Missing my walks

This week I haven't walked a lot at all although I did the best part of 9 miles across the weekend I suppose :-) I actually miss walking in the woods so I think next week I will try and get myself into a routine to go and take some sort of exercise each day - it really does help to get my head into the right place and get some connection with the outside world not just the inside of my house.

I notice that I am taking time to stop for coffee at my local shop - I did today - now here's something - I did go for a walk!  I went to my friend's mum's house and unloaded her lawnmower and assembled it and checked it for her.  The second time I've done that as the last one stopped working!  So I have gone for a walk - ahhh but not in the country :-) 

So - the main thing here is about getting connected and taking time out to just forget everything else around you, spend some time in the quiet of the woods and then realise that, actually, it isn't quiet at all.  This time of year there are falling leaves and berries and nuts, the crack of a piece of wood underfoot going off like a gunshot and echoing around, birds and creatures in the undergrowth and there are lots of mushrooms and fungi too.  It's really quite relaxing and just stopping, on your own either in the path or in the open fields is great, you can slow right down, concentrate on your breathing and just be in the moment.  It is a very strange place to go.  It is also quite refreshing and I have to say I do feel pretty good these days.

I get my moments - dealing with imbeciles at the water company who aren't telling me the truth is one but the anger lasts momentarily now and I stop, breath, let it go and then get on and answer their message with succinct response tinged with a little sarcasm - I'm sure I'm allowed that luxury :-) I shouldn't really but you know they do put themselves up for it and they are wriggling and not being truthful about the situation.  I will play them on the end of my hook for a little longer and then I guess we can help them resolve their problem.

It's a bit like the eBayers I have to deal with who pay me loads of money and then realise they've overpaid and I have to credit them back because they let it go through on their credit card and after signing it all off then realised it was a mistake (I've had two so far this week - then they said they hadn't got the refund and then when I said check (which they hadn't) they found I had credited it straight back) you really can't make this stuff up can you.

So even for those people I am taking a breath stopping and just getting on with it courteously and as best I can.  In the old days I may well have been somewhat more barbed in my response.  I was markedly good at restating the facts back to them about what they had done.  

So a bit of a ramble tonight.  I'm quite excited about the business and really got stuck into the planning part earlier today and I've a number of things to do tomorrow which will keep me busy - then I have my weekend away and then next week we start back doing Lodge of Instruction on Monday nights.  Interesting times...