Brews up.

Drinking tea gives me the same warm fuzzy feeling inside as listening to 'I wanna hold your hand,'by the Beatles or singing along to Stevie Wonder with my Dad. Talking about tea probably makes me sound more English than I need too, but what can I say the stuff makes me happy?!

The ritual of putting a cup of tea on, waiting those tantalizing two minutes for the water to boil then a further ten minutes of siting and simply enjoying my drink is, in my mind, pure unadulterated bliss. In England tea has been both the staple for the hard working classes, (miners in my county would take cold tea down the pits on account of actual water being too contaminated to drink) and a leisure opportunity for those of a wealthier disposition. 

I adore, sitting with friends for so long we leave bum imprints in chairs, putting the world to rites over a cup of tea. When my family come home after a hard day, we put the kettle on and discuss the trials and tribulations with a renwed sense of vigour. When someone passes away tea is made and I swear the comforting warmth appeases the grief if only for a little bit. 

I love nothing more than post surf peeling my wetsuit off (which is most definitely cold because I am a British surfer) and warming myself up with a cuppa. I feel accomplished and mighty post surf and that tea is my reward for braving the cold North sea. 

My new boyfriend (I love saying that) who for now shall be nicknamed Mr Sunny, made me tea and we sat together in the spring morning sunshine laughing and talking. 
Its these simple moments tea seems to instiage which leaves me feeling rosy and contented.

Ok enough about tea already, that's more than enough English eccentriticy for one evening!

So. Anyway. 

I'm trying to include a few more 'selfies' on here because I've noticed that when perusing other blogs I really love sites where the author has a real presence. My absolute fav at the moment is Vix at Vintage Vixen, I love her style, her Blackcountry candour and the fact she has real presence. I can't emulate her amazing style but I can be a tad more personable here on 'Real Women have Curves and Surfboards' otherwise nicknamed 'La Sirena.'

So here's some bits and pieces. 

First time I was able to go outside without a coat and it was AWESOME!! 

I call this the Blackcountry version of 'Bohemian!' Top was £4 from a charity shop, jeans a H&m sale find, as was the hat. Boots were TX Maxx bargains! 

Other stuff that's made me smile...

Surfing has no age limit! 

Until next time, 

Stay strong & Surf well 
Love

 

The rough guide to surviving long shifts at work.

I'm working over the weekend which I guess is ok, because I love my job. There is however a weensy smidgen of envy watching everyone leisurely get up knowing I'll be at work in x amount of hours and will be there until late o'clock.

I've therefore devised a rough little guide to help you get through working long hours should you find yourself in a similar situation. Work doesn't need to be like ground hog day, small positives can really break up the hours. 

Oddly enough I'm also finding shifts are really helping me be super organised, noticed how regular my posts are recently?! Now that I have to prioritize tasks and savor my spare time, I'm finding I'm a lot better at stopping the annoying little jobs from becoming big chores. 

Drink Tea.

I don't have set break patterns so making a cup of tea has become my few minutes of calm. Whether its a caffeine option or herbal the time it takes for the kettle to boil will give you a moments head space. Enjoy it, savor the warm mug in your hands, the small sips and the feeling of bliss as you sit down and appreciate a good brew! 

Exercise.

I know, I know its annoying having someone enthusiastically suggest exercise before a twelve hour shift but trust me it works. As little as twenty five minutes of cardio will not only help keep that super gorgeous surfer body toned, it will also seriously help concentration. That and if you've any 'drama' in your life there's nothing like a bit of sweat to leech the annoyance out of you! 

Eat well.

Its so simple but its so true! Your body is a beautiful biological machine and the stuff you put in it directly affects the output. Fill it with rubbish and you will feel rubbish. On my long shifts I like to prepare loads of nice little healthy treats throughout the day to keep my going when my energy flags. I'm no saint so if there's a treat to be had (which there inevitably is working in a care home) I don't deny myself, as my ma says everything in moderation. 

Meditate.

A well known Buddhist scholar whose name I really should remember said as little as ten minutes meditation a day can really make a difference to your outlook. Find a quiet corner, close your eyes and start concentrating on your breath! Sometimes simply regulating your breathing can help work through frustrations and stop you making harmful remarks to colleagues or doing a poor job.

The playlist.

As the enigmatic Bob Marley once said; 

'When music hits you feel no pain,' 

Having a playlist on in the background when your heading to work can really get your sh!t together and keep you motivated. Here's this weeks playlist for you. Listen and love :) 

1. Fidlar - Max Can't Surf 

2. Skrillex & Damian Jr. Gong Marley - Make it Bun Dem 

(If you want to procrastinate watch this video. AMAZING). 

3. The Bots - I like your style 

(these kids are so cute which is probably not what their going for but seriously so talented and so young)!  

4. Macklemore - Thrift shop (someone followed me round and  

   recorded every rant I've ever had about main stream stores)! 

5. Everything, Everything - Cough, Cough

6. Pearl Jam - Fixer

7. Ida Maria - I like you so much better when your naked 

8. Max Graham Vs Yes - Owner of a lonely heart 

   (so wrong its right). 

9. Zap Mama - Rafiki  (<3 Zap Mama) 

10. Lauren Aquilina - Fools (This girls 17 and AMAZING). 

Have a plan.

Last but not least its good to have a plan, something your working towards when that shift just won't end. For me its always when my next surf trip is going to be and where - I like to think of every shift as one wage packet closer to realizing my dreams. At the end of the day work is a means to afford to do the things you like so enjoy the process! 

Find positive moments in your day, small things which make you smile, be pleasant, be kind and above all remember you won't be on shift forever! 

Stay strong, surf well 

X 

Vice and Virtue.

     
































Late night blogging (when I first composed this post) is always an indication that I've got things on my mind. I do. I'm a little surprised by this as I'd say generally speaking I'm pretty dam happy! Naturally my coping mechanism is surfing (and well I can't do that at the moment), music, exercise and art - precisely the reason why I'm writing on here! 

Yoga and meditation are constants in my life which always bring me back to myself. I've been doing Shiva Rea surf yoga a lot in the hope her flow sequences will magically transform me into a better surfer. I'll keep you posted on that front... 
Now Yoga is a pretty wholesome endeavor, you'll never regret dedicating time to your practice (even when you pull muscles you didn't know you had)! 

Today I was doing wave meditation a form of Pranayama which uses the rhythm of the ocean as a template for concentrated breathing. Listening to the sound of the sea (unfortunately from a CD) and really feeling the depths of my inhalation and exhalation brought me a clarity I can only replicate when I'm on a surfboard. 
Concentration is a wonderful rare thing that I feel is constantly eroded by the distractions of everyday life. I am queen of procrastination, sometimes I have managed to get so distracted that I forget that my sole purpose of venturing upstairs is because I need to pee. How do I forget my bladder?! 
So anyway enough about urination for now! Let's talk about vices. 

The irony is not lost on me that as an English woman one of my biggest vices is tea. Gawd the stuff is like my heroin, I have to get my 'fix' on a morning and guzzle the stuff by the gallon throughout the rest of the day. 

Also.

One of my greatest weaknesses strengths is that I love too easily. I don't wear my heart on my sleeve, I wear my soul. Naturally this has gotten me into some trouble in the past but I have a healthy attitude to my heartaches these days. I don't waste breath on regret, everything is an opportunity to learn something - well at least that's the theory and I'm sticking with it!! 

You'll have to forgive me for the haphazard approach I'm taking to writing tonight/today. I'm having a bit of an inner monologue moment so am finding myself typing whatever enters my head! 

Recently came across this poem I wrote which reflects on love lost. I wanted to share an extract of it with you dear blog reader despite cringing to the tips of my toes... 

The Ex. 

They sully our heart but only in crayon, so there is still opportunity for the one with indelible ink to graffiti you with their love. 

We are but malleable to our experiences and though the pain and the longing carves deep into us,it does not define us. 

Rather it leaves gullies for our dreams and strengths to fill us whole. 

And our exes are like Polaroids;

caught in a flash, developed for a moment, then dropped as the second passes. Beautiful, preserved but fleeting.

A Poem By Sophia Hobbs 

So to conclude this totally random blog post about nothing in particular I'm going to leave you with a mix of songs which  I've been listening to recently. 

The theme is summer is on its way! 

The 'It's almost Summer' playlist!

1. Mungo Jerry - In the Summer Time 

2. Stealers - Stuck in the Middle with you 

3. Simon & Garfunkel - Cecilia 

4. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations (seriously great background music for creating art work)! 

5. Weezer - Island in the Sun 

6. O.P.M. - Heaven is a half pipe (I am LOVING listening to O.P.M at the moment)

7. Outkast - Hey Ya (go on admit it you'll be shaking it like a Polaroid picture)! 

8. Geggy Tah - Whoever you are  

9. The Drums - Days 

10. Lykke Li - Get Some.

Stay strong, surf well and do some yoga! 

x