05/08/2026
This is 50. I did say I would share what lights me up this birthday month. This happened on Monday. 🙂 I started to share on Monday so the mention of today will feature.
It lights me up when I have been on a mission to clear or cleanse and I look at the result and remind myself, I did that.
This is exactly what has happened today. A different kind of cleansing. Cleaning and scrubbing a pool that turned into a meditation in itself. 🙂
Firstly, I am hugely grateful for a family member for getting this pool.
I had arrived a week or so after the pool was last used and it was an absolute haven for the wasps. They had a safe place to land to drink the water from the cover. It looked like they had been given their own pond 🙂
There will be plates with stones and water placed for the wasps and other insects tomorrow.
Back to the pool.
I spoke with the person who had kindly provided the pool about getting the water out.
They had not realised how much water was in the pool until much later.
The suggestion was to try and tip the water so it arrived at the drainage point.
I tried this first and realised this was not going to happen as the lower point of the pool was not where the drainage was and also I am not a heavy lifter training for Ms Universe.
As I held the pool and watched water swirl everywhere but the drainage point, I kept reminding myself, ‘It will be pure bliss to be in this pool’.
I had arrived to it being a murky green, allergies waiting to happen, sludge filled affair. I half expected there to be tadpoles and frogs swimming around. Mind you; they would probably choose clearer water.
The pool had been drained and hadn’t drained completely as it was floating under the drainage spout with nowhere to leave.
You can see this just about in the first pic The cover on and you can see the green sludge coming through…
The next pictures I took a long time later to remind myself of the progress I made. I kept telling myself how brilliant it will be to be in the clean, cool water reading a book and/or listening to the music of nature. .
I was there for four or 5 hours from beginning to end. Firstly using a bucket to empty all the water. I stood on the outside at first and and then as the water volume decreased; I stood in the water with the green mulch lapping at my ankles. A delightful thought 🙂
I would say to myself; another 10 buckets and we will see where we are.
At the beginning; well after the first 2 hours or so; I went to look up alternative ways to remove the water as I could feel myself feeling a tad overwhelmed with it all.
The alternative solutions were a bit much and I carried on with my simple tried and tested way.
I realised the purpose of this had been for my body to have a little rest and a pep talk.
After this; was when I got in the pool ankle deep. My body thanked me as I was no longer in an awkward position twisting around to get the water.
I continued with the red bucket discarding the green water for a number of hours, wondering why the design didn’t have drainage on the bottom or words to that effect 🙂
You can see from the pics, the changing sky. I had woken to a storm that morning and flashes of lightening and had felt I wanted to clear all before more rain.
As the sun was shining lower and lower in the sky. I was now standing on the green mulch with the last residue of water that the bucket could not quite reach. This was where I remembered the video I had seen from the day before where they used a dustpan to clear the remainder out. It worked a charm and I scooped the final remnants.
Now the clouds were starting to arrive and I was willing the rain to stay in them just until I had the green residue completely out. There was no water left to scoop now just sludge to collect.
For this, I now had a mop with aforementioned bucket; soaking up the final residue of the green. A few or a multitude of buckets later and mop rinsing, the sun began to set across the vineyards.
I then remembered the medicine wheel I had planned on building that day and began down the route of I haven’t done that…
How funny that we can be in the middle of something quite substantial and a little voice comes in and says ‘oh you haven’t done that yet’.
The medicine wheel is coming in these days and I will share that with you too. That is a beautiful process without rushing.
Continuing with the pool story.
I watched the sunset from the pool and looked up as the storm clouds came over. Again I asked them to keep the water cozy and let me finish my task.
The clouds kindly obliged and I now had one very green mop. I swapped that for a fresh one and now used hot water and a teeny amount of bio mint for a final cleanse and my task was complete.
In these days I am learning about pool maintenance and how it is not just a one deep clean and all is fine. It takes measuring the ph, ensuring the water is healthy and daily care.
This seemed rather a metaphor for life. When we start a new practice or healthy habit; it takes maintenance and consistency.
I know many times; I have gone in all guns blazing; created a new habit and then moved onto something else just as I my body has been settling into the new way and then wondered why I have had such a physical reaction.
After this marathon of a mission; my body had asked me to rest. I had other tasks to complete yesterday and was out for six hours. Last night all the muscles in my body started talking and I found myself in a very old habit of watching something dreadful on tv to switch off. I finally started to fall asleep and took myself to bed in the early hours when that would have been the best solution last night. Today, I am listening completely to my body.
Why am I sharing this? To be completely honest. We are human; not perfect. It is so important we are gentle with ourselves with any changes and allow the ebb and flow as our systems acclimatize to the new situation. There will be push back; there will be resistance. It is part of life. If we allow and simply listen, rather than forcing; the change will be much gentler and effective all round.
I had arrived from driving 3 days alone after a false start in the morning. I had placed my foot on the brake to start the car, waving goodbye to my family as the car juddered to a halt and said not yet.
Some very special people rallied around me and I had a mechanic scheduled for the afternoon. Waited for the mechanic not knowing if I could leave (although I had a very clear message I would be arriving at the best time and would leave around 630pm); spoke with the mechanic and he was convinced it was the battery. He had the battery ready to bring with him so I could get on the road. I rested as much as I could whilst wondering if I was leaving that day a had little sleep of about 20 mins.
A new battery 8 hours later and on the road for just over four hours. I left at 630pm as I had felt I would.
Incidentally; I did arrive at the best time, at dusk. After I found my hotel and had a bath; I stepped outside into the old town of Caceres just after midnight. The moon was full over the plaza mayor and I began exploring when most people were asleep with the exception of a few people with their dogs and a black cat of course. It was magical.
The next day travel I managed to add extra hours to my drive and both this day and the final days I was blowing a lot of cold air on my face. This journey was the third time I had taken it and the first without Cleo in the passenger seat. It became a lot longer than it had previously.
In hindsight; a 3 day drive, un packing and then a 5 hour pool clean and then 6 hour outing the following day was possibly not quite the rest my body needed. I was reminded of the reaction when I am over tired, 🙂
Flopping down on the sofa cushions under legs and needing something to soothe me out of the numbness. I know if I had listened initially; I would have not got to that moment. I also know berating myself for it, will not help and thanking my body for guiding me and being there for me will.
I hope you give yourself some kindness and self care with any changes you chosen. Remember how incredible your body is for showing up for you every day and how incredible you are for simply being.
One final note, the storm did break on Monday night. It broke in the distance and gave the most beautiful display.
This happened later in the evening. I felt to go outside, as my body spoke to me. I did and as I stepped outside the wind blew across me fanning my hair; a few steps further and there was the glorious sight of storm clouds with magnificent flashes piercing through. ⛈️⚡️
A beautiful reminder of what we are shown when we truly listen. 💚
