My Butterfly Day Book

Everyone has their own particular way of making their daily life work... of using their calendar/diary/planner/phone/computer/post-it notes as a reminder/recorder of what to do today, tomorrow, next week. Or maybe some people don't....and they can live in the moment without a plan.I can't remember things now without writing them down.

As well as a diary, a physical book I carry with me, I have what I call a Day Book. Hard backed, A4 size, lined pages, with a pretty cover. See above - butterfly notebook on my kitchen picnic table tonight where I'm making recipe notes and shopping lists, planning family meals for Christmas.

As well as TO DO lists, I record other things in it, but not in a very organised, ordered, filed way, in a very dyslexic, random way  - financial conversations, books-to-read recommendations, quotes I like, rough drafts of letters, notes from a video I've watched, lunch menus, summaries of difficult information I need to understand, ideas about the house/the garden, people to contact. But mostly TO DO lists. And mostly I can riffle through the pages and  find things I want to refer to again.

 I started my current Butterfly Book on January 9th and  Christmas planning will take me to the last page.

Here are a few notes taken at random from my year.

January 9th.

1.Take back bath plug to HomeBase.

2. Find home for Robin's art materials and masks. University drama dept?

3. Be kind to myself. ( not ticked off)

5th May

1.What quality of life do I want in a new home? (17 items recorded.)

2.Costs of house move?

3.Pay road tax and car insurance.

20th July

Moving Day - what to put in Survival Box-

eg matches

extension leads

lemons

17th September

1.Make leek and potato soup.

2.Read 'Healing and Recovery' by David R Hawkins

3. Matt Kahn - 4 Factors of Consciousness- 

Find beauty/innocence in the imperfections you hide from others.

And today

1. Downlaod claim form from Denplan.

2. Make chocolate and vanilla icecream

3. Clean disgusting curtain cords in sitting room.

4.Matt Kahn video notes from -  We Belong to the Light -  

It is a trap to think "I can't be happy or free till I get rid of all this pain and sadness". ...you will then be  in an endless cycle of self help instead of taking all of it - the confusion, pain, boredom, frustration and loneliness, and opening up your mind and heart to the true initiation occurring within you.

Do not ask what does this mean? 

Instead ask What do I need?

This leads to heart wisdom."

I find his words very helpful, and soothing and hopeful while I unpack my market shopping into the fridge. Especially as I  have been a little weepy all day....doing my yoga, driving the car, in the Italian cafe where I'm sharing a Christmas coffee and lemon pistachio cake..so grateful to the dear friends who listen and understand and don't judge... and remind me of the light inside me beyond this constant dark and leaking wound. 

Tonight I watch the final of Masterchef the Professionals where the three incredible, talented young chefs take food way beyond the limits of meat and two veg into the realms of an art form,  but still a delicious one according to the judges.

I take my leek omelette, garlicky ginger carrots, Swiss chard and broccoli  beyond my usual supper limits by cooking a ripe plantain and serving it on the side. I've recently discovered the super-food fibre and vitamin benefits of Plantain.

Not in an art form but delicious all the same.