Here in the UK we’ve just entered our third period of COVID-related lockdown in 10 months. We’re all fed up at this point, and even if vaccinations are being rolled out across the country it’s going to be some time before restrictions are lifted. And it’s happening during the hardest time of year when skies are covered with thick cloud, the light’s rubbish and there’s a damp cold in the air which gets into your bones. It doesn’t help that I’ve barely left the town I live in since late October so there’s been no travels or exploring for a long time.
This morning while making a coffee, feeling a little low and just wanting some form of normality back, something to look forward to, I glanced towards my kitchen window. There on the window sill sits an old geranium. Leaning a little to the side in its pot, it’s been minding its own business there for the last few years at least. A month of so ago I cut away the straggly, now-dead parts of the plant (that is, almost all of it!) and thought I’d give it a chance to grow again. I didn’t really expect much, but here it is now, new growth and leaves pushing upwards again. I’ve watched it come back to life over the last few weeks, from a barely visible little green shoot to this group of fresh green leaves, and that has filled me with a bit of warmth whenever I’ve looked at it.
In that moment, I thought about the old adage of taking pleasure in the small things in life, seeing the positives that we have and I decided to re-start this blog (again!). It’s been dormant since the Spring last year since when writing for work has taken much of my creative energies but I’ve missed not putting up posts and pictures. Who knows where this will go, especially as I’m not exactly travelling anywhere right now, although if there’s one thing this blog has taught me over the last few years it’s that you can make anywhere you go feel like travel with the right state of mind. Anyway, I can at least take joy in the small things and write…
Archaeo-travelo-cycling-cooking Man 
Brilliant! You have brightened this gloomy day and made us feel we all need to look around us and see just what there is to cheer us up. The revitalised elderly geranium is a great story to remind us that it in the small things we find the greatest inspiration. Well done and keep positive. Mum & Dad xx
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