My three cats

What are three objects you couldn’t live without?

My three cats keep me calm. I took my blood pressure today and it was considerably lower when the cat came and sat on my knee.

Each one has a different purrsonality. Calm and relaxed, cheeky and quick to pounce, one that would trip me up if he got the chance. They love being close to me and they are a comfort during some difficult times.

In fact I think they have helped me keep my sanity over the last few months. Keeping them fed and watered, giving them love and attention. I need the love they give back. X

Singing

Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life.

I love singing.

When I’m anxious it helps regulate my breathing. Concentrating on the music makes my heart swell with joy when we get it right. Time seems to flow. Music and song are so simple, so inate to being human. It brings joy to my friends too. We got together to sing for a friend recently. I’ve not included my friends faces because I haven’t asked their permission to use their images.

That’s the thing about anxiety, so many rules to remember and think about. What can I do? What should I do? But singing calms me, pulls my mind up and out of bad feelings. I would recommend it to anyone thinking of coping with anxiety. If you can take the first step and keep singing. X

I jump!

A loud noise by our gate made me jump as I sat in the living room. For a moment I thought someone had jumped over it. I told hubby and he went out into the garden to check. He walked past the window spade in hand, ready to repel intruders. But I reran the image in my head, what I’d heard and seen, I think, was someone opening one of our wheelie bins in front of the gate, to throw rubbish in it.

I hate this nervy, hypervigilant me. I just want to be quiet and calm. I don’t need my blood pressure going sky high! And I don’t want hubby putting himself at risk!

I do a yoga class

What strategies do you use to increase comfort in your daily life?

I’m not good at yoga, I’m not very flexible anymore. So I use a chair for most of the positions we do in class.

I have to use the chair for balances too, I just cannot manage to stand up and balance on one leg. But overall I think its slowly helping my mobility. I don’t feel like I will ever be able to do some of the poses, but at least I try.

I think yoga is about doing the best you can, and trying to get to a calm state of mind in the process. I have to admit I have not studied the teachings behind the practice, but if it lowers my blood pressure and helps me to gain some lost movement, even if only to a slight extent, then I’m all for it.

I ache after classes but I think as I have kept going I have been able to feel more comfortable physically, and it might be helping me mentally.

I don’t like the idea of ‘exercise’ style of yoga, where people force themselves into position and use heated rooms, I think there is more to it than that. What next? Boxing yoga? No thanks.

Sold a painting

I sold this today, only for a few pounds, but it was my first for 2023. I’m not making a great deal of money out of my art, but I know that this will be going to a good home. I didn’t get a photo of it fully completed because my phone camera is playing up but it’s a pretty good representation of the final piece. I didn’t really think about it but it also made me feel calm when I looked at it.

101 days of gratitude

I keep drawing and writing

Thinking of good not bad

Calms me down and settles me

Changes thoughts from sad.

Every day three things

Grateful for help from hubby

Happy traffic lights stayed green

That I only have a cold not covid

That you can be happy again.

So 101 days of gratitudes

Not room 101 and gloom

I’ll keep this diary of positives

To balance bad and good.

Lakeside

The plants are turning red in places, golds too. The rushes by the lake have dark heads. We are just starting to head into autumn. I took a photo through the glass on the balcony of Westport Lake Cafe. The cafe is a few meters above the lake. It is curved wood like a boat standing on massive metal legs. It is built into a slope because of the way the land falls away. The entrance is at ground level on the side opposite the lake. There is a white curve in the just above and to the right of the middle of the photo. That’s a reflection. Not sure what caused it.