Sweet Dreams and Fairytale Roses

Hello Friends,

It's so good to make contact again with the Blog World after my long hibernation away to heal. I was sorry to hear that so many of you have had sadness in your lives these past months. I hope that time will help heal, and that you are surrounded by loving support. 

I have spent a lot of time away from my computer, partly because I couldn't drag myself there due to PTSD, but also because I needed to do other things like inspirational reading, counseling, mindfulness, exercising and socialising. Some other things that have helped me feel better are:

1. Creating vignettes to photograph

2. Working hard in my garden

3. Getting more and regular sleep

When my inspiration to create is low, I like to 'play' with various collected treasures to create vignettes, which I then photograph from various angles. Rearranging my displays in various rooms lets me enter 'the flow', where time is meaningless, worries drop away, and I find joy in the simplicity of the present moment. 

I found this gorgeous sheet music (above) and the name 'Jessie's Dream' became a theme. In the above vignette I used some white leather baby shoes, a worn silver try and a bridal floral headpiece.

My garden of many roses is a great source of healing - it gives me physical exercise as well as great pleasure. I love picking flowers and arranging them in vases, which I then  photograph so I can take delight in looking back at the results of my work, savouring each exquisite bloom and vase. Below is 'Climbing Cinderella', one of Kordes' Fairy Tale Collection. This is my favourite rose as it is covered in roses in Spring and continues to bloom for months until almost Winter. It is about 3 metres high and vigorous. The blooms last well in vases, too.

Thanks to Dee of Dee's Funk'nJunk in Ulladulla, I found this amazing old chippy paint door to use as a photography backdrop. My kids were appalled at its state, and that I would use it as an item of home decor!

My darling Mum gave me a gorgeous miniature bush rose and it goes so well with climbing Cinderella...

The roses below are David Austin's Windermere, which again bloom from spring right through until Winter with a stunning old-world light lemony scent.

It's a pity the petals fall after one day in the vase, but they do look so beautiful...

Now for all you Creatives, the latest science on sleep shows that you are more creative if you get proper sleep. Since I've been getting 8 hours of sleep regularly now for a couple of months, I feel much better emotionally and physically, and I'm feeling more creative energy.  

The best scientific book I've read recently is Matthew Walker's "Why We Sleep: the New Science of Sleep and Dreams". I stumbled upon it in a review in The Guardian just before Christmas; it was only released late in 2017. I've been convinced by his presentation of many experiments from around the world over many years, that we all need to prioritise our precious sleep better. This page from the book is a great summary - and it's all backed by scientific rigour...

I've been committing to a regular bedtime, no screen for an hour before and some exercise during the day. When the dawn light wakes me through the chinks in the curtains, I reach for my trusty eye patch, turn over and breathe slowly until I fall asleep again till about 7:00am. That last two hours gives me the dream sleep that is so important to feeling well rested. 

Sleep is a free remedy that improves so many health problems - all you have to do is try it out to see if it helps you feel better. (I'm not getting a commission here - just wanting to share a great benefit we often ignore :) 

You can purchase the book here:

https://www.bookdepository.com/Why-We-Sleep-Matthew-Walker/9780141983769?ref=grid-view&qid=1515465349015&sr=1-2

Wishing you a good night's sleep and Sweet Dreams, as my Mum always says.

Love and Hugs, 

Jesse XXX