It was a short walk for Lydia and me this morning as I have a cold coming on and it is a very grey rainy day here.
Lydia didn’t seem to mind, though she resisted when I tried to put on her raincoat before we left the house. Luckily, the rain held off a bit for a while.
Back to bed now, both of us having had our breakfasts and I’ve had a few cups of tea.
‘Feed a cold and starve the flu’ is a saying I’ve heard. I also think it’s good just to keep warm and drink plenty of fluids which is what I’ve been doing.
My afternoon at the Buddhist Centre left me slightly damp – It was raining and I was working outside, doing my usual Friday afternoon job of sweeping up leaves around the accommodation blocks. I do, however, feel invigorated by the fresh air and exercise and most of all by a chance meeting with the Spiritual Director of the Centre, Gen-la Kelsang Kunsang. Her warmth, words of encouragement and kind hugs meant more than I can say.
I was also offered some biscuits with the cup of tea I sat down to when the job was done. The offer – and provision – of these by the Reception Manager at the Centre were much appreciated.
Home to a cup of cocoa and a hot shower, I can now rest. Though still struggling with some aspects of my mental health, I know how fortunate I am to have my physical health, and try not to take it for granted. I also know how lucky I am to be able to put meditation techniques into practise and benefit from the teachings of Buddha, as well as taking my daily dose of anti-depressant medication.
Lydia is having a bit of fresh air outside at the moment, having been in the house all afternoon.
Our walk this morning using the new bridle was easy. This may be a one-off but I’ll take it for now. She doesn’t seem in any way as averse to it as the previous one, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ve finally got a workable solution.
With the central heating boiler still not fixed, and having slept fully clothed – including two pairs of socks – I decided to bring my dog walking boots in from the car this morning, before putting them on.
We do have a functioning gas fire so I warmed my boots, and my gloves, in front of that for a while.
It did the trick as my feet were toastie during the walk and only the ends of my little fingers were cold.
Lydia doesn’t seem to feel the cold through her paws or, if she does, she doesn’t let it bother her.
She only tried twice to get out of her new collar this morning and we had a good walk through the woods.
Struggling with some negative thoughts at the moment, I came across a suggestion in one of my social media feeds to thank the thought before letting it go.
I’m trying this, as well as referring to the guidance that came from the New Year’s Eve teaching at Manjushri Centre, choosing to go in the direction of positive; also choosing to meditate as a way of helping my mind to do this. Meditation helps me to find a better place, within.
It was raining a bit this morning when Lydia and I were in the dog field, and again this afternoon when I was working outside at the Buddhist Centre.
The rain was soft and gentle and wasn’t cold, although I made sure I was well wrapped up as well.
That’s what our Mum used to do – make sure we were ‘well wrapped up’, like presents. Scarves, gloves, socks, raincoats.
Our house was cold as we didn’t have central heating – only cold fires until gas fires came along. Somehow, though, she managed to warm our gloves before we put them on. And she knitted jumpers and cardigans using a knitting machine and job lots of dark green wool that she must have bought in the market.
Today I didn’t need gloves and I didn’t feel cold, although I was a bit damp by the end of the afternoon. A cup of strong hot cocoa and another soak in a hot bath – my second this week – soon sorted me out.
I’m hoping to sleep well tonight after my fresh air and exercise today.
Lydia is steadily finishing her tea and I’m hoping that she’ll sleep well tonight too. She got to chase a few trucks and vans as they passed by the dog field this morning, so we’ve both had a reasonable amount of fresh air and exercise today.
When I wake, my thoughts again go round to different people in my life.
Then a message from a friend invites me round for a curry at her house later. It’s a welcome invitation which I gladly accept. I’ve started being able to say ‘yes’ to things again. While I still want and need lots of time to do little or nothing, it will be good to spend a few hours with my friend.
Lydia, I think, is missing the warm weather as it’s raining again today. We had our morning walk without getting too wet and I’ve now turned the heating on in the house.
Trev has the ‘Nest’ app on his phone so I adjusted the thermostat controls manually. He would have done it remotely if I’d asked but he may well be in the middle of a museum visit, or driving. There’s an app for pretty much everything these days but it’s good to not be totally dependent on them either.
Having finished the last episode of the latest series of ‘Married at First Sight: Australia’ last night, I decide to start watching the latest series of MAFS: New Zealand. I haven’t done this much binge-watching since Covid but it’s good at the moment just to switch off and watch.
Later …
Before setting off to visit my friend, I meditate for about 20 minutes. After curry combined with kind conversation, I feel a small but still perceptible change in mood; something shifting and lifting. The lift, like the invitation, is very welcome.
Glad About 
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