In A Mellow Mood

I was browsing through Kasey Buick’s blog Lola B’s – One Girl Talks when I came across a link to the music of Mindy Gledhill – and I was hooked. I’ll be honest – heavy metal ballads are usually as mellow as I will get (barring classical music) but this lady’s music has a quality about it which is almost ethereal. It is soothing and relaxing and the words are just pure poetry. It was the type of music that made me want to drive to the nearest beach, plug some headphones in my ears and dance on the sand till the sun went down. It had that magical quality which brought out the inner child in me and I would gladly have been chasing waves or running after a balloon – just for the sheer joy of it.

Probably, a few years ago I would not have listened to this type of music twice but I am finding that the older (and more mature ) I get the more open I am to different genres of music -  although I have to draw the line at any rap, rave, house, underground – I am sure you get the picture.

So today I will leave you with a photo of one of my beloved beaches and the mellow music of Mindy Gledhill.

P.S. I realise I’ve mentioned the beach quite a bit in this post. Could it be that I am thinking of summer?

P.P.S. Mindy Gledhill has not paid me to write this post or rave about her music. I just happened to like it, so I wrote about it. I hope you will enjoy it too.

A Journey Of Self-Discovery

As I have already mentioned a number of times, I started this blog on a whim. I needed a place where I could share my thoughts and it never occurred to me that people would actually take the time to read them. What started as a solitary adventure has opened up a wealth of friendships with many women (and a few men) from around the world. It has opened my eyes to different cultures and countries. And it has helped me to discover myself.

Initially, all I wanted to do was write, but as this blog continued on its journey and I delved into the wonderful posts of fellow bloggers, I came to realise that I had other interests besides writing which were latent inside me. I developed a passion for photography and photo editing and blogs about interior design and décor held me in thrall while those that provided glimpses of far-away lands that I can  only dream of visiting, mesmerised and bewitched me.

I suppose what I am trying to say is that I have discovered facets about myself that I did not know existed. So while I will continue to write, because that is something which I can never give up, you will probably notice a shift in what I write about. I will probably write less about abstract things and more about me, my daily voyage and my little adventures. I hope that I don’t lose any of you along the way and that you will all continue to enjoy my stories and scribbles. In the main, nothing major is going to change except I will share more of what makes this blogger tick. In all honesty I never  thought what this little blog would help me discover about myself.

Four Things

I was tagged to participate in this meme by Sarah-Elizabeth – a sweet Scottish lass living in the beautiful heart of Italy. In her blog Sarah-Elizabeth writes about her life in Italy, the renovation she and her husband are carrying out on their home and her commitment to live life as environmentally friendly as possible. So do go over and visit. I promise you that you will enjoy her blog.

Four Shows I Watch

I don’t watch much TV as I prefer the  internet these days but I do watch the occasional show every now and then. The most common ones are:

1. The Barefoot Contessa

2. Everyday Italian with Giada de Laurentis

3. Dress My Nest

4. Criminal Minds

Photo source: www.giadadelaurentiis.com/books

Oh, and I do love to watch shows on the Travel Channel as long as they are about places I am interested in travelling to.

Four Things I Am Passionate About

1. Reading

2. Writing

3. Photography

4. Interior decoration

Four Phrases I Say A Lot

1. How many times do I have to say the same thing? (to my almost 5 year old whenever he misbehaves for the umpteenth time).

2. Good gosh.

3. Look at that moron (this one is exclaimed regularly when I am driving).

4. What the heck??!!

Four Things I’ve Learned From The Past

1. Life is a precious gift.

2. The happiest people are those who are content with the simplest things in life.

3. Nothing and nobody is perfect on this earth.

4. If something doesn’t kill you, it usually makes you stronger.

Four Places I’d Like To Go

1. New York

2. The Caribbean

3. Scotland

4. Spain

Photo source: www.allposters.com

Four Things I Did Yesterday

1. Work

2. Laundry

3. Read some blog posts.

4. Read bed-time stories.

Four Things I’m Looking Forward To

1. Spring (although up to now, our winter has been very mild for the second year running).

2. The weekend.

3. My son’s fifth birthday.

4. Some me, myself and I time

Four Things I Love About Winter

1. The cooler weather.

2. Beanies (I have one in my most favourite colours).

3. Cuddly evenings.

4. Drinking hot chocolate – especially my favourite brand Ciobar which, to be honest is more like a pudding than a drink. But is is sublime.

Picture source: www.ilmercatoitaliano.net

Four Things On My Wish List

1. Snow!! – well that’s impossible but at least some hail and cold weather.

2. A charm bracelet.

3. A few days’ vacation somewhere in Europe.

4. Naturally straight hair (in my dreams, I know).

Photo source: www.pandora.net

And now I need to tag four other blogs. Choosing just four is not easy but I will go with the following:

1. Carmen Alexandra at Coco Coterie

2. Angela at Reflections

3. Reenie at Reenie’s Scribbles

4. Julie at Being Ruby

Please do go over and visit. Each of these ladies has a charm of her own and I think that you will find their blogs very interesting.

When Words Are Not Enough

A blog update. One sentence. Five words.

Five words were enough for the writer to convey all the pain and sorrow in her heart.

And we, her readers, were at a loss. Because even though words usually come easily to all those of us that blog, on this occasion we all felt that words were not enough. No words were going to make it better. Yet all we had were words. And a tenuous friendship built across thousands of miles by exchanging hundreds of words.

Yes, sometimes words are not enough but I hope that our futile words are able to convey the message that we care. Across the thousands of miles, we truly care.

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I was planning a post on a lighter subject, but some things can wait. This post is dedicated to a special friend I met through blogging who has lost her husband to cancer.

A Moment In Time

There are moments in life when time just seems to stand still. The surrounding world fades away and all that is left is the reality of that silent, solitary moment. It is an instant of intense revelation, when a veil seems to lift and the world lets you glimpse its ancient secrets. It is in these moments of silence and stillness that your senses come fully to life and, deep within your soul, your heart beats to the rhythm of a butterfly’s wings.

Photographed at Chadwick Lakes

December 2010