If you follow my blog you probably noticed I didn't post anything on Thursday or Friday last week. I strained my back badly while taking gardening waste to the recycling centre on Wednesday, then spent the next couple of days in bed as I was hardly able to move.
While I couldn't do much that was physical, I did do a lot of thinking. This included reassessing what was really essential while I was unable to get about, but also what I wanted to spend time doing when I recovered.
From my bedroom window I could see trees and watch birds including a delighftul flock of parakeets. While I'd have much rather been able to move about more and get into the garden, just being able to watch nature through the window helped cheer me up.
Over the past few months I've been reading the novels of Ann Radcliffe for a course run by Sam Hirst via Romancing the Gothic. Radcliffe's heroines also often take consolation in nature. Even if they're imprisoned in some gloomy castle there is usually a window through which they can see forests and greenery outside, and feel their spirits improve.
Nowadays, science has shown the natural world can help us feel better if we have the blues. So, I've taken the decision to cut back a little on the time I spend sitting at a desk staring at my laptop screen this summer, and more time enjoying the outdoors. Instead of sharing things about 5 times a week, I'll probably post 3-4 times.
It isn't the first time I've taken a bit of a summer break from blogging, and I'll try to share more pictures of trees and flowers and birds via Insta. You can find me on Instagram as @starzalucya.
The photo at the top is one I took in my local park last year
No comments:
Post a Comment