::inspiring Mondays::

It's Monday. I had a great day in work (and found out I was ten days ahead for a deadline), but still not as great as this one. It rained on my cycle, but not very much. I made it home, in spite of a very scary moment. I had dinner. I'm having a G&T. I'm going home at the end of the week. This is, without doubt, a very good day.

Friday is my deadline to submit my first blog post to Fe-line, the online community for which I shall be writing once a month. I have two ideas for what could be this first post, one of them being more developed than the other, at the moment anyway. As usual, once I start writing it will all just come out. I'm looking forward to that moment.

:: I'm going home for a few days. can't wait!
:: I made it home tonight and it feels so very good.
:: Sewing. I absolutely love it!
:: Knitting. The best TV time ever!
:: Hot showers. One of the best inventions of all time!

::inspiring Mondays::

Style is when you flick your cap for the photo when you cross the finish line

I’ve had a truly inspiring weekend, one that will stay with me for a while. My friend Nicky completed his first marathon this weekend and JZ and I went to support him. It was cold and grey and wet and lonely, but he did it. I don’t know what he felt when he crossed that finish line, but I know what I felt – and I wouldn’t swap it for the world!

For the past few months, I have ran with Nicky (he’s most definitely the reason I go out running when I don’t feel like it) and I have watched him push himself beyond his limits. I have watched him struggle with bad knee pain and worry over this marathon. I have felt the silence that comes with being nervous about something big. I have watched all this but I didn’t understand it. In so many ways, I still don’t. I don’t understand what it’s like to train that hard and push yourself that hard (I only ran with him for small bits of his route); and I don’t understand the feeling that comes with having achieved that. But I do understand the achievement; it’s enormous!

I felt proud when Nicky crossed that finish line. I felt overwhelmed with joy and happiness that all his hard work until that moment and the early start and the cold and the rain and the bloody miserable day, all of it was worth it for that one moment when he crossed that finish line and he knew he’d done it.

October goals

October gave me a new home; on the first of the month, Michael and I moved into our cute little cottage like house, with a lovely green-filled back garden and inherited house plants. I have been happy… and busy. So busy, it’s almost mid-October before I get the goals’ post out of the door; they’ve been in my head since September, I know what I want from this month and its autumnal gentleness, I just had to write it down.

In January I embraced change. In February I created change. In March I somewhat learned to deal with change. In April I accepted change. In May I (let myself) enjoy change. In June I settled in the change. In July I ignored change. In August I lived with change. In September I made it through change.In September, I made it through change. In October, I want to appreciate change.

:: celebrate Little Brother’s birthday.
:: sew for our new home.
:: knit four gifts (one down, three to go)

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You can read all my monthly goals posts here and my change :: one little word posts here.

change :: September update

If anyone has seen September, please send it my way as I missed it altogether. Blimey, this was a fast month. As I'm writing this post, I go through previous ones and it seems this whole year is flying by; that said, I'm pretty convinced I barely had a chance to blink and September was gone.

September was my last month at my favourite house in Oxford. My previous house (I have since moved out) was the cutest and most charming Victorian house, filled with period features that ranged from wonderfully tall sachet windows to white wood and glass kitchen cupboards. And let us not forget those heavy wooden doors... how I loved those doors. My room had the most beautiful golden light coming in and a charming white fireplace. I loved it, I absolutely loved it all.

September taught me to move on from things you love to embrace things you will love more. What a valuable lesson that was. I am now busy unpacking at our oh so very cute little cottage.. yep, Michael and I have moved in together.

I have kept calm, for the most part. I have been as calm as I could have hoped for and a bit more, in the face of boxes and more boxes and having far too much stuff and... well, growing up a little bit. I didn't run 15k. Things started off promising, but a cold threw me off track and not even my running buddy's best intentions helped. It's ok though... there's always October and November and so on, if I want to go anywhere near running a half marathon next Spring.

May the force be with you...

(Oxford) goodbyes

"I said goodbye to a dear friend this morning... There is no sweetness in the day that makes it better..." 

You think you've toughen up. You've done it all before and as most people will tell you, it becomes easier. I'm not a toughie when it comes to goodbyes; I give everything in relationships, there is no holding back and that makes parting that little bit harder... and wetter. I've moved around a few times and I got through it, sure, and I got through it pretty alright, but tears were shed.

When I moved to Oxford, things changed. Suddenly, I wasn't the one leaving. Oxford is such a transient place... So transient some would say is not for me, a nostalgic little Portuguese soul with her fado and saudade. And some would be, quite possibly, right. I remember the first of my very good friends to leave. And then the second. And then the third. I stopped counting. One more moved and my happiness for him and them softens the ache of yet another goodbye... but just a little bit.

Today, as Autumn settles back in and the long British winter looms in the not too distant future, I said one more goodbye. Phil touched my heart in so many ways, mainly because I never wanted him to. You see, sometimes when you've said enough goodbyes and you think you're done with it all, you shy away from temporary people; Oxford has plenty of them. This is not an official decision, it's just how it is. And sometimes, in spite of your best efforts, there will be people who get through your lack of interest and show you that temporary is really what you make it. Memories can last a lifetime; so can friendships.

Phil and Bec have added so much to my life and I've been so much happier these last couple of years for knowing them that I wouldn't have it any other way, no matter how many todays I had to go through.

P.S.  Dear friends reminded me earlier that technology is there to make our lives better. And they warmed my heart.

::inspiring Mondays::

I have a cold, the mother of colds. I woke up at 5:15. I was out of the house by 6:15. I was on the 6:55 train to London. We were delayed by over an hour. The later train arrived before us. I was late to the event I was attending. Yet, I had a good Monday.

It's all about perspective. I arrived. All my loved ones are safe. Very little else matters. I mean, really matters. In fact, everything else is just a bonus.

:: my family.
:: my friends.
:: Yoda as my screen saver reminding me of the power of the force and what I can achieve just by doing it (I have finished it but I still prefer this earless Yoda photo!)

How was your Monday? I hope perspective worked in your favour :)

nós por cá todos bem

This week has flown by. There was sightseeing last weekend, cycling during the week, going on a narrow boat - aye Captain - and packing. Today there is a cold, blog writing, knitting and... sunshine!

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Nós por cá todos bem is a randomly scheduled feature for when images describe what's happening around here so much better than words could. You can read the first post here.