Seeking the Good Life

The Idle Bee

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Being Kind to ourselves

03/05/20 06:07
We have been working flat out since my last post. The house is starting to take shape with; the majority of the kitchen fitted (we are waiting for the joiner to install the new window before installing the last two cupboards and getting the stone worktops installed), one bedroom is fully decorated (with a second well under way) and the cloakroom has a fully functioning tiled shower and sink.
All the work has rather taken it's toll leaving us feeling pretty exhausted and so we decided to take some time to enjoy our surroundings. Packing a small rucksack with water bottles and a packed lunch we set of to explore routes into Dalby forest. The Covid 19 lockdown meant that the car parks and visitor attractions were all closed and we had the whole area to ourselves, in fact the only person we saw during the whole of our 12km wanderings was a neighbour taking a similar opportunity to exercise her horse along some of the forest trails.
The Japanese have the concept of shinrin yoku or forest bathing, where you take time to connect with the calming spirit or energy of the forest. It is a meditative process that is reported help with depression, anxiety and sleep disorders. Practitioners, who run workshops, frequently make the point that it is not just taking a leisurely walk in a wood, but also requires periods of stillness that allow you to really link through your different senses to the forest around you. See the subtle shifts in light and shade, hear the quiet sounds of the breeze through the leaves or creak of a branch, smell and taste the air around you with its mix of earth and wood as well as floral scents of woodland flowers, but above all focus on the touch of the bark of the tree behind your back or the soft prickle of the pine needles you are sitting on. Focussing on your senses in this way closes down the noise of our usual lives and shuts off that constant flow of thoughts that race through (or round and round) our busy minds.
Needless to say but this was a day well spent.

Weekend Checking up on Fenay Cottage

29/11/19 20:00
We decided to take a short break at Fenay Cottage:-
1. To check on the place and 2. To decorate the cottage ready for our Christmas Bookings.
Just to be clear, we have no intention of putting up any decorations until December the first!
Checking up on Fenay Cottage has raised a number of extremely important questions;
1. What sort of psychopath ignores the carefully chosen good quality wooden and silicone utensils that we have equipped the kitchen with, before selecting a sharp blade to prod frying food with? As far as we can work out prodding with a sharp knife is the only way to reproduce the damage that has been inflicted on the non stick lining of the frying pan. We were told by other holiday rental owners that we would need to replace frying pans annually and we can now see why!
2. Are there really people out there who are unable to light a fire? What sort of childhood must these poor souls have had, if they can't light a fire in a purpose designed wood burner with the provided firelighters, kindling and well seasoned logs? We have even left clear and simple step by step pictorial instructions! Finding a number of singed but not burnt logs (as though someone has held a match to the side of a log) has left us very concerned for the future of the human race should a major natural disaster occur.
3. Does everyone bleach their hair, and the bloody towels, when they go on holiday? The attrition rate for our coloured towels has been alarming, though on a positive note we now have a large number of bleach damaged towels that we can use to dry Dot after a damp walk or after a major romp on the beach.

Despite all of these issues/question renting our holiday cottage has many benefits.
We have really enjoyed reading the nice comments in our visitors book. It has been lovely to see Robin Hoods Bay and our cottage through the fresh eyes of our guests. One of our guests hand crafted a piece of pokerwork art as a thank you gift.

That anyone enjoyed our home sufficiently to want to produce a piece of art as a thank you is amazingly overwhelming. Thank you. XX


Dot continues her role as Fenay Cottage's official beach inspector. She has taken to sitting by the front door in an attempt to persuade us to take her to the beach. We are trying to teach her about tide times but she is struggling to get the concept.DSCN0272

Weekend in the Scottish Borders

06/08/19 13:03
M and I have just returned from a short break visiting family who live in Haddington. Time with family is always well spent. We enjoyed several fine walks by the river Tyne, watching the wildlife and simply enjoying good company.
We visited Tantallon Studios on Sunday and were made really welcome by resident potter Ronnie Fulton, who downed tools and gave us a full tour of the pottery. We loved the design of his Raku kiln and he very graciously gave us plenty of tips and advice. An absolute gentleman. We couldn't resist buying one of his Raku Chickens, now enjoying pride of place on our kitchen dresser.

My Birthday

17/07/19 11:48
Hmmm, It is now over 55 Years since I took my first breath. Once again my Family rallied round to remind me of the continual progress of time, and therefore my inevitably approaching demise. They do this in the usual manner by sending me a selection of rather fine gifts and birthday cards. There must be something more important than simply the fact I have survived another full circumnavigation of the earths orbit around the sun but perhaps not!

Procrastination is the thief of time


I have always believed that it takes effort to produce results. How you choose to measure those results depends on your individual mindset. There are some who define success on the basis of how many Pounds, Dollars, Yen, Rupees or indeed any currency you choose to name, you have in your bank account. This misses out on some of the forgotten truths of the 21st century. Real success is measured in: the number of real friends that you have (the ones who would drop everything if you needed help), in the success of your children, in the success of your ventures (business or other), or even in the recognition of the output from your creativity.
Today I returned to my place of work having spent nearly six months battling the demons in my head that relentlessly convinced me that I was a failure and a fraud. A mixture of mind altering medication prescribed by my GP and half a dozen sessions with a clinical psychologist had finally allowed me to return to my place of work. My fears and anxiety were completely obliterated by a spontaneous hug from a surgical colleague, a smile and a hug from the critical care receptionist and being grabbed and welcomed back by one of the critical sisters. Simple things mean a lot. I can now see myself returning to work with these delightful people at least until we sell our house and move to our next project.
Mental health is really important, Mind is a charity devoted to improving and helping people with mental health issues. Mental illness can affect any one of us and indeed affects one in four of us at some stage during our life.
The exercise campaign continues with a combination of rapid walking, circuit training and kettlercise sessions,

Back from Holiday

03/07/19 16:19
I have just returned after staying in Fenay Cottage for a week with M and Dot. Dot simply loves the beach. Despite her only being 14 weeks old she loves to run around playing chase with any dog she meets. Robin Hoods Bay really is the best place in the world for dogs, with beach and hillside walks and loads of dog friendly cafes and pubs.
We were pleasantly spoilt by a visit from our daughter and her chocolate Labrador puppy called Rolo. Dot and Rolo ended up happily tired having run and played chase on the beach, been taken for walks and fussed over by lots of nice folk.

Continuing the Fun and Fitness M and I managed long beach walks every day and shorter beach combing / Dot training walks each morning. Dot is getting better and better at walking on a lead, and is learning to return quickly when called. She really hasn’t got a clue when it comes to fetch type games, she will quickly and efficiently chase a tennis ball down and stop it, she then leaves it where she stopped it and returns directly to us. I’m certain M has been secretly training her to do this simply to increase my exercise, in that I seem to be walking further as a result. Overall this has been a nicely active holiday with lots of walking and lots of fun.

Robin Hoods Bay is blessed with a number of cafes and restaurants including our particular favourites of The Bramblewick, and The Wayfarer. Both establishments specialise in fresh seasonal sea food dishes, with a good range of meat and vegetarian alternatives. We have never had anything but excellent food and good service at either place. They have very individual styles and we absolutely love the differences in atmosphere between the restaurants. If you are planning a trip to Robin Hoods bay then plan and book as both establishments fill up really quickly.

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