Five Healing Places

I have been reading a lot about rest, ecotherapy and mindfulness and have incorporated what I have discovered into five LMOs (Local Mindful Outings) which I have been trying to do on Mondays with my daughter. Below are pictures and descriptions of these five healing places, which I have been enjoying since late last summer.

1. The Walled Garden

    

I discovered the Walled Garden in August 2019 and consider it to be the first and most important healing place we visit. It is surrounded by a bigger garden area which has a cafe, lots of trees and a stream, which we also enjoy contemplating. We take our time in the walled garden, daydreaming and being mindful. This space often makes its way into a bedtime guided meditation.

    

2. The Memorial Park
 

    

I used to walk past this park wondering what it was like inside. When I did finally venture inside, in October 2019, I found it was quite lovely. We now go in here quite often, it has tall trees, a large pond, an art gallery, museum and a very pretty cafe with a lovely view, where we often enjoy a very slow cup of coffee.

    

3. The Lido

 

I forgot how great the lido and surrounding woodland area is, but now I make a point of regularly visiting them. It is good just to contemplate the vast stretch of water, the trees and the clouds. Our visits to the lido also include visiting the garden centre next door (and its resident cat), a walk through the woods and a slow coffee.

4. The Manor Farm

   

This recreational space features a barn-like library, a duck pond and a pleasant walk to the river. It is quite an open space and very countrified. It is a nice place to sit and contemplate the trees and the sky. Our visits here also incorporate a visit to the local church, graveyard and cafe.

5. The Gravel Pits

    

The Gravel Pits was the last LMO I discovered, in December 2019. It is a pretty place, with lots of trees and fresh air. The local Costa is also one of the nicest I have encountered, with an enticing view out of the window. It would be good if the place also had an accessible body of water included, like a pond or a stream, however we do often visit it when it's raining.

Our trips to the five LMOs are therapeutic for a number of reasons. They involve slow travel (by bus), walking, reflection, nature and slow coffee drinking, among other restful aspects. I would recommend anyone to find their own local healing place; a place to slow down, stop, pause, reflect; a place that enhances wellbeing for yourself, others and the world.

How green was my houseplant

   

Among my recent readings on ecotherapy were some eye opening articles on houseplants (Have they become friend and family substitutes? Why are they so popular with millennials? Are they bad for the environment?). 

My houseplants were all given to me by my friends and family. They were three and are now ten; 2 aloe vera, 3 spider plants, 5 jade-money plants. They do make me feel happier, as do my silk flowers, dried flowers and pot pourri. 

   

In January and February 2020 I had a major overhaul of all these 'natural elements' in my house. It was a bit of work but I have been enjoying the results and integrating my efforts into my mindful meditation practice.

ALF Books

ALF Creations has produced ten booklets since I started the project in 2007 with my young daughter Amy.

These seven booklets have appeared regularly on my arts and crafts stall.

The Magic Gallery: Pictures at an Exhibition
This story concerns a little girl called Grace and her adventures in the magic gallery. The animated pictures she encounters can be found on my YouTube channel, under titles like The Planets, The Tudors, Phoenix and Through the Seasons. You can find the entire film on my Vimeo Channel and also on homemade DVD.

The Need Fairy
Written by me and illustrated by Amy. this is a ghost story concerning a newly wed couple, Tony and Cleo, and the old house they have just moved into.

The Legend of the Dream Box
Amy's illustrated story about three little girls who climb a stairway to heaven and bring a box of dreams down to earth.

Still Life
A trilogy of my poetry selections that you can also find on Wattpad, Teenage Troubles, An Anatomy of Love and All Grown Up. Illustrated by Amy and Lorna Finnigan.

Something More
I created ALF's first book of poetry, 'Something More', in 2012. It is thirty two pages of poems and pictures by Amy and Lorna Finnigan, including Upside-Down World, Just Looking and A Feminine Embrace.

Of Dragons and Fairies
Amy's pictures and descriptions of imagined dragons, fairies and other creatures including the magical lands where they live.

Emotional Life
A selection of fifteen of my songs, lyrics and music, including Island of Happiness, Stargazing and Alive at Last. Many of them can be found on my LornaJHart YouTube channel.

The following booklets don't appear on my craft stall, but I have given them out to relatives as Christmas presents.

What do people do? 
Amy's pictures and poem illustrating the twelve months of the year.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Amy's illustrated retelling of the traditional Grimm's fairy tale.

On the Twelve Days of Christmas
A book of Amy's pictures illustrating the well known Christmas carol from twelve drummers drumming to a partridge in a pear tree.

The big book-to-film reading challenge of 2020

I had quite a few UK holiday plans this year, they are gradually getting cancelled or postponed. In the meantime I have decided to pursue more homely goals; sorting out our house and garden and catching up with my reading and writing, art and craft. My reading list this year centres around twelve book-to-film titles I have been meaning to read for a while. I have already read and reviewed the first three. You can find more of my book reading and reviews at Good Reads.

Eat, Pray, Love by Liz Gilbert

The Martian by Andy Weir

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

Dune by Frank Herbert

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman

The Duchess by Amanda Foreman

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian

The Revenant by Michael Punke

Eat, pray, love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I really loved watching the film of this book on Netflix, so I was really looking forward to reading the book itself. Luckily the book did not disappoint, although I found it strangely lighter in many places than the movie. The first part is thirty six chapters on enjoying food in Italy, as well as some story background and an introduction to Liz, I found it quite delicious. The middle section, Pray, is set in an ashram in India and features a lot of reflection on meditation. The final, Indonesian section, Love, seemed less well-defined as the eat and pray sections, it was about finding balance. I found the whole book was a very enlightening read. 

The Martian by Andy Weir

I found this a difficult, but enjoyable read. It is very much like the film, so the story was easy to understand. The difficulty, I found, was the amount of mathematical and scientific language involved. Mars is a planet devoid of life, so anyone attempting to exist there, has a lot precise working out to do. All of this was explained in great detail in Watney's log. Even so, the book was still a lot of fun.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carre

I found this a difficult film to follow and so I was surprised to find the book much easier to understand. Its quite old now, so I found it pleasantly nostalgic. Most of what I got from the book was a series of unusual characters having strange conversations with other odd characters in various interesting locations, in and around London. I think I got a lot out of reading it nevertheless.

Reverse Bucket List

After completing my mini bucket list (5B450) in 2017 I have had a little more to do with bucket lists. My new bucket list is called 5450+ which is more of a being list than a doing list. After a brief exploration of the blogosphere I discovered that reverse bucket lists could be a good exercise in reflection and gratitude. The sixteen items on my reverse bucket list are a reflection of my life over the past fifty odd years. I think the 1990s was a big ‘to do’ list for me: getting a job, getting a career, getting a house, writing songs, poetry, short stories, getting a husband, getting a baby. Since that time I have become more reflective. The last item on my list, ‘2 years of mindful discoveries’, offers the hope that the 2020s will be more a time for ‘being’ and less about ‘doing’.

Lorna’s Reverse Bucket List - A Meaningful Life?

1.      Thirty Years a Librarian (February 1990 –February 2020 plus)-after gaining my library degree-BA(hons)-in 1989

2.      Five decades of travelling (1970s-2020s)– (50 places in England and 33 other countries)

3.      A year of London – visiting 52+ interesting London places

4.      Found and lost love

5.      Learnt to drive

6.      Bought a house (with Richard)

7.      Twenty years since SubVerse (2020) – (active period was 2000-2005)

8.      Raised Amy to the age of 20+ (got her through school and helped her with qualifications) (2020)

9.      Twelve years a Piano Teacher (2008-2019)– helping pupils get fifteen certificates in ten years

10.  Ten years at church (2008-2018)- including ten months of Sunday School teaching from 2010 to 2011

11.  Ten years of Arts and Crafts (2010-2020)– redecorating the house, appreciating art and culture, developing craftwork

12.  Ten years in concert (2010-2020) – Playing classical piano pieces in various public places

13.  Two diplomas in the 2010s – Level 3 in Business Administration and dipABRSM in Piano Teaching

14.  Ran a craft stall in the Twenty-Teens (2013-2019)

15.  Ten years a blogger (2013-2023) – Highlighting my creative and therapeutic endeavours

16. Two years of Mindful Discoveries (2018-2020)

The photos are from the 'Bucket List Coffee' shop in Eastcote.

 

Teenage Troubles

I used to write more and much longer poems when I was a teenager, maybe I had more time back then at least for writing poetry. The five poems in my Teenage Troubles collection occupy a special place in my heart.

Dave was a caveman came second in the Hounslow Poetry Competition in 1984.
Not a very pretty sight is an earlier insight into body dysmorphia.
The Antique Junk Shop has developed into a YouTube video.
Who's been corrupting our son? is about my brother and his teenage friends.
Inadequacy comes from the same place as my interest in 'Unspirational' and Stoicism.

6B460

6B460

My 5B450 bucket list was a list of five things I wanted to do before turning 50. My new bucket list is more about things I want to keep going over many years and how I want to live my life. My big travel goal is to visit Belfast and Northern Ireland.


1. Visit Belfast and Northern Ireland


2. Work in libraries for at least thirty years


3. Keep a blog going for ten years


4. Play classical piano pieces in public for ten years


5. Practice Buddhism everyday


6. Live a good enough life

Art Therapy

Art is therapeutic on a number of different levels; expressing yourself, the practical side of just doing art, flow, engagement, creating something beautiful or striking. The materials used can be comforting, time spent can be pleasant and meaningful. Visiting art galleries can also be therapeutic; connecting with other creative minds and lives via a work of art. We can see the struggles and thoughts of others and it could help us feel less alone. I intend to visit more art galleries and maybe get to know more artistic and creative people too.

My Third Mindful Year

In my first mindful year I was getting to grips with big changes in my life and using therapeutic techniques to enjoy life more. My second mindful year was about waiting for a few milestones to pass and to enjoy myself while waiting. My third mindful year (from March 2020 to February 2021) will involve ticking things off my to do list and being mindful while doing so. I don't think to do lists and mindfulness work so well together. I put wellbeing first these days, so will try to not let my to do list stop me from enjoying the here and now.

Spring -March, April, May

I have five getaways organised for this year. Two of them are scheduled for Spring; Belfast and Teignmouth. There is also work to be done in my home and garden, helping my family and my work. I also want to visit more therapeutic London places and continue my local mindful outings with my daughter. I also want to continue enjoying all the mindful activities I have been discovering and exploring over the past two years.

Summer - June, July, August

I have three more getaways happening in the summer, Norfolk, Hampshire and Sussex. August was a good month last year, it was a time for relaxation and reflection and spending time in our local walled garden. I hope to have more of that this year.

Autumn - September, October, November

I generally don't go away in Autumn or Winter, so will continue my normal mindful activities that I enjoy in quiet times. My favourite mindful activities are reading, drawing, writing, watching TV and films, gardening and homemaking, cooking, listening to music especially Radio Three, nature walking and slow coffee time. I also like visiting London parks, art galleries and museums and walking by water.

Winter - December, January, February

I find Winter a little hard going, enjoying a slow and mindful Christmas and New Year is particularly good, which I managed to do in 2019. In January and February I usually do a lot of planning for the year ahead. In 2020 I realised the importance of living in and enjoying the moment as much as possible no matter what that moment (or the weather) held.

The Need Fairy

I first thought of the basic story of the Need Fairy in the late 1990s when I got married, moved into my house and was hoping for a baby. I was so busy being a working mum in the noughties and also running my SubVerse poetry group, that it was ten years before I sat down and wrote it out as a proper story. It now exists in the real world as an ALF Book and on my Wattpad channel as one of my serial short stories.

The Need Fairy by LJ Finnigan
Tony and Cleo are happy in their new home, but the more they settle in, the more Cleo senses another presence in the house, one that is neither happy nor settled.

Christmas Day
As Cleo and Tony enjoy their Christmas dinner in their new house, the house's spirit reminds them of its presence.

New Year's Day
As Tony works in his home office Cleo ventures into the attic and begins to unearth the house's hidden treasures.

Valentine's Day
Cleo introduces the elaborate idea of the house possessing a Need Fairy to a bemused Tony.

Ash Wednesday
Cleo discovers a little of the house's gruesome history and the house spirit begins to find its voice.

Mother's Day
Cleo finds the true value of the attic treasures when she visits the local antique shop.

Palm Sunday
Cleo and Tony both experience tangible encounters with the house spirit when they both venture into the attic.

Easter Day
The Need Fairy visits Cleo in the middle of the night with a promise of love for the future.

Christmas Eve
The spirit of the Need Fairy is alive and well and living in the nursery.

Pray, eat, love holiday plans 2020

2019 was a much more peaceful year than 2018 and allowed me time and the chance to get to grips with certain aims, lists and quotas in my life. 2020 is more about fulfilling those aims, lists and quotas. One major one is these three 'Pray, Eat, Love' holidays inspired by the book and film 'Eat, Pray, Love'. They are spread over the months March to September and I hope to do a proper review of the places I visited later on in the year.