Botanical

I give thanks for being stiff and sore and stuck on the sofa struggling to stay awake as, most unusually for recent times, I got this way doing something I really wanted to do and enjoyed...despite the range of challenges to be overcome. For making a minor contribution to a community project - attending a workshop creating clay pieces (flowers, leaves, birds, butterflies, bugs, frogs etc) that will cover a seating area in the beautiful botanical gardens twenty minutes or bus ride away from here. It's scheduled to be completed early next year, and I love the idea even if I'm not around to see it I'll have helped make something for others to enjoy... 

For remembering to take my Walkman for the journeys, which are very stressfully noisy to me now lockdown is a distant blissful memory and high season is in full swing. For braving meeting and interacting with strangers (especially with my manual clumsiness in the circumstances!) and the changeable morning weather and bus times meaning I was first there in the afternoon session and could slip away when it got too busy - and I got too tired to carry on. For the kindness and patience of the lovely ladies running things there, and the peacefulness compared to here!

For spotting a poppy blooming on the beach...and these rather unusual spotty petunias

For my legs carrying me where they needed to, and for empty seats when they couldn't including one on the ferry - always a delight! For the kind man in the refillery filling a little water bottle for me with plant based washing up liquid. For filling myself up with leek and smoked haddock risotto when I got home...