Wordsley, Stourbridge, England: 23 degrees, hot, sunny and with blue skies.
It is Thursday, and I start to feel tired as the day progresses. Later, the accumulation of classes, work, etc., begins to take its toll; however, knowing that tomorrow is Friday helps a lot.
Usual early morning exercise and a bit of skipping; it’s a lovely day for England with typical weather. It reminds me a little of Rio in spring or autumn, with clear skies, warm in the sun, and cool in the shade.
My mother has been complaining that the line prop is almost splitting in half. For those who aren’t English, a line prop is basically a long pole used to support the line where you hang your damp clothes after washing, so they can dry.
The idea is that hanging clothes higher in the air allows them to catch more wind, drying faster and imparting a natural smell. My mother’s line prop is made from long, thin pieces of wood that are now splitting apart. Since my mother is a bit of a hoarder, she does not want to throw it away and buy another one. Her excuse is that a hardware store no longer sells line props, which I find hard to believe.
By coincidence, last week I bought some waterproof duct tape, or Gorilla Tape, from Richards, the local hardware shop in the precinct and in front of the Green. I thought about using it for the hose, but it wasn’t necessary, so now I can use it on the line prop.
Taping or wrapping the tape around the two pieces of wood and forcing them back together to prevent further splitting, I repeated this process every 30 centimetres along the prop to ensure the entire thing remains solid. Taping at various points along the prop helps prevent it from breaking or splitting, aiming to keep it lasting at least another 10 years. Finally, I taped both ends — one shaped like a fork to snag the line, and the other to stay on the floor permanently.
It is such a simple task, but doing it properly so that my mother would not have any problems in the future felt so gratifying. Just doing something positive for your well-being and others’ well-being, in a focused, proactive way, does heaps for your mental health, self-esteem, and overall happiness.
I was so happy doing such a simple physical job with my hands that I continued pottering around the garden for another 50 minutes, looking for things to do. I watered the newly laid lawn, swept the path and patio, and hoed the garden borders. It now seems quite beautiful and organised, better than before, and I did it.
I felt quite proud of myself. I did not really want to go inside; if I could, I would have stayed outside all day, doing something in the garden with nature.
During my time in the garden, I lit two incense sticks that I had bought the week before. Now, whenever I work outdoors in the back garden, I light them and place them in plant pots at opposite sides of the patio. So, if I am doing something in the garden or exercising, there is a faint waft of incense in the air. I usually listen to music while doing this, and for me, the garden, the scent, the music, and when the weather in England is good, I feel as if I’m in heaven and as happy as Larry.
Eventually, I had to go inside to wash and change my clothes, then get to work. The time difference between England and Brazil allows me to do things and take care of myself, the house, my mother, and the garden before the heavy stuff and work, giving classes start.
This is a special time in the morning, almost like a free time zone, where I can, if I want, do nothing and think about life, or watch something on YouTube, or workout — that is what I usually do without fail — or work and water the garden, or prepare and post a blog entry, go for a walk, or have a tea or coffee at one of the local cafes. The possibilities are endless, and I really love it; it is the favourite part of my day.
I love the morning because it reminds me that we still have one day of life since we’ve woken up, and that we can do whatever we want and make a change in our lives. It is also prime time to do something, because the morning is much more productive than the afternoon. Due to the time difference between England and Brazil, it’s my free time.
How good is that?
The morning is very special to me, but I also love going to bed very, very early; it truly is sublime. The rest of the day was spent teaching, journaling, and purchasing some crypto, which is always good.
In bed by 10:00 p.m.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
