Taking Time Out
Welcome to this week’s new subscribers and thank you to everyone who reads this publication. I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to give attention to my ramblings.
This week I’m giving you a break - well, sort of. It’s not that I have nothing to say, in fact, I have lots to say about lots of things, both in the news and situations that are affecting me personally. However, we’ve had friends staying for a week and I’ve not had time to prepare anything. Rather than rush something out to keep up with an arbitrary deadline, that may be poorly written and under-researched, I’m sharing some thoughts from my week instead and hope that you will indulge me. I care about this publication and take my responsibilities towards my subscribers seriously, so hope you won’t feel short-changed.
Our friends are easy going and don’t require entertaining. They’re happy to do their own thing as well a spend time with us. We all enjoy being outdoors, taking in the delights of the natural world, walking, taking photos and blethering - simple pleasures. It makes for a relaxed week for all of us as we don’t have to worry about standing on ceremony or planning elaborate itineraries.
I get tired easily and my various health issues mean I have to take time out to rest. It’s been a mixed blessing having the doggo. They’re not at the stage where they want to go out and about walking frequently and hate car trips, so sadly we have to leave them at home more often than we would like. It’s meant that either my husband or I have had to stay home on some of the longer trips, so they’re not left alone too long. As it turns out, that downtime has been beneficial.
Our friends live in a busy part of the south of England and work hard at their own business, usually keeping unsociable hours, often rushing about from place to place. It’s been good for them to have a more relaxed week away, without the pressure to ‘do’ something all the time. Often when we go away we swap one level of frenzy for another and come back as depleted as when we left. This last week we’ve done plenty of being out and about, but we’ve taken time to walk at a talking pace, a speed that allows us to blether and to notice things. We’ve spent time in the sea, enjoying the buzz of the cold water and the amazing feeling of being part of something bigger than ourselves.
I’m tired and I have jobs to catch up on, but living slowly and intentionally this week has been good for the soul - hopefully for all of us. Even if we can’t get away somewhere for a break, we can all take time out with friends and family - even time alone - to rest, recalibrate and enjoy the natural world. Always a balm for the soul.
Wishing you a holiday weekend that meets your own particular needs, hopefully with some time outside!
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All photos copyrighted to D Ross. Please get in touch if you wish to share them outside of this publication. Thank you.
Photo 1 Fairy Glen
Photo 2 Embo Beach
Photo 3 Balnakeil Bay
It sounds just right. I often get overly stressed when we have visitors, too determined to show all the best bits of them the island or take them where they want to go. That plus all the cooking and prep and it’s not always as stress-free and relaxed as it should be. Fabulous that you managed to get some time-out for yourself to recharge
Beautifully put, slowing down sounds such a simple thing but habits take over and we soon pick up the pace. I know the simple pleasure of walking the dog at the end of the working day, but sometimes I forget to use this as a transition to the quieter part of the day and my head stays full and I miss the sights of the changing common. It sounds like a lovely week x