Beauty and nature combined

I really must figure out how to add my photographs immediately – or rather I think the terminology is upload them so that I can put them with my posts.  The weather continues to be iffy here, but no matter, a little rain at night and then the days are cloudy with sun, warm but not too hot.  I would like one more sunny day so that I can swim on Tribune.

I’ve been touring the island as I always do, visiting the various artists, today went to see Diane Smith a wonderful silk screener, whose hangings and cushions are irresistible  - I capitulated and bought a small cushion with a lily appliqued on it, absolutely gorgeous! Yesterday we went to potters and the wonderful garden ‘shop’ here, the garden and one of the potters have great lily ponds and I’ve decided this is what I must do at home, so comforting.  Diane showed me her pond, she has just made it, so the rubber lining was visible and the lilies just beginning, hers is three feet deep in the center, but not very wide or long, she fills it from the water falling from her roof, along a chain and down into a big O pipe and along to the pond, sounds simple.  This is what I should do with all the water coming from the hills above me, a project for the next month – it will be interesting, hard work but very rewarding if I can make it happen.  Certainly it will be like nothing I’ve done before – so question for today, have you ever taken on a project that is out of your experience range?  how did you do?

For me I will corral all the experience I can, calling on gardeners and those will muscles to help me dig.  Any advice is welcome

Slow and beautiful

I have a number of photographs that I want to put up, however will have to wait until I return home as I hadn’t uploaded the software onto this computer before we left for our vacation.

Life continues slowly on the island, the sun is shining and it is so quiet, except for the crows and some cars as they slowly creep up the driveway of the campsite. It is such a peaceful place, I keep amused by watching people racing in and then with time the pace of the island catches up with them and they slow down for the rest of their time here – or rather some do, others are unable to stop and I wonder what is their rush, why are they so anxious, holidays are to be savoured and happy, it doesn’t matter whether you get to the beach at 11:00 or 2:00, it’s still there, and if dinner is a mismash of things, who cares – so a question: Are you able to slow down, and when do you do so?

For a time when the boys were young, they would hide my phone (no computers then), and I would be allowed take it out each night and check messages, this allowed them to have my undivided attention.  We had only two rules: let me know where you’re going and no whining.  Bed came at dark time and I would read aloud to them each evening – a chapter book. Sometimes our neighbours would ask what had happened the night before, if they missed the reading!  On clear skies we pulled our sleeping bags into the middle of the play ground and counted satellites (?sp).  Now I go to bed before them, as they go swimming at midnight and watch the light and colours in the sea, which has a name I cannot remember!  These are the memories I wanted them to have many years ago as I figured out how to ensure they had a summer holiday, that gave them and me a vacation each year that I could both afford and enjoy.

What have you done to build memories in your family?

Hornby time

So, we’re on my favourite island in BC, Hornby. I’ve been coming here for over twenty years, and both boys still want to come along, meeting old friends and making new ones. I’ve taken a great shot of my watch, the battery went as we arrived and so there is a blank screen – Hornby time, nothing important, just relax enjoy and forget the outside world. Cell phones, and normally computers are banned, a news fast as Dr. Andrew Weil calls it. And it works!
I sit in the sun, sunscreen on, although I still go brown and worry whether I’m getting enough Vitamin D, draw, write and knit each day. Nik is learning to drive, so he first learnt how to ride a bike here at the campsite, and now on the island like his brother he is learning to drive.
It’s amazing how easy it came to him, those video games must be good for something I realize.
We’ve come up for a name for my new company – Celtic Coaching, the Celtic Coach, not sure yet, but the letters will be separate: Creative, enlightening, loving, truthful/tangible, intuitive, caring/courageous – not yet sure which of the two different word I’ll use, anyone have any suggestions?
I’ll continue to look at the words used to describe me, from those brave individuals who allowed me to practice my skills as pro-bono clients!
Question for today, I have two: comments on the name of the company as listed above – what does it say to you? And, secondly, Have you ever gone on a news fast – no media, newspapers, web news, tv etc…, how did you feel??

Going back

They say that going back is never a good thing.  However, I think they generalise, today I returned to Royal Roads University in Victoria, it’s the final residency of the Coaching Program – this is it, a final exam called paneling and if we are fortunate the end of seven busy, frantic, sometimes frustrating months.  I panel last! wow how did that happen?  Not sure, like to think that they put the best last, it does give me a chance to watch others in action and learn from them.  Meeting my cohort is great, not everyone is here yet, but it is like old homecoming – everyone wants to celebrate and yet we have one final hurdle to go.  So, going back isn’t always bad, there’s the opportunity to meet and renew friendships, make new connections and/or friends and always, the opportunity to learn.

So, the question today is when you went back, how did it work out?  What was your attitude, did you believe it was going to be good or bad, before you went?

Let me know your thoughts… old home week – can only be good!

A bright spot in the continuing rain

It’s Saturday and the rain continues.  I had a coaching session with one of my pro bono clients this morning, it’s always so interesting – love talking with this client.  Then went and sold my car and bought another one, smaller, better on gas and has all the things I need except for space – which really I don’t need.  They’ll put my bike rack on, which will help me avoid the hills outside my house, seems nuts to have to drive to bike, but going up steep hills immediately just doesn’t work for me, yet… maybe when I am fitter I will be able to do so.

So am feeling good, I have my cup of tea and cookies as comfort in the rain and will make a healthy dinner tonight of stir fried vegetables with tofu pudding afterward. But for now the cookies are a treat in a foul weather day!  I have to start sorting out the camping gear, finish my sweater and get ready for RRU residence next week, but have tomorrow.  I will have to move the laundry and put it into the dryer, which almost kills me, this time of year we’re supposed to have sunshine and I love the smell of laundry from the line, but I have to do what I have to do.  I love to procrastinate about laundry, moving it from the washer to where ever, but it’s not good, so as soon as I finish I will move it.

So question for today, what are you putting off today that you could do, but don’t want to?

Take care of yourself

Rain, rain go away

Hole in tree

The rain continues here, what happened to our summer I don’t know.  It’s an interesting dilemma, on one hand the rain is good for the land and stop the sun burning everything, however on the other it’s cold and dark, not great for the happiness quota!  I wonder how many people end up being treated for depression, or are untreated because it hasn’t been recognized.

So what can we do to feel better?  For me one of the ways is to recognize that I’m feeling bad and acknowledging it.  I can’t stop the rain so what can I do to make me feel better.  Sometimes it’s just recognizing that I’m feeling bad, and I can move on, others it’s some chocolate, or something sweet, others it’s a song or going for a walk, actually thinking about it walking in the rain is so refreshing, and sometimes wallowing for a wee while is okay.

For a long while I kept it with me, sorrow at the feeling that is, and took it out on others, coming home mad taking it out on the boys but that is not the way to do things and it wasn’t fair on them.  So, how can I ensure that I don’t do it again, so apart from acknowledging it I need to recognize what I can do to deal with it better.  I look at this picture and look at the tenacity of the tree, if you look at the picture you can see the roots of the tree still hanging on in there, so how do you deal with sadness and what do you suggest?

Another day

And so today, I began my new journey marketing my coaching services for the first time, and it wasn’t so hard.  Courage comes from inside and a belief in my abilities in being able to do this work – such a joy, so interesting and so rewarding, Carly said I really appeared to shine as I spoke about the program and how much I have enjoyed the work to date, and I have, do.

Tonight I worked on my introductory pieces.  Information I’ll send to individuals who indicate interest in my services and how they may discover their dreams.

A member of the cohort came across a short article from a book by Cherie Carter Scott – If Life is a Game, These are the Rules (a.k.a.The Ten Rules for Being Human) and asked us if we had to pick one rule from the list of ten which would we chose ‘as a coach’.  I felt there was one, “Your answers lie inside of you”, however the other is advice ” What you make of your life is up to you”, and that advice and that advice applies to me!

If you wish to see the other rules here’s the link: http://www.businessballs.com/rulesoflife.htm

Let me know what rule you would chose, and why

Take care of yourself

M