I called in at the yarn shop in Uppermill this morning on my way to the market. I needed some more yarn of the correct colours to complete my Chinese dragons. I had walked there because the paths were altogether too icy for cycling. The Yarn shop lady complained about the cold and told me about her visit to Lapland with her grandson some time before Christmas. “It snows constantly there,” she told me, “very fine stuff, sparkling in the lights, making it quite magical. And despite having so much snow and snowdrifts several feet high, they don”t close everything down. They keep going, not like here!” Because apparently yesterday she had not been able to get into Uppermill to open the shop … because of the now. Which rather surprised me as the buses were running as usual and there was only a centimetre of snow at the most! Maybe she lives on a very steep side road which needed clearing. Maybe she is just a very nervous driver!
Anyway, I found my dragon colours and went on my way. It’s a beautiful crisp and sunny day with a forecast maximum temperature of -3°. They say it will become less cold but more stormy at the weekend. We should take advantage of the sunshine while it’s here.
Well, across the pond it seems that Donald Trump is the front runner for being the Republican candidate for the American presidential elections. He’s facing all sorta of charges and could end up in prison. On the radio last night I heard an American political expert say that there is no constitutional reason why he could not be president from prison!! That’s a concept we’ve not considered before. Apparently the founding fathers wrote in a whole lot of conditions that prevented people from becoming president but it never even crossed their mind that someone might be in prison when elected! We live in interesting times!
Meanwhile, I read that Iran ha# been launching missile strikes against Pakistan. This doesn’t seem to have anything to do with what is going on in Gaza but it could well be indicative of things spiralling out of control. We really don’t need to be pulled into further conflict.
One way to deal with the stress of our difficult times, according to various articles and advertisements I keep being sent, is “gratitude journalling”. This is the latest thing! Every evening at some point you make a note in your specially designated journal three things that have happened that day for which you feel grateful. Then at the end of the week you can look back at all the good things, even read your journal out loud and share the good feeling with your friends and family. There’s even a new verb: “to gratitude journal” You can access help and advice online, for example:
“There's evidence to suggest that gratitude journaling is both life-affirming and an effective technique for strengthening your emotional resilience and reducing stress. Better still, it's an accessible form of self-care, as you need minimal tools and a short amount of time.”
And:
“Starting your gratitude journal couldn't be easier:
- Before you go to bed, find a quiet spot and arm yourself with a pen and paper
- List three things that happened that day you're grateful for. For example: "I'm grateful that I had a peaceful commute to work" or "I'm grateful that my neighbour smiled at me this morning"
- Repeat. Aim for the end of each day. However, it's also a great activity to do on a Sunday evening, recapping what's happened in the previous week.”
And of course, there’s a whole new branch of he stationery industry producing enticing and appropriately labelled notebooks, usually in feminine shades and patterns as they know that more women will go for this than men. Now, I am a renowned collector of notebooks. My daughter and her daughters and I love to explore a good tationery store and find fine new notebooks. But I really don’t need one specially labelled for expressing my gratitude!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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