a walk on the beach

 Happy New Year to all you lovely peeps out there!

It's funny how traditions are established, for us a New Years Day walk along a beach has become something we just do.

It's a great way to blow away the cobwebs.  And this year especially a chance to reflect and take stock of the year that had past.  We headed to St. Andrews, the beach there is one of our favourites, but I would probably say that about most beaches!  I love being by the sea!

It was a blustery day, so we walked with our heads down against the wind and I found myself getting lost in my own thoughts; thinking back to other walks we had taken along this beach.

There is something so good about the rhythm of walking to help all the thoughts that tumble about my mind come together in some sort of coherent order.  I thought I would be glad to say goodbye to the year, to all the devastation and fear that it had brought.  But when I thought more about everything that had happened I remembered the good as well, all the love, care and compassion I have been surrounded by and I noticed a subtle shift in my thinking too. I realised over the last year I have learnt to be more present, to stop over thinking about what has been and what could be to come and instead take in the now.

There are always so many beautiful shells on this beach, and it's hard just to choose one or two to pick up! I choose these two as a reminder of our New Years Day walk.

None of us knows what our future holds, and while my future still feels uncertain, I hope that I will be able to walk along the beach next New Years Day.

soggy

These beautiful Marimekko Weather Diary mugs (so kindly given to me as a Christmas present) sum up the weather recently….

…..it's been raining a lot here.  Don't get me wrong (I'm not complaining); I much prefer rain (without flooding) and still being able to get out and about than freezing with snow and ice and closed roads.

Yesterday we ran around the forest in a down pour; the mister said we were crazy.  My feet were soggy after the first three strides and then everything else got soggy too.  I discovered that running in the rain makes the car steam up a lot on the way home, but is good for making me run faster!

trees

Today we went running again around the forest; well I say run but technically it more of a jog!  Bbrrrr…it was cold and frosty (even the sand was crispy in places) but the light through the trees was stunning.  I didn't manage to keep up with the mister this time; he talks about being in the 'zone' when running, I don't think I'll ever be there but very occasionally I find for a moment or two I've stopped thinking about putting one foot in front of the other and my mind has wandered some where else.  We felt very virtuous afterwards so headed to the Parlour Cafe for brunch!

suspended animation

The first day of spring has been and gone and still the cold hangs on, it's grip tight. The garden has been held in suspended animation, new leaves frosted and paused.