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Someone to watch over me…
I woke early today and for the first time in forever, took my self, dog less, to the park for a “real” walk. Kate Bush was blaring in my ears. The morning was perfect until…
About one hundred meters along the path I spied a bustle of wings and flying feathers – miners and magpies and a crow all dive bombing the ground. When I moved up closer, I saw a baby pigeon was under attack. The birds were relentless – out to kill I suspect, as nature intended. The scene was like a car crash. I didn’t want to look but I couldn’t look away. And I couldn’t just keep walking to let the poor creature die a horrible death. I stopped, and waited, shooing the attackers away whenever they came near.
The pigeon was injured with a small gash to its neck, and it was immobilised from fear. After a while, it staggered under some low-lying branches and stopped. I felt helpless. I had nothing to carry it in. I rang wildlife numbers and vets and no one could help me. To be honest, I’m not a “touching birds” kind of girl. Flappy things freak me out. But I couldn’t leave it alone to die. I decided to sit with it and talk to it until it died or until it recovered.
It took a while but eventually it began to move. It fluttered its wings a little and then took an unsteady waddle toward some bushes. With great bravado, it then flapped its tiny wings with all its might and took flight into the trees.
I continued on my walk and started thinking how much better it feels when I extend myself to help another living being, yet how often I never bother, writing it off because it’s not my problem. I realised you don’t really have to do much – just be there and watch their back until they get it together. And you don’t even have to like them that much. You just have to put yourself in their shoes for a moment and consider what it might be like. You just need to be a little bit conscious. It changes everything. I walked away with Kate Bush singing
“…it’s coming for me through the trees…” click here for the whole shebang. Quite lyrically fitting when you think about it.
I hope the little guy makes it.
What’s in a name?
The other day I brought my new puppy home. I slipped on his miniature harness and buckled all 1.2 kgs of him in the car seat. Over previous weeks when I visited him, I tried on dozens of names but nothing seemed to fit. I wanted a name that meant something, a name that made sense. He is a Lhasa Apso, a breed that originated in the Himalayan Mountains in Tibet, hundreds of years ago. Lhasas were used as watchdogs in temples and monasteries. The breed was considered to be sacred and were considered good luck to their owners, which already makes sense. He was a gift to me from friends.
I met these friends when they were making the agonising decision of saying goodbye to their elderly labrador. Having gone through that decision a couple of years ago with my five year old Cavalier, I can understand now how hard it was for them to say goodbye to their beautiful Sam. I helped and supported them where I could. Being removed from the emotional entanglements allowed me to make those difficult “arrangements” on their behalf, and so take some of the stress away from an already stressful time.
Sam’s final hours were spent at home, surrounded by people he loved and who loved him. He was hugged and loved and ate chocolate with tail thumping appreciation and as peacefully as possible, he drifted into his next great adventure.
So some three years later, I arrived to take home a little bundle of joy that was born in the house where Sam lived. And after much searching, I found a name for my little guy. I have named him in keeping with his origins and also to honour Sam. Without Sam, I may never have met my friends and my little man may never have come to me. His name is Sambhu. It’s a Sanskrit word. It means “house of happiness”, and knowing him so far, it makes perfect sense.
The blog post I wrote for Sam…
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
For Sam
It rained the day he died and we gathered around his ageing frame. Our toes curled over the edge of despair, all of us willing and able to slide into the murky depths of our grief. I wondered if he knew, if he could tell the end was near; if he sensed the warmth that filled the room came from bodies crowding his final hour. I imagined him elsewhere – in some far away place running through fields, chasing a ball – pushing up through our blanket of human sadness and escaping to freedom acquired when someone you love finally lets go.
In his closing moments of life, I pondered the moment that divides us from death. Mere seconds that teeter on a definitive edge and then disappear. I sat by his side and in those final seconds, I tried to see beyond time, into that void of unknowing where I tell myself some kind of comfort resides. But my vision had already blurred and my tears fell anyway.
He slipped quietly away- no more beating heart, no wag of tail, just a few final breaths where he whispered good-bye. I looked out the window just after -beyond the fronds of a palm that swayed in the breeze. The sky was still grey and the rain had set in, and I imagined him mobile and strong and untethered, chasing the tale of his life. And when he went without fuss, all arms around him, I watched a peacefulness visit his face as he exited quietly, politely. Unleashed at last. Run little fella – all the way home.
Some pics I took of Sammy on his last day with us here.
A day of pictures at the Ipswich Children’s Literature Festival
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend part of the Ipswich Children’s Literature Festival held at Woodlands Mansion. It was a perfect spring day, and the setting for inspiration couldn’t be better.
I kicked the first session off watching Michael Bauer dazzle the kids with stories that led to his latest novel, ‘Just a Dog’.I am always fascinated with how a story comes to be and learning the origins behind certain scenes in the book makes me love it more.
Throughout the day, I had the pleasure of sitting in on numerous workshops and talks, and as always, came away inspired as ever. It was fantastic to see the presenters work their magic with the children who love their work.
It was a great day, and I want to say a big thank you to Jenny Stubbs and Sheryl Gwyther for the opportunity to attend. Big thanks also to Michael Bauer, for the fabulous conversation there and back.
It was a great day and I wish I could’ve stayed longer. Maybe next time. For now, it was the perfect recharge I needed. Take a look for yourself…
Come to your senses…
Finding time to sit and write is a huge challenge but when we do finally settle into that creative space, how much emphasis do we put on being comfortable?
Sitting for long hours writing or illustrating can lead to stress in our joints and body. Comfort is essential for a happy brain to produce creative genius, so below are some comfort measures that might help you churn out the goods in the most comfortable way possible.
Feeling: What lies beneath (your butt)
A comfy chair that’s good for you is essential. I’m not talking recliner style – unless you work well in a coma. A straight spine is essential to energy flow. Slouching and slumping squashes your insides and makes your muscles grumpy. Grumpy achy muscles distract you. Distraction makes the task at hand painful. A good chair will help keep your spine in line and support your back as you bash away at your work in progress. Recently I invested in a real chair of the ergonomic variety. It’s made a world of difference. Physical comfort decreases stress. It’s a no brainer.
Seeing: Whatcha looking at?
Where possible, make your immediate work environment visually appealing. Mess is fine – so long as there is order amongst it. Some people opt for the pristine clean nothing out of place environment. Others work and live in organised chaos. Whatever your preference, here are some things to pretty up your work place that wont cost an arm and a leg.
A notice board where you can visualize your creative goals, add your favourite pictures, photos or whatever takes your fancy. It’s like having something constantly whispering to your brain via your eyeballs. Even though you’re not consciously interpreting what’s on the board, your brain is still taking it in. That’s maybe why they call it a notice board. Your subconscious notices things your conscious brain takes for granted. A notice board doesn’t have to be huge. Start small – even as small as a couple of post it notes stuck on the top of your computer screen can be enough to trigger a positive message in your head. You may want to go the MGM route and create a vision/story/notice/picture whatever board. The idea is “seeing is believing”. A room with a view is also conducive to creation and good health. In 1859, Florence Nightingale made mention in her Notes on Nursing that patients who had a pleasant view recovered more successfully. A pleasant view is like bathing your brain in happiness. So utilize a window if you have one. Or wander to the outside world when having a break. If you don’t have a happy view, make one. Posting images can have a similar effect, triggering that part of your brain that makes you happy. And don’t forget flowers. A simple bouquet of flowers in your work space also triggers the happy part of your brain and decreases stress.
Hearing…say what?
Some of us do well surrounded by noise. Some do not. I’m lucky. I can pretty well tune out the world no matter where I am (years of buzzers and beeps and machines that go bing) but I do prefer quiet if given the choice, especially when I am writing. When I’m drawing/painting – I’m immune to all noise except whipper snippers and lawn mowers, which can send me into a torrent of paint spattering rage.
Some studies have shown that background or low-level noise can disrupt our concentration as well as increase our general stress levels. It is thought that conditioned exposure to noise doesn’t actually lead to us becoming used to the noise. In fact the opposite is thought to occur with our stress levels rising with ongoing exposure. It’s not always possible or practical to control noise in our environment. Ambient noise machines can drown out distracting sounds, as can a decent set of headphones and some tranquil music.
Taste:
Creativity can often cause us to search for our muse in the most obscure places. The pantry and fridge are common locations where the Muse if often thought to be lurking. What passes our lips can land on our hips…so be mindful of what you munch on while waiting for inspiration to strike.
Healthy food in , healthy thoughts out. Simple.
Smelling: Smell is one of our strongest senses. It can trigger all sorts of brain reactions that impact how we feel. For some right brain stimulation, consider some aromatherapy to stimulate your muse. Bergamot, neroli, grapefruit and geranium are said to stimulate the creative process. Your space will smell great too. Cinnamon is good for motivation, peppermint for headaches, rosemary for concentration and lavender, cedar wood and jasmine to help you chill out and relax. Read the directions carefully before choosing your oils. Some oils aren’t good for certain medical conditions. Caution should also be taken when pregnant when using certain essential oils. Check with your doctor first.
Bath time
Writing Habits…The good, the bad and the…
Some sites about forming good habits…check ‘em out…
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/strategies-for-breaking-bad-habits-and-cultivating-good-ones/
http://betterwritinghabits.com/
http://www.happiness-project.com/
http://realgoalgetter.com/322/goals-setting-rewards-for-yourself-frequently-boosts-motivation/
Fly Baby
Baby Steps
The older I get the more I long for the simple things in life. Gone are the days of diving in blind like I did when I was younger. So now it’s time to establish an online presence, baby steps are the way to go. As most can attest, there is a sea of info out there to drown in. Googling the words ‘web hosting’ stirs up a few thousand results. So where to start? After much clicking and scrolling, and sucking of teeth, I settled on one that bought me some time. I have a site design in mind and intend buidling it all from scratch. In the meantime, I needed something to tide me over. That’s where a premium template from WordPress came in handy.
But it wasn’t simple either, at first. After some tears and a plethora of very bad words , I’ve finally managed to get it up and running. It’s definitely been the easy way out to begin with and it’s also given me a chance to play around with widgets and other bits, rekindling the embers of knowledge that reside in my dreamweaver code lobe part of my brain. Slowly, it’s becoming more like fun and less like sheer binary terror.
So for now, baby steps have led me to to this site you now see while I tinker away late at night buidling my cyber masterpiece from scratch. So now what? What to fill it with?
I’m a bit of a list girl and always do better when a plan is in place, which leads me to rules. Writing rules. One post a week. Four topics a month delivered on a Tuesday. Here’s the plan so far:
First Tuesday
Anything I feel like. Open slather. Probably a whinge session.
Second Tuesday
Writing and Illustrating Habits of the not so rich but famous. Perhaps an interview or two based on five standard questions. Funny ridiculous stuff more than likely. So all you not so rich but famous people, consider yourself warned. I may be coming to get you. And all you not so famous people – I’m after you too.
Third Tuesday
Creatively green
Stemming from my medical background, I feel a duty of care to trawl the webs for ways to help us creative souls stay fit and healthy as we bleed onto the page.
Fourth Tuesday
The Beautiful Side of the writing and illustrating life
This will be all about “stuff”. Nasty, shallow, meaningless fabulous can’t live without it consumerist stuff that we love to have. What’s hot – what’s not etc.
And for those tricky months that have that extra Tuesday tucked under the mat – I think it just might be a sausage surprise kinda deal. I’ll keep you posted.
With every weekly post, there will be 3 websites to support whatever it is I’ve been banging on about. For your pure distraction and enjoyment.
So there it is, the big plan. Let’s crank this thing up and see how this baby flies.
Running Home
Today, my kindred spirit, Esme left this world. I know her Mum is aching. And I know her heart is breaking. But somehow, I also know that Esme is running wild through fields of green, the wind in her hair and not a care in the world. Run In Peace, beautiful girl. You are loved. MOO~XXX