Here we are, in the post EU referendum environment. I was a bit surprised, and dismayed, to wake up on Friday morning to find that the UK population had voted in favour of leaving the EU. Seems a bit of a bolt from the blue, because I really can't understand why anyone would choose to leave the EU. Scotland and Ireland voted to remain, but England and Wales voted to leave.
There have been stories about racism and violence towards members of the public who are perceived as being 'foreign'. The reports on the news and in the daily newspapers have been pretty disgusting. How someone could think that this type of behaviour is acceptable is totally beyond me.
Anyway, my blog isn't about politics or religion, it's about my musings about my life, my plans, my aspirations and any other things that are important to me. Basically, it's my record of my ramblings and abstract thoughts.
Over this last year or so, I've felt that there's been something missing in my life. Lacking in direction and focus. Kind of like I have no real meaning or purpose in life. I find I'm often thinking back to the days when I attended the Circle in Penicuik, and also when I was running my own Circle here at home. The comfortable feeling of being at one with Spirit is missing and also I find I'm missing the 'signs' that Spirit are there or thereabouts around me. So, following a chat with a friend on Friday, I've decided that I'm going to start going to some services at a local Spiritualist Church. My first visit back will be on Sunday 3rd July, that is this coming Sunday. The Church in Broxburn has closed down, and although I've visited a couple of the local Livingston Churches, I've not felt totally comfortable with them. I'm planning on visiting the Church in Bathgate, which I've heard very good things about, and I'm looking forward to it. It'll be nice to get back into the spiritual swing of things.
I've signed up for some more of the FutureLearn courses. The one I'm working on just now is to do with the benefits of mindfulness. It's an interesting wee course and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. As a result, I'm trying to incorporate mindfulness into my daily life. It's been a few years since I practiced meditation or visualisation, or just took to the time to "just be", so this course has been started at just the right time for me.
I'll also be starting a genealogy course through FutureLearn, and I plan on getting all my family history paperwork back together and getting restarted on my research. I'll have to look into getting a new computer programme because the current one is on a very old PC and was bought about 20 years ago. I should have all my info in paper form though, so it will just be a matter of copying it onto a new programme. Cousin Eileen and I have chatted about visiting the Sorn area to see if we can find any trace of the Goldie family in local churchyards etc.
I've been doing some sewing, made a few bits and pieces, and have a few pretty pieces of fabric that I plan on making into some pretty summer tops, although that might not be worthwhile unless the weather improves. It's been pretty cold and tonight I've put the heating on for half an hour to take the chill off. I have some really nice pieces of fabric, and I'm thinking of making some bags and other bits and pieces. I also have some fabulous pink fabric that I'd like to make into a jacket. I'm still making some jewellery, but not very much. Am also still attending the crafters network, but mainly just to see old friends as I don't plan on making anything for selling. What I do make will be either for myself or gifts for family and friends.
I've started going along to netball sessions on a Friday evening. It's been great fun and I'm really enjoying it. Doing lots of running around and it's a really fabulous bunch of ladies who go along. It's non-competitive, but is really, really great fun.
Mike turned 70 on Hogmanay last, and so we decided to visit Malta for a couple of weeks in May. We had a fabulous time, weather was great, hotel was good and the food was good. Visited lots of places Mike was last at as a teenager. We visited the first flat they stayed in and spoke with a lady in the same block who kindly allowed us to go onto the roof to have a look around, and she also kindly invited us in for a cup of tea and a chat afterwards. Quite surprising, two foreign strangers and she happily invited us into here home! We also visit the Tal Handaq school and the bay where Mike learned to swim. Strolled round Tigne Point and all around that area, and wandered through Sliema, and walked the backstreets of Gzira. We visited Mosta, Mdina, the craft village, and Valletta. We went on a harbour cruise and took the ferry ride across to Valletta. We had coffee in outside cafes and drank wine in the afternoons. In the evenings, we sat on our balcony just watching the world go by. On the first weekend there were firework displays on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings on Manoel Island and we watched the display from the comfort of our balcony whilst sipping wine. On our last day, we met up with a lovely lady who had also attended Tal Handaq school. We meet up at our hotel, and then went for coffee and were getting on so well that she invited to take us to a lovely little cafe in the village where she lived. After a long, chatty, leisurely lunch, we had a stroll round the village and visited the beautiful gardens of the Palace and then she kindly invited us back to her home for afternoon tea and more chat. We sat out on her rooftop terrace enjoying the peace and quiet and hot Malta sun. She has a beautiful, charming home and we were thrilled to be invited in to it. After a long afternoon, she kindly drove us back to Sliema where we said our thanks and our goodbyes and promised to stay in touch. With the power of Facebook, we're now in pretty regular contact. Her kind hospitality was the perfect end to our holiday and has left us with such wonderful warm happy memories. In all, we had an absolutely wonderful holiday and a lovely time exploring the area where Mike spent wonderfully happy childhood / teenage years. Mickey went to stay with Cousin Eileen whilst we were away and by all accounts he had super time. He came back home with a little book all about his holiday.
I've been starting to get my head around writing up my notes for spiritual development and also I need to type up my notes for visualisation exercises. I've been asked to facilitate some visualisation sessions for a local charity support group again this year. I usually do a 'healing pool' visualisation but this year I thought I'd do a different one, so I need to work on that, writing it up and making sure that I have it all clear in my mind to allow me to work without notes. Nothing more annoying during visualisation than to hear the pages of a notebook being turned. I also have to look out some suitable music. Waves crashing on the sand won't work with a forest or countryside visualisation exercise.
I've also been digging out my paperwork for the book I started writing a couple or so years ago. Will probably never get it published, but I'll just continue working on it from time to time.
I'm planning on doing all this writing cos Wimbledon 2016 has just started, so I'll be watching that on TV and typing at the same time. Or, I may even do some ironing!
I have my usual Dogs Trust card reading booking for their Open Day this summer. Unfortunately I won't be able to do readings for the nursing home due to a previous booking in the diary. But, hopefully next year.
I've also been thinking about diet and exercise. I'm loving my netball, and can definitely see a difference in my fitness levels. But, I'm also thinking that I need to be working on devising a much healthier eating plan for us both. I do eat a fair amount of fruit, and a reasonable amount of veg, but I've been trying to find some good juicing recipes. I'm not really planning on making fruit juices or smoothies, my plan is to start using veggies as well. Since we got the juicer a couple of years ago, I have made some juices, but many of them have had celery in them and one veg I really can't take is celery. I have bought a couple of books on juicing and I'll start looking through them to find some recipes that I think I'll be able to drink.
When we were out the other morning, we were walking round Bellsquarry Wood and we decided to walk back to the car view Newpark Road. As we were strolling along, we happened upon some pretty little pink flowers. Imagine my delight when I realised they were the little pink flowers I remember from my childhood. We called them Nancy Pretty, but their Sunday name was London Pride. I've always loved these pretty little flowers, and every time I see them I'm immediately transported back to happy, carefree, sunny childhood days. They're just such happy, carefree little flowers. Sadly, though, our garden is bereft of Nancy Pretty. I've looked in the garden centres several times over the years, but for some reason they never seem to stock them, which is a real pity.
We're planning on having a family get-together in July, mainly for my side of the family. As Mike's girls both live fairly locally, we do see them from time to time, but we rarely meet up with my side of the family. So, all being well, we'll be meeting in the Perth area around the third week of July. It'll be pretty nice to have a chance to catch up and I'm hopeful that this could become a regular event, meeting up a couple of times a year. I'm really looking forward to it.
Well, I reckon that's about enough of my ramblings for now.
Happy reading.
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