Tag Archives: happiness

Sep4

Changing my routine

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I’m a creature of habit who loves a routine, but I don’t want to get stuck in a rut, especially if the routine is an ‘old story’ I’d do best to forget and write a new one.

With three weeks to go before I needed to go back to teaching dance four times a week, I wanted to re-establish the important routines in my life.

The first step was to get back into my daily walking routine. I hadn’t stopped walking each morning, first thing, but I’d been doing less steps then, and far less during the day, as my time was spent renovating. Now that’s done, I’ve created a new morning walk that is working towards clocking up 3.5k steps and 30 minutes of active exercise on my Fitbit.

I started with 2.5k and 20 minutes, which was fine as I’ve also got back to pulling brambles and nettles, and barrowing stones, so they clocked up extra active minutes, but by pushing over the 30 minutes in the morning, I’m guaranteeing myself the minimum every day, and setting myself up to achieve a minimum of 10k steps too.

My 5 minute arm workout is also back as a daily one, especially as I’m not dancing as much at the moment. I was thrilled with how toned my arms looked in my sleeveless dress at my son’s wedding, and I want to keep them that way for as long as possible!

Having used Dr Gregor’s Daily Dozen App for over a six months, I’ve been able to keep my diet pretty balanced, and get the nutrients I’ve needed, but I have been eating a little more than I’ve needed. Vegan Magnum ice lollies are delicious, but don’t count as a whole food, unfortunately, so they, and a tendency to eat dates by the handful, need to be kept under control. I’m keen to return to eating until I’m full and then stopping, as the healthiest way to eat on a whole food plant based diet.

I’ve committed myself to more magic on my river bank than I have been this year so far. At the last full moon, I set off a powerful healing spell for a friend, that was added to and boosted by other magical creatives, and I’m happy to say our friend is a lot better.

But I’ve struggled to get back into a writing routine. I’m used to days, or big chunks of days, where my partner is at work and I can write. Even with a few hours to myself, I’m not writing, so I decided to hold myself to account. I have to write for ten minutes every day. It doesn’t matter what it is, but I have to sit and write for a minimum of ten minutes.

I’ve six short pieces so far (more by the time you read this!), some of which could be longer stories, or even novels.

Visit again for Holding myself to account, and a chance to have your say as to how I should expand my writing.

 

Nov27

Name that tingle

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There’s all kinds of happy….happy with family

 

Happy with pets Happy with my books Happy with the work we’ve achieved in Wales  

and happy with my fabulous man

But what’s that tingle called, the one that begins a bout of bliss? I noticed it the other day while cleaning. The wooden shelf was clean and shining with lavender polish and I placed three items on it….and there was the tingle. My shelf looked right and felt right. Calm fell on my shoulders like a familiar cardigan.

I’ve experienced the tingle at the beginning of a dance set, half way through the puja. We dance improvised, so every dance is different but sometimes, the tingle begins. My ears ring, my heartbeat quickens, even if it’s a slow dance. Warmth, calm and contentment envelop me. I don’t remember the rest of the dance; my mind and body take over.

What about the tingle when you’ve been battling with a tricky scene in the novel you’re writing and a picture or word jog your mind in a certain direction, and the perfect scene emerges from your rapidly tapping fingers?

You probably have your own word for the tingle. I call it magic.

 

 

Nov27

Plant Based Recipe of the Week – Week 1

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Changing your diet to a plant based one isn’t about the foods you have to take out – it’s about the new flavours, fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices you add in.

I’ve been a vegetarian since I was twenty one years old and from a vegetarian start, my twenty six year old son was the first of my children to explore a plant based diet to help with his arthritis symptoms. He shares recipes, as does my eldest son and my daughter has been exploring gluten free baking, following my diagnosis of IBS, since her teens. I’m lucky to have had my children to guide me on the first steps to my partner and I enjoying a plant based diet.

Each week I’ll be sharing a plant based recipe, easily made gluten free, that I’ve tried and adapted to suit our palate. Where possible, I’ll share a link to the original source recipe.

Today’s recipe is ‘5 minute vegan burgers’, adapted from a recipe by Cheap Lazy Vegan, featuring The Happy Pear, on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLh_golyZm0&t=391s

Making them in five minutes isn’t compulsory!

Five minute vegan burgers

Burger

Oil – rapeseed or sunflower – 1½ tablespoons

½ red onion – I use a whole one – roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic – crushed or finely chopped (you can use garlic granules)

Mushrooms – any kind you like and lots of them! About 300g – roughly chop button, tear other

2½ tablespoons tamari – if you’re fine with wheat, you can use soya sauce

 

100 gms breadcrumbs

2½ tablespoons nutritional yeast*

1 tin kidney beans, rinsed well – a friend used mixed beans and said they worked just as well

 

*Nutritional yeast or Nooch adds a cheesy nutty flavour to many plant based recipes and is one source of complete protein and vitamins, in particular B-complex vitamins. It contains folates, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, selenium and zinc.

To serve

Great in buns or pitta breads with sun dried tomato paste, hummus, mixed salad leaves, avocado, tomato….my partner enjoys his with mustard on bottom bun and hummus on the top. My favourite so far is with ketchup on the bottom and sweet pickle in the top with shredded romaine and grated beetroot. Also delicious with salad and sweet potato wedges.

 

 

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium heat. Cook red onion until soft. Turn up heat. Add garlic.  Add mushrooms, coat well with onions and garlic and cook for 3 minutes on high heat. Add tamari and stir.

 

Add above wet ingredients to breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast and mashed up kidney beans in a bowl. Combine all ingredients. (If using home made gluten free breadcrumbs, you may need another 20g if mixture is very wet) Make into burgers and coat with rice flour.

 

Fry in remaining oil.

 

You could probably brush them in oil and bake in the oven if you wanted to, as they’re so tasty.

 

Five minutes is a bit of a push, as you’ll see from the video but I can get these on the table in 15!

 

Enjoy your mushroom burgers, share this post and help spread the word about plant based eating for a healthier planet and a happier, healthier you

 

 

Sep8

Happy Monday!

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A happy memory of Swanwick for Happy Monday

A happy memory of Swanwick for Happy Monday

Last Monday I was warmly welcomed to the Cwrtnewydd Scribblers and I came back with homework. I’ve penned a short story for the first time in years and thoroughly enjoyed it. We read out our work and in return receive feedback and suggestions. This afternoon, we’re trying a writing exercise I enjoyed at Swanwick Writers Summer School, to keep us writing and focussed. It’s the one where you take it in turns to choose a word through the alphabet and then have 30 minutes to use as many as possible to begin a story.

I thoroughly enjoyed the two years I went to Swanwick. I loved being back in the class room atmosphere with time to do my homework, great people to be around if you wanted to or the lake to sit by for quiet contemplation. I met fellow writers, all on different writing paths and that’s the bliss of summer school or writing groups, people of all ages and occupations, brought together by their passion for writing.

I am very lucky to have a writing group in the next village and I’m excited about this afternoon. I joined the Billericay Writer’s Group, graciously chaired by Ivy Lord, aka Elizabeth Lord, prolific author and wonderful lady. (I loved the Chandelier Ballroom!) I met a diverse mix of authors and poets, sharing their WIP for critique as well as getting updates about successes and rejections but, most importantly, I met my writing buddy and true friend, Peter Jones, whose support and advice, when I wavered and doubted, kept me writing. Every writing group is different, some more formal than others so try them out and find one that suits you.

 

I’m also happy because I’m seeing my daughter today. Her kind and thoughtful boyfriend, knowing she was low, especially after hearing the news of Olly’s passing (our much loved old tabby cat), has booked a hotel close to where we live and is bringing Jasmine to her Mum. There’s homemade chocolate cake in the tin and I’ve pulled the last of our potatoes for dinner. It’s hard to describe how I feel about her being here with me in Wales, even if only for a few days, but I can’t wait to hug her.

My beautiful daughter and I at the Beltane Picnic, another happy memory

My beautiful daughter and I at the Beltane Picnic, another happy memory

Do you get the impression I’m a happy person? I like to think so. I’ve lived with depression all my life but chose not to let it be my life. You can find the strategies, ideas, pictures and focus I use in ‘Wendy Woo’s Year – A Pocketful of Smiles – 101 ideas for a happy year and a happy you’ which features in my ***FULL MOON BOOK PROMOTION***, available for 99p/99c for one week only.

http://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Woos-Year-Pocketful-ebook/dp/B00AAVPXVU/ref=la_B007VZ1P06_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1354202723&sr=1-5
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wendy-Woos-Year-Pocketful-ebook/dp/B00AAVPXVU/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1354202865&sr=1-3

Have a Happy Monday:-)