Well my loves, are we coming out of our third and final lockdown? Is April 12th the date I can re-open for aromatherapy, Indian head massage and reflexology again? Will I have finished all the painting and decorating, spider evicting and deep cleaning?
I’m feeling optimistic and have already had enquiries about making appointments, so let’s open the diary and get you booked in! It is of course, subject to everything going according to the government’s plan, and we’ve already learnt that things can change overnight. So let’s get you pencilled in, with a caveat that it may have to change, at the last minute.
I will be continuing with the changes made between the lockdowns – ie limiting appointments to one hour, disinfecting, wearing masks, disinfecting, washing hands on entry, disinfecting, and errr, a bit more disinfecting. My washing machine will be groaning again! But I will be happy to be returning to one of my favourite jobs, catching up with you all and helping to soothe away all the stresses of the last year.
I hope that come the summer, we might not need to wear masks, and that I can offer longer appointments again. I’d also like to bring back my upholstered chairs as the wipe clean ones are embarrassingly squeaky. But this obviously all depends on the aforementioned government plan, and there are some actions that are best practice anyway, so I will be keeping them up (apologies once more to my washing machine!).
I’ll be contacting my existing clients over the next few weeks to see if they would like to book in again. There is absolutely no obligation to do so, if you would rather wait until further lockdown restrictions are lifted, that is absolutely fine and totally understandable. I can’t wait to welcome you back, whenever that may be.
And hugs. When can we start hugs again? How I’ve missed them!
I didn’t anticipate there’d be a part two to the Indulging my inner crazy blog post when I wrote it in July. Going for a walk in the pouring rain in the summer when it’s relatively warm is one thing. Going for a walk in the pouring rain at the end of October is definitely taking it to the next level!
Me, Lucy and Laura
What you need, is friends like these, with dogs like these, who are all as crazy as you. I even offered them a way out by inviting them to lunch at my house instead but it was decided to head out to the Peaks regardless. And I’m so pleased we did. Even on the dullest of days, Mam Tor offers breathtaking views.
Romy
Mylo
The view from Mam Tor
The walk was originally intended to be a 3 mile circular route that would take us just over an hour. We got carried away chatting and it ended up closer to 6 miles and took nearly 3 hours. We traversed bogs, rocky paths and helped each other down muddy, slippery, steep slopes. I wasn’t the only one to fall over!
Bogs, mud and slippery slopes
By the time we got back to the car park we’d all discovered what it really means to have waterproof clothing, as oppose to showerproof. Thankfully, most of us had taken a change of clothes and we piled our wet stuff in the car boot and headed off to the pub for much deserved refreshments. Low and behold, by the time we’d eaten, drunk and most importantly dried off/warmed up, by the time we left the pub, the sun was shining.
Great, bonkers friends š. Photo courtesy of Lucy Hobson
It was an experience I won’t forget and would definitely repeat, with great friends who are just as bonkers as I am š¤Ŗš„°.
I had a wander around the Winter Gardens in Sheffield the other day, a stunning feat of architecture with huge timber beams soaring cathedral-like towards the heavens.
Inside is housed a collection of plants often found in temperate climates and sections devoted to Australasia, including a tea tree. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in the flesh before so I was delighted!
Tea Tree is one of the most commonly used essential oils as it has great antibacterial, anti-infectious and anti-fungal properties, to name just a few. It appears in many different products from skin cleansers to natural toilet cleaners. According to Tisserand, it is also an emotional tonic for lethargy, anxiety and depression. It is often known as the bottle brush tree due to the formation of the needles, as you can see below.
There were also some great examples of New Zealand’s Norfolk Island Pines, which have been around since the Jurassic period.
As far as I’m aware, these pines aren’t used in aromatherapy. I dare say they are used medicinally in some way in their native home though. Other plants I found that are harvested for their healing properties were eucalyptus, aloes, jasmine and the olive pictured above.
A selection of Aloes
Jasmine, it caught my nose before it caught my eye!
There was also some beautiful colours dotted around, although I don’t know the name of those plants as there’s no essential oils produced from them! The Winter Gardens are well worth a visit, I’ll definitely be hanging around in there again soon.
This is a personal one for me, Iām not one for wearing my heart on my sleeve or being in the spotlight but Iāve felt the need to reflect on and share where Iāve been, how far Iāve come and how I want to shape the future for myself and my beloved son.
2.5 years ago I left my husband after our marriage exploded and left me in a heap on the floor (literally). There had been a few rumbles leading up to the explosion, but nothing could have prepared me for the destruction and devastation of that day, or the waves of shite that kept breaking over me and swiping my feet from under me, again and again in the months that followed.
Making the most of few times my son falls asleep on me š
When I got married, I had a houseās worth of savings in the bank. By the time I left, I had incurred more debt than Iāve ever had in my life, and ever will have again. Debt that did not benefit me or my son and yet was in my name. There were other issues during the fall out that caused deep distress and led to ill health, both physical and mental.
When I look back on that time in my life, I see a woman who had been trodden down, rolled around in the mud on the floor and expected to be happy down there. I didnāt see it coming, or realised it was happening until I stepped away. And even then it took a while to see just how much Iād been in denial. If I just did this, or that, then everything would be better. It wasnāt better. Not for me anyway.
I am supremely fortunate, and eternally grateful, to have a wonderful mum who took me in (and my son, who was 2.5 at the time) and has supported me in so many ways over the last few years as I have rebuilt my life, piece by piece. I have amazing sisters who have provided loving shoulders to cry on and fabulous friends who have mopped my many tears.
I felt compelled to write this post as there are two significant events that have marked the end of the troubled times and the start of new, exciting and enriching times. The first is the end of my counselling sessions*, that Iāve had on and off for the last 2 years. I highly recommend being brave and digging around your life with the guidance of an experienced, qualified and compassionate counsellor or psychotherapist. It has helped me to grieve, stand up for myself, see situations from a different angle, be more resilient and confident in my ability to handle whatever life throws at me.
The second event is that I will very soon be getting the keys to my own house. I canāt tell you how excited I am about this, and what an impact it will make on myself and my son. Iām also anxious about it, as it is a huge responsibility for one person. Iāve no doubt it will be challenging and stretch me in unfamiliar ways but I also know that Iām up for the challenge and canāt wait to have my own space. A home to put my own stamp on and express myself in creating a warm, welcoming and comfortable interior, and a relaxing, healing garden.
Me in my happy place, doing a happy thing āŗļø
I can see a path of where I want my career to take me, and the people I will help as a product of that. I have ambition again, fire in my belly that Iāve not had for a long time. I can see my son and I building a wonderful home together and making lots of mess along the way. I can see myself going on dating sites/apps for the first time in my life. Thatās a very scary thought, but you donāt get to feeling brave without feeling scared first.
Thank you to everyone who has been there for me in the last few years. Thank you to everyone who has offered a helping hand or a spare piece of furniture for my new home. It has been the worst of times, and the best of times. To quote Hannah Gadsby, āThereās nothing stronger than a woman who has rebuilt herselfā. Hereās to the ones who have rebuilt themselves šŖ.
* I had free counselling sessions via the NHS in Derbyshire via talkingmentalhealth
I love a good walk. I like to feel my heart beating and my breathing quicken as I power up a hill. I like to stop and soak up the fresh air, the scent of the forest and flowers and gaze at a view not appreciated before. I like to be nosey into houses and gardens that you canāt see when whizzing by in the car. I like to observe the seasons changing; lambs in the spring, floral abundance in the summer, leaves turning red, gold, orange and purple in the autumn and frost coating the branches in the winter.
I like the opportunity it gives for talking, without actually being face to face, but alongside each other. After an argument I find it less confrontational and more like teamwork. It is soothing to be out in nature, not so fraught and confined. Problems seem to disappear after a good old slog up a hill and a momentās pause for gratitude.
I like to explore new areas, discover new footpaths and uncover hidden places to rest, relax and regain my inner peace. I like going back to favourite haunts and reliving memories made there.
View from Aleta, Spain. November 2018
Thereās no thinking about personal bests when Iām on a walk. Iām not in it for the competition, to be better than anyone else or myself. It is purely for my enjoyment, my fulfilment, my soul. But I also know that it is good for my health. Physical as well as mental, emotional and spiritual, for all the reasons mentioned above.
Whereās your favourite place to walk? Why? Whereās on the list to discover next?
Peacewellbeing.co.uk 