December 30th.

So we are back from our trip.  To London then to Suffolk.  We stayed with friends (such a yummy dish from - Morito  - another recipe to bring back home! Then the next day we ALL went to the Panto (I LOVE PANTO!) at Hackney Empire along with Hub, my brother and my parents.  We hung out in Hackney for a bit, my brother cooking us up a splendid piece of organic sirloin, accompanied by amazing wines from Seven Cellars.  Next day a walk and eating a splendid croque monsieur at Bouche on Broadway Market.  We hopped up to Suffolk and so did Bro and his new date (who is lovely!) we MORE ate delicious food there too - notably the Hairy Biker's Vegetable stew - which Bub really liked - yay we have found a new vegetarian meal for him! - and I loved it too, so def another one for the recipe rosta.

A fabulous walk in Rendlesham Forest  the following day  -the light and mist being perfect, just perfect.  A meal at The Ramsholt Arms.  A brisk stroll on the shingle at Shingle Street.

Board games, wine, port and stilton.  (They are right, port and stilton DO go together amazingly well)

I didn't do much of the things on my tick it off list.  Like I care really, as it was all so much fun.  Christmas - no - don't expect it all to go as per normal or anything. 

But, you know, everything all went so well.  So much went so well.  The food, the panto, the journeys.  The only thing that did'nt go so well was Hub's health.  He got hit by a dastardly cold that meant he only managed to get out to the Panto - and that under the influence of flu tablets.  He was missed muchly. 

I am now back in Brighton.  I have work to do.  I enjoyed a healthy smoothie for lunch today and I have done my meditation / plank  / navasana for today.  Not going to hit my steps target - but that is what comes of 3 hours in a car.  Its all good.  I am very happy. 

Very Very Happy.  Best Christmas EVER.

Christmas Day

Its 9.09pm.  I have over eaten and over drunken.  Though both of those activities took place earlier in the day.

So - the question is.  Do I step out for a walk to make my 10,000 steps?  or do I just chalk it all up to Christmas and start again tomorrow. Or the day after?

I haven't done any meditation nor any planks.  Planks only take 30 seconds and meditation is just 5 mins.

I am going to give it all a go! woah! 

Edit.  I did the plank and the meditation.  I managed a further few hundred feet.  So didn't make the 10,000.  I got to 8,300 ish.  Never mind.  Not bad for a day that I don't usually much leave the house.
Went to bed early ish.  And slept very well.  

Xmas eve

 It's funny. I'm almost disappointed that there's nothing else to prepare.  All done.  Well......sod parboiling potatoes at this point in the evening.  

Yes. The house is tidy and clean. The presents wrapped.  A carrot, mince pie and glass of milk set out for Santa.  An eeerie calm about the house.   (No one is stiring....)

Today was good. In general. Just bloody good.  We did the shop first thing (ish) and it wasn't crowded. No xmas pud tho. Sold out.  And no trifle bits n pieces either.  But we found a pud later.  Last one at the Co-op!

We walked to 7 dials and bought some fab Sussex wine and beer. And some Brighton gin. From Seven Cellars. 

We walked up town getting some last minute bits and pieces.  Came home. Made mince pies. Then went to the local church for carols. It sort of marks the start of actual Christmas.  It's the children's crib service and it's packed.  They have a real donkey and everything. 

 After dinner ( a very successful tasty and easy sausage pasta!) we went to see the last street of the Hanover Advent Calendar. And to drop all our spare change in the Shelter collection tin in the Constant Service.  

 

The days felt so sparkly. And cheery. And merry Christmassy.  Just yummy really.  

I did my plank and 16,000 or so steps.  No meditation mind you.  But I did do it yesterday twice.  Doesn't really count that does it!

So to do better? Meditation. Obvs.  Nothing else.  All great today. Oh. Next year to know the names and house numbers of everyone in street (willing) and to have given them hand made cards.  Or at least cards.  Yes. 

So looking forward to Christmas Day.  Merry Christmas everyone.  Xxxxxx

Today's dones.

10,000 steps.yup

Plank yup 

Meditation nope maybe can do that next. 

What went well.  Speedy Recovery from blip I harmonious Xmas relationships.  Stripped beds did laundry made beds. All of them. We have clean beds! Yes Xmas task done.  (I love a clean house for Xmas day!) also cleared out under Bubs bed. A mashup of all kinds of toys 'tidied' under it.  Now all put away.  Yes!!!!! A nice trip out to Stanmer park for me Bub and his pal.  And got rid of a bag of bits and bobs to Shabitat. Cooked a delish meal.  All good.  

Could do better.  Meditation needs doing earlier.  Use my mindfulness bell app throughout the day.  Have a focus on work for a bit.  Get ahead on that. Argh!

Reflections on yesterday's Christmas Day.

What went well? 
All of it - IN so many ways.  The preparation was good.  Little lunch time pub trip was fun.   Dinner was delicious and abundant. Presents all went down very well.  We managed to set up the Xbox with out assistance from a teenager (on stand by in Belfast to talk us through - well when I say on standby, they were still asleep at that point, so we soldiered on and managed to look it up on you tube and figure it out.  Go us!  

Lovely afternoon walk.  Doctor Who was brilliant.


Could do better? 

I'd have liked to have gone for a longer walk and gone to see the sea - that would have been lovely (and got me my steps) .  Also on refletion - If we had set up the Xbox the night before, this would have meant Bub could have actually started playing the damn thing earlier - in the end he didn't have much time to do it - maybe not a terrible thing!!

It would have been nice id Bub had woken up after 7am.  4am then 6am was a bit brutal.  So  -if we had set up the box thing, then perhaps we could have slept more.....

A daily do.

 Yesterday. What went well.  Yesterday I enjoyed being sociable.  I enjoyed making. I liked that Bub drew with me.  I was impressed that Bub got himself out of his funk. And tried.  He's a brave  little soul.  I sent a video that was misssing.  Saving some work and speeding along the process. 

To do better.  Um. Try and not have the last two glasses of wine. Saying no IS possible! Ha! 

Today.  What went well? I posted the gifts and cards I needed to post. Clarified dates and work to be done.  I got paid.  I helped Bub go play badminton and I got to spend the afternoon making art and chatting good chat.  I started to compile my mailing list for Wild Art Journaling and made some new year Create Your Magic cards.  It feels good.  

I didn't manage my 10,000 steps again. Too much driving and sitting.  But I did my meditation and plank.  Go me. 

Tomorrow- more walking.  Use my mindfulness bell app.  Eat well.  Make something delicious 

a daily update on what went well and what to have more of. an accountability project

Today.  

What went well?  Well I managed to get some copy done and sent out this morning before 9am.  I had started writing it so it wasn't totally starting from scratch - but I had meant to do it last night - and then fell asleep with Bub - at about 9pm ish.  So I was pleased to have sent that off.

I also managed to post several Christmas cards.  Hub had written the large part of them, but there were a few key ones that I hadn't sent yet.  I still have a few to go, and I still feel obliged to do something other than use the ones I have got.  But I may have to just send bought ones after all. 

I had a meeting today which went OK.  A lot of the work I have done is usable but constitutes something other than what we really need to get done by January.  So I have another deadline  - which is Thursday.  I am most annoyed about this as I totally want to stop working and get on with Christmas stuff, but it should be OK.  I am planning on working on that first thing tomorrow in the same way that I did the copy this morning.  That's the plan anyway.  I have about 3 bits of copy to do.  If I get it done fast then we will have time to amend it if necessary.

I did 35" of plank.  But I haven't made my steps yet.  I might have a wee look at how I am doing but I think I may be too far off the mark to make the 10,000 today. 

I have made the shapes for the pieces for J&T's board game that we are making as a family.  Tomorrow I will create the board and colour the little pieces in.  We may - or may not - make shortbread.  Tomorrow is a day of Christmas Crafting.  Oh yes.

I went along to Windmill Street Hanover Advent Calendar.  Oh my! they had carols and a huge crowd in the street singing.  They even had harmonies.  I have to admit I shed a small happy tear at the whole beauty of it.  I met A  - a neighbour from across the road and chatted with her about stuff.  I love our neighbourhood.  I truly do.  Its so wonderful to have folk out of their houses and on the streets.  

 
Haven't done my 5 min meditation minimum.  But I can do that before bed. And again on waking.  So I reckon that's all good.

We have been paid two invoices this month, and I invoiced another that ought to get paid tomorrow.  So I need to sort out the -25% tax and 10% to savings. 

This week I also intend to do a physical mail out with a flyer and dates for artjournaling sessions in the new year.  I have a course lined up for a beautiful studio in a garden in Ditchling that I am super excited about.  And a day of creating a Wild Art Journaling vision board too.  I would like to add more dates  - well.  Next year, I aim to have the years courses set up, Christmas cards made / printed. And some form of product to sell.  I want to sell paintings this year too.  But that is a whole new year aim and mission thang.  For which January is going to be key.

Bestest Y'all.

A LIttle Public (ish) Accountability

Well, lets see how long this lasts, but I am aiming to do a little daily journaling and reflecting on what went well, and what I want to aim for.

I wrote it in a book this morning, and then thought, perhaps the blog is the place for this?

SO

What went well?

Yesterday I walked many steps and I was pleased about that.  I visited the Stanley Street lights which I enjoyed and loved. 

I enjoyed teaching yoga in Seaford.  I loved the drive there too, seeing the sun rising up out of the mist over the sea was beautiful.

I aim to up my regular meditation.  At least 5 mins per day.

I also want to to make sure I put aside 10% to 'pay ourselves' and 25% of any income to account for any future tax situation. (Sudden panic about next year, and that pay in advance thing we self employed folk have to do in this country)

Decluttering today

How come I still have so much to get rid of! 3 bags to Scope today.

 

It feels never ending.  How will I know when I have finished this I wonder.  Can I ever look around my house and say, well, decluttering is done and dusted?

I guess it can only be up to a point.  As stuff creep somehow builds up.  I really do believe I am getting better and not bringing stuff into the house, and yet my little work room seems piled up with bags despite shipping this lot of to the charity shop, also a bag of books to oxfam and 2 boxes of art stuff for a thing I am doing in March sititng in the car waiting to be shipped out to somewhere else in wait for that date.

How does it happen?  And How to ever be 'tidy' (which is the aim for most of this decluttering to be honest)

It feels like wading through mud today.  The uphill battle.  But I shall persist.  I will reach that new level of clarity I will!! Next step is to look through the drawers of my work room and assess the art stuff situation.

This will most definitely be aided by the fact that this work room is shortly going to be transformed into a spare bed room.  Which means that EVERYTHING is coming out.  EVERYTHING.  The drawers the desk the shelves, the woodchip wall paper, the  carpet - everything.  And what goes back in.  That is going to be clean and clear.

I think I need to get brutal on my arse with the decluttering now.  There will not be enough room!  Bring it.

No.  Hang on.  I AM going to define the end of decluttering.

I will look around my house, and see only the useful or the beautiful.  It will be spacious and will be easy and quick to tidy.


I will feel clear and free.  Hang on.  Let me rephrase that.  I feel clear and free.  I feel clear and free.  I feel light.  Spacious.  free. 

xxxx

Partying with the BESTEST

TO be honest, most partying is the bestest.  But last night I did have a ball, with a bunch of awesome ladies who sparkle brightly in so many ways. 

I had started the evening meeting up with a friend, who lives next door to my parents.  She's a supremely talented musician who creates music the way I create art - she was visiting Brighton for work, so we met up near her hotel in the rather fab Cocktails Shack at the Artists Residence Hotel.  I had a Beetnik Nora which was appropriate given I was dressed up for a Jazz party as a Beatnik.

After that I went on to the Jazz Party - which was in a beautiful flat 17 floors up, lit by what seemed to be hundreds of candles. I loved being in the company of such inspiring women.  Women who do such brave, fabulous, gorgeous things in the world. 

We drank champagne cocktails, perhaps a little too many, and talked about what we were letting go of from 2016 and what we wanted to bring in more of for 2017.

I am letting go of the effort to describe what I do as two things. 

I don't know if you have been with me on this journey, I guess it stems from historically, when People Who Do ended and I was left without work.  I had all these skills that had no where to go.

I love this work as much as I love my art.  And its necessary to me on a personal level, not just professionally.

Its the part of me that loves decluttering, that needs order and discipline to function well. 

However my delight, lies in the Wild and Crazy ART I make.  The PLAYfull creative side of me.

It has been brewing for a while.  But last week on a thing called Walk and Talk for success, a fellow walker reflected back to me, that to her it seemed that I have a job, doing the Productivity Stuff.  (and it has transpired that it came back and I do work with a new company Then Somehow, and this is really blossoming and growing) but that MY business.  MY OWN BUSINESS was the creativity stuff. 

And it sorted clicked into place. yes.  So in future, I am focusing on the creativity stuff.  I will still do the other stuff, but its not FIRST.  Its part of what I do.  Its not "my business". 

There is a whole host of stuff to flow freely from this.  But fundamentally it gives me clarity on how I present me.  I am part of one thing, and I am driving the other. 

I have always felt that any organisational stuff is really and truly about MAKING TIME & SPACE FOR CREATIVITY.  whether that be in a corporate environment where folk NEED to have time for strategic thinking, or in a creative space where folk NEED time for their creative inspirational work. 

That is what its about.  SO.  MORE OF CREATIVITY in 2017.  Bringing it in.  Time and space for creativity + play + magic + glee

Christmas Spirit

 Christmas has started.  So far I am loving it loving it loving it.

I have been side tracked massively lately by geo politics.  Or just politics.  Hating the whole Brexit Trump double whammy.  The divisiveness and the folly.  The state of the world.  The dupedness of the popular vote.  And so on.  And I get all het up about it, and what can I do? what can I actually do? Even Caroline Lucas (our parlimentary representative) started a campaign to get fossil fuels out of government.  And even she asked me to "sign a petition".  Jesus.  Is that all we can do?

So then I flip back to my own world.  And the wonderful phrase

DO WHAT YOU CAN, WITH WHAT YOU HAVE, WHERE YOU ARE

Which has nothing to do with Trump or Nigel Farage.

And this phrase is just so deep in my whole belief system.  Its a rock I can always return to.

And what I can do, is be part of my community.  I utterly believe in building community as a cornerstone to personal and group happiness.  Its part of what makes life great.   Belonging, contributing, sharing.  Without it we are miserable.

Capitalism and all its evils cannot make this happen.  This is something we have to do ourselves.

One of my favourite lines from any film ever is, "You have to make your own fun, otherwise its just entertainment"  (its from.... what? I don't even remember its in a film by David Mamet)
 
And so  -  our wonderful Hanover Community on the Hilly Laine, Brighton.  And the Hanover Community Noticeboard.  Which is the online facebook face of it.  Jenny McCall (apparently we have met once as she had a table at the Hanover Baby & Kids Stuff sale I used to organise) suggested we do a Hanover wide Street Advent calendar.  The idea is that every day throughout advent, streets in turn, will decorate and light up their windows.

I have been longing for a Whichelo Place street party for many years, but sole it is hard to muster.  But Jenny galvanised us.  And 6 of us stepped in to help organise our street for the 9th December.
 
Six of us made it easy.  And we delivered flyers to let everyone know, and knocked on doors.  We agreed to make mulled wine and mince pies and one of us volunteered their musician husband to play keyboards so we could have carols.  And on the day.  It came together.  About 40 households out of 80 took part.  We had 50+ folk out in the street, talking and mingling.  There was live music and the kids - so many of them! - had the time of their lives, running wild up and down the street in and out of each other's houses.  I don't think any of them had had more fun  -ever.  We met each other and had more than one cup of good cheer.  The street looked amazing all lit up.  It made me feel warm and fuzzy and tear up - it still does.  Even writing this.  This is who we are people.  This is our politics.  We are together.  We want to be together.  We like being social.  We like to join in and help out.  Jenny has described the organisation of the Hanover Advent Calendar as not being hard, but like "pushing on an opening door".  We are crying out for this call to come together.  Longing for someone to make the first move.  And that is all it takes.
 
So now, play streets and summer street parties are being planned and the world is different.  I am unbelievably happy about it.  And its a joy to feel  - well, JOY. 

 

Christmas Wishes

My biggest wish this Christmas is that Christmas is easy and delightful. 

Christmas is easy and delighful.
Christmas is easy and delightful.

Sometimes Christmas gets sort of intense.  The expecations are high and everyone kind of has different expectations.  Even different words to describe the same thing.  Or different things described by the same words.

Our family is just 10 years old really.  And we are still finding our feet with it all.  However this year I really do believe will be the best ever.

Because we talked about it and what we meant when we said things.  We totally want the same thing of course, we just had different expressions of it.  And no one is doing the usual thing.  So we have broken with the past and while the past (my childhood and single adult Christmas) was amazing and wonderful.  This break has freed us all up.  We are recreating what it means for us all.  And especially for Bub.  The new generation.

We will be in Brighton for our own family Christmas and will  be meeting up with wider family after Christmas to see a show and have a dinner.   and visiting after that  - either directly or at NY. 

But together we have decided that mainly Christmas is about sharing and magic.

Christmas is also  about

Delight
Presents
Decorations
Feasting
Generosity
Fun
Kindness
Friends and Family

 What does Christmas mean to you.