Slow Living - Doing It Old Style!

London_1

I have a beach side time planned for tomorrow, I'll make a nice flask of coffee, put a fold up chair in the boot of my car, make a sandwich, and have a bottle of water and a nice book and take myself off to Appley Beach about 10 minutes away and sit in the sun watching the boats going down the Solent or read my Hilary  Mantel book.
Forecast is good for sunshine here on the IoW.
After my busy day today I'm taking the day off tomorrow, must make the most of the sunshine while its here.

JackieO xx

leftatthetrafficlights

Its been busy on the thread!! 

Sorry I've been awol - some rl stuff going on so I'm helping out a family member which means I've had less available time! Our family meal at the weekend was fab - lots of fun had and although the food was average at best, it was lovely to all be together again 😁 I'm away for a few days from tomorrow so spent a lot of yesterday sorting stuff in the house. I'm looking forward to being away for a few days as I'm going to be dog sitting so lots of walks in beautiful countryside and puppy cuddles are in store!! 😍 I've got my grandbaby for a sleepover tonight so I'm going to have a relaxing day just reading and writing until I pick him up then I'll probably end up building lego or playing trains 😁

Food hasn't been great over the past week due to the two meals out and just not feeling it in general - I've had a few lovely salads but quite a few 'grab something' meals too. When I come back next week I'm going to make sure I eat well again (I'll do what I can while I'm away but it's always hit and miss at someone elses house) - it's funny how quickly a poor diet affects me, I feel pretty bloated and sluggish at the moment which is not pleasant! Thankfully a few days of decent stuff will quickly improve it 😉

@Florafauna - I started watching spicy mustache as he had a small garden in london in which he grew enormous quantities of food! I think he's moved now though and hasn't posted any veg growing stuff for a year but it's still available on his channel so I tend to watch a few of his old videos from time to time. The others that I watch tend to only post every week or two so it helps me avoid getting sucked in!! 😉 I'm glad your samosa and dhal were nice - is it wrong for me to now be craving a samosa at 6.40am? 🤔😂 The seaside sauna sounds interesting - not sure about the stand up paddleboarding though!! 😳🤔 

@Wednesday2000 - I do love derek sarno's dog!! 😁 content with dogs in is always my preference! Molly (hippy highland living) does like her soups! I think that's her 'go-to' lunch for a lot of the time 😂 I hope you enjoy your theatre visit later in the year - seeing all the lights around the holidays fills me with joy, there's just something magical about them and my grandbaby adores them 😍 

@Brie - interesting convo with your mum!! I'm glad she still likes the picture! 😂 

@Teaparty_mum - Welcome!! It's lovely to have you! 😁 I'm so sorry you've had such a hard time over the past year, I really hope that things are steadily improving for you. You sound like you are doing all the right things to help yourself while things are difficult - dog walking is always a therapeutic thing to do 😁 we're a supportive bunch on this thread so I hope you feel at home here! I'm glad you've managed a better sleep, I think things always feel better when you've managed a decent amount of hours and early morning walks are just the nicest way to start a day! 😍  I like cleaning too - I find it a very meditative practice, I can really be in the moment with it. 

@Katiehound and @Willow1983 - nice to 'see' you! 😁 lurkers are welcome! It's nice to know that people are enjoying the thread even if they don't wish to post regularly 😉 

@weenancyinAmerica - I think that giving yourself a short, achievable list every day is a brilliant thing to do, paticularly when you have issues with health/fatigue. It's good to know your limitations and listen to your body - I think that too many of us feel that we need to power through things (I know I used to be guilty of it!) and end up causing more issues for ourselves! 🤦‍♀️ I'm so sorry that you're having such a nightmare with your doctors, I hope it gets resolved soon! 🤞 

@Moorviews - good to 'see' you again! 😁 the summer weather has played havoc with many of my plans too - I've had some garden success but my tomatoes were pitiful this year 😔 I love your outdoor reading ritual, it sounds like a lovely way to carve out time for yourself 😁 I'm glad you've still been enjoying your sewing and your city visit sounds lovely as do your beach walks! 

@Nelliegrace - it sounds like there's a lot to do in your local area! I'm glad you're enjoying the events and making the most of what's available 😁 I'd like to grow thornless blackberries but don't really have the space at the moment - my sister makes the most beautiful blackberry jam every year though so I always have some of that! 😉 

@London_1 - I'm glad you're enjoying your sunshine! Have a lovely time at the beach 😁 

Right, I'm off to make a chamomile tea, have a fab slow day!! 🐌😁

Wednesday2000

I am also going to the beach today and having lunch at a cafe there. I'm just enjoying a chai tea before I get showered and dressed. It still looks nice and sunny here today but I will bring my cardigan in case it gets chilly later.

Molly (from HHL) on YouTube was saying that she finds that doing yoga helps her and she doesn't suffer from aches and pains that much. My neck has been quite stiff the past few mornings so I am going to find an exercise on YT to do now to see if it helps.

London_1

Lovely afternoon on the beach and our builder came this morning and hopefully will start the renovations mid October maybe even sooner fingers crossed

Kitchen renovated and the garage turned into a second sitting room plus a downstairs loo and small shower as well.

Weather is glorious today and another gorgeous day forecast for tomorrow.

JackieO xx

mrs_slapshot

Just popping on to say I haven’t posted for ages but I dip in and read all your posts quite often!

I’m still dreaming of a slow life but the reality is very different. I bought Kate Humble’s book A year of living simply from Oxfam at the weekend and I’m enjoying that. I’ve also watched a few YT videos of hippy highland living after being reminded on this thread and they’ve inspired me! I’m still hoping to be able to ‘retire’ in the next year, and I dream of slow days like hers. 

One thing I have really started to do lately (mainly due to having three months off work unpaid in the summer) is manage my budget better and especially my food stores/shopping. I have really impressed myself with how I have used up food rather than keep buying stuff that just goes off!! Very proud of myself with that and it will no doubt help me with my financial plan to retire too!!

Wednesday2000

I had a lovely day out yesterday although I'm tired after doing so many steps. I'm lucky living in such a nice area.



I'm having a quiet day today as I have to wait in for deliveries. I'm about to have a bath and then read my kindle. The weather doesn't look as nice as yesterday. I'm going to make soup with odds and ends of vegetables.

Nelliegrace

We enjoyed the film, The Duke, 2020, starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren. It was funny and sad. It was based on the character Kempton Bunton who tried, in the 1960s, to get the Government to exempt the elderly and war veterans from the BBC television licence, to make their lives a little less lonely. 
It struck me that the film was well chosen as about 50 pensioners met to see it at the village WW1 Memorial Hall, where we had somewhere warm, some company, a hot drink, and a little pack of biscuits which I put in my bag to have later.
It cost about half the price of a visit to the cinema, with a lot less travel. We didn’t have to sit through the advertisements, there were no distracting mobile phones, no constant rustling of snacks, there were no steps to climb, we weren’t plunged into darkness, we were asked if the volume was right, and because we are elderly, there was an intermission. 

leftatthetrafficlights

@Wednesday2000, beautiful piccie!! 😁 did you find any useful exercises on YouTube? Hope your soup was nice! 

@London_1 - I'm glad you enjoyed your beach day 😁 

@mrs_slapshot - nice to 'see' you again! 😁 well done on getting control of your budget and food shopping! 🙌 it's definitely one of the areas I can lose control of from time to time (this month being a prime example!🤦‍♀️) 

@Nelliegrace - it sounds like the film event was ideal! 😁 I've never liked going to the cinema but that experience sounds a whole lot better!! 

Dogsitting is going well - I'm enjoying the walks and the cuddles! Today has been lovely, I've been able to do lots of writing and planning.

I follow the seasonal astronomical calendar (very close to the pagan calendar but not quite 😉) so the autumn equinox on Sunday is the middle of autumn for me - basically, it's the final part of the year now and my 'new year' starts at the beginning of winter on 6th November. I like to spend time reflecting at this time on the past year and loosely planning the next season. I enjoy the process and it's nice to do it in a different environment as it gives me a different perspective 😁 I'll be spending a lot of today continuing the activity...

Food wise I've been a bit up and down but today will be easier as I've used up most of the leftovers - I'm making some lemon cannellini beans and purple sweet potatoes that I'll serve with a rocket, black grape and strawberry salad for dinner. 

Dh has been working on the veggie beds while I've been away - he's planning on having the work finished by the time I get home - he's building wooden cages around a couple of them which will be netted and have doors for ease of access 🙌 They are currently netted with plastic tubing used as the frame but the netting has to be secured with clips etc which are a nightmare to get on and off for me so I'm really looking forward to being able to just pop a door open to harvest or weed!! 😁 My cavolo nero is in those beds and I like to have it in my smoothies every day so it's important! We're going to be getting some garlic and onions planted soon too so it's going to be a busy time in the garden when I get home! 

Right, I'm off to get a chamomile tea - unfortunately my sleeping patterns have been rubbish over the past week and being away is not helping!! 🙄 

Have a fab slow day! 🐌😁

dND

Hi all, I'm still following along although not posting as I'm finding slow living a bit difficult with basically starting from scratch again.  No complaints as I enjoy it but definitely tiring when only one of you.  If you don't do it, nothing gets done!

I'm with you on the calendar @leftatthetrafficlights, it makes so much sense - a result of living in the middle of a field for 16 years. 😁

I finally feel I've made a step forward to the slower living.  I managed to put in the first of my planned 12 raised beds.  This one is for herbs although the gaps have been planted with pak choi which I'm hoping will do something as the poor things have been sitting in their strip from the garden centre for far too long.

The order of construction of the beds is determined by where I can clear and how well I can move!  Next will be the bed for the fruits that can take some shade - rhubarb. currants etc and probably after that I can start on the blackberry bed as the autumn raspberries that are currently in the ground there should have finished fruiting and I can lift those and then move them along to what will be the next bed which should get a bit more sun.

If anyone is looking to make about a dozen double height raised beds like this



search for pallet collars - they are the same, but in bulk they work out cheaper than at the garden centre; £12-15 per 20cm deep x 1.2m x 1m.  The cheaper ones are the used ones but it's was £300 spend to get free delivery which was £50 otherwise, (in my case it was 26 collars).  So only useful if you need a lot.

I'm hoping that they will make life easier in the long run. 🤞

I managed to find a DAB radio in the local charity shop so currently having a recovery day and listening to Radio 3 which I find very relaxing.  I hope everyone else has a great day.

Teaparty_mum

Hi to everyone, I hope you all are well ?
Sorry I’ve not been active lately but had a bit of a “dip” but I’m coming out of it now. Today I had my mental health appointment and my support worker is very pleased on how I’m doing even considering that I had a dip so that’s good news. Came out of the appointment to find out that it was raining which annoyed me because I had washing on the line but when I got home my DS had taken it in the house.

Then I cleaned the house and done everything that needed doing so now I’m sitting down catching my breath and enjoying the clean house. X

sarah xx