Friendship with Ourselves

I really enjoy my recent daily practice to focus on my daily activities. For example when I was raking the fallen leaves this morning. The colours and shapes looked even more beautiful and I felt so peaceful allowing no distracting thoughts to come in. It felt like a meditation.

It also is very helpful for me to take the time every day to read an inspirational text or article. For today I have chosen a text by Pema Chödrön, the following line really is an eye opener to me;
"As long as our orientation is toward perfection or success, we will never learn about unconditional friendship with ourselves, nor will we find compassion."

It sounds so beautiful; unconditional friendship with myself. To let go of all those secretive expectations of myself to become a perfect always cheerful mother, a published photographer, a successful blogger and a charismatic, popular person.
Losing those expectations and goals would provide so much personal freedom and peace of mind.

Pema has a very loving approach to this personal development;
"When we train in letting go of thinking that anything—including ourselves—is either good or bad, we open our minds to practice with forgiveness and humor. And we practice opening to a compassionate space in which good/bad judgments can dissolve.
We practice letting go of our idea of a "goal" and letting go of our concept of "progress," because right there, in that process of letting go, is where our hearts open and soften—over and over again."

So heartwarming and encouraging, I am very grateful to have read this inspiring article by Pema Chödrön; Signs of Spiritual Progress.
Thank you for joining me here today and I wish you a lovely day.

~

Green Love

For some reason I have a strong desire for the colour green lately. In order to meet this need I have bought green pillows, ferns and succulents to add extra green to our home.

Perhaps it's because all the leaves outside are fading and withering that I have this desire?! Hmm, maybe. But for now it sure feels good to be surrounded by all this green freshness.

And to continue this trend I am making myself a cup of green tea now. Have a lovely day!

Reconnect

It was such a beautiful day, windy and sunny at the same time. A strange combination of a cold wind and warm sunbeams. The leaves in the garden seemed to glow in the sunlight and whirled away a moment later.

M was playing with his beloved hydro grains again and I was strolling around the garden with my camera. At these moments we're at complete peace with ourselves and our surroundings. I wish we could be like that all the time.

I felt how the sunbeams warmed me and enlightened me. I felt how the wind blew my worries away. That fresh cold wind brought energy and clear thoughts.

And suddenly I could not remember what I worried about this morning and why I was angry or disappointed. It all seemed so small and non-essential. The essence was here with my boy in our garden. It was hidden in every bird, flower and plant...and in me.

After today I promise myself to go outside whenever that feeling of discontent comes again. To take a time-out to breathe some fresh air and to reconnect (and perhaps to play with hydro grains.. :)

Perfect Day

The lovely felt snails from Julia's Filzwerkstatt arrived and I am busy making small scenes with the autumn treasuries I have been collecting these past days on my walks....

just a perfect day! Wishing you the same xxx

Kitchen Loves Orange

Today it didn't stopped raining and M and I spend our day in the kitchen. Our kitchen is square and very small, but after removing my oven (ouch!) I managed to create some space for a corner for M.
While I did some cleaning he was busy poring tea from his teaset and chewing on his beeswax crayons (I knew I bought them too soon, but I was hoping for a lovely drawing to frame).

I store all kinds of orange coloured groceries in our kitchen like shallots, pumpkins, tangerines and autumn fruits I found during our Sunday walks. They add a lot of colour and make me feel like I'm in a rustic country kitchen.

On our dinner table I have create a small seasonal table this time to celebrate Autumn. Three times a day I light small beeswax candles before we start our meal. I just love these little rituals, they add something magical. And a bit of magic is a good complement to a meal, I'm sure of it!

Reminder

During my Sunday walk with my mother we were busy talking about anything and everything when all of a sudden we almost had an accident with an unexpected car.

Fortunately, nothing happened and a bit shaken we continued our way.

After a while she gently took my hand and whispered
'Today life reminded us to enjoy each moment'.
I agreed and we walked home arm in arm and in grateful silence.

Autumn Fire

The garden is on fire and this wonderful Autumn palette is my personal favorite.

Ruby reds, terracotta, orange, ocher and green are the colours I love.

Each wall in our small house is wearing a warm colour and there are green plants in every corner. To me these colours underline the essence of a home, the loving shared intimacy.

I hope that one day M looks at the colours of Autumn and thinks of his cozy family home, where we shared so much warmth and love together.

Fading

Everywhere leaves and flowers start to fade,

the rain showers seem to wash away their colours.

I love the fragility and the different layers that become visible now.

Just like people growing old.

I also love the intense light between the rain showers when the sun suddenly shows her face for a brief moment.

As I look in the mirror I see my own fragility....

Grateful

Autumn has started to show her skills,

and the last flowers are braving the rain showers with grace.

Do not be fooled by their fragile appearance,

in their roots they keep the secret of life.

Just like my beloved Hostas,

still some fresh green among the withered leaves.

Today I am so grateful for our cosy little home,

our lovely shelter from wind and rain.

In gratitude I burn beeswax candles and incense.... oh, how I love this season!

A New Start

For my dear baby boy M, I hope one day you will read these humble daily adventures of our small family and it will make you smile. Perhaps you will have forgotten a lot of what you've discovered these days. Many ordinary things won't be so intriguing anymore as we grown ups seem to forget the simple things that truly matter. But who knows, maybe some of the magic you have discovered in the ordinary these days still will have a place in your heart. Just like you have forever one in mine.

Today was a beautiful Autumn day, the sun showed her face and brightened up the withering leaves. Their colours are so intense! All around there are small creatures like snails, bugs and wasps crawling around the Autumn fruits. This part of the year is my favorite one. An intriguing time of retreat and decay, but also a time of rediscovering the warm protection of our cozy home against wind and rain.

Last week a very sensitive stray cat suddenly started visiting us and now she has her own place in our home. She seems to like it so far and already has a steady spot on our windowsill. I am trying not to get attached too much because she might choose to leave us again or find her way back to her old home. But it is no use, she's already in my heart...she's just too soft and has an unbelievable trust in humans.

What a beautiful gift this new friendship is and I am so honored she has chosen our family as her new home. She brings a zen mood to our living room when she lays on the windowsill snoring and somehow it feels like she has always been there.