Weather

The first few days of the New Year have been wonderful. A very wet day yesterday meant I made a decision to relax all day and read, plan, look for recipes and learn to meditate. An omelette with cheese, spring onion and tomato concluded a day which revived and invigorated me. I am learning to make the best use of my time to achieve the many things I enjoy. I have started re-writing the story of Chocolat and have searched high and low for her memorabilia. I think there will be a story and a wonderful scrapbook. 

I am also starting to journal properly. I purchased a brand new fountain pen for myself for Christmas as I have so many difficulties finding good ballpoint pens. It is wonderful to write in a high quality journal, be able to read what I have written, and grow and expand my thinking daily. I do not need prompts yet but may resort to a book of journal prompts now and then. 

I am really enjoying 'All the Light We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr. A very long book, 531 pages, I am now a quarter of the way through. While it moves frequently from one time period to another it is easy to follow. Doerr's descriptive language paints a wonderful picture which is imprinted on the mind. 

I am also beginning to catch up reading all the magazines which have come in over the last few months. having used by banking points I subscribed to Life and Leisure and NZ House and Garden. Both provide a wealth of information on NZ homes and lifestyles which one can enjoy and admire from afar. I am also several months behind on The Healthy Food Guide. I will need to read this more frequently, along with my plethora of cook books, as I hope to become a cuisine fanatic now that I have returned almost everything to my diet following the elimination diet I was asked to follow for 4 months.

Today I am going out into the country with a friend to have lunch at a country café. This is one of life's greatest pleasures and I hope I can enjoy it. The sun is shining again so life looks good. I am off now to practice meditating, I think this will be a very positive pastime for me.