Finding peace

A better February weekend of UK weather it would be hard to envisage. I went to Fulbourn Fen and it was sunny and dry enough to sit under a tree and read for a while. I even got stung by a flying insect that got inside my clothes; a teaser for warmer weather in the months ahead.

I have been recommended to read a book called Mindfulness: A Practical Guide To Finding Peace In A Frantic World. This focuses on a series of meditations that recognises a busy mind and observes thoughts rather than lets them draw the mind into a spiral of stress. With the ongoing wait for my visa, it definitely sounds like good and suitable advice for me.

After reading one of the chapters that urges readers to tap into the senses, I specifically tried to listen to the birdsong in the fen. It was amazing and with some focus surprisingly easy to set aside the mental to-do list about who I owe a message and what I needed to do to prepare for work tomorrow. Maybe the birds in the fen were very excited about an early onset of spring, but there was quite a cacophony. It was great to listen to apart from when the peace was interrupted by the bloodcurdling screams of a woman trying to control a dog and/or a child.