Definition Glamping = a form of camping involving accommodation and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping.
“glamping is likely to satisfy any city slicker seeking a little refuge in nature—without foregoing any of life’s luxuries”
There aren’t many things My Chap and I disagree on but CAMPING is one of them. He’d love to be out in a tent in the middle of nowhere, with a campfire and basic facilities – he’s camped since he was a small child. I like the great outdoors, walking, hiking and gardening, of course. My ideal break is getting away from it all, with a beautiful view, preferably by the sea. I enjoy eating outside when it’s warm, BUT I like my creature comforts. I’ve always fancied the idea of glamping, Shepherd’s Huts and places away from the crowds.
When I was a child I camped with the Guides, usually in fields or orchards rather than on organised campsites. I loved the campfire and cooking outdoors (still do), but I hated sleeping on the floor even with blow up mattress. Also, I hate being cold or wet -so this is a hazard of camping. Generally, I’m not a fan of noisy campsites, with a club/bar etc. Since I developed osteoarthritis, I need to sleep in a proper bed. My Chap roles his eyes about my fussiness but understands why I’m like I am. Continue reading →
He’s got some beautiful clematis, petunias, cyclamen and a yellow potentilla this week. He lives in Reading, Berkshire close enough to hear the music from the weekend festival – his teenagers are at the festival but likely to be raiding the fridge and using the showers. This really took me back as I went to school in Reading and often listened to the ‘sets’ from friends’ gardens. It was a heavy rock festival then (1970s/1980s). I’ve been now and again since then but the last time was 2007 – the band’s appearing there for the last few years haven’t been our music taste. We still go to gigs in Manchester often 🙂 Continue reading →
“Calming the mind is yoga. Not just standing on the head.” Swami Satchidananda
This week, despite the heat in Manchester, I’ve done quite a bit of gardening in the evenings, when most of our North facing garden is in the shade. I notice my mood is better if I’ve spent time outdoors, especially pottering around and watering the plants. I’ve rationalised my plants into bigger pots, pushed together so that I can water everything I need to and bigger pots retain the moisture. It’s also the first summer I’ve watered shrubs in the garden. It takes me about half an hour to water the pots (with a watering can and water from the water butts). We have had so little rain here – and the temperatures have been in the high 20s for a couple of months. Also, I’ve put succulents, sedums and drought tolerant plants in my hanging baskets. Gardening helps me be mindful – as does yoga.
7 August 2018 – posy of sweetpeas, lavender and dianthus – with The Book of You and a Be present yoga print
How yoga helps my mind, body and spirit
I’ve been practising yoga, on and off, for about 12 years, starting completely by accident. A friend of mine had a pal who was learning to be an Iyengar yoga teacher so needed people to practise with. It was right next to work, straight after work so it seemed a good thing to do. It changed my life.
When I was younger I had poor spacial awareness and was always tripping over, which lead to some hilarious incidents including my Steve (my former partner) pulling me out of a peat bog as I’d sunk up to my knees and was slowly falling face forward into the bog. Another time I went flying, just as a busload of tourists came round the corner in very rural Ireland. I was always collecting bruises from bumping into things.
It’s a long time ago, but the first things I noticed doing yoga was that it helped me stretch (especially my hamstrings), helped calm my brain as I was concentrating on breathing and the position of my limbs. I learnt to do corpse pose (Shavasana) not ‘banana’ pose as my first Yoga teacher Jacky named it. Yoga isn’t a quick fix – it took me about 6 weeks to see the real benefit. I carried on with Jacky’s classes and then John Aplin for years until my work pattern changed.
I’ve not been in the garden as much as I’d like this year, mainly lack of time, far too much going on. Another devastating bereavement, my wonderful brother, I can’t express in words how much I miss him. His death in March, led to major health relapse, my osteoarthritis went into meltdown and I was wiped out by fatigue. It took months, but I’m much better now than I was, back at yoga, walking and feeling much more myself. One of the reasons, I was so busy, was very good though – My Chap and I got married in September 🙂 more about that in other posts 🙂
Time in the garden
It’s never too late to spend time in the garden though, so I’ve been out tidying up, and pruning. I was at the bottom of the garden, and hidden behind a huge bush of purple perennial wallflower, I found some Spencer sweetpeas still flowering. I was gobsmacked, as the sweetpeas at the back door, and front door, were over about a month ago.
9 November 2017 – In a Vase on Monday – Spencer sweetpeas with lavender
Sweetpeas – In a vase on Monday
Finding the sweetpeas reminded me that I’d not joined in with Cathy and her ‘In a Vase on Monday’ over on Rambling in the Garden for over six months. I need to rectify that! She’s got a Vase representing fireworks this week – it looks awesome.
So here’s more about the vase and the flowers:
these are Spencer sweetpeas, they grow to over 6 foot, and I love the colour combinations, and of course, the smell. I buy them as small seedlings even though they’d be easy to grow from seed. We’ve only got small window sills and no room for a greenhouse – so needs must.
I’ve tried dwarf sweetpeas but the Spencer ones are definitely the most reliable in soggy Salford – if they avoid the slugs 😉
Sweet peas have appeared many times In a Vase on Monday over a couple of years – have a look on the #sweetpea hashtag
I love their scent – it still manages to waft around our tiny house days after they’ve been picked.
The lavender comes from the newer plants we bought for our wedding, joining about 7 bushes dotted around our front garden. We’d planned to use them as centrepieces at our wedding but, due to a soggy September, most had gone over by our wedding day. All wasn’t lost though – lots of lavender confetti.
The vase came from a local charity shop – a pound!
Be tenatious – like my honeysuckle
Near the wallflower is an offshoot of the honeysuckle, it’s rather taken advantage of one of our garden ‘sculptures’. It had the very last of the flowers. It’s made me smile watching it overtake the poll. And much like the sweetpeas, it’s found a way forward. Not the path it was expecting, but reaching for the light and flowering, despite obstacles – a bit like me. It’s ‘supposed’ to be growing up the fence about four foot away. I took a photo in May for #wordlesswednesday which shows how much it’s grown
9 November 2017 – errant honeysuckle and a watering can sculpture (and yoda too)
My Self-care matters
It’s been a very difficult few years but I am so fortunate to have my Chap holding my hand (sometimes metaphorically), my family and friends all around the world, by my side. I know I need to take care of myself too.
An empty jug (or watering can) can’t pour – Anonymous
I’ll be paying attention to self-care – mindfulness, yoga, walks, fun, rest, Earl Grey tea – the smell of lavender. #365daysofselfcare I need to make sure self care is part of my daily routine.
What I do know is Life isn’t a dress rehearsal. So on that note, I plan more adventures in the across the North, the world, up a hill or two, buy the sea, drinking a Pimms, eating a cake or just chilling in the garden. I hope you’ll join us.
A change of work is the best rest. Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of Four (1888) – 2nd Sherlock Holmes novel
The more regular readers of this blog will have noticed that MOST of my flowers vases contain purple, pinks, lilac and white flowers with red appearing now and again. So perhaps people might think that’s the only colour scheme in our garden – it’s not. I walked round looking for flowers to pick, it was a very overcast day here in Manchester, a couple of different yellow flowers popped out from the gloom.
Definitely time for a change! So this week’s In a Vase on Monday, in a milk bottle vase, has many yellow flowers and a bit of red too.
In a Vase on Monday – Coreopsis – sunfire, red dianthus, Achillea, sweetpea – 26 September 2016
It looks so cheery, even though it’s feeling very Autumnal:
Coreopsis – sunfire – I really liked their raged edge.
Pansy 🙂
Red dianthus –these flowers have appeared in ‘In a Vase on Monday’ before:
Achillea – it comes in many colours and sizes. This one starts as yellow and fades to pink/yellow. It only grows about 18 inches high. I don’t know its name as it was a gift. Its common name is yarrow and it’s appeared in a vase before.
White sweetpea – this is the very last flower from the plant at the end of the garden.
Yellow is associated with happiness and joy especially for flower bouquets it represents new beginnings – so that seems appropriate too – since I’m about to enter a new decade.
Coreopsis – sunfire, red dianthus, Achillea, sweetpea – 26 September 2016
Do have a look at Cathy’s flowers over on ‘Rambling in the Garden’ – she has one vase with very architectural pink Nerine which look stunning. She has another vase which has dahlias, zinnia and Persicaria amplexicaulis as well as foliage from oca – It’s a New Zealand yam – I’d never heard of this before.
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