EXTREME CLOSE UP!

We spent the weekend in Newquay at the wedding of one of the Northern Irish clan. The banter was flowing and much fun was had by all. Not many pictures, except this one of Tim and I which I really like (even though we do look like we have been let out for the night...).

Blogging

I enjoy reading blogs - I read all sorts. But I particularly love reading the blogs of my friends (you know who you are) - they are wise and funny and they are a real inspiration to me as they grow into their roles of parents and mothers. I hope one day I will be writing about the joy of motherhood, but until then I have to live through them and that suits me just fine.

Meditation and the power of living for now

I am starting a meditation course tonight. I am really looking forward to it. I have been reading a book called 'The Power of Now' by Eckhart Tolle in preparation for the course. It is all about appreciating things (you've guessed it) in the now. This may seem silly but to me it makes a lot of sense. I am a born worrier and most of my internal dialogue involves worrying about things that might come to pass (but rarely do), things that I need to do and sometimes things that I have done that I feel ashamed/guilty/happy about. Now that I am more conscious of it, I realise I rarely appreciate this moment: mentally I am almost always somewhere else. I tried to walk home yesterday without thinking - it is surprisingly difficult so I can't say I managed it all the way home without one thought or another entering my mind - but I was amazed, for those few seconds when my mind wasn't rushing like a river in spate, at how peaceful I felt with the volume of my inner monologue turned down. So hopefully I will be able to replicate that in my meditation course tonight. Watch this space!

Just because it's spring

My Cousin Rachel

I am rediscovering Daphne du Maurier at the moment. I have just finished My Cousin Rachel which I loved (again) even though it will never take the place of my favourite, Rebecca. My Gran spent the last years of her life re-reading books she had read many times before. I think this was because her memory was not what it used to be towards the end. But perhaps it is because she found comfort in reading books she already knew and loved. Although I love discovering new books, there are times when I want to visit familiar places and familiar people. Sometimes I want to return to the time of Arthur (The Warlord Trilogy by Bernard Cornwall) or marvel again at the originality of His Dark Materials. The same goes for movies: sometimes I just want to get lost in Middle Earth.

Speaking of Middle Earth, Tim and I went to see The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring last night in the Royal Albert Hall. The London Philharmonic Orchestra and two choirs performed the music live while we watched the movie on a huge screen. It totally rocked. And Tim didn't complain once ;)

Easter Holidays

We have spent a very productive day sorting out the garden, this bank holiday Monday. Order now reigns, which is very pleasing to the eye. The sun, which has been trying to come out all morning, has finally managed it and it is a beautiful spring day.

We spent Easter in Northern Ireland where unusually the weather was glorious. Tim's brother and wife have a flat overlooking the sea in a village near the Giant's Causeway. The north coast is really stunning with white sandy beaches and fields that fall away into the sea. K&C are generous souls so gave us the use of their convertible Saab for the weekend. After a very unsatisfactory afternoon siesta on Friday, Tim and I hopped in the car and headed towards the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, something of a tourist attraction in the area. Somehow everything was just perfect for that short ride - the weather, the car with the top down, the scenery and the music. The rope bridge itself was an anti-climax - the one we walked across in Sri Lanka was far more scary - but I still loved being out, walking by the sea with my husband.

Saturday and Sunday we spent in Dungannon with Tim's Mum and other brother. It was the first time we had both been home since the wedding and it was quite a treat to be able to sleep in the same bed - normally we are in separate bedrooms. I guess we must be proper grown-ups now ;)

Running to Standstill

In my view The Joshua Tree by U2 is a great album and if I could take albums to my desert island (instead of just songs) I would definitely take that one. When you love an album that much I think it is rare to hear any cover versions that you like. But, I recently happened upon a cover of one of my favourite songs on TJT - Running to Standstill - which I like as much as the original. The cover version is by Elbow and it was for a War Child Heroes 'covers' album. Give them both a listen and see what you think.

Adam's Peak

Although our holiday seems like a lifetime away and it is probably getting a bit late to write about it, I will just going to post about our night-time hike up Adam's Peak in Sri Lanka, a most sacred Budhist site. Much like our killer hike up Croagh Patrick in Co. Mayo, Ireland about two years ago Tim and I never like to let a mountain get the better of us. The climb started at 12:30am when the alarm went off and we dragged our sleepy butts out of bed. Our driver Sri Lal picked us up and drove us, in the dark, an hour into the central hills on windy, narrow roads (driving back later on in the day, I am glad I couldn't see how close to the edge we were!). We could see the lights marking out the path to the top of the mountain for miles, building that feeling of anticipation. You can't climb it in the day because it is too darn hot. So Sri Lankan people normally wake up in the middle of the night and do it in the dark. As I said, the path is lit all the way up so it is not too scary but it was mighty steep. The idea is you reach the top for sunrise and a little supplication to the Budha, or rather to his footprint (which is on a strange rock formation). Interestingly, in Hindu tradition the footprint is believed to be that of Shiva; in Muslim tradition that of Adam. Anyway, enough chit chat. Here are some photos.

Flags at the summit

A very grumpy and cold Timothy waiting for sunrise on the summit

Fellow pilgrims, wrapped up against the cold


Finally a sliver of sun on the horizon

A glimpse of the peak from 'base camp'

One final note: we couldn't walk properly for 3 days after this little adventure.