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Autumn

conker800-1

I have just finished reading another good book. I have closed it and put it back on the public library shelf.

I mentioned to another reader that it’s like having an invigorating sail and then passing a promised coastal headland only to find unsettled autumnal weather and unknown deep ocean ahead, and it’s getting dark…

I’ve been reading about the mediocrity and escapism that we feed on between our ego’s competing, controlling and comparing. Our ego builds a shell around the soul…
The rhythm of life has a powerful beat, but habitual rhythms can be enchanting, comforting, familiar… but soulless…
The soulless sparkle of riches, the promise of glitter, of better, of whiter, greener, brighter, fresher…

Despite the distant clouds, inside us, the quiet depth of our soul can be a place of huge promise… our breath… continues an inspiring rhythm of incubation, our soul can indeed be a place of plantation and growth.
The more we become accustomed to the depth of our soul, the more we find ourselves at home within it.
I was of course born in the Autumn.

Happy Birthday me.

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Creative wall-collages…

Yes, I’m busy with the new school reprographics job but also with more creative material – I’ve been creating large wall-collage compositions.

The large format print and signmakers ‘Digital Deadline’ in Melton have been supplying a variety of quality new material this year. One of their specialities is producing and installing large-format wall coverings.

Digital Deadline - Melton Mowbray
Digital Deadline – Melton Mowbray

Digital Deadline’s clients across the East Midlands, provide them with variously themed briefs, and I have recently been creating the print-ready visual artwork for them.

Here below are just a few recent wall-collage compositions I’ve completed for Digital Deadline for some local primary school installations – the walls are roughly 5-7mtr x 32-3mtr and have doors windows and radiator spaces in, hence the plain patches. When they are installed they really are effective. The team at Digital Deadline do a great job and I’m looking forward to seeing finished installation shots in due course. 

Two joined walls for a Primary School RE room.
The opposing two joined walls for a Primary School RE room
2016 – Large Format Prints
Four walls for a Primary School History/Media/Comms.

If you can envisage similar in your workplace, venue, community space or even home, just give Digital Deadline a shout!

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Pause again…

I’ve been busy, new job, new routines, new life! Hence the lack of recent wittering on this blog.

But ‘tis Sunday night, the kids (and wife) are watching ‘Strictly’… and so here goes…

I recently had a chance to drive a car where it constantly reminded you of your real-time fuel economy. I discovered that I am all too often burning fuel when a slight gear change will see me travelling the same distance but burning less energy. Just a slight gear change required.

fee

The key thing is I often need to be reminded of this. Perhaps it’s often worth recognising that a slight gear change might be worthwhile in life. Either; stepping up to the plate, changing up, and grasping the bullish nettle by the horns, or more often than not, taking time out, more haste less speed, slowly slowly catchy monkey – or perhaps the monkey’s not needed, just let the monkey be.   

I also have been reading (thanks Brian) about how our energy hungry ego is easily enchanted by life’s trinkets. Our ego comforts us with life’s mediocrity and escapism. Our ego can pollute our dreams and visions and can numb or even smother our soul. It can do all this while feeding on our energies and our valuable instincts such as; love, joy, sharing, gratitude, creativity and wonder.

Without waffling more, here’s to the occasional gear change!

If you’re going through a chilly headwind and it seems you’re going one pace forward and two back, change gear and breathe. Pause, breathe through your nose… relax, you can smile… feel alive and step forward, one pace at a time…

If you have decisions to make, change gear and recognise that “you can get it, if you really want” (to quote Jimmy Cliff).  Pause, breathe through your nose…relax, you can smile… feel alive and step forward, one pace at a time…

I know I’ve shared it before but it works for me…

 

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94% off main roads…

I knew it was a pretty good ride, but thought I’d look at the stats…

 

My 9-mile commute into Leicester turns out to be 62% on cycleway* separated from the road.

It’s 75% off-road (includes a few terraced backstreets). And it’s… 94% off main roads!

*Admittedly the separated cycleway is significantly in a poor state of repair. (See Melton Road for starters) If it was a ‘road’ I’m sure it would be a priority for maintenance. I applaud the fact that there is this option of a route away from motor vehicles but with a view to the future and increasing its use, it needs serious attention. In some places, it’s surface is not ideal for purpose, and the decision to mix with vehicles has to be considered. In some places it’s dangerous and it remains to be seen if it’s kept safe for use in winter.

But for now, having the option to ride without motor vehicles is great, and I hesitate to say I recommend it.
Remember motor vehicles have bumpers, fenders, airbags and safety cages etc for a reason. People riding bikes can’t be straightened out so easily.

#KeepCycling

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New shoes…

As mentioned in my last post, my tyres are shot, they are 4 years old, and the new route to work is more off-road.

A back in 2012 we discussed tyres and the Schwalbe Durano Plus have served me well. They’ve “a Kevlar SmartGuard belt for extremely effective protection against penetration punctures… …a level of unparalleled protection…” as they say.

Here they are after 4 years with only a few incidents (you may remember THE SHARD back in 2013).

I switched from 32mm Schwalbe Durano Plus tyres, which have been fantastic! I’ve changing to 35mm Marathon Plus Tours – the LBS’s closing 😦 and selling stuff cheaply.

As I say, that the new route to work is off-road, and a lot of it is rougher ground than I am used to. But, the old route, which I still use part of, may as well be off-road. The cycle path, bike route option, is poorly designed and poorly maintained. Take a look at this section down Melton Road. Leicester Cycle City? Humm.

 

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New route, new horizons…

…and so after a spell in both the doldrums and some rough seas, the little red boat found harbour and anchored up for a while. After leaving the land that hope forsook, it’s a reminder; be mindful who you share your boat with… the last few months have been disturbing, worrying and transformative. I replenished provisions, took another look at the charts, did a little exploring with the natives and took stock. We’re now back sailing with a purpose, I think…

Enough waffle! Back on the bike!

screen-shot-2016-09-08-at-20-14-00

After 4 years doing a 7.5mile commute into Leicester, my new route to work is now 9 miles.

Following the tried and tested route through Syston and Thrummy, down Rushey Mead‘s sad excuse for bike infrastructure, but then after a short jostle on Melton Road, it’s off to the canal! Following the Grand Union Canal, a refreshing ride through Abbey Park and then following bits of the NCN (LOL)  to my destination.

The 9 miles by bike takes me 50mins #puff #pant (I have had 6 months off). Note: my bike is a bike for simply riding from A to B. Not a featherweight road racer for breaking the next sweaty record. It has mudguards for the rain, panniers for the packup, and a big bell, etc.

 

Nerdy bit: After another 2+ years of 32mm Schwalbe Durano Plus tyres, which have been fantastic(!), I’m changing to Marathon Plus Tours (cos the LBS’s closing and selling stuff cheaply, and my Duranos are shot through). So I’ll let you know how the Marathon 35mm tyres fare.

As I say the ride takes about 45-50mins – and the fuel is a banana.
The car trip in (on day one) took me 35 mins (9miles at 35mpg 1.2litres = ~£1.30 each way). This would be more than £12 a week in Fuel.

A bit of the commute can be seen below:

Onwards and upwards.

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Pause, Breathe, Relax, Smile…

I came across this simple grounding technique after following a live email series, led by Brian Draper.

It’s been niggling me for a few months, and so I’ve put together the quick visual above.

Pause, Breathe, Relax, Smile…
Compiled by Jules P Richards. Visuals: mitchmartinez.com and vidsplay.com

PBRSPause, Breathe, Relax, Smile – It’s a simple but powerful mantra, that we might use to refocus on our place in things, and notice silences underneath the noise.

(i) Pause…Whatever you are doing, in your head… pause… pause… truly pause…

(ii) Breathe… notice your breathing… feel yourself breathing… (close your eyes and feel…)

(iii) Relax… relax your breathing… relax your muscles… feel your breathing – you are alive!

(iv) Smile…

It’s a smile thing but can be quite powerful.

The layers of our lives are underpinned by silence, sometimes uneasy silence; tense, expectant, anxious, deep, joyful or supreme silence. Silences beyond language; beyond bustle and busy, beyond the habits and tasks, beyond the joy and sorrow, beyond the urge to impress or the impulse to fear.

Communication implies sound. Communion might be something else. Perhaps we can notice how we might commune with other people, as well as merely communicating with them. We might communicate in a way that goes far beyond speaking. Intuition, intimacy, presence… communion.

Noticing ‘our place’ among things is not easy; the bustle and busy, the habits and tasks, and the joy and sorrow around us, can often overwhelm. The distractions of the immediate digital and omniwise infotainment media can be hard to tame. The mechanisms of automation and individualism are not a great help.

How we ‘commune’ with our world can be far more alive than the constant, communicative chatter of our culture might pretend. We’re reminded that ‘life’ at it’s simplest and quietest can be so rich and full that it is almost unspeakable. “Cease striving and know…”

The songwriter writes “A wise person draws from the well within,” Proverbs 20

 

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Gold!

Gold4

Gold!
…nuggets.

Golden nuggets, Chicken nuggets, Gold, Gold, Gold…

Nuggets – Packaged and promoted as the ultimate in wake-up sustenance.

Nuggets – The easy tasty, get-um-while-they’re-hot quick fix.

Nuggets – Treasured fever-causing rarities, burnished to perfection.

…

Perhaps most powerful nuggets to hold onto, are the small powerful moments, words and deeds that people say or do. These nuggets of beauty and truth, may seem insignificant at the time, and may not even be recognised as treasures by the unknowing giver (or receiver), but they can be so powerful. Perhaps these everyday things are the nuggets that keep growth and abundant life going.

Yes, these golden moments maybe mixed up in a cocktail of lies, deceit, fear, and prejudice. They may be too deep to reach, shattered, tarnished or lost, but at the heart of life, is gold.

I believe the interaction between people, and the knowledge that other people can care enough to really consider others, can be a remarkably powerful thing.

Perhaps it’s the honest everyday interactions that bring about these real commitments between people.

Time and space can be unknown players in the big scheme of things, and often the ‘abundance of life’ is beyond our understanding. I like to think that the powerful interactions, commitments and relationships between people can work over time and space and miracles can occur.

So whether it’s a loving quick fix, a hearty wake-up call or a precious moment to be valued. I hope you find, recognise and treasure remarkable nuggets, regularly.

 

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People…

After a week away, new views, and the absence of the routine! (Plus a few cream teas & Otter ales)

I was reading the first book again recently and as I said at the time “Lordy what a tale! What are we to take from such imaginings. #fantasy?”  Blood, guts, murder, death, destruction, deception, theft, slavery, horror, adultery, lentil stew… and creation!  As Keith said, “They knew how to tell a story in them days”.

But one of the things that I took from it was that we are a world of ‘peoples’…

…and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth…

EightFigures-999

Also – “he replied, ‘if they keep quiet, even the stones themselves will cry out’ “

Like the pebbles on a beach, we are all different. Bashed, tarnished, polished and buffed into our own unique selves. But essentially we are very similar, in essence, we are the same. Don’t let the brands fool you into becoming a consumerist individual, commercially branded with their “word”, dressed ‘cos you’re worth it’, identified by the ‘logos’ of commercial gain.  Just be you!  Stop, relax, breath, and smile.

We are a world of people. We have our little worlds of people, but as we often might notice more on holidays, there are many other little worlds just a breath away from our own. There are also worlds a distance a way that essentially came from the same seed. Scattered over the earth. I think our worlds might me richer and more colourful if we try to embrace people whoever they are. Easier said than done I know, but don’t let the Daily Mail get to you, or the BBC come to that!  We are one. Or perhaps as the Cornish say “Onen hag oll“ (and those from Devon!). Humm.