Monday blues and the British weather…

It is truly autumn here in London, although some would call it winter. Even though the sun really worked hard all day Friday and the skies were a beautiful gorgeous blue, it was cold.

There was real drama in the colours and the clouds were truly amazing. But it was cold. In fact, it was chilly indoors. Not just out.

I was thinking about my blog and some line about the weather was about to enter my head. I was wondering how often this happens to people who are not British. On our beautiful isles, the weather plays such an important role that we watch it with huge interest. We devote very artfully crafted pieces of journalism to describing the minute changes in temperature, movements of air pressure, currents of warm or cold air travelling over our little island from neighbouring land masses. Weather forecasters are household names. No one has forgotten the legendary Michael Fish have they?

From one day to the next, the weather can change drastically, affecting everyone’s mood and influencing simple decisions. My colleagues will watch the clouds as lunchtime approaches and decide whether or not to dive out early to buy food before a downpour is unleashed. While I, on the other hand, prefer to bring my lunch so I do not have to worry. The quality of the light coming through the windows changes dramatically with the weather. A peek of sunshine and the whole place feels brighter, lighter, happier… grey clouds make you feel more tired, more gloomy, lethargic. Rain makes you wish you never got out of bed in the morning at all.

Otis redding – sittin on the dock of the bay (link via Soundcloud) 

Well. It’s Monday again. After the wettest summer for a century or so apparently, in spite of the beautiful Olympic and Paralympic sunshine (lest we forget) it’s now crisp and cold. Some days we have had the beautiful sunny skies that we enjoyed this weekend, but mostly it’s been wet and miserable. I’m officially in denial and playing a different soundtrack to nature. Also, work’s been a bit weird lately. “Looks like nothing’s gonna change…” so I’m thinking of making some changes myself  – instead of stressing, I’m chillin’ today…

Does the weather have as great an influence on your part of the world? Does it affect your mood as much as it can mine I wonder?

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8 O’CLOCK

I’m always happy to get to 8 o’clock in the evening, but less so when it’s 8 o’clock in the morning and I’d much rather still be in the company of a duvet so that I can pull it over my head.

I included two photos for today, see if you can work out why I thought it would be fun to include the second one 😉

#7 | 8 O’CLOCK

Thank you for your comments, do keep them coming. I haven’t had a chance to respond to them yet but I do appreciate them very much! I’m not ignoring you! I will respond 🙂

[If you take part in Fat Mum Slim’s photo a day challenge, let me know – I’d love to see how you get creative with the daily posts!]

You have all the time there is…

Time. I don’t know anyone who does not struggle to find enough time. Time to work. Time to play. Time to sleep. Time to read. Time to eat. Time to dream. Time to finish something, anything, everything. Time to blog. I do not personally know anyone vaguely like any of those super-people out there, who have ever confidently listed their time-management tactics on their blogs for the benefit of us lesser mortals. All the people I know, wish they had more time…

Last month, I attended a training session. It was not specifically related to the concept of time. It was somewhat related to management though. As we neared the afternoon coffee break, one of the participants expressed her frustration at the overwhelming number of tasks she was expected to perform along with the actual job she was contracted to do. The rest of us nodded empathetically as one. Eyes met in full sympathy across the room. Heartfelt murmurs of commiseration and support were imparted. She was speaking of the experience of everyone present. In this atmosphere of deep mutual understanding. the trainer spoke the following words. Yes, she said them with a bit too much awareness of their significance. She intentionally paused and repeated to give them more weight. But she explained that when she first heard them, it was as though someone had switched a light on. And by them I was at once moved and inspired:

You have all the time there is… You have all the time there is…

And indeed that is the only equality that is perhaps given to all. Old and young, rich and poor, male and female of whatever colour or creed… we are each given the same 24 hours in a day. Although the number of days we have ahead may differ, I don’t have enough time is not really a valid complaint. I don’t have more or less time than you, I may just be trying to do more or less than you are trying to do with the time that we have. And Adriana of PhotoAddia seems to have been thinking along the same lines too recently. Her angle on the topic challenges me: “Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of.”

My question to myself now therefore is, I have all the time there is, am I making good investments with it? Are the ways in which I spend my time meaningful, rewarding, constructive, worthwhile, beneficial? Because these are the attitudes that I would like to have towards my life and how I use it.

Penitent Post

This is not a very frivolous post. In fact, it’s more a penitent one…I’m trying to make up for the rambling rubbish I published too hastily on Wednesday. I was frustrated at not having time to post, wrote something at the end of the day, pressed “publish” but awoke the morning after filled with remorse, and pulled the post. If you didn’t see it, phew! If you did, well, it will be back, but in a much improved state. Until I achieve that, it will be as if it never existed (except, if you got it in your feed reader…) Thanks for sticking with me nevertheless – I have a lot to learn!

Art print by Evan Robertson of Etsy shop, Obvious State

I’m posting today with a headache. No, I haven’t been drowning my sorrows in drink. In fact, I’m not much of a drinker. I love my wine in food, but I can act drunk enough without alcohol. I don’t think therefore that it would be inappropriate to adopt this quote from Ernest Hemingway as my blogging principle.  It’s been cropping up all over Pinterest lately. Judging from my blogging blunder this week, I would do well to take heed!

OK, that’s enough of the sour lemons… now to make lemonade! Or more precisely, a lemon elixir. Coming soon..!