The Twenty Eight Day Challenge - Day 2

I have been most impressed by Caro Fitzgerald's #100daysofhappiness on Facebook.  To find something good to say about every day, including those 'Hardwork Thursdays', is a real achievement.  However Caro is a dear and sweet person who tends to see good in most things.  This is not to diminish her achievement, far from it, but only someone with her goodness of heart could make such a good job of it.

As I face another bleak time in my life, I know if I pull away and retreat into my despair, then the numb misery I feel now could solidify into something rather more dangerous.  The habit of 'oversharing' is actually quite important for me, but difficult for many more reticent souls to come up against, I know.  So, with the help and support of my dear friend Richelle, I'm taking on a 28 day challenge.  28 days to find something that brings me contentment in the day.  Rather than use Facebook, making everyone read it, I'm tucking it away in the blog, so I have it, and you can too, but you've made the effort to find it because you want to.  That somehow assuages my guilt at ramming my problems on people, whilst still appreciating it is better for me to be like this.

I decided I'd start yesterday, and always aware that I didn't make a whole dry month in January, I thought I'd cheat a bit and use the walk I had in The Thicks as day one.  The scent of Spring was invigorating, as the bluebells, nearly finished blooming but still smelling wonderful were warmed by the bright sunshine.  The trees had just reached that glorious moment just before the leaves change, so there were still patches of light, as this picture shows.

Archie and I are good walking companions.  He's been alongside me for many years now, snuffly for rabbits or pottering off to splash in the muddy ponds dotted throughout The Thicks.  His obvious pleasure at his frequent visits to our local woodland are also soothing, as is his quiet concern for my welfare.  I know it's easy, and maybe foolish, to be anthropomorphic about my canine companion, but he does seem to understand when I hurt, and not judge me for it.  

Day Two

I've found it difficult to tackle the list of things I need to do, my mind finds it hard to settle so I've gone back to the things I find most comforting, and for me that is doing the laundry.  My nights are hot and disturbed at the moment, partly my age, partly my alcohol consumption and partly my dreams. so I found I wanted to change my bedlinen much sooner than usual.  One of the things I have learnt to enjoy from my last relationship was ironed bedlinen.  Daft I know, but I find ironing soothing and learned to appreciate crisp linen, when in the past it was just folded before going in the airing cupboard.  So now I have a very ordered airing cupboard, when once it was not.  In addition, I do love bedspreads, and when I redecorated my bedroom I bought myself a quilted bedspread in pale lilac Toile de Jouy, that pastoral copper plated etch fabric you

either love or loathe.  The bright, blowy spring weather has been perfect for getting lots of washing done, so I threw the heavy cotton bedspread in the wash and out onto the line.  It dried briskly and this morning I have remade my bed, now with just two pillows instead of the four I've had for more than two years, and the fresh line dried bedspread tops the sharp ironed cover on my 3 tog duvet.  The smell of the air dried bedlinen is one that no air freshener has ever really captured, and that is what has brought me contentment today.