The Practical Soul

Sarah's A-Z

So, how do you keep your soul levels topped up?

  Here's Sarah's A-Z.

  I'm amazed at how many of Sarah's are also mine, (apart from the big hairy biker, my big hairy biker position is currently vacant).

Asides from that though, I'm beginning to think that she is me, and I'm her, and that we broke off unknowingly from our core self at some point and have been living parallel lives ever since.

Then again I wonder if there's a sort of core of soul topping things that we all share.  Let me know.

And if you want to get in touch with Sarah just e-mail me at paulineesson@thepracticalsoul.com and I'll pass you on.

Sarah’s soul food A-Z

A-      Amazon! Book shopping-24/7-heaven….and that lovely page where they make suggestions, just for you. Oh and the wish list thingy that you can idle away hours filling up. And lovely parcels a few days later.

B-       Big Biker Hugs. (or BBH’s as we call them in text speak) Not that I make a habit of cruising for affection at the ACE café you understand, but a big hairy hug from me old fella is very restorative.

C-     Cleaning. Just call me Monica (that’s ‘er off of Friends, not the Lewinsky woman) The act of it as well as the result cleanses me of wrath and other soul destroying emotion.

D-     Domestic goddessery. Not so much your regular housework (despite ‘C’ above) but more your cake making. Baking I find very restorative, and above all it makes my hair smell nice. As well as the whole house. And I give my bosomy wonders to others so I don’t get too tempted to eat them all, so it gives pleasure as well. Hurrah!

E-       “Evs” This could be either of my brothers, as we all use the same nickname for each other. I adore my wonderful relationship with these 2 people who are just like me, only men. People who understand me at a deep genetic level. And environmental since we all had the same mum! I speak to one or other of them most days, and we always have a knicker-wetting laff when we are all together.

Oh and Ella of course, my little lady aged nearly 7 going on 27. Delicious child: great company, very funny, makes me cry with pride on a regular basis…ooh I’m off….

F-       THE word. Saying it (a lot…ahem), doing it (not as much as I could be)…need I say more. Also ‘father sky’- when I am feeling stressed, lying on my back and looking up into vastness is very soothing. Doesn’t work so well in Oxford St however…

G-     Gorgeous. The word, the attitude, the compliment. Looking around for gorgeousness reminds me to focus on good stuff, and telling myself I am when I am feeling anything but helps too.

H-      Harley Davidson. Being a pillion on one. Such a treat! and also one place where I NEVER back seat drive, so I can relax and go ‘off duty’. And Heat magazine. Laugh out loud, forget-yourself fluff.

I-         Intuition. I always regret ignoring it. Very helpful when I am tempted to get all ‘heady’ and over analytical. Restores my faith in what I just ‘know’

J-       Johnny! Me man!

K-      Karaoke! How much do I love my karaoke machine? Ask all my friends. Those I have left. What better than a sing song to chase the blues away, or bring them in (but only the musical sort) I have been known to get the machine out and have a blast on my own of a morning. No audience required. Oh and while we are at it, Kate Bush. The sound of my youth and my favourite karaoke ‘turn’! I can still lose myself in one of her albums.

L-       Love. In all its guises: tough, tender etc. Also the question “what would love do?” And Lush bath bombs.

M-     Mucking around. Being juvenile in all its forms. How to feel better instantly!

N-     Naughty. Such a desirable quality, particularly in one who wants to do ‘M’ above. Where would I be without a good dose of being naughty, usually with David Cripps.

O-     Outdoors. Blowing the cobwebs away.

P-      Penny, my best friend of 38 years: phonecalls, pouring a drink, pouring it out…

Q-     Quiet

R-      Ragdale- by far the best spa retreat- mainly cos the staff are so lovely but also cos they have a great little room called the retreat full of comfy chairs and quilts where you can go to sleep…mmmmmmmmm…..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

S-       Sushi, my favourite treat;  speed dating (got me out of self pity and into dating again!)

T-        Tomatoes that smell like tomatoes and remind me of my granddad and his greenhouse

U-      Understood. As in being understood. Like letting out a big breath you have been holding for ages. Aaaaaaaaaaaaahh………

V-      Vegetables! So delicious, so clean, so fabulous. Can’t get enough of ‘em. What better way to stuff yourself and still feel good inside.

W-    Weeping. I love a good cry! Trouble is, as I get older, seems I’m ‘off’ at the slightest provocation: adverts, the news, Ella performing in any way however minor e.g. school assembly. School assembly in and of itself! I’m off as the 6 year olds start filing in for god’s sake… Certain songs I can’t even get beyond the first line on the karaoke… Hymns, and I’m an atheist!

X-      Xtravagance. Upgrade yourself, go on, you know you want to. You’re worth it…

Y-       Yelling. Sometimes only a good shout will do me. Followed swiftly of course by reparation….

Z-       Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Lovely sleep, the great healer. I LOVE my bed. I love to sleep. I love big duvets and deep soft luxury mattresses…..I….(yawn)……zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Fresh perspective

I was blogging on the other day about how do you remember your soul in times when everything's going horribly wrong, (see 17th September post Take a Minute).

I wondered, when things are going wrong and you're tense and it's easiest just to allow yourself to react, and much, much harder to take a minute or even a second's pause to bring in the wiser perspective of your soul, what do you do? 

Would it help to have a sort of emergency soul cupboard, with things that you could go to at the drop of a hat, that would divert you for that crucial minute before you react.

Gaze at the sky, or a picture of the sky was my thing and later  Rosamonde offered her picture of a tree... most gorgeous.

Now Carla has offered her perspective for occasions when there's the chance to put a bit more time between now and a decision.  You can hear more from Carla at her blog .  She says

"I like to drive home on a different road and take in a new sight.  Taking a moment to see my way home from a different angle.  The same thing applies to sitting at a different spot at the dinner table, sleeping in your extra bedroom one night, letting someone else drive your car or spontaneously inviting someone you barely know over for supper.  Anything that brings a fresh perspective."

It begs the question for me of how often do I try to see things from other perspectives before deciding about them. I'm mulling on that one now.

The picture is of The Eiffel Tower.  Just not from the usual perspective.   

What do you do?

Here's Rosamonde's 'full tree'.

The one who you got to know close up, in yesterday's post.

Seeing it from a distance this way, and then by contrast the close up, had me thinking about how generous trees (and lots of other flora) are with just how up close and personal they let us get without any objections.

We can stand here at a distance and stare unashamedly at them for as long as we like without embarrassing them (as far as I'm aware).

And we can get right up close and stare again, right in at the detail of their bark, their twists and turns, again no problem for the tree.

And if all this minute observation wasn't enough sometimes we'll touch and stroke them, even hug them. Or sit down beside them and bore the pants off them with our woes.

Generous soul's, trees.   

What do you do?

Yesterday I was waxing lyrical, kind of.  Completely absorbing activities was the subject, I'd just discovered watercolours for tired people and was wondering what you do that you find completely absorbing, that takes you away from your ego and delivers you to your soul....ahhh......

Well....get a look at this tree!  I can see the soul from here. Rosamonde Quincey sent it through.  Her absorbing activity, picking up a long lost hobby, photography and trees. (E-mail me at paulineesson@thepracticalsoul.com  if you'd like and I'll pass on any messages to Rosamonde). 

I'll be adding it to my emergency soul file along with stone and skies.  This is the close up version, there's a full version which I'll post later. 

Does it do it for you?