Monday

A mindfulness interlude on a warm and sunny Sunday morning - a gentle breeze but still warm enough to sit out on the patio with a cold drink appreciating the sights and sounds of all that's going on around me.

Sights ...

• the autumn colours, hinting that it's the end of the summer
• shadows dancing across the patio
• a tiny green beetle making its way across the patio
• busy bees on the flowers
• a spider waiting patiently on its web
• fallen leaves and petals under the roses
• the blur of a bird flying away. It may have been a robin but it was too quick to see it properly
• a beautiful blue sky and fluffy white clouds
• Sammy, my neighbour's ginger and white cat, taking a short cut across the garden

Sounds ...

Close by I can hear:

• bees buzzing around the flowers
• the rattle of the living room vertical blinds moving in the breeze
• the rustling of leaves in the breeze
• the creaking of the roof on next door's conservatory

In the distance I can hear:

• an airplane flying overhead
• someone sawing and hammering
• very faintly, a siren sounding at the cereal factory that's on the other side of the village
• a peal of bells. The breeze must be in the right direction as I can't usually hear them but I think it's the parish church where we held band practice yesterday

Considering I live in the middle of an estate, I'm surprised that I didn't hear any voices, radios, dogs barking, cars, trains, or cheering from the sports field - the home team must have an away match this week!

***************

This afternoon I'm visiting another school to run one workshop with about 30 year 3s. One of the teachers in this school is a fellow band member (I used to teach her when she was a child 😊) and the Headteacher has released her from her own class to help me run the workshop, which is brilliant and will make for a much easier afternoon.

Then it'll be back home for the private lessons, and if I have any energy left I may try out a new singing group this evening but I'll tell you more about that once I've joined. It all depends on how I feel so may have to wait until I've completed all the workshops in two weeks time.