My Delight Grows

Mid-Summer Writing

“As I continued the project, I felt my life to be more full of delight. Not without sorrow or fear or pain or loss. But more full of delight. I also learned this year that my delight grows - much like joy and love - when I share it”
The Book of Delights by Ross Gay

I’ve been reading “The Power of Fun” by Catherine Price and in it she quotes the above book (which I think has got to go next on my reading list!)

Last week I did some writing about nature and my inner experience I’d love to share with you….

Quick Update : Check out my upcoming Women’s Retreats HERE

The best place to read this is direct on my Substack, where you can comment.

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Nature is My Medicine
Last night I had trouble sleeping. Last week there were four nights the same. Worries and nightmares kept me up, my mind was spinning. This doesn’t usually happen to me. It has been a busy week.

Today (Saturday) I allow myself time for respite. I drop Bobby at Grandad’s house and wander back through my village. The Lime Trees are in bloom and the smell of their flowers is divine. I stop to pick some from the tree to dry out for tea. A neighbour stops to chat and tells me that a friend of her’s had Lime Flowers as a wedding bouquet.

One of my favourite places to go is to the pond at the top of the hill in my village. I find a place to sit and my legs get bitten by red ants. I move on to a new spot. The sun is getting hot and the cows in the neighbouring field have taken to the shade under the trees for some relief. About 30% of the cows like the sun and are sunbathing. One cow is perched exactly at the edge of the shade, so he’s getting just a little bit of sun. I identify with that cow.

The pond is filled with carp and I watch their silky, shiny bodies swim in the pond. Bright blue dragonflies dart around. I see a large insect shaped like a helicopter, it’s a damselfly. I wonder if the person who designed helicopters got their idea from this flying insect?

I drink my cold brew tea. It’s made with lime flower, meadowsweet and mugwort, which I foraged and dried earlier this week. It tasted like medicine. Nature is medicine for me.

I find a stick, which has bent into a beautiful curve. I must remember to bend like the tree. To grow and change with the seasons. I am in the season of caring for a small child. It is joyful and delightful and sometimes very hard. I can’t believe he is three already. Time flies, treasure every moment.

I observe the alder tree. Last year’s dry brown skeleton cones still hang from the tree, next to this year’s fresh and green cones. Alder cones can be used as a plant dye. It’s believed in folklore that the faeries used it to colour their clothes. I dyed my slippers with alder cones earlier this year and they turned a very light caramel cream. What old skeletons can I clear out of my closet? What new buds am I enjoying watch grow this year?

I walk back down the hill.A buzzard swoops overhead. Gliding and circling gracefully. Taking a bird’s eye view you can see everything a bit clearer. I spot a swallow too. They are one of my favourite birds along with herons and kingfishers. (Read this for some fun facts on bird migration)

I pick some grasses on the way home and make a beautiful grass bouquet.

Nature delights me. Nature is my medicine.

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Our little one bed allotment is starting to show results. After losing quite a few plants to slugs (goodbye lettuce, garlic and sunflowers). The ones that survived are looking good. We ate our first allotment strawberry and the courgettes are coming along nicely, with vibrant yellow flowers.

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I’ve been self-employed most of my adult life. Apart from short stint’s working at cafes, and a year or so at a Farming magazine, I’ve mostly done my own thing in entertainment and creativity. In April I wrote a re-introduction where I shared all the things I work on now. I’m never quite sure where my career will take me, and I’m learning to trust that my skills are useful. I’ve been a party princess for 6 months now at Snow Princess Parties! In the month of July I will be working as a princess at six birthday parties! I will be Elsa, Anna, Barbie, Rapunzel and a Unicorn. Here’s some princess pics from last month. Princess Aurora was my favourite!

I’m still editing my new Skillshare class, , teaching how to make my beautiful smocks. Our Singing Mamas groups delight me every week. We sing on Mondays in Tonbridge, and Fridays in the forest. This Friday on our way out of the woods we were surprised by a lovely tractor display which enthralled the children (Thank you Minke for this gorgeous photo)

I don’t really have anything to worry about, yet there are always things to worry about. Taking time to be present in nature shrinks my worries and grows my delight. I am very lucky.

Thanks for reading

LOVE ALWAYS WINS
Laura
XOXOXOX

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