This blog diary is about our mosaic life at Frangipani House; art, mindfulness, travel, walking with our little dog on the beach, the beauty in everyday life. Let the beauty of what you love, be what you do.
Driving back and forth to my yoga classes I've been listening to Dr Rangan Chatterjee's book Happy Mind Happy Life: 10 Simple Ways to Feel Great Everyday on Spotify. If you're a subscriber have a listen in and see what you think. I think that's an amazing service, there are SO many audiobooks I want to listen to. Happy Mind Happy Life is filled with helpful ways to create a happy life.
"During his 20 years as a GP, Dr Rangan Chatterjee has seen first-hand how motivation isn’t always enough for us to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It’s only when we learn how to support our own mental wellbeing and cultivate core happiness that these choices become easy."
One of the things that Dr Rangan said that made sense to me, was that each day from the time we get up, we're faced with these micro hits of stress inducing choices. These micro hits, trigger the fight or flight response. In years gone by, we weren't aware of all the awful things happening in our beautiful world. But these days, we hear and watch so many things every day, that can tug on our heart, or make us infuriated. The amount of choices we have every time we go to a supermarket or look at a menu in a cafe, can all contribute to our stress levels.
I don't know about you, but over the last few months, the news coming out of the USA I've found deeply concerning.
A lot of my family lives in Washington State in the US, and I have many friends living in many states of the US. Many of them are truly distressed at what is happening to their beautiful country.
So what actions can we take to deal with this stress?
In Happy Mind, Happy Life, Dr. Chatterjee introduces ten actionable strategies designed to enhance daily well-being. These include:
Simplifying Choices: Reducing decision fatigue by limiting options in daily routines.
Digital Detox: Creating boundaries with technology to foster presence and reduce overstimulation.
Mindful Breathing: Incorporating brief breathing exercises to alleviate stress.
Embracing Criticism: Developing resilience by reframing negative feedback.
These techniques are grounded in scientific research and are designed to be easily integrated into daily life, making them accessible tools for those seeking stability amid external chaos.
I started this blog so many years ago, and over the years it was a lovely way of keeping a diary. Then one day, I was playing around with the settings, and lost all the entries visible once the blog went live. Luckily well for me at least they were still loaded up on the background, but I couldn't access them from the public view.
So I tried so many things until today, and something clicked in when I was looking at my settings and realised that I'd done a custom redirect. A simple change and a click of a button and my blog was back.
Funny how simple changes can make a big difference isn't it? I was listening to Jimmy Carr on Diary of a CEO today, and he mentioned using the question, 'what is one thing you could do today, that tomorrow you would be grateful you did?' Maybe do that exercise, make a different choice in food, or work. Made me think, as I was doing a little bit more of a walk today, stretching my steps out a little further than 10K. I started to feel the steps as I went over 11k. I was glad to reach my favourite coffee stop on the boat harbour.
I still do a double take with Jimmy's wisdom after listening to his ascerbic wit all these years, he is such a wise person to listen to, and it was really wonderful listening to him encourage and reframe some of Steven's words. Have a listen, you might be amazed.
Occasionally, we offer to do some house sitting. It's been a great way to travel and mind a gorgeous dog or two. We really adore dogs, and now that our last one has travelled across the rainbow bridge, it's a lovely way to get a dog fix.
So we were contacted by an owner that we had house sat before, to come and mind their gorgeous dog, at first I said no, long Covid had hit me hard, and house sitting just wasn't on the cards, but then we received a second message and decided to go to help them out.
We were told that they had been doing some renovations, but that the interior had been finished and that there was a few boards being done around the pool that was being finished off. They were also doing a garden roof over the top of the patio.
We arrived to see 3 levels of scaffolding around the house and builders everywhere. We'd been undersold on the sit, and had to wind our way underscaffolding to get into the house.
Nail guns and lump hammers were in action above our heads, not to mention the noise of all the construction.
Now a lot of people travel around house sitting, as they don't have a house. They go from one place to another, so they have somewhere to stay. However, we have a lovely home, and have been down the renovation route a few times, and have absolutely no wish to do anymore. Let alone stay in someone else's home to cope with theirs.
Anyway, suck it up, we were there, and the owners had gone away overseas, and there was nothing to be done. Three days later we returned from taking the beautiful dog we were minding for her walk. As I walked down the driveway to the construction site that was our house sit, I noticed a dog lying near the building works.
As I approached the house, the dog jumped up, ran down the driveway, placed itself across the driveway and bared it's teeth at us, arched, and raised the hackles on it's back. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that this is a massive warning from a dog that you are about to be attacked.
There's nothing to get the old fight or flight response going like the threat of attack. My heart went from calm to pounding in a moment.
I called out to the workers for the dog owner to get the dog under control.
The long and the short of it, was we needed to
approach the owners to tell the builder that the dog was not allowed to be on the site. They had known the dog was on the site. The tradies told us that there had been interactions like this for the past 6 months as the two dogs didn't like each other.
So between the threat of attack and the building construction, we were very unhappy chappies. We'd been house sitting since 2014, and this was the first time that the house sit had gone 'bad' for us. It's been such a shock that we're considering never doing it again.
So if you are thinking of house sitting, do take care, be alert to the fact that things may not be as they seem. If as in our case people say they are finishing of renovating, get them to send photos. if there's tradies on the site, make sure that there's no other dogs allowed.
Welcome, I got myself a bit lost in editing this google blog. So the normal posts you'd see on this initial page are no longer showing... Message to self, do not play around with google settings on blog. But if you'd like to scroll around the side links you'll see some of my past posts. Or head on over to my - frangipani house art blog - click here
I haven't been to the Greek Islands at Christmas, although I'd love to experience it - from the postcards that I saw when I was there, it looks like it might get pretty cold at times. On a trip to the Greek Islands, a few years ago and we minded the most gorgeous little villa perched high above the town of Mykonos.
It was one of those memories that will stay in my heart forever. Of an evening we could look down at the sun setting over the harbour. It was a bit of a hike into town, but we didn't care it was marvellous. We used to use the goat tracks to wind our way up the hill of a night back to the villa.
A little Christmas creating this year
Christmas Baubles to colour, if you're taking part in the current colouring in craze! You are welcome to print the baubles out and colour in. If you decide to share them, just give a link back to my site.
One night there was no moon to guide us, and with only a cigarette lighter to guide our way (you'd have thought we'd have bought a torch instead) we wove our way back home. Hubby in the lead, I followed close behind, when there was a sudden stop and scream at the feeling of hot breath in the front. Turned out that hubby had come face to face with a donkey on the path. He'd been bent over trying to see the way over rocky terrain, and in that position came face to face with the local. Ah fun times to remember.
Greek Christmas Carols from Crete and Peloponnesus
Since visiting them, the islands have never been far from my heart, I could have put down roots and stayed there. It was one holiday I never wanted to return from. I have yet to see any images that truly capture the light and beauty of the place.
I just had a text from a friend wondering what to bring for Christmas lunch, which got me to thinking not about lunch, but about Christmas treats. One of my favourite recipes is for Greek Christmas Cookies - Kourapiedes. A while ago now I happened upon a rather magical cookbook called Falling Cloudberries. The title attracted my interest and then once I opened it, I knew it was coming home with me to live at my house. Tessa's book introduced me to these treats and I've made Tessa's recipe many times. They are melt in your mouth wonderful little bursts of buttery delights and friends just can't get enough of them, once they start.
"Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes, by Tessa Kiros is a gem. The cookbook is full of personal touches and stories. It is a beautiful collection of family anecdotes, history, and traditions all documented with stunning photography, unique illustrations, and a warm dialogue that will simply pull you in. This book trailer will let you into Tessas exotic multi-cultural family gathered around meals, food and fun."
If you are looking for a lovely Christmas present for someone who loves to cook, who also loves soulful stories, you couldn't do better than Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros. Apart from wonderful recipes, I adore how Tessa has woven into the book her family history and images.
I treasure how people share and create their traditional recipes, and especially at Christmas. This is Irene Mina sharing her recipe and you can find more at Thursday for Dinner.com
"Mindfulness is about being fully awake in our lives.
It is about perceiving the exquisite vividness of each moment..." - Jon Kabat-Zinn
Over the last few years I have been practicing mindfulness and have found it to be of great benefit. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is simply the practice of being present in the moment. Have you ever stopped and paused, and brought your awareness totally to the present moment? We all have at some point, perhaps it was a sunset that almost took your breath away, holding a baby and being mesmerized by their tiny toes or hands, maybe it was looking at a flower or at an animal?
About mindfulness with Jon Kabat-Zinn
A mindfulness practice:
RAIN - Cultivating a Mindful Awareness
The acronym RAIN is a powerful tool for interrupting habitual patterns of emotional reactivity and discovering the freedom of an awake, compassionate presence. This talk explores the components of RAIN, how it works, what makes it transformational and typical challenges people encounter. The teachings include a guided RAIN meditation.
"Recognising and allowing is the heart of mindfulness practice". Tara Brach.
R.A.I.N:
R - Recognising - "What is happening inside me right now?" - Just name it.
A - Allowing - "Can I be with this?" If you just pause and ask these two questions, you will be more awake. Recognising and allowing, creates a pause. Instead of tumbling into a reactive behaviour, whether it is eating a bowl of ice cream or rushing into responding to an email, or whatever it is, in the recognising and allowing, we've paused...
'Between the stimulus and the response there is a space, and in that space is your power and your freedom' Viktor Frankl.
If you can pause,
in the middle of very habitual behaviour,
you have more choice.
The R and the A, create a pause, and they enable you to begin to investigate (21.35).
I - Investigate - we begin to investigate with interest and friendliness.
"What am I believing?" - don't go searching, don't get stuck in thinking... if something arises allow it.
Have you noticed how much you go around through the day, trying to figure out what is going on?
RAIN can get hijacked by the figuring out mind. It is very skillful to ask 'what am I believing?' Because, whenever we are suffering, there is a limiting belief, (25.38) and if you can identify it, that can bring a whole constellation of what is going on, and less identification.
If there is judgement when you are investigating, it won't work. (26.34) The part of you that is most vulnerable and needs the most work, will hide in the shadows. The only thing that will dissolve judgement that we have in such great supply, is a very purposeful quality of gentleness and kindness.
So Investigate, with an intimate attention.
You can't manufacture kindness, but you can intend it. Because your wisdom knows that is what is needed. (27.46)
Investigate, "What does this part of me need?" But again be aware of going into thinking.
I hold this too with loving kindness
Sometimes we go through the RAIn process and may get to R or A or I, and may not get to the N part of the process. Almost what is important is not getting to the end, but more the intention, and the valuing of pausing and deepening our attention. (36.20)
You can trust,
anytime, you are caught in an old pattern, (36.27)
and you pause, and even just for a few moments, say well 'what's going on?'
and,
'can I be with this?'
that you are beginning a 'rewiring'.
The neuro-circuitry is beginning to change.(36.43)
You are changing habits, even with the lightest version of an incomplete RAIn
Mindfulness helps, and this is mindfulness.
A few challenges people come up with when doing this. What if when you check in, investigating, you can't find felt sense, or you can't even feel your body very much? What I would encourage, in the investigating is just to invite the feelings to be there, and notice what happens and don't worry if you can't connect with your body. Scan through your body, try to notice, but just putting out the inquiry, 'What is happening', 'where do I feel this?' - doing this over and over, it is the invitation that counts. Attention is what counts, in doing this process you are beginning to bring attention to what's there.
Bring kindness to this - bring compassion - as you would to a child.
N - Natural Awareness - Not Identify - There’s nothing to do for
this last part of RAIN—realization arises spontaneously, on its own. We simply rest in natural
awareness
Remembering my grandfather who died as a result of a bullet wound in WW2, my two uncles and my father who fought in WW2. Lest we forget.
“Beannacht / Blessing
On the day when
the weight deadens
on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.
And when your eyes
freeze behind
the grey window
and the ghost of loss
gets in to you,
may a flock of colours,
indigo, red, green,
and azure blue
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.
When the canvas frays
in the currach of thought
and a stain of ocean
blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters
a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.
May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.”
― John O'Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom
The New Year - I think we all know about New Year's resolutions - and have probably attempted one or two things in the past - some we may have followed up and others not at all. We start out with ideas about how this year will be different - ah well I'm sure you know the scenario, I've been meaning to go to the gym for 2 years now, and get back to Tai Chi - what's your ones?
At the turning of the new year this year I watched a couple of webinars on New Year's Vision for 2015. For those wondering what a webinar is, a webinar is a seminar held on the internet alias the web - hence the name webinar. One of the webinar's that I watched was the webinar by Mary Morrissey. Mary is a lifecoach in the USA. (Mary Morrissey.com)
One of the questions that Mary asked in her webinar was: What is one thing that I am doing to invest in my personal growth in 2015? I was thinking... well one of mine is listening to webinars like this. About a moment after thinking that Mary said something along the lines of, 'perhaps it is listening to a webinar like this!'
I invite you to join me if you wish. Grab a pen and a piece of paper and write your answer to...
What is one thing that I am doing to invest in my personal growth in 2015?
I had a few other answers that started to pop up around that question. Then I started thinking about various areas that I could apply that question to... At times like this I tend to use a tool like the wellness wheel. The wellness wheel can vary as to what is most important in your life, and is just a matter of adapting it to suit.
The Wellness Wheel
As I looked at the wellness wheel, I adapted Mary's question to suit the segment.
What is one thing that I am doing to invest in my spiritual life in 2015?
What is one thing that I am doing to invest in my social life in 2015?
What is one thing that I am doing to invest in my emotional life in 2015?
What is one thing that I am doing to invest in my intellectual life in 2015?
What is one thing that I am doing to invest in my environmental life in 2015?
What is one thing that I am doing to invest in my physical life in 2015?
What is one thing that I am doing to invest in my occupational life in 2015?
I realized working with this wellness wheel, that it was missing out on creativity, a large part of my wellness - so I started to create my own wheel. And then, doing that, I wondered - where did my family fit into my wellness wheel picture? I have included my family in my version of the wellness wheel.
What is one thing that I am doing to invest in my family life in 2015?
What is one thing that I am doing to invest in my creative life in 2015?
So this year I start into the New Year, working with 'what one thing am I doing' question as a focus I invite you to join in, with me, and thousands of others who have taken part in Mary Morrissey's question.
If you would like to take up the invitation, write that one thing down... and then... what steps can you take, to bring your one thing into an action. Oh and if you would like to visit Mary's website - here is the link; Mary Morrissey.com
And if you'd like to create a wellness wheel of your own in an art journal session with me... just give me a call.
Happy New Year - may you create something wonderful for yourself, your family and our world.
It has been a huge year, and I am looking forward to the start of a New Year. We're slowly starting to put away our Christmas baubles, sorting and clearing clutter as we do making way for a bright new start.
If you haven't seen Dr Barbara Fredrickson yet, and you are interested in mindfulness from a psychological perspective, there are some very helpful videos on youtube... The Good Science Center has quite a few as well as Dr Fredrickson's website at:
Positivity Ratio.com
From Positivity Ratio... "Barbara Fredrickson is Kenan Distinguished Professor of Psychology and principal investigator of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory (a.k.a. PEP Lab) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research reveals how positive emotions, fleeting as they are, can tip the scales toward a life of flourishing.
Winner of several awards for her research and teaching – including the American Psychological Association’s inaugural Templeton Prize in Positive Psychology and the Society of Experimental Social Psychology’s Career Trajectory Award – Barb created her broaden-and-build theory to describe how positive emotions evolved for our human ancestors and how, today, they vitally shape people’s health and well-being.
We've been doing quite a bit of travelling of late and have come across some beautiful mosaic mandalas. These mandalas are all from children's playgrounds in Queensland and have been made by Artist Carol Roche.
Lately we have been practicing more and more mindfulness. This video was made for International Day of Peace.
I invite you to quiet the mind, allow the thoughts to stop, and focus on the breath, just for a few moments.
Last year I took part in Flora Bowley's 'Brave Intuitive You' art class.
I love Flora's style and had been looking for this type of art ever since I discovered an artwork of lotus flowers at Opes in Lennox Head by ? (gosh I wish I could remember her name). Here's a little glimpse of what I mean...
Flora's art is so full of beautiful colour and shapes - I am hoping that working with her style of art will help me to become freer in my own art.
This is the start of one of my intuitive, abstract artworks. The process relies on collecting your own images, colours that stand out to use at the time, and a lot of playing with shapes, brushes and flowing movements.
The idea is to layer and layer and layer paint without becoming attached to creating an image at first, just allowing yourself to play with paint... it's harder than it sounds, the mind seems to want to 'know' or interpret what is going on.
The next steps after layering quite a few times... are to collect shapes that you find pleasing. Some of the shapes I am using come from nature, shapes that I noticed on my beach walk recently. Feathers, stones, the way water has carved into stones or washed away the sand.
There are quite a few layers to go... here is a close up of what is starting to evolve into ocean, light, bird, flight.
I'll keep on with the process I'm quite inspired by Flora's art as well as many of the other students that emerged from her class.
On this style of art, I really enjoy following Tangerine Dream Gallery and Studio at Cowichan Bay and seeing their latest works. I happened to be at a golfing weekend a while ago and was introduced to someone from Canada. In the course of our chitty chat I happened to mention that I had added a picture of Cowichan Bay to my desktop after seeing a picture online from some artists who had a studio there - he replied 'I live in Cowichan Bay and I know that gallery' - I thought he was pulling my leg... but no he wasn't and after a longer conversation hubby and I ended up with offer of a housesit there next year... I so love these six degrees connections that appear. Talk about follow your dreams - Tangerine Dreams in this case!
Recently we've been all over the country travelling so that we can dance. Our little town has very limited places to dance, so we've upped the anchor that only ever existed in our own minds and been travelling. As the picture says, it's been quite Divine Darling.
We've been down to Melbourne and stayed on Port Phillip Bay, wandered from dance studio to dance studio, cafe to cafe, art gallery to art gallery. On my living list (I don't like the bucket list concept) is Venice, Tango on the Thames and A cruise around Alaska. What is on your living list?
I just noticed that my last blog entry was Christmas... goodness me. Well we decided to do a bit of travelling and that seems like only yesterday, but here it is the middle of the year already. The image above is from my husband's cousin's home, this home is like walking into an artwork - it reminds me of a Margaret Olley painting, it is so beautiful and soulful to to visit. I plan on doing an artwork when I finally get around to painting again.
Lately I have been participating in writing haiku, journalling and writing small stones. I stumbled across the concept of writing small stones at www.writingourwayhome.com. 'A small stone is a short piece of writing that precisely captures a fully-engaged moment'. It is a way of writing about a mindful moment.
Today I was watching the kangaroos at our back fence, lazily enjoying the day. Have you ever had the chance to stop and watch them? I was fasinated with how slowly and languidly they can move they seem to be really present in the moment, unlike we humans rushing from one place to the next.
She scratches her arm
so slowly
looks at it gently
then slowly
lowers herself
onto the grass
and rests
with the mob
If you would like to learn more about mindful writing or writing small stones... visit: www.writingourwayhome.com
