Lost and found

autumn and now cold

crab apple

So, today I got outside but the weather has now turned and my hands were freezing! A wonderful shade of mottled red, orange and purple.

They soon warmed up after I planted a few bulbs, I just have a feeling the squirrels will find them before the day is out.

I put out some fat balls for the birds only a couple of days ago, one set of three has already been devoured by those squirrels......so greedy.

This morning I tackled the cupboard under the stairs - its one of those jobs that takes an hour but fester for a year, or in my case, longer. So I threw out stuff that had absolutely no use to me at all, it didn't have any use ten years ago but I would hang on to it. One bag had two old mobile phones that were in pieces and an old walkman, about a hundred mobile phone instruction books - what on earth????

I did come across my first pair of Birkenstocks, sitting unloved and forlorn on top of a paint tray, nursing ten years of dust. They scrubbed up rather well, despite the little hole over my little toe. I loved these birkies, friend of mine in Amsterdam bought them for me when the children were young and I spent so many wonderful holidays with her and her children, either there or here.

I have returned to Friday yoga at Yoga Point, Terry Morin gives a beautiful class, the class is for older bodies and really feels beneficial. I still attend the Ferndale Leisure Centre class on Wednesday and appreciate that both are helping me with my old bones - sometimes I feel so stiff.

Looking forward to giving two facial rejuvenation treatments next week - I am determined to gain confidence and keep pushing on until I make a business for myself, this and the plants are what I love, what makes me happy and I know that if I put in the effort and the positive vibration I will eventually earn a living out of them both. I read this the other day on a yoga instagram that I subscribe to, I believe it.

'the things that excite you are not random. They are connected to your purpose. Follow them.'

Life after redundancy

I was made redundant in October last year, I decided to take the money and take my time to decide what my next move was. At the age of 62 getting a new job in a familiar industry is hard enough but I am done with office work, any work I do from now on will bring me joy - and an income. It's not too much to ask is it?

Initially I signed on to Jobseekers - not a great experience -you are required to spend over 30 hours week looking for a job applying and evidencing your efforts. I did what I was told to do applied for anything that looked feasible and got not one reply.

Soul destroying if you let it be, I decided that I would look at my skills/talents and try to come up with solutions outside the box.

So a few more months down the line I am starting a massage business - bodywork and natural facelift massage. I am working my daughter's stall two days a week selling plants (my passion) and I started writing. My first book will be about my experience of a son who became a Muslim.

It's early days but I am happy with my choices, thinking positively every minute of every day - I know this new chapter will work for me.