Yesterday morning: in a field in Wales, palms and face turned to the cushion-y golden warmth of the sun, noticing my yoga breath. The confidently green grass was as springy as a fresh sponge cake.
Same time this morning: right hand clicking through work email. Left hand frantically redialling the Australian High Commission to deal with an expired passport before an imminent family holiday.
I wish I could bottle up just a little wisp of those shiny happy times, to hold under my nose when I’m about to faint with dizziness and busy-ness …
A view enhanced by wet muddy boots.
The weekend that was
I was in Wales for a friend’s birthday. A remote farmhouse stuffed full of alarmingly smart and interesting women. There was also:
- Local bacon so delicious that it could be a ‘gateway drug’ for wavering vegetarians.
- A scramble up a small waterfall. I fell in a stream, filled my shoes with mud and admired the view.
- No WiFi or internet or mobile phone signal. No digital cave to hide in.
- All the cakes. Chocolate, carrot, red velvet. Banoffee pie for breakfast. Giant lebkuchen (German biscuit ) in the shape of a smiling woman.
- A happy mess of heritage, birthplaces, languages, work places and homes.
We don’t have much evidence that this weekend actually took place. No live-tweeting or vlogging or Insta-story. I just have an increased knowledge of precious gems, mindfulness and Dutch snacks; and continuing confusion over Welsh pronunciation.
Happy birthday E, or is that ê?
A global birthday cake. Only slightly offended that Australia got shoved off the side.
Here’s one I wrote earlier
Getting comfortable Daughter: Mum, we’re learning about life cycles at school. Me: OK. What stages are there in a life cycle? Daughter: Birth, growth, reproduction and death. Me: And what stage are you at? …
To all the ladies in the house Mother’s Day had serious expectations heaped upon it, such as handmade cards and someone else replacing the toilet paper for once. International Women’s Day? Just the same old fluff – gender parity, equal opportunities, more women in leadership, less violence blah blah…
A life less digital 