Moments of Calm: Bookshops and Gardens

What a difference a week can make, or perhaps more accurately, what a difference the sunshine can make.  Other than one rogue day we have spent the last 10 days bathed in glorious sunshine.  Flaming June has indeed been mostly flaming, and I could not be happier.  I adore the summer, and the cold wet days of May had left me feeling, well, cold and wet.

The sun came out at just the right moment and just in time for the bank holiday weekend in the UK.  I began the weekend with a much looked forward to day in Cambridge with one of my dearest friends.  We had a blissful day drinking tea, eating cake having lunch, talking (lots) and spent a very long time in Heffers, the well known Cambridge Book Shop.  We are both avid book readers (and book buyers) so it was wonderful to peruse the shelves slowly and at leisure pulling books from the shelves, exchanging suggestions and recommendations.  We realised it was time to stop when at least one of us could barely carry any more!  Spending time in a book shop is always time well spent. Being amongst books and book people is always a calm and happy place to be.

The rest of the weekend was spent with family and primarily in the garden.  Sitting in the garden certainly featured, but sleeves were also rolled up and some serious energy expending garden labouring took place.  After the rain and the sun, it seems everything in the garden is coming up rosy, including the weeds.  There was much to do, but it was a pleasure to be able to do it.  There is something rather grounding about being in the garden and amongst plants.  There is lots of evidence to show that gardening and the activity of gardening and other nature based activities can be effective in reducing stress and stress related illness.  I have written about the positive health benefits of gardens in a previous post.

There is a quiet calm that comes from being in the garden and amongst nature which is hard to find in most other places. I returned to London feeling rested and refreshed despite the physical labour!

I hope you are able to enjoy some refreshing time outside this week.

Have a lovely week.