#97 - Cairn Woods and other wintry places....

More photos from cameras...

Cairn Woods

there's something I have noticed about me and photos. I HATE photos of myself.... until I look back on them and I think, actually I look really nice.

Scrabble Country Park

Boys giving Gary a hard time

Stormont Hotel

Yesterday's Nice Thing: Literally doing nothing at all except staying home and appreciating it

Having your own home to do nothing in is a luxury which is afforded to us. Not going anywhere is wonderful. Not traveling or making plans or being on the move or competing with the rest of the world... I said to Oisin over lunch, as I was thinking of SOMEWHERE to go, since I had been up since xx hours, hey, you know the problem now is that now everyone is on holiday you can't go anywhere cos it is just so busy. He then said, EXACTLY. So we just stay home. He was revising all day, except for the time when he was playing the Xbox with Ghin who spent the best part of the day editing the footage he had brought back from the day before.

He then added, it is like going to parties. POINTLESS. 

How did Oisin become a 46 year old overnight?

We have the best discussions. Yesterday's discussion was about what constituted a Hero? This was for his Eng Lit deg. Tragic Heroes... he said Aristotle and Shakespeare... I was they were tragic heroes? No, he said, they wrote about them. I don't think Aristotle wrote plays - of course he was talking about Poetics.

Then we talked about religion. He was joking about Jesus. I don't think Jesus is real, he said. I said, I think Jesus was very much real. Lagan really pushes Christianity down your throat he said. Really, I said. How? Well they have there two hour long Assemblies about the Jesus... they interview people about it. Man, I thought *we* were bad in Steiner. We do not do religion - we do spirituality. Of course not many people understand that.

This morning I woke up and was thinking about spirituality actually. Taking care of something is the most spiritual thing you can do. I was also thinking of some of these anthroposophical pages I am on, and I was also thinking about how there was no veil. I am now of the opinion that everything is phenomena - and that the physical is the highest expression of the spiritual. Which means that looking after a thing is the most spiritual activity we can undertake. And it is. The cultivation of life and its preservation is everything. This is what the Extinction Rebellion is about. The rest of it is what follows from being alive and the balance has been moved to destruction, which has led to this unhealthy sense of living and what life is. 

Caring, in whatever form it takes, is the most spiritual thing we can do.

It is also interesting that activities which are about caring are now not considered high status activities. 

In fact life is so atomised that the activity of caring is now commodified.

The birds are beginning to sing. Yesterday we looked into the garden and Oisin said to me, it is so lovely now. Our garden is overrun with dandelions and bluebells and three cornered leek. But I had to agree with him. And nettles. It is so lovely. 

So, we had a holiday in our house. I think the problem with our house is that it is just so comfortable. You don't want to leave it. Yes, he said. It isn't a show house. It is a house you can relax in. Exactly. Then he talked about Kim Kardashian's house with was all white with a white piano in it. Who could live there, he said.

Holy Saturday. After this Summer is not far behind. For me summer is 1 May. I don't care what the rest of the world says.

As the years past I feel an ever closer connection to the Earth. The hormonal storm has passed, as you can tell. Since I have barely mentioned it. That's the other thing about traveling now, it is so so so stressful. Little side trips to place, like Islandmagee or the North Coast, or Donegal... great, anything else at this time of the year... nope. Although last year I said to the boys, it is literally the first time I haven't been anywhere in Easter... last year was Dingle - and that was magic too. Maybe next year we go to Dingle. You know, I have done enough traveling to last me a lifetime.

It is enough. We should know when we have been beaten. This oneupmanship and Facebook and Instagram... it is enough. And when people have no idea what they are looking at or why they are there, then, it is time to just question what all this traveling about, especially since any kind of travel I have ever had has never looked like anything I have seen on TV. Or advertised....

The Dawn Chorus is on its way now. Led, as always by robins and blackbirds. The other thing about parties is, as I get older, large parties, as Oisin has said, are pointless. Parties where you don't know anyone. I was at the boat party and I said, I was sitting with Anita from circus - that was nice I said, I was able to talk to her for the first time - and so that was nice, making a real connection. But I was literally - sitting in your own corner, asked Oisin - yep. Also, he said, because were you sober? Yep. I said. In fact... Maybe Anita and I were the only ones who were sober when it all ended. Then I just got outta there cos the boat was needing cleaning and I am always the one cleaning up - so I just got out. I have had enough of cleaning, I said.

I have to say that Belfast Harbour is beautiful. It is massive as well. I never realised how massive it was. It was also the first day of summer... so it was beautiful. I am going to clean now and then go for my run. It is 5 am. The start of this amazing new day.