Hi everyone,

it is one year today since Simply be went live on the internet. Over that year we have had many visitors and comments and it has been a wonderful experience for us. Simply be is taking a back seat now and will re appear in the future in it’s original book form.

Simply be-the website  will be here for now waiting for you anytime you need a little lift or just want to click a word or date that  interests you. 

Updates on the photographer and his emerging website will be posted in the coming months and his work remains available to purchase http://stores.lulu.com/alfavan. 

As ever we stil love your feedback so comment if something comes to mind or strikes a chord.

I leave you with these words for now and thanks for stopping by

Yours faithfully,

Sheila (Just another traveler on the road)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

(Robert Frost)

 

You can imagine what I think about skips. Dirty smelly stinking skips. I love them. There is nothing like seeing one arrive and nothing like seeing it leave.

A skip is symbolic of everything. All the old worn out junk gone and space. Even as the skip was being filled up we both turned to each other and said” Things are starting to take shape in the garden”. Clutter hides so much beauty . We had so much clutter until very recently. Old bikes, bits of wood, bits of cars, old machines, a warped cot. I like to imagine that we are all much the same given whatever space we have.

If you have a second hand home and renovate and make it your own then you end up with a lot of leftovers. When you can mentally face it the best thing to do is to de clutter. You will be amazed how relieved you feel when its all gone and your home looks so much better and bigger.

You then have the chance to put your stamp on it and make it really pretty.

A skip is of course rather a drastic step. Firstly I would suggest a plastic bag and toss in old brochures and pamphlets for recycling. Ease yourself into the de clutter as it can be rather emotional. Some of us feel safer to be surrounded by a lot of stuff, even if it personally does not mean much to us. When we see the space clearing we can feel a little vulnerable and fragile. But do not worry you soon get used to the new arrangement and miss almost none of it.

So, maybe today you will sort your sock drawer and throw out the odd ones. Recycle the old newspapers and packaging. Start small, do a little each day. See how good it feels.

In a few days you will feel a genuine lift and an enormous sense of achievement.

 

There are so many stressed people in the world and we suffer so much anxiety in our lives some of which is so needless. Those who keep a home notably often feel as if it is all going wrong when the floor is dirty or the kitchen is a mess. They feel they are fighting a losing battle to sustain a high standard and yet the battle rages on. In actual fact there is no emergency at all, only in their own heads. We can end up at therapists, doctors and feel very down in our attempts to maintain levels of life that are totally unnecessary. There is no emergency in reality. Everything will never be perfect. The closer we get to excellence the more we notice more to be changed, fixed or improved. It is a continuous journey. Even if we consider we have reached the finish line it will seem like time to start again, maybe re- decorate.

So do not panic about things not being perfect around you. Life will go on just the same without hotel quality or style and the more you release the control on having everything perfect the more you can enjoy life and the company of those around you. Which is much more relaxing, fun and what life is actually about.

 

Any time is good for a Barbie!!!

It is the May bank holiday weekend here and with an air of optimism known only to the Irish, with our consistently unpredictable weather, we drag out our outdoor furniture clean up our bar b que and purchase the produce.

The day starts fine yet breezy 15 degrees cel, then a little cooler, then a few drops of rain by 6.30pm official kick off time the heavens have opened and the rains have come. Our bbq is however burning brightly alongside a large patio heater and the chef is cooking merrily seemingly oblivious to the rain.

The guests tucked up indoors slip out periodically to be polite and inhale the smoke and grab a bit of atmosphere in other words get wet!

Believe it or not as our first bbq, not withstanding the weather, it was a great success. The flavour of the food was lovely, the company was great, the evening a great success. To the outside eye it would have looked like a disaster. We could have let the rain frighten us off but we stuck to our guns and had a super evening. Follow your instincts. Do what feels right for you-even if you get very wet and everyone thinks you are nuts!.

 

If like me you spend a large part of your day inside then in the evenings you often feel you need a change of scenery. If you are not blessed with a garden to maintain then find yourself a nice park bench. Sitting for a little while as evening is closing in, watching the birds go about their business and the cats go after them can be very relaxing. As you sit there you realise the outdoor world turns continuously whether you close that deal or polish that table, or not.

 

The simplicity of nature is very soothing. Birds building their nests and foraging for food. The sun setting here and rising somewhere else. The beauty and perfection of it all seeps into your being and you understand your part though significant in the world is very small and what keeps you awake at night worrying will not stop the sun setting tonight or rising tomorrow.

So after your day is done, sit down, take off your shoes, feel the earth beneath your feet and relax.

 

 

They have an arrangement in an Irish car company where in the summer months you can test drive a car for three days. Normal test drives are half an hour with the salesman by your side-it is very difficult to get a real feel for the car under these conditions.

So , what would you like to test? A new look in you or in your home? Try out altered combinations in your appearance and see what you think. You can do this in your own environment far from prying eyes. If you are really self conscious hide in the bathroom! When you get one you might like test drive it for a few days and see how it makes you feel as a person and what reactions you get from others.

Do people treat you in a different way because you look different? Do you like it? Listen to the positive criticism and let the negative go. Have fun discussing who you want to be. Who you really are, costs nothing.

Then go to work on your home. Put a throw on the couch. If you hate it, remove it. Change your pictures around. Re-arrange the furniture. How does it feel? Maybe buy new pretty cushion covers and pop them on . Such a simple thing can really transform a room and how you feel about it.

Have fun. Test everything. Pass what suits and release what you no longer need. The world can be testing for you, so test your world for yourself!

 

Every so often even if it is only once a year we all need a time out day. Get up normally some weekday, see the family off or if alone have breakfast as usual then at the time when you normally do something very important STOP. Stop and take a really big time out.

Play some nice music, maybe run a luxurious bath and read, or sit outside or sort out your favourite possessions . So long as it is a relaxing pursuit, do it. Turn off the phone, fax and mobile phone. Treat yourself as you would a poorly relation. Be really kind to yourself. Don’t feel ashamed. We all need a day off every once in a while to just relax and re group and this is yours, enjoy it.