1.50 book voucher excitedly. I would line up all my books on my bookshelf until I needed a bigger bookshelf! I also loved Milly Molly Mandy and My Naughty Little Sister books. How lovely to go play with Little Friend Susan and Billy Blunt, past the forge and by the brook! Climbing the trees in the orchard ...