New Year, New Ideas.

So I was away for a precious couple of days last weekend. 40 women, communal meals, cross-country skiing, snowy hikes and a bonfire at an Environmental Education Centre. To rejuvenate. To find ourselves in the middle of busy lives.

This also echoed a sermon about “New Beginnings” I recently attended. That no New Year’s resolutions are needed, really. Any day is a good day to make changes for the better. To take care of others but also of ourselves in order to do so. To slow down. To escape the perceived inevitable busy-ness of our lives.

When at the lake, have morning coffee by the water. Even if it is -20C.

For me, a good way to slow down and practice this mindfulness everyone is talking about is to stop and take a photo. Some photos jump at you to be taken – the kids, the view, the scenery – but some have to be observed and searched. The tiny snowflake, the raindrop, the black-eyed susans in the morning mist, the shine of the ripe apples, a detail on a facade. I can only find these moments if I’m not rushed around, not hurried up to get somewhere quickly. So these to me are special moments.

Picture me lying flat on the ground in deep snow, trying to find the best ice crystal.

This is what this blog is going to be about. These still moments where I was able to slow down, take a breath and take that photograph. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. This was only the first post.

 

 

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