Tag: Firsts

All the fun of the firsts. Again.

Who doesn’t love this time of year? 

All around us are signs of new life from the little red buds on the trees, to the daffodils decorating the roadsides, to the beautiful sound of birdsong in the air. After being starved of sunshine for so long, it really does feel like pure magic! All the more likely to elicit smiles!

And, how wonderful to throw open the windows to welcome the warmer air and clear the stuffiness of central heating.

Not only have I enjoyed my first trip to the sea, but I’ve also had my first drinks and eats in the garden. Last weekend, I even had my first breakfast in the garden. How exciting!

As I sat outside at my lap top this morning, I saw my first yellow butterfly fly right by. And a huge bumble bee has made its first and several subsequent appearances.

I’ve started cycling to my health club instead of driving and I’ve returned to running outside. I hate running on a treadmill inside as I love to feel the air on my skin and hear the birds as they sing.

Today saw me out with a friend without a coat on! First time this year, wow wee! And I wasn’t cold.

Upon seeing my neighbour mow their lawn, I could no longer convince myself that it was too wet to mow mine. I’ve now got the first mow of the season done as well as having removed everything dead from the garden. It’s a neat, tidy, clean slate ready to receive the new life of the new season. And I’ve planted my first pansies and violas, as well as a lettuce, although that’s still inside for now. I don’t want to risk freezing the bugger to death in a frost.

A few weeks back I took my first bike ride of the year which involved flying down a hill at high speed, as if in an Enid Blyton book. Woo-hoo!

And today, I had an excessively enjoyable, fun fest of a day out with a friend, to celebrate her birthday. I indulged in my first piece of cake of the week after deciding to risk the runaway sugar train. It was utterly delicious, more so as it was baked by someone other than me.

On our return I had my first experience of laughing so hard, I didn’t laugh my arse off (shrinking jeans will testify) but I must have laughed at least half of that cake off. My stomach hurt even more than it does after a particularly spicy Pilates class. Who knew burning off cake could involve so much fun and laughter.

It turns out I did, as I’ve been to my first and now second weekly dance class. These make me laugh spontaneously as dance is one of my favourite joy releasers.

I’ve even got my spring, bright and bold floral covered bedsheets back on the bed. Everywhere I look inside or out, there are flowers displaying their beauty for us to feast our eyes on.

And once home I feasted on my first four egg omelette, as suggested by last week’s menopause coach. Protein is apparently the way to go.

Yay for the new season and all the fun of the firsts.

Ps a less fun first was the sound of a super sized wasp buzzing around my conservatory. Fortunately, following a few prayers and a few FFS’s, it found its way back out!

The fun of the firsts

The sun is shining! It’s not the first time this year but it sure has spent a lot of time hidden behind the rain dropping clouds. Sometimes such prolonged periods of sun obscuring cloudiness can make it hard to keep trusting the sun will shine again. Until it does.

I love this time of year. No matter how many times I’ve seen it all before, the firsts of the season never fail to elicit involuntary gasps of excitement. From the first time I finish with a client at 6pm to discover upon opening my cabin door that it is still daylight, to the first green shoots of new life, to the masses of other sense stirring sightings. I simply love to watch the world awaken.

I’ve now had my first trip of the year to the sea which did not fail to deliver on the scenery or the restoration front. Instead of pushing myself to do big walks, I allowed myself to do much meandering. I sat on a conveniently placed log on the beach where I selected various coloured stones for use in my practice. When I wasn’t on the beach, I sat directly in front of it in various food serving establishments. Within the comfort of these I relished all that I saw and all the scoff that I ordered. What bliss.

Back home, I’ve had my first brew in the garden and my first meal in the garden both while enjoying the sun’s warmth on my skin. I’ve also had my first sighting of the flowers that I planted as seeds last Autumn as well as the return of the hosta I feared I had killed off last year. I love witnessing new life.

On the not so fun but fulfilling-on-completion front, I gave the lawn its first haircut. It’s already grown back with a vengeance and a large smattering of daisies. This means I can now engage in one of my favourite resting activities; watching the daisies grow. I want to indulge in more of this during my year of learning to rest better.

I’ve now had not only my first but also second and third bike rides of the year all of which reminded me that I love surveying the scenery as I cycle.

While it’s not the first time it still gives me an embarrassing amount of enjoyment to watch my washing dancing itself dry on the line. Boring but true!

I’ve also spotted a super large bumble bee that feeds from the flowers just outside my window. Today is the first time that that I’ve swapped my inside table for the outside table, to act as my workstation. While working outside, I also spotted my first butterfly of the season; a pale yellow one. And I’m wearing a hat for shade rather than warmth.

How I love the great outdoors with all its reminders of beginnings, endings and the bits in the middle.