amazing sleep, morning stretch and old school

wow wow wow ..... so often we take really simple things for granted.... well I've recently been really struggling to get a good nights sleep, which is actually pretty unusual for me. Bit by bit I'm getting my good sleep routine back, and last night was the best sleep ever..... woke up with a smile on my face..... thank you sleep monsters !!

nothing better than a really good stretch when you wake up

my car was at the garage today.... which meant I was kind stranded.... but then the sun came out and the surf looked good so I grabbed a lift to the beach with my SUP..... had a fun (but pretty freezing !) surf/paddle and came out and felt like a grommet again, with nothing but my board and wetsuit bucket left on the slipway, getting changed in the cold and enjoying the elements.... it felt good

new way, the niceness of people and chocolate minuteness

we're finding a new way of doing things.... and it feels right

nowadays it can feel a bit like acts of random kindness can be rare, but today I was reminded that there are still a lot of folk out there just being nice because it's the best way to be.... lovely

ahhhh the excitement of figuring out how to make something that you would normally have to go out and buy.... crisp and delicious dark chocolate minty crunchiness

learning to surf again, sand in the bed and in sync

so so so much fun this morning.... woke to the beautiful silence of a wind-free day, and headed to the beach..... SUP'd round the tower and beyond the reefs with the boys then headed back to the shore to surf.... it was the first time that I've actually surfed properly on my SUP, and it was so much fun. I felt like a kooky little kid again, falling off a lot....and laughing a lot.

most people hate it..... but to me having sand in the bed means I'm spending a lot of time at my favourite place in the world..... the beach

chatted today about those surf school days when you were so in sync with mother nature....always knew the tide times, the weather and the swell.... looking forward to re-syncing myself with that world again

full circle, the old us and an inspiring project

I realised this morning, while standing in the shower (a great place to think !) that I've kinda come full circle..... when I was in my early 20's my life was about surfing, being outside in the fresh air, having fun, doing a job that I absolutely loved, being good to people, and enjoying simple pleasures.... somehow along the way, I got caught up in trying to 'succeed' and 'get ahead' and followed a path that wasn't entirely authentic to me. It has taken an almighty shake up to realise it, but finally I'm back on track, and I'm super excited about the future. Turns out the 22 year old me was pretty smart after all :)

looking back, it is getting easier to separate what was tangled up in work and stress and what wasn't.... and I keep seeing glimpses of the old 'us', the Linz & Jeff that I love....happy, surfing lots, planning adventures and the best of friends

found some inspiration today..... The Goodwin Project an amazing adventure that a beautiful little family are taking on....travelling the globe and living the simple, happy life of surfers enjoying the wonders of the planet :)

it worked !, 5 hours of nice, and shine

last night I tried a new meditation technique to help me get to sleep........ and woke up with a smile on my face because it worked !!!! yippee

a morning catch up with a great friend turned into 5 hours of hanging out chatting..... wowzers, time flies when you are having fun

it is an extraordinary thing to watch someone blossom and find what makes them really happy in life.....

memory of a song, statement and magical light

Jeff text me early this morning with the lines from a song that he thought were really awesome..... it reminded me of when we first got together and that song was always on the radio...... happy days

a little tweaking of my attitude today, and hey presto..... a statement from Barclaycard saying that my credit card was actually £1.65 in credit....... upward spirals

the universe gave me a little nudge this afternoon..... I was fixated on something stupid like Facebook when I glanced up and saw a magical light show coming through the blinds and making a rainbow on my wall...... felt like it was showing off and saying 'um... hello... I'm here !!!"

hot shower, friendly small print and gratitude

we so often take things for granted.... like how awesome a long, hot shower is..... next time you jump in the shower, breathe it in, the hot water on your skin, the bubbles from your shampoo, the warm steam in the air...... lovely

I love it when I read the small print on something and I find a friendly little message..... it's like a secret that only geeks who read the small print get to see :)

I made a simple dinner tonight, but it was really nice to see how much everyone enjoyed it so much

finding a moment, being grown up and serendipity

I was so grateful today, to have a moment of pure bliss in yoga where my mind finally stopped its constant chattering and I was able to enjoy the stillness

sometimes grown up things are boring and tiresome, and other times it feels good to have turned over a new leaf and start a new, sensible habit

in all my recent de-junking I've been struggling with a few random bits and pieces that I didn't know what to do with...... so I was pretty happy to randomly come across an ad in the freecycle section of the paper for someone looking for old, broken surfboards..... and even more stoked when he came and picked them up straight away..... and even more stoked when it turned out to be someone who I had taught to surf years ago !

smiles,homework and magazine fix

at last....after about 2 weeks of only being able to speak to Jeff on the phone, we managed to Skype today.... so good to see each others smiles

some coaching homework today that made me stop and think ...... and pick out the positive aspects of my life and delve into them a little deeper

it was about 4pm and I snuck into town to pick up some magazines.... a fix of reading material and a very enjoyable afternoon doing the first flick through

baking, de-junking and beautiful news

lots of visitors today so I baked banana bread and shared it out to everyone that came around.... love love love baking something delicious

sometimes it feels so good just to get rid of unwanted stuff....and today I did just that .... HEAPS of stuff....ahhhh thats better :)

an early call to give me some beautiful news about one of my best friends ...happy days

giving, yoga bliss and getting stuck in

wow, a big day of clearing out the shed and missioning it to and from the Hospice shop to give away a heap of stuff...... giving feels great

another day and another great yoga routine.....love the feeling you get when you start accumulating a bit of practice

todays job has been sitting around for ages, just waiting for me to get stuck in..... so it felt pretty good to push aside my excuses and just get on with it

opting out, pennies and night-a-mins

so part of my new year's resolution this year is to opt out of any unnecessary drama and conflict....choose the higher path and act with love instead of jumping in guns blazing and ready to fight my corner..... the perfect opportunity arose today to try it out.....and it worked.....yey.....

my Grandma always told me 'look after the pennies, and the pounds will look after themselves'.... well, she was totally right because today I tipped out my jar of coins, did a bit of counting and went to the supermarket and paid for all my shopping with my saved up pennies :)

I have this gorgeous face cream from Origins called Night-a-mins...... it smells so so delicious and makes the 'getting ready for bed' routine a whole lot lovelier

porridge, warm towels and Green & Blacks

mmmmm a wet and windy day outside and a bowl of warm porridge and golden syrup to start the day...nice

there's nothing better than super warm towels when you get out of the shower

I had forgotten just how incredibly delicious Green & Black's mint chocolate is.....oh my goodness

abundance, blissology and a bookshelf

this morning in yoga practice I focused my energy on abundance.... the abundance of joy ....and a little while later I received a gorgeous letter from a friend sending her love, and saw photos of  a friend overseas was celebrating on her wedding day....lots of love :)

I've started my blissology yoga program again and absolutely loving it..... ahhhhh daily yoga....nice to be back

I headed into town this afternoon and found myself in a bookstore (good place to be) in front of a shelf full of amazing, inspiring books.... and realised that very soon, this would be new path and career.... very excited ......following my passion again

exciting research, faith and grilled cheese :)

so that's it.... I have a plan.... a goal..... a journey..... and now I can spend some time researching how best to get there.... every journey starts with one small step

Jeff said something this morning on the phone that made me so grateful for the faith that he has in me

hmmmm it was that dangerous time.... post lunch, hours before dinner and I was hungry..... so I busted out a super yummy grilled cheese sandwich, bubbling and delicious with lots of worcestershire sauce..... mmmmmm simple pleasures :)

like minded soul, pull of yoga and awesome support crew

I bumped into someone at the beach this morning who was full of happiness and sunshine..... he said some really nice stuff about life and really made me feel good about everything..... there is something very special about talking with like minded people

I can feel it, a little more every day, the pull back to yoga.... like my body is saying 'come on already, let's get cracking !!!"

a stomp in the sunshine with 2 awesome friends who were full of support and enthusiasm for my plans ....

taking the long way home, winter sun and writing

driving back home this morning I decide to take the long way home and enjoy the drive

I love love love winter sun, the way everyone is so eager to spend their day outside, the way it seems to make people happy, the way that we make the very most of it....

I head to the beach this afternoon to do some writing..... sitting on the sea wall with the afternoon sun glowing on my face, with a notebook and pen in my hand.... happy

the art of listening, a seed planted and Big Wednesday

I've been listening to a really good radio channel for the past week or so, and it has made me really appreciate the art of listening. So often we never really focus on one thing, so it feels really good just to sit down and listen.

An idea has been planted in my head like a seed, and the more I think about it, the more it grows..... it's exciting

I go to my sisters place for dinner, and we watch Big Wednesday.... I love this film and all it's nostalgia..... feel very privileged to be a surfer

inspiring words, solo mission and pizza & laughter combo

I've recently found an amazing website called Tiny Buddha. It is jam-packed with inspirational articles and things that can only make your day better. Love love love it.

Head to the beach for a solo SUP mission.... it's a bit windy on the way out, but as I turn my back to the wind, the sun shines on my face and I'm flying :)

Pizza Express for dinner...... I love that with certain friends, all you ever seem to do is laugh together..... belly full (of super delicious pizza) and cheeks aching when I go home

adventure, challenging book and connected

today we SUP'd from St Brelades to Belcroute..... so much fun.... there were moments where the currents were pulling and we really had to dig in, and there were moments when the wind was on our backs and blew us along. What an adventure. Can't think of anything I would have rather done with my day.

A new book that is so challenging I have to read it in small sections, so that I can get my head around each

being outside in the elements, especially in the winter, makes you feel grateful to be alive

kindness, the ocean and a shift in thinking

today saw so many random acts of kindness :) a lovely man was taking photos of the surf, and took a heap of shots of Ali & I paddling...... and an even lovelier man in his JCB digger took our SUPs down to the waters edge to save us carrying them, and came charging back down to the water when he saw us return....

ahhhhh the sea....... I can't quite explain it.... the feeling of being in the ocean..... like it is renewing every part of your body, and refreshing your spirit and reminding you who you are again.....so good to be back

an afternoon that I had been dreading turned out to be filled with positivity and forward thinking, and left me feeling lighter and happier than I have felt in ages

stillness, fixing it and new path

it is so windy here, that when you get a day with no wind it takes you a moment to figure out what is different. I enjoyed an afternoon of stillness at the beach

fixing something that was broken

a new path, with some help along the way. I'm excited about this new coaching mission

walking and talking, moving forwards and creating deliciousness

hanging out with a good friend, stomping and chatting....catching up, and being grateful for always laughing when we hang out

a tough day that forced me to be even tougher, and focus on moving forwards.... felt good to be a tough cookie

creating deliciousness...... a super yummy warm salad....... warm cannellini beans on a bed of spinach, with roasted red peppers, grilled proscuitto, garlic croutons and tonnes of fresh basil.....oh my goodness

ray of sunshine, little poke from the universe and movie night

a message from someone I haven't heard from in ages out things in perspective and puts a smile on my face

a few odd things happened today, that could well have been pure coincidence..... but felt a little more like a poke from the universe

after 5 nights out in a row ( must be a record for me..) I am so thankful to stay home, eat delicious leftovers and flick on the TV to find 2 great movies back to back just about to start :)

slow cooking, beach walking and family

nothing better than making a delicious moroccan spice blend, and putting a whole leg of lamb in the oven and cooking it for 4 hours...... the smell alone is worth it

a blustery walk on the beach on a day that could well have been written off for icky weather

dinner 'en famille' goes on until the early hours, with yummy food, good wine, magic tricks and much laughter

good comedy, a finished book and a spooky walk

nothing quite like a good laugh. Feels great to know, even before you watch your favourite comedy show, that you'll be smiling when its finished

at last, a book that I have persevered with, is finally finished and I can start on a new one

we walked back to the car tonight, in the dark lanes, and giggled like scared school girls.... so funny how a little bit of spookiness can actually be kinda fun

someone you can call, shaking it off and a dancing baby

when something horrible happens out of the blue, it's amazing to have someone to call, I am, and will always be truly grateful for that

sometimes bad things are worth thinking about, and other times, you just need to shake it off, keep your chin up and move forwards

dinner tonight with awesome friends, and a beautiful, giggling, dancing baby

wow....talking to someone who knows, back to yoga and an old friend

a phone call this afternoon with someone who not only knows what we are going through, but has been through it himself, made me feel positive, relieved and thankful to be not feel alone

it's been a while, and I really know when I'm not doing yoga regularly...but today I started the slow but very important path back to yoga

dinner with an old friend, and really enjoying being the shoulder to cry on instead of the other way around

words instead, invincible and fresh magazines

sometimes, even though you're bursting to talk about something, it's a whole lot wiser to write it all down instead

we went ice skating this afternoon..... I'd forgotten that amazing feeling you get about 15 minutes in when you've remembered how to do it and you feel utterly invincible

an early night and 2 new magazines to flick through before bedtime

the perfect rip, well timed walk and sneaky squirrel

don't you just love it when the cling film rips perfectly from it's box ?

a day full of stormy clouds and rain, and I somehow manage to go for a long walk and not get wet

I follow a little path into the woodland, it turns out to be a dead end, but just as I'm about to turn around, I spy a little squirrel on a tree checking me out

scrabble and jazz, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and positivity

today was one of those days when it seemed like the world was ending...... a storm raged outside all day long, with rain lashing at the windows and wind howling .... so we snuggled up inside and played scrabble and listened to jazz

watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this afternoon made me smile... it reminded me of very happy days at the surf school, and me, somehow persuading all the boys to come and watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with me..... and the looks on the faces halfway through the film whilst I was giggling in delight

a new years resolution...... a pretty simple one really..... to find the positive in every situation and to project my positivity out into the world