Friday 20 March 2020

Spring time, Mindful Moments 1

Hello blogging friends, wow what a change has happened in the space of a few days. The covid 19 pandemic is now ramping up here in the UK and life for now is being put on hold. Social distancing is and should be the normal. My husband is working from home, which is fine but the rest of our family face difficulties as so many households do. My daughter is on the front line as an NHS GP and faces some very tough months ahead. My parents are in their late 80s and we have to safeguard them as a priority. Our communication is via watts app video for now. Hopefully when the weather improves we can sit out in the garden at a distance. The most important thing is to try to protect our most vulnerable and to ride the waves ahead. Please do take all the advice we have been given seriously to try to flatten out the wave which is coming. 

I have always written Jane's Journal with a very positive vibe and I have always chosen not to put my my personal trials and tribulations (which we all have) here so I am not going to start now. Even before this situation there is always enough bad news around without adding to it.  I like my readers to be able stop for a few minutes, see some cheerful photos and one of my creative makes, and hopefully leave with a smile. Just a mindful moment. These things will pass, we just need time. In no way am I trying to minimize the seriousness of the coming weeks and months, I am just trying to catch a breath in the madness.  I will continue to blog right through to the other side but I will try my absolute hardest to put a positive spin on life here. Jane's Journal is 10 years old this summer and my stats show that lots of people do still read my blog and I hope it might just give one tiny glimmer of normality through Mother Nature to anyone who reads it. Thank you all always for your support, especially those readers who are always here and you know well who you are 😍

I plan, between my usual card makes, Design Team  posts etc to publish occasional mindfulness posts. I am going to call them Mindful Moments and number them, today's is number 1. They will not necessarily be weekly but every post will be 1 step closer to the end of all this. One day I will come back, read and reflect on them and they will serve as a good reminder to be grateful for normal life. 

So here we go with a springtime mindful moment;

There are 2 very special reasons for smiling today; it is the first day of spring and my darling daughter's 34th birthday.

I have been out for my walk and spotted lots of signs of spring in the local area.
The weeping willow is coming into leaf and looks gorgeous in its lime green hues. The daffodils are nodding in the breeze

and at the ponds my dino ducks still come to see me.
 Hello Jane
can I bring a friend?
And yes they all got some food from me. 
In my back garden my acers are coming into leaf
and my magnolia is in flower.
The sun came out, always a bonus too. 
and also spending some time in my garden is my son's gorgeous dog Bear. He has been very poorly but is now on the road to recovery and is going to be between both our homes to convalesce.
My card today is one of spring time calm, using my Mindful Moments Visible Image stamp set and one of their new stencils called drizzle.
I would like to enter it into the following challenges;

Not just cards 3/3 anything goes
Creative fingers 1/3 anything goes
Crafty catz 1/3 anything goes
Simon says stamp Wednesday whatever the weather
Addicted to stamps 1/3 anything goes
Through the dark room door 1/3 anything goes
Crafty sentiments 1/3 spring is coming

To finish off  my first Mindful Moments post I wanted to share this thought to celebrate the first day of spring and my gorgeous girl's birthday.

Some old fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine
are hard to beat
(Laura Ingalls Wilder)

Remember we are now 1 day nearer the end of all this madness. Take those walks outside and choose calm. 

So happy birthday to my darling daughter, she knows the song well that her Hb, Daisy and Jack will be singing to her today as she blows out her birthday candles........ha ha ..

Keep safe, keep mindful and keep washing those hands. Thanks so much for stopping by.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

With love, Jane x

13 comments:

  1. It is definitely uncertain times, Jane and yes, sometimes we need to just stop and look at the positives. It was only yesterday, on our walk, that Josh and I listening to the birds singing and enjoying the sunshine commented on how you would never know what was going on in the world. We are very lucky to live where we do and still have access to the outdoors,...without seeing a soul...we have our health and we have things to occupy us. I am certain we will get through this, we may be a little bit worse for wear, but there will be light at the end of the tunnel. Stay well, love and hugs to you all and a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Emily xx

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  2. What a beautiful, happy read and glad to see your dino ducks, theres still normality in nature, stay safe Jane xx

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  3. Such a positive post. Love the weeping willow, how bright and cheerful it looks. Hope your daughter has had a happy birthday. take care.

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  4. A very positive post and love the nature pics-happy birthday to your Daughter -I have noticed the birds singing more the last few days too-Oh almost forgot love your beautiful card love the stamps and your drizzle stencil-great effect
    Carol x

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  5. Lovely post my friend and I'm looking forward to more of the same until we are at the end of it all!!
    Happy birthday to M! :)
    It might not be easy but let's hope we all can choose calm, if not always, at least some of the time.
    Take care my dear, stay well,
    V x

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  6. A beautiful card and good reminder for our current world. Loved your photos, too - still a few weeks behind you where I live. Thanks for joining us at Addicted to Stamps and More!

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  7. *H*A*P*P*Y* * *B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y*!*!*!* to your daughter! And I love the card which indeed made me calmer. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  8. Beautiful Jane, the photos, the thoughts and the idea. I hope Milly had a fabulous birthday and that you all stay safe and well through all of this. Your card totally epitomises your mindfulness thoughts and the needs of everyone in the world right now, it’s perfect.
    Enjoy the weekend in your lovely new garden as it looks like the sun is going to shine.
    Huge hugs Brenda xxx

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  9. What a wonderful read, love all the pics you kindly shared, just what we all need right now and the beautiful Bear is just so handsome. I am so glad you shared your gorgeous card with us at CraftyCatz this week.x

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  10. Lovely post Jane..lots of celebrations put on hold at this time but future ones will be all the more precious and happy when the time is right. unfortunately a lot of people are not taking this pandemic seriously and the younger ones seem selfish in the midst of it all. BUT..........on a brighter note your card and photos are lovely and there is ALWAYS someone worse of than ourselves isn't there. Stay safe and well and your family too through these trying times. xx

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  11. A lovely post Jane. I hope your daughter has had a happy birthday, I'm sure it was a busy one. Take care and stay safe, Sue x

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  12. Amazing card, i love green and spring.
    Thank you for entering our Anything Goes Challenge at Through The Craft Room Door this week. Looking forward to see you again next challenge.
    Regards
    Danka
    TTCRD
    Twórcze pasje Danki {My Blog}

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  13. Lovely photos and a great card,

    Hugz Tinz

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