Fluidity

 

I walked in the late afternoon yesterday, catching the last of the sun on the creek before it disappeared behind the fields. I went the chestnut tree way, and loaded up my pockets with smooth edible pebbles. We've found that if you slice through the skins and boil them for a few minutes they are relatively easy to peel. Relatively. Ha ha. It also helps if you are not too picky about the papery skin under the peel. I know you are supposed to find this bitter and unpalatable and spend ages scraping it all off, but frankly, once they're chopped up in soup, who cares? I don't mind it. I'm a heathen. I know.

I was thinking, as I rounded the bend and caught sight of the sea, how much I love living near the coast in the northern hemisphere. Everything changes every day - today the sun sets a few minutes earlier, and the tide rises a few minutes later - this walk at exactly the same time tomorrow will be different - and that's just the topography! I can't imagine living in a static landscape - where it is always sunny and the days are always a similar length. Although a bit of me is aghast that it is already dark at 530 - and that after the clocks go back on Sunday it will be an hour earlier than that, I'm glad it shifts and changes. Maybe I can too then.  

Half a sock, part-way up

Last week I decided I needed to pull my socks up. Try harder. Be more disciplined. Little steps. Etcetera etcetera. 

You know where this is going, don't you?

I made a list. (of course I did. that's - like - practically doing it, right?). Not only did I write a list, I made a system where I can check things off ! How could this possibly fail? It's even got a theme (bonus points!). It's my 10 things list. It goes like this:

In a week I will aim to complete 4 trombone practices, 3 runs, 2 non-drinking days, 1 online course chapter.

Last week I scored 5. It was harder than it looked.

This week so far I've scored 2 and frankly, my friends, between you and me, unless all of my paid work requirements magically vanish tomorrow and the house finally figures out how to clean itself, I'll be lucky to match last week.

And this doesn't seem like that high a bar. Maybe I need to get up earlier.

On the other hand, I knit a pair of mittens, met a friend for a celebratory drink, cooked some mighty fine food, and generally had a lovely week. 

Ah balance - why is it so difficult? How far do you push? Where do you pull? How much is enough?

I saw this which seems to sum it up:

        I'm torn between two thoughts:

        1/ Eat the mac and cheese! Life is short!

        2/ Life will be bloody short if all you eat is mac and cheese!

Autumn

 Yesterday morning's run..... considerably extended by stopping every 30 seconds to take yet another foggy spiderweb picture, none of which turned out.

But this did - 

I love the marsh always but especially in Autumn. When I showed this to Neal, he just looked at me over his spectacles and said "..............werewolves."

And although I laughed, I feel that thought may resurface...