Today is Saturday. I had nothing planned: no lift to town and no visitors: a quiet day. There were plenty of things to be getting on with though: bed linen to be washed and ironed; pills to be sorted for the next month; a few letters to be written; the car to be emptied because it's going in for a facelift on Monday; the camera infra-red remote to be found; some 'studio' photos to be taken; some more of my tens of thousands of hard copy photos to be sorted for scanning. The list was endless. I could even have started painting the wood surrounds in the conservatory.
How is it then that a sudden lethargy overtook me in the later half of the morning? I'd done my second set of knee exercises and was about to have a coffee when my mind and body rebelled. Yesterday I'd been listening or trying to listen to piano concertos of a few composers I didn't know: Kullak, Dreyschock and Ludomir Różycki to name three. This morning I suddenly just wanted a huge and loud dose of Beethoven: I haven't listed to one of his piano concertos for a while. So that's what I did: I sat down in front of the speakers with no phone, no computer, no book and not even a thought in my head (the easiest of the things to achieve) and I listened.
Of course reality kicked in after lunch and I did get some chores done. This evening, though. I decided to watch BBC Young Musician of the Year semi final. The talent out there just blows my mind.
Earlier in the week I decided that some of the heavy work in the garden was going to be beyond my capability for several months at least so I decided to discuss certain projects with David of Maybury Garden Centre under their guise of Maybury Lawns and Gardens. One thing was to clear an area which had been filled with trees which had blown down at various times over the last two winters. I had cleared as much as possible but all the roots and some of the tree trunks were still in.
This was the site yesterday morning:
This was the site yesterday afternoon:
There was a lot of work and several large vanloads of debris involved in that transformation. It would have taken me days even at my fittest. Now I have a blank canvas with which to start again.
Sometimes your body tells you you need a rest, and what better way to do it than to sit and listen to some good music?!
ReplyDeleteThe garden looks great! Isn't it wonderful when you can get help in to do something like that.
Serenata you probably more than many know just how important music is. I felt renewed and happy after so much of my day concentrating on it.
DeleteYou do have a lovely view there Graham. I think you did the right thing on both counts ~ sitting down and just listening to some music as it should be enjoyed and getting the landscapers to do the hard work. We will all look forward to the transformation in that garden bed.
ReplyDeleteHaving someone else to do the heavy work has been wonderful Carol.
DeleteSounds to me like you did just the right thing, taking "time out". As you say - the list of things-to-do is endless. (Strike one thing off and another seems to be added automatically.) Sometimes one needs to just put it aside for a while! :) (I sat in the sunlounger on my balcony yesterday afternoon with earphones on, listening to a mystery audiobook...)
ReplyDeleteGood decision about the garden too!
Monica you are correct: sometimes a good chill out is better than anything.
DeleteA blank canvas indeed. May I suggest a family of garden gnomes and a concrete angel. It's good to be lazy sometimes and to blank out the old protestant ethic which makes us feel guilty about idleness. Idleness assists replenishment and besides we will never get everything done. The list is endless.
ReplyDeleteWords of wisdom indeed YP (well apart from the garden advice that is.).
DeleteThat little bay with the jetty looks enthralling. If it was within walking distance of me I'd probably spend all my days there. Your soil looks good, is it for vegs or flowers?
ReplyDeleteCro it's a beautiful bay and it's about 7 minutes down the croft from my house. I shall probably put shrubs in the cleared space..
DeleteFirstly, that was a good idea to hire someone to do that clearing job. Great view, too...so I hope you don't plant anything that will eventually block it.
ReplyDeleteSecondly...I'm glad you went with the flow...relaxed and listened to music. Who says you have to do get all industrious and do chores? If you feel like doing nothing but let your mind be free while enjoying music...go for it, I say!
I found out earlier this evening that I've a visitor arriving on this Friday afternoon...staying through to Saturday. So, that means I have to become industrious myself and do some housework! Nothing like visitors to make one get active and stop being a procrastinator! Dammit! :)
Lee I decided that the less time I spend on jobs like that the more I have to do productive things.
DeleteRecovering from knee replacement i more than physical. Limitations in physical activities are a given so then our mind has to make some adjustments. So listen to concertos and get some help with the heavy stuff. I'm sure the improvement in the yard will make a big difference.
ReplyDeleteRed I shall be playing a low-key role in the area for a little while
DeleteWhat beautiful looking soil. If you planted bulbs for spring, would they rot in a few months due to the water table or might they winter over nicely?
ReplyDeleteMrs Thyme the soil isn't quite as good as it looks but it is well drained. Thanks for the bulbs idea. I think I'm going to plant shrubs but I have hundreds of bulbs looking for homes and they will now probably end up in the edges of the shrubs.
ReplyDeleteThe garden looks great! I think an unplanned day can be very productive. Usually I accomplish enough on an unplanned day that I have to add items to the "To Do" list just so that I can have the satisfaction of crossing them off!! xoxo DeeDee
ReplyDeleteDeeDee I love the idea of putting items on the "To Do" list that I've already done. I must try that!
DeleteI don't believe in heavy work in fact any work is to be avoided if at all possible. A great pity they don't do PH.ds in procrastination. I'd romp one if I could be bothered.
ReplyDeleteAdrian I'd far rather indulge in some garden labour these days than try and overheat what passes for my brain trying to sort out all your graphical conundrums.
DeleteI'm glad you listened to your body, the chores will always wait. Your garden does look different; I look forward to what happens next.
ReplyDeleteAh yes. The next step Pauline. Well it happened yesterday in the pouring rain. It's sunny this morning so I shall go and take a photo.
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