After a blisteringly hot, dry weekend of wall to wall sunshine (at long last), today is cloudy and close. A breeze stirs things up now and then, but the sun has finally been shut out by cloud. Over the mountains the sky is gun metal grey; heavy with the threat of rain. The sea is slowly being obscured from view by a thick, creeping mist that may or may not reach us later in the day. It seems that Nature has worked her magic on me again and matched the atmosphere to my present mood.
By nature I am a happy, content kind of gal. It takes unkindness and cruelty to make my blood boil and I always try to see the good in people before I give up hope. I have everything a woman could want; gorgeous children, a beautiful home, kind friends and a loving family. So why on earth would I wake today feeling slightly less than happy? Actually that's the wrong word; I am happy, just not full of enthusiasm. This feeling comes across me now and then and I loathe it. It is such a waste of time and I cannot account for it at all. I have nothing in the world to complain about. I am not in a mood exactly, nor cross or bad tempered, just a teeny bit...dare I say it?...Bored. Nooooo! What a horrid word! It doesn't bother me when the children are bored, indeed I think it does them good sometimes, providing it doesn't become too much of a habit. So maybe I should adopt the same attitude regarding my own mood. Who cares? It matters not.
Anyway the cure for this kind of malady, as we all know is a jolly good magazine and some chocolate! Pea and I drove into Cemaes Bay and purchased said items. The chocolate went down a treat but the magazine failed to lift my flagging spirits. Even pretty pictures didn't excite any interest.
But a girl cannot live on chocolate alone, so it was time for me to take myself in hand and get out into the lanes and let Mother Nature do her thing.
There is one thing that never fails to bring a smile to my lips and that is the scent of flowers. Lilac is one of the best, and as this tree was so kindly draping her branches over the wall to us, we took full advantage and filled our senses with the delicious perfume. Smile number one.
Digitalis Purpurea or Foxglove, to give it it's English name, is one of my most favourite wild flowers. It doesn't smell, or at least not to us, but the bees love it and it brightens up all the banks and hedgerows around us. It is starting to come into bloom now and the purple flowers contrast beautifully with the acid yellow Alexanders. Smile number two.
Smile number three came soon after, courtesy of a Hawthorn bush and it's snowy white blossoms. You can smell these on a warm day before you see them. They gently scent the air and make you look for the flowers from whence it came. A Hawthorn in full bloom is a sight to behold and it makes me smile for days.
And then there is the humble buttercup. It's roots are incredibly invasive if you are (un)lucky enough to have it in your garden and you will have one heck of a job to remove it for good, but out in the countryside it lights up the lanes and fields and glows in the sunshine like the sun itself. Even on a dull day, it has a light of it's own and any one catching a glimpse of these gorgeous gems must surely smile as I did. Smile number four.
Back at home, the sun peeped out from behind the clouds for a moment and bathed Puppy in it's warmth. He doesn't get down in the dumps or bored. Watching a very healthy, happy dog chew his bone made me happy too. Life isn't too bad!
So there we have it, a bit of boredom never killed anyone and sometimes it can be a good thing. It makes us slow down and notice things beyond our own worries and concerns and if it doesn't rid us of them it can at least make them more bearable. At this very moment I wish that my children were bored too. They are so excitable for some bizarre reason beyond my comprehension and making so much noise that I am going to take a cup of tea and my Dracula book outside in the garden and read.
I bet they will follow me!
Have a lovely evening and remember to smell the roses! xxx
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