Ikebana and Sakura

Ikebana ("flowers kept alive", also known as kadō) is a Japanese way of creating a floral arrangement as a seasonal welcome for guests in the home. It wasn't necessarily designed for a small space but is something we can adapt and use. The tradition dates back to the 7th century when floral offerings were made at altars.  Later, they were placed in the tokonama of a home.  The is a raised alcove in the living room, used as a small stage. 

photo credit: https://japon-fr.com/photos-du-japon+tokonoma.htm

This link discusses the presentation of the tokonama in more detail. I'm no expert but was intrigued by it when watching a lovely TV programme "The Art of Japanese Life" presented by the art historian Dr. James Fox and it was really interesting to learn about the rules and traditions used.   I think it is much more than a floral arrangement, it is about the appreciation of the artistry, the nature of the arrangement itself and a meditation about nature and the changing of the seasons.  The space "ma" between the sprigs and blooms and lines of the arrangement is just as important as the items themselves, and provides space and a feeling of spaciousness to expand and think. This is a deliberate "pause" and can be applied to all aspects of life.   A hanging scroll (kakemono) may often be placed behind the arrangement.     
I think I was fascinated by the idea of ikebana and its traditions because it is a lovely way of introducing some seasonality, art, meditation and a bit of the outdoors into the home; particularly when we tend to have small homes in the city.  Of course it is difficult to recreate in our working homes but it is fun to learn the art of "less is more".  It provides a focal point to look at, particularly if we have few possessions cluttering the room (not much chance of that round here), and may create the feeling of extending the room out into the garden.  The very act of making the ikebana provides a step back from a busy life and can be a mindful way of creating something beautiful for the home.  By thinking about "ma" in a more general way in our lives, we can eliminate the unnecessary and focus on the important things which shine in that negative space, both literally and figuratively.

photo credit https://www.japancalligraphy.eu/wallpapers.htm

I was pondering this because the small fruit trees in my tiny garden have been demanding attention with their beautiful blossom.  The greengage flowers first in March, and the apple tree next to it answers with it's own blooms in April. 



                             Greengage blossom in the garden, March 2018

                                     Apple blossom in the garden, April 2018

The trees create a lovely focal point in the garden where there was once a damp, dark space covered in ivy. Because there isn't too much else in the garden at this time of year, they seem to shine with an internal light against the dark wall. They create  a real sense of enjoyment and impermanence just like the Japanese sakura (cherry blossom) season which is when locals and tourists alike celebrate Hanami picnics ("looking at flowers"); marking the arrival of Spring and new beginnings of the Japanese financial and academic years.  Here's a link to a Telegraph article describing the cherry blossom season.

Cherry blossoms in Tokyo CREDIT: AP

I was going to end this piece with a "who needs to go to Tokyo when we have our beautiful English blossom?" But it does look stunning. Let's enjoy them both!

Blossom in front of the house, April 2018

Practical Suggestions to Help Yourself on a Bad Day

When you're having a bad day: dealing with depression, hospital appointments, lack of focus, or generally feeling out of sorts, it can feel almost impossible to "look on the bright side", "see the positives", "find comfort in the small things".  I've been there and back, and then some.  I'm not some self-help guru or claiming that these will help you, but they are all things that I've tried and that have helped me to feel more positive about things.  

1.  Distract yourself. A frequent suggestion in magazines and blogs is "listen to your favourite music and dance in your living room", but I honestly can't see myself doing this when I'm feeling down.  Music just seems to upset me and has done for years.  Instead, put some headphones on, find a comfy spot and listen to a podcast or radio show, preferably an amusing one.  Lately I've enjoyed a short series recommended by a friend, "Angstrom", a take-off of a Scandi-Noir detective serial which had me laughing away to myself. Lots of brooding, warm jumpers and a maverick, alcoholic detective.  Oh, and the ghost of a duck.

2. When I really can't think what to do to cheer myself up, I find that if I at least do something useful, I can feel some accomplishment in that, even if I am no more cheerful than when I started! If you are miserable, doing a task you don't like much means you don't spoil a good mood later by having to do it then! The other day, I cleaned my windows, which I hate doing, but when I finished, they looked better and I felt a bit better too.  

3. Related to the above, prepare some food for the week ahead so you have some healthy lunches or dinners. Last weekend I made some houmous, which is an easy practical task but made me feel like I was caring for myself by making something healthy to eat during the rest of the week.  As a bonus, it is a good snack for when you really don't feel like cooking.  Another thing I often do is cook some rice or roast some vegetables, then you have the basis for a rice salad or a quick soup or a meal in itself with hardly any effort. 

3. Do something which requires some concentration.  I like taking photos and once, when I didn't want to go for a walk or exercise, I just took my camera out into my tiny back garden.  I realised there were quite a few ladybirds and spent about an hour trying to get good shots of the different types.  It was very absorbing and I used some of the photos in a community garden newsletter.  As by-products, I got some fresh air, began to think about the newsletter, did a bit of reading about ladybirds and planned what to write.

4.  I  have taken a lot of pleasure in nice scent but I think smell is a sense we often take for granted. You may notice a nice (or horrid!) smell when you encounter it, but personally I often forget that we can control it (apart from wearing perfume). We live near a candle supplier which also does reed diffusers.  Making our rooms smell nice really seems to lift the spirits.  My favourite at the moment is Rosemary and Bay which makes the house smell fresh but not artificial.  If you prefer a more natural option, a potted indoor hyacinth can smell beautiful.

5. Spicy food. I always feel better after some chillies! Looking into it, there is a scientific reason. Substance P is produced by nerve cells in response to the perceived pain of the capsaicin in chillies.  The brain responds to this by releasing endorphins to block the pain signals.  Additionally, dopamine, another neurotransmitter - responsible for pleasure and reward feelings - is released.  Hence we can get cravings for spicy food.  Can't say I often get the "runner's high" but I definitely get a "chilli high".  Here's a link to other foods that should increase happiness.

Home-grown chilli plant

6. Plan something to look forward to - a gig, meeting a friend, a weekend away, or a look for some inspiration for a longer holiday if possible.  Research somewhere to go and something to do.  Laying down some definite plans helps me feel more positive.  We are planning a short break to Cornwall so I've looked up a wildlife Safari trip, a restaurant we want to visit, a walk on the South West Path, and a visit to an RSPB reserve, Ham Wall on the way back with an overnight stay in Glastonbury.

Cornwall, March 2017

7.  When all else fails and I'm having a terrible day, I try to remember something a friend said once, "oh, I'm probably tired". It's generally true but easy to forget this.  Don't be hard on yourself - "tomorrow is another day", as Scarlett O'Hara said.

Here's a link to some other ways to Get Back on Track.

Closing the Books for 2017

I was listening to a podcast The Good Life Project and the last episode of the year was called Closing the Books - an accounting phrase but used to suggest that a physical ceremony' is a good way to move forward into the New Year, after the 'reckoning' and reviewing.  
I did manage a walk into Wandsworth - not sure if that counts! - but thought it would be nice to make a physical/online reminder of some of my favourite bits of 2017.

Wildlife in the community garden

March blossom

May - sightseeing in London

July - cycling in France

September - a stay at The Mermaid in Rye.

Including a beautiful walk through the bird reserve

October - Mexico

Chichen Itza

Seeing flamingos close up

Swimming in a beautiful cenote

Seeing a baby sting ray in the wild

Finally - after years of searching - seeing a nest of turtles hatch

Floating down a river

December - first trip to Poland 

Happy 2018 Everyone!

Natural Laundry Detergent - it's Conkers!

Cancer treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy can cause some skin sensitivity and rashes.  I have found a recipe for home-made laundry detergent that is all-natural and mild, which would hopefully reduce any possibility of irritation.  The other benefits are: it is odour-free (some of the scents in detergents are the likely culprits of an adverse reaction), packaging-free and......free!  It's easy to make and, literally, a walk in the park.  

Here's what to do:

Collect a few conkers (horse chestnuts, not edible chestnuts), as fresh as possible (dry ones are harder to chop up).  
Wash and allow to dry.
Chop up a handful (can blitz further in a food processor).
I removed the brown outer shells as far as possible, but don't worry about that too much.
Soak about half a cup of the chopped conkers in a cup of hot water for a minimum of 30 min or overnight if the chopped pieces are fairly large.
Filter the milky-looking liquid through a sieve.
Store the liquid in a clean jar in the fridge for a week or so.
Use about a cupful per wash - the amount will depend on the concentration of your filtered liquid so experiment.

If you don't want to use all your conkers at once, allow the chopped pieces to dry out and store in a jar until required.

Soaking the conkers allows the release of saponins.  These are soap-like substances which are sometimes added to our industrially-made detergents anyway.  They are also in soap-nuts which are another alternative to shop-bought detergents; commonly used in India, they have become more popular as an "eco-alternative", but as always, you have to balance the costs of transporting them and packaging costs too.  So conkers are a nice local solution.

N.B. There is a possibility that if the dark shells are not removed, the detergent may not be ideal for white washes.  Be careful and test first on tea-towels or something that isn't too precious!

For those of you who don't have the time or the conkers for this, for 18 months now I've been using another home-made laundry detergent that I make from bulk ingredients bought on Amazon.  It doesn't have any odour but you could always add a few drops of an essential oil.

Ingredients:
1 bar Natural soap, grated (I use laundry buttermilk soap)
250 g Borax substitute (I use Dripak Borax Substitute)
250 g Washing soda (I use Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda)
Use 1-2 tablespoons per washing load

For  further details about the benefits and reasons to use home-made detergent, take a look at this link from the Guardian's column "All You Need is Less".

A Suffolk Weekend

I find it's always helpful for the mental state to have something to look forward to. Luckily I was off work the day the WannaCry MalIware virus hit the NHS Trust where I work - believe me, it's not been pretty, so I was glad to have had a break when I arrived back for this last "challenging" week.  Anyway, it's become a bit of an annual treat to go to Southwold in Suffolk around the time of my birthday in May.  I love it because we camp on an unspoilt campsite by the beach which is surrounded by marshes and reedbeds which hold an amazing number and variety of birds. You wake to the sound of the waves and the dawn chorus and very little else.  We normally go between the two May Bank Holidays so the site is relatively quiet. A couple of years ago we got up at an hour I can't bring myself to remember and drove to the RSPB reserve at Minsmere for their dawn chorus walk with one of their managers.  It was fabulous to walk through the reserve before it officially opened for the public and hear about 20 different bird species.

On Friday, after a 5 hour drive from London (don't ask), the sun finally came out for the evening. No expense spared on home comforts.
  

A short walk to the Harbour Inn for a pint of Adnams and a fish supper followed by a stroll along the River Blyth.

Saturday morning we tried the new café which has opened in the perfect spot (i.e. near the campsite) in the harbour.

A trip across the river on the much-loved foot ferry (a rowing boat; £1 each way) and we arrived in Walberswick to visit another much-loved local, Sonia, and she took us for a beautiful walk along Hoist Covert with her dog, Alfie.  Stunning views across the marshes and dunes to the sea.  No sign of the local marsh harrier. Or any bitterns.

We came upon some traditional reed cutters stacking the reeds for roof thatching.  I would have loved take a photo but they had pitchforks and looked busy - didn't want to disturb! 

Back "home" to our private glade for a little siesta.  No chairs but got the important stuff.

The local wildlife isn't bothered.

Kestrel

Swallow

Out to one of our favourite restaurants in Southwold, Sutherland House.

Stopped for drinks on the way home at The Sail Loft.  Great views over the marshes from the back of the pub.

Sunday morning dawn chorus was very early so went for a walk between 5 and 8 a.m. to make the most of the beautiful sunrise over the reedbeds.

This reed warbler was making a LOT of noise.

Not sure what this is, possibly a pipt. Known as LBJ (Little Brown Job).

The Adnams brewery (founded 1872) is based in Southwold. "Southwold Jack", a medieval clock 'smiter' dressed in 15th Century costume is used as a symbol for the brewery (original in St. Edmund's next to the font).

The amazing Grade I listed St. Edmund's Church is a surprise (I've never seen it before even though I've visited the town a few times) hidden round the back of the High St. Built in 1460, funded by wealthy wool merchants. See link (here) for photos of the beautiful interior.

St. Edmund (Edmund the Martyr) was King of East Anglia from approx. 855 to 869.

Walk back to the campsite along the start of the Sandling's Walk, the perfect distance for a stroll between the town and the pub at the harbour.

The tea hut next to the campsite was much needed for a warm-up after putting away the tent in the rain.

The sun came out and time for another cheeky beer before lunch. Cheers!



Another favourite place: Sole Bay Fish Company. Packed full of people buying fish at the counter and enjoying lunch.  Make sure you book!

Strangely enough, there is an article in today's Telegraph talking about walking in Southwold and Walberswick.