Good Morning, my dear readers. How are you doing? I hope life is treating you well. I am just back from my morning walk with Sherky who happily tried to hunt squirrels. Unfortunately for her, she is on a lead… She makes me laugh every time when she squeals because she really, really wants that squirrel.

I use these walks to meditate when I don’t have to calm down the crazy greyhound (I know it’s not her fault and she is far from crazy but hey…). It feels good to calm down my inner chatter of worry and somehow several different ways of meditation have developed. Today I chose to connect with my inner teacher. I got this idea from a chant I am listening to often lately which you can find on Meditative Mind’s YouTube Channel here. The Mantra that is repeated means: I bow to the universal creative wisdom. I bow to the divine teacher within.

For me there is no doubt that we all have inner wisdom we just do not always know how to listen to it. So my walk is mindful, listening to whats inside and as I am not a master also accepting my worry voices and letting them go. Its ongoing practice. A good one I feel.

Do you have a meditation practice you follow? How do you go about it?

My quest for wisdom of different sorts doesn’t stop there though. When I come home I consult Guardian Angel cards and one or the other sort of card by Colette Baron-Reid.

Today the Guardian Angels told me this:

Time to transform your perceptions into prosperity. Luck is with you today. You will be shown what to do next.

It is quite scary that this message comes up because my mindset is something I am pondering a lot lately. I am so fed up with feeling that I am a victim, that there is no job for me out there and not enough abundance either. Over time I have observed how successful people seem to think. To me it seems it is a positive spin on everything they do no matter how many setbacks they have. They do keep going and I feel that is something to pick up on.

I wonder a lot lately if its only me who seeks guidance from a higher source however you might call it. Surely even the starkest atheist uses something as his or her guidance to go forward and know what’s right or wrong for them? And science isn’t always as true and right as we might believe. What do you think?

The second guidance I chose today are Baron-Reid’s Wisdom of the Oracle cards which I don’t usually like. They usually tell me things I don’t want to hear. Today’s message basically is: You are the only one to get yourself out of your own sh.., listen closely and make sure you take good care of yourself.

Fair enough 🙂

At the moment I sit at the table in our front room (yes we call it “library” because we have all our books in there 😉 ) and can look through the window out on a blue but cloudy sky. One branch of the clematis sashays in a light breeze and the weather app tells me it is 19c/66.2F. It’s about 10AM.

I am so grateful that I have this time to sit and ponder life and to write. It feels like I slowly come back from the caged animal I have been for such a long time. But I just sit in the door not ready yet to go out and change what needs changing.

A little later my beautiful daughter from another mother will arrive to spent the weekend with us. She is homeschooled by her mother for a couple of years but unfortunately we haven’t managed to engage too in her education. Communication isn’t going well but maybe that is just a teenager thing and will change once she has outgrown all the angst and worry. I am hoping because I have learned if I “do” stuff and try to change something it usually backfires in some sort of way. So I wait and when she is ready I will be there as honest as I can be.

I often wonder how she sees her future. When I was her age I struggled with my mothers death and with the fear of a nuclear war breaking out and of course the environment. Acidic rain and air pollution were the main topics then. The difference I am seeing is that we had time to change things. Well, we perceived we had time. About 11 years are left and politicians and big business do jack sh.. to change anything because they are under the illusion that they can… well, what can they? Hide in a bunker? Get rid of the minions and bath in the riches they accumulated? Not quite sure how they want to eat their cash when noone can grow any food anymore but what do I know?

video credit: Just Have A Think via YouTube

I am not sure I want to go any further into this. Our news are full of the Tory leadership contest and I just can’t bear it anymore. Even though I prefer Mr Hunt (at least he stood up to the orange bafoon in the White House and said to keep Sir Daroch on) I believe either just promise us heaven on earth to keep the tories together and not to make our life better. But again what do I know?

And when I look at the state of the environment very soon the squabble of the political elite will be our least problem anyway. So I rather have a look at what Extinction Rebellion is up to here in their latest newsletter. I see myself as a rebel for life as they put it even though I am not going to die-ins or stick myself to streets and buildings. That’s not my style even though I am rather tempted to go to one of their bike rides in Norwich.

Currently I see my position in creating poetry that works on questions of worry, sadness, grief, wondering and hope about our environment and giving you bits and pieces to make up your own mind about the worldwide movement called Extinction Rebellion. Find more information about them here in their FAQ’s.

Then there is Wimbledon. I am not interested even though young Coco Gauff has impressed me a lot. Wimbledon for me means to think of my grandad who always watched it and my auntie who is a fully blown Roger Federer fan. She is from Switzerland so she can’t help it I guess 😉 (sorry aunty…)

Yesterday I changed to WordPress’s new block editor. Not sure what to make of it. I have started to learn coding via FreeCodeCamp some months ago and know a little about HTML and CSS but this editor seems a little confusing. But before I judge I am going to use it more and try to use my newfound knowledge to create something cool. Just not today LOL.

I guess I move on now. Still want to write down what good luck I had yesterday and what I am grateful for but I am not bothering you with it today 🙂 . Better leave you with a “Blast from the Past: Interview with Judith Works from 2015:

February 2015

Today I am honoured to introduce you to Judith Works who has been living in Italy for 10 years and used her experiences in her two novels “City of Illusions” and “Coins In The Fountain”. She has kindly reached out to me and answered the questions and for that reason I won’t keep you from reading:

“How would you describe yourself in one paragraph?

I am a traveler and a writer who lived in Rome for ten years while working for the United Nations as an attorney in the Human Resource department. The experience turned me into a lover of all things Italian and also resulted in many friendships which I still treasure. I have visited over 100 countries but always return to Rome to throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain to ensure yet another return. My husband and I will be there again this spring.

A fun fact about you?

It wasn’t fun at the time, but I slept for a month on a deflated air mattress and cardboard on the marble floor in our empty apartment in Rome. Furniture had not yet arrived.

What made you write in the first place?

When I returned from Rome I wanted to capture the experience for others to enjoy. The stories resulted in a memoir titled Coins in the Fountain. Since that time I have continued to write, now with the novel, City of Illusions.

What author has influenced you and why?

Reading the lovely books about life in Tuscany by Frances Mayes was an inspiration. My experiences were not the same (no Tuscan Farmhouse and some dangerous experiences in Rome) but Ms. Mayes captures the lure of Italy and I wanted to do the same.

What is your favourite book? 

My favourite book is usually what I am reading, but if I have to choose one I would say it is Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar.

Your writing ritual? 

I am a morning person, so it’s up at 6:00 with coffee. Also, I have a pad and pencil beside the bed in case a have a thought in the middle of the night.

Your “secret” sin when you write?

dark chocolate!!

Do you suffer from writers block and if, what do you do against it? 

I do “suffer” sometimes. I think a walk is always a good idea to clear my head.

Your advice for apprentice writers?

Recognize that unless you are a genius writing is hard work and it takes time to get it right. Also, the ability to receive and consider critique is essential.

What is in it for you?

I find writing a satisfying – a chance to put thoughts in order and to convey experiences to others. No doubt a feeling shared by other creative people.”

Dear Judith, thank you so much for giving us a glimpse of your writing life. May your return to Rome be blessed!

You would like to know more about Judith and her work? Please look here:

I love the fact that we now can have such close relationships with authors and often see their writing progress too. Isn’t that gorgeous? Which reminds me that one of my plans for this year was to publish another poetry book. This time I would need someone to beta read as I can’t afford an editor. Anyone interested?

Up until then could you please be so kind and do some advertising for me? I have put up some of my photos for purchasing via Dreamstime.

You can find my profile here (its an affiliate link btw)

Bee Halton on Dreamstime

And also have a look at these great authors & bloggers:

Carol Anne: https://therapybits.com/

Jill: https://jilldennison.com/

and for my German readers:

IlseLuise: https://mikesch1234.wordpress.com/

A happy life

just eat, walk and sleep

drama behind me

Thanks for stopping by. It’s been a pleasure to spent some time with you. Be asured you are in my thoughts and prayers. I pray for the whole world because I believe we desperately need it. In this sense

Love & Rage my friends Love & Rage