Karma - and gifts

I spent part of yesterday interviewing a very interesting person who shared his thoughts on what Inspiration means to him. Whilst he was talking there was a very impressive thunderstorm going on outside. At one point, as he was talking about Karma and its meaning to him, there was huge thunderclap - it seemed to underline the point about who is given what and what we do with it. Very dramatic!

And that set me thinking about what gifts we take for granted and how sometimes we don't use the gifts we have but hanker after having what we are not given... I used to wish I could sing and play an instrument, or paint or do any of those other creative things that I envied others for. Then one day, someone said to me, 'But you can write ...' and I sort of dismissed it cos that is what I do anyway, and he said, 'I wish I could write ...' and it hit me. I had a gift but I wasn't appreciating it. And that's not really very considerate to the giver, is it?!

So my musing for today is around what gifts might we ignore that lie unappreciated and unused, and how might life be when we pick up that gift, look at it and maybe - why not - start to use it?

Oh, and the photo is of the view from our room in Monemvassia, in the Peloponnese, where I went last year - cos Greece does and, I hope always will, inspire me in so many ways.

Here comes the rain again ...

Isn't it amazing how much the weather can change the way we feel about things? For the past couple of days it has been wet, stormy and grey, and the uplifting feeling that the previous two weeks of sunny, hot weather brought, seems a distant memory. On those days we got up early, had breakfast in the garden and enjoyed a lovely BBQ with friends. But it did make A. rather cranky when he couldn't sleep properly and I didn't really want to do much work!

Now, it is cooler, I feel less happy-go-lucky but probably more motivated. When I lived in Greece, life seemed to drift along rather in haze of quite hard work in the morning and early eve, long afternoon siestas and lovely lengthy dinners in outdoor tavernas. Didn't have much oomph to achieve anything in particular, but life felt good. Hong Kong was worse; dreadful climate... either terribly hot and humid - totally enervating, with blasts of ice-cold aircon to keep you awake, or gloomy, foggy wet days that seemed to last forever. Very driven to achieve but quality of life seemed less.

I must admit I really enjoy the diversity of our weather (and love the benefits of global warming up here in the NW!). Maybe it is the very uncertainty of what tomorrow will bring, combined with the changing energy levels that actually encourages me to either work or relax... or perhaps I just like to have something else to blame when I am feeling lazy!

Anyway, whatever the weather - stay cool and enjoy it!

PS. Quick update - have had to put the office on hold, due to personal reasons (hmm, cryptic yes but can't reveal EVERYTHING here!), some seedlings have survived the hot weather and lack of water, and A. got a cute hamster called Chester for his 10th birthday.