Catching up

There has been rather a lot of 'life' going on these past few weeks and I've not got around to blogging as often as before.  There's quite a bit happening behind the scenes at the moment, and the old brain is struggling to keep up with it all, let alone forge ahead!  I'm back to the "just do the next thing" strategy, and finally I'm seeing some progress being made.  

We have spent quite a bit of time recently contemplating old age - ours (in years to come) and others - and the impact that has on those around us.  We try to learn and take note.  It's an on-going lesson and worth our time.  

November came and went all too quickly, and today someone enquired if I was ready for Christmas yet!  The answer is 'no'.  I will be, I usually am, but not at the moment.  However, I certainly won't be bullied into believing I need to go on a massive spending spree - Black Friday and Cyber Monday passed me by completely.  Present-buying is kept to a sensible level, even if that puts me at odds with mainstream consumerism.  

So, rather than getting caught up in the hype, here's a few things that have gladdened my heart recently:

the sun's rays picking out some yellow and brown leaves in the hedgerow, turning them a burnished golden colour;

deciding on a pattern for a quilt, and piecing some blocks together;

buying a large sack of locally grown potatoes and so being able to support local farmers;

seeing photos of my grandson smiling;

hyacinth bulbs growing on the window sill;

finally completing a knitted jumper for myself, after numerous attempts (it's been unpicked and knitted up again four times!)

homemade soup on a cold winter's day.

Sometimes I just need to stop for a minute to appreciate the simple things, especially when life seems to be getting a little complicated.  And when it's busy and I can't always see the way ahead too clearly, just doing the next thing means there is one less thing to worry about.  And it always surprises me how other things begin to fall into place by just taking that first step.