This is enough right now.

Recent troubles have me thinking, re-thinking, over thinking, making notes, making plans, reading articles…searching for an answer but not getting anywhere, except in tangles.

The troubles take me to the mountains and when I’m there the thinking continues but slowly gets dispersed by feelings. In the mountains I feel calm, content, comforted. It feels right.

So I’ll go with that for now.

Love Stripes & Trees xxx

Last week for the first time in seven and a half months I was able to go in through the gate at my children’s after school care. What a privilege.

I heard kids laughing, fighting, getting excited; I saw them running, doing handstands, lying on the floor; I saw different faces, different heights, I saw different school bags.

Sounds so normal but I had missed all of this kerfuffle. Only really seeing my own two, but not seeing them in their world.

I had a realisation that this moment in the day is very important to me. Usually racing around to a tight timeline, I hadn’t realised this before. The moment of pick up is not just about seeing them again after a long day and taking them home, it is about transition. The transition between school and home. Transition through their space. For months I had had to wait at the gate, sanitise, phone the centre and then wait.

Sometimes I waited impatiently, thinking about the next task on my to do list of life.Sometimes I felt frustrated that they were a bit grumpy when they saw me whereas I had been so excited to see them…but I never knew what they had come from, not knowing If they had been giggling or jumping…all I saw was two tired kids walking slowly towards me with big heavy backpacks on. I tried to engage but the questions were often answered with a drawn out monotonous ‘good’. So off we went to the next task.

But this day, when I in was in their space, I did not have to ask any questions. I could see for myself and they could see me seeing them. I was not impatient, I was soaking it up. Waiting for them to be ‘ready’ to come to me, noticing what they had been doing the second before I arrived, and then being able to continue this, finding out more, joining in, being included.

I am glad for these realisations, but COVID-19 can go away now…please.

Love Stripes & Trees xxx

Sometimes we just need a rest.

We try our best, but what we need is a rest. No pressure, no self talk, no judgement, just a little rest. It’s tempting to reflect and evaluate and plan, but sometimes you just need a rest.

Right now I need a rest.

The stripes and trees are out there, and reflections and waffle are in my head, but I know I need a rest right now.

So when I saw this beauty pop up on my Instagram feed out of nowhere (well, via @designmilk) I was so pleased. More than pleased actually. It’s beautiful. It made my eyes and my heart gently smile. I want to tilt the image and see it from all angles. This small branch hugged in thick stripy colourful cotton – oh how I want to be that branch. Check out more @mrscicconicco.

So I thought it would be perfect as my first outsourced photo. I reached out to the artist, shared my appreciation of their work and asked permission to post here. Natalie was so lovely and said yes, all the way from California to Australia!

Thank you thank you universe and all the kind people. May you all have a gentle rest one day if you need it. Hugged.

Love Stripes & Trees xxx