Introducing Fiction Notes
03/01/2023 at 3:16 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 6 CommentsTags: art of the novel, fiction, inspiration, Jane Austen fan club, love, musings on writers, romantic fiction, true love
My day job is writing romance novels. And from now on – fanfare, roll of drums – that’s going to be represented in my blog. This is my plan for 2023, and I hope you’ll stay for the ride…
At the start of every month I will continue to post Wellbeing Notes. From the many years that I ran meditation groups, I know that wellbeing truly matters. It’s important to honour this truth. Those little reminders to care for yourself and appreciate life’s beauties will continue to drop into subscribers’ inboxes.
In the middle of every month, I will post Fiction Notes. Get ready for some thought-provoking themes. There is so much more to romance than fluff and laughter, nice though those things may be. Consider Jane Austen, and her two masterpieces, Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice. Each of these is a quintessential, romantic read, in which woman meets man. Major obstacles get in the way. And eventually, true love triumphs. Why are those novels so popular, 200 years on, and counting?
Hopefully we’ll find some answers together in the coming months. Fiction Notes are for readers and writers of fiction, especially in the category of romance. Maybe we do live in tough times right now. But through every era, humans – with all our hopes and yearnings and messy emotions – stay essentially the same. So join me next month, and for many months to come, while we explore the most compelling subject of all: true love.
Wellbeing notes: Farewell, lovely meditations
01/12/2022 at 8:19 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 3 CommentsTags: friendship, Guidance, life skills, meditation, Mind body spirit, Spirituality, wellbeing
For the past 14 years I’ve hosted weekly meditation groups. They’ve brought me masses of pleasure, as I hope they have for countless attendees. But we’re not built to do the same thing all our lives, and this month the doors will close for the last time on our peaceful meetings. To mark the moment, I thought I’d include some memories here, with thanks to all the fabulous souls who participated…
Meditation is not always quiet. The biggest secret about our sessions were that they were a 50/50 mix of chat and silence. The chat always had a theme – and sometimes that theme required a little noise. So let’s hear it for Trevor on the accordion and Kerstie on the Native American flute, not to mention the noisy swarm of bees that once perched on the wild cherry tree outside.
Meditators came from far and wide. We shared quiet times with guests from all over the world. Our youngest meditator was a very new baby. Our furriest attendee was a cat. Our most surprised visitor was the courier who tried to deliver to a room full of people sitting with their eyes closed – at least we weren’t chanting!
Those who meditate are creative – maybe the practice of stilling the mind helps ideas to flow. We have shared paintings, pottery, screen-printing, poetry, glasswork, and many other beautiful creations.
Meditation doesn’t have to take place in one room. During the pandemic, we went online. Other years we enjoyed the local countryside, including sacred Avebury, and neighbouring Somerset. The truth, as we discovered, is that peace, calm and kindness can flourish wherever we choose. And along the way, enduring friendships are made.
Wellbeing notes: A time to share
03/11/2022 at 11:12 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: helping hand, kindness, peace, refugees, sanctuary, sharing, Ukraine
Recently a stranger, a young woman, moved into my spare room. Before she arrived, I was nervous. I’d heard stories about house shares that had gone wrong: lodgers who expected hotel service; who made a terrible mess; who were noisy; who smoked or drank too much.
“It’s wise to set clear boundaries,” said the rep from the refugee department at the local council. So I settled on ‘No smoking’, and ‘No visitors’, and hoped for the best.
Needless to say my new lodger is lovely: quiet, considerate and thankful to be safe. The council rep is just a phone call away if I need guidance. A government payment covers any extra costs that I might incur. Honestly, the risk is minimal, and I’m glad I took a chance in opening my door.
Imagine, now, that bombs were falling in a town near you – close enough to hear them, close enough to feel unsafe. And now imagine that in some far away country there’s a household where you can stay… how welcome that sanctuary would be.
There are various ways to sponsor a refugee. In the UK, the easiest method is to register interest at gov.uk. In due course your local council contacts you, to invite you to join their list of available households. They send someone to okay your property, and organise a DBS (criminal record) check. And then, when your room is needed… your new lodger comes to stay.
Wellbeing notes: Power of perseverance
01/10/2022 at 2:47 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 CommentsTags: life skills, perserverance, wellbeing, writing fiction
My latest book – first novel – is written and it’s time to see which literary agents and/or publishers might be interested. Fellow writers confirms that this can be A Hard Slog, involving many letters and accompanying documents. In a way, the process is like applying for a job, which can seem like a thankless task at times. So, for all those who are trying to make something happen, here is my personal checklist that may help you to persevere.
- Keep on keeping on. Be persistent. Set an achievable weekly goal and do your very best to keep to it. I’ve resolved to have seven queries out at any one time. And with each one I try my best to understand the recipient.
- Tread lightly. If the task is feeling burdensome, step away for a while. Do something completely different. Reconnect with your joy. Imagine how wonderful you will feel when you achieve what you have set out to do.
- Review from time to time. Does your goal still resonate for you? Are you still happy that you’re on the right path, or do you wish to adjust your goal to something that feels more ‘you’?
- Believe in yourself and trust in a positive outcome. Remember that you have a wonderful and unique blend of qualities. No one does ‘you’ better than you.
And when you finally reach your goal… celebrate and share the news!
Meditate on the landscape of your life
09/09/2022 at 3:00 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: Iceland, inspiration, meditation, nature meditations, volcanoes, wellbeing
Every week for the past five months, my meditation group has been focusing on aspects of landscape. From river to forest, by coast, bridge and swamp, from harbour to canyon via a rainbow-coloured waterfall, we’ve had a lovely time imagining ourselves in nature, slowing down our breath, becoming peaceful. And the landscape theme is set to continue for a few weeks yet, as the list of potential subjects just continues to grow.
Take this week. Someone suggested volcano. One thing I’ve noticed is that everyone views each aspect of landscape differently. For me, I will likely be thinking of a snowy volcano that I once visited in Iceland. Snaefellsjökull has an incredible, other-worldly atmosphere. But another member of my group, fresh from Italy’s Amalfi Coast, may think about a fiery Vesuvius.
The way you think of a volcano can reflect your own life journey. I believe that, sooner or later, we all go through stuff. Some of the events we experience can be positively volcanic – changing our personal landscape. If those events are in the past, the volcano we imagine may be slumbering or extinct. If those events are current, the volcano of our imagination may be quite active. An active volcano will destroy like nothing else… but this may lead, in time, to new landscapes full of life and even beauty.
Wellbeing notes: This is the plant for relaxation
01/06/2022 at 7:44 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 CommentsTags: herbs, nature's medicine, plant lore
In June, lavender starts blooming, and gardens are fragranced with its sweet, herbal aroma. The word ‘lavender’ comes from the Latin, ‘lavare’, meaning ‘to wash’. I can’t begin to say how much I value this soothing flower. My favourite garden memories of childhood are lavender-scented. And my least favourite memories of adulthood – the many days and nights spent by my son’s bedside in hospitals – are also fragranced with lavender. The scent, which I scattered liberally in the form of essential oil, made those experiences more bearable.
There are many ways to bring lavender into the home, where its calming and antibacterial properties may be much appreciated. Here are a couple of my favourites.
Fragrant sachets
Place a handful of fresh lavender heads in a pocket-sized, unbleached cotton bag, and hang up in your bathroom where it will dry quietly away. Then, for a fragrant bath, suspend under the running tap. You may like to squeeze the bag once or twice to release more aroma. When the bath is run, use the bag as a loofah over your skin. Discard the lavender after the bath.
Embroidered little bags of dried lavender are, of course, lovely to place in drawers and storage boxes.
Lavender milk
This soothing bedtime drink encourages a good night’s sleep. You can use any kind of milk – we prefer oat. Pour a cupful of milk into a saucepan. Add a teaspoon of dried lavender flowers, bring to the boil, then remove from heat and leave to infuse for ten minutes. Stir in a teaspoon of honey, strain into cup and drink.
Finally, I do believe that every household needs a small bottle of lavender essential oil. Apply neat on minor burns and insect bites; place drops in a diffuser or just on a tissue to scent a room and bring wellbeing.
Wellbeing notes: a question of perspective
01/05/2022 at 5:18 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 CommentTags: a fresh perspective, inspiration, landscape, Mind body spirit, wellbeing
In the late spring, some years ago, a new telegraph pole was put up in a nearby field. At first, everyone thought the pole was a blot on the landscape. “Shame that beautiful view’s been spoiled by the pole,” we all said. But one day a practical friend visited. She pointed out that the pole formed only a tiny part of the view. So why were we obsessing about that, when there were acres and acres of countryside to enjoy?
Ever since, I’ve been careful to keep any blots in perspective – not just in nature, but in my personal life too. When crisis happens – and it does, because that is the way of things – a good exercise is to list the items in our lives that continue to be beautiful, useful and enriching. If we are lucky, we have plumbing, housing, warmth, food and income. And if we are luckier, we have many people whom we like, or maybe love.
Once we remember all these good things, the blot, whatever it may be, is put into perspective. We can possibly go one step further and say that everything – including that benighted telegraph pole – is serving some purpose. And we might begin to accept that the blots, too, have their place.
Metaphorically, a blot is any flaw that we study – that grows larger in our imagination. Yet when we walk away, the blot shrinks – and the landscape is revealed as infinite.
Wellbeing notes: Creating room for the wild
01/04/2022 at 8:00 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 CommentTags: meditation, nature inspiration, wellbeing
One spring, a cowslip appeared in the garden. We studied it carefully. Soft, velvety green sepals cupped yellow heart-shaped petals. Their fragrance seemed like the essence of the season. Year after year, more cowslips grew. We began to add the edible flowers to green salads, and to herbal teas. We agreed they were pretty, and a little citrusy, and they added a subtle freshness to our meals.
I believe that every garden benefits from some wildness. Perhaps every person does too. In a world where people try hard to control outcomes, the touch of wildness that arrives uninvited can be just what people need, by way of respite from all their striving and hard work. It’s a special gift when a flower is brought by the wind, though helping nature along with a packet of native seeds is also a lovely thing to do. Native flowers will never be the biggest or showiest in the garden, but they bring a grace and lightness – maybe, a reminder to take ourselves lightly too.
So, while tending our gardens and our lives, it can make sense to leave a little corner, here and there, just to see what starts growing in it. If nothing else, this policy can create idyllic landscapes, vibrant with bees and butterflies. As Robert Burns writes, “And wild-scatter’d cowslips bedeck the green dale.”
May cowslips bedeck all those places that might need a little extra love and beauty at this time.
Wellbeing notes: Like calls to like
01/03/2022 at 10:00 am | Posted in Inspiration, Uncategorized, Wellbeing | Leave a commentTags: be true to youself, nature, nature inspiration, nature's oracle, wellbeing
A male woodpecker lives in my garden. Every morning he goes to the wild cherry tree and drills against the trunk, using his beak to beat a loud tattoo. He drums away, then flies to the uppermost branch. From there, he looks all around, searching the landscape for incoming female woodpeckers – potential mates. Then, he goes back to drilling again. Sometimes he flutters down to the ground for a tasty insect, or heads to the bird feeder, where his relative size makes him one of the dominant diners. He gets all the best treats, the ones that the bossy squirrels don’t manage to purloin.
Day after day the woodpecker repeats his routine. Utterly dedicated to the task, he embodies the old saying, ‘Like calls to like’. If there’s a female within half a mile, she will hear him.
The woodpecker can teach us a wonderful principle for life: be who you are, and speak that truth clearly. Kindred spirits will hear your call. The woodpecker has never attempted to be some other, more colourful bird, like a jay or a parakeet or even a peacock. He is simply his own glorious self – surely the best way to attract the right mate for him.
When we are true to ourselves, we are also, I believe, more likely to respect other people’s differences. Those differences make the world a fascinating and beautiful place.
So my question for you is this: what do you choose to broadcast to the world today?
Photo: Unsplash
Wellbeing notes: This is the colour for growing and flourishing
01/02/2022 at 10:00 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: healing power of nature, inspiration, meditation, Mind body spirit, nature meditation, wellbeing
We’re focusing on colours in my Thursday meditation group – a different band of the rainbow for seven weeks. The latest colour we’ve been studying is green. My local countryside is still wintry, not yet verdant, so meditating on green brings a dose of early summer to the imagination, and tranquillity to the mind. Picture yourself, right now, in a lush green landscape. How does it feel?
The word ‘green’ comes from the Proto-Indo-European root, ‘ghre’, meaning ‘to grow’, signifying the way natural landscapes gain a colourwash of green as the weather warms up. Somewhere between the passion of red and the purity of white, green is associated with the heart chakra and can be viewed as a colour of healing, freshness and balance, a wonderful hue for feeling relaxed and calm in mind, body and spirit.
If you feel the need for more green in your life, seek it out. Imagine it. Plant it. Grow it.
On the windowsill in my study are three flourishing plants. Each is beautiful in its own way. The frequent attention they receive helps them to thrive – a reminder that what I care for is more likely to do well. This principle applies equally to people and work projects as well as plants.
So these are my questions to you. What in your own life is currently becoming green? What aspect is flourishing? And how can this be honoured and encouraged?
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Suzanne Askham 