And hello to you!
The third Monday of the year has been dubbed 'Blue Monday' which I always find really sad because it's so close to my birthday! Last year was a challenging year for us at Beagle HQ so this year I'm trying to focus on the positive and foster good mental health. As part of this, here's a few things which helped me bat the blues away on this Blue Monday....
I made time to sit and finish this embroidery which I started at least 18 months ago! I'm a massive fan of the Addams Family and the quote from Morticia that 'normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly' is one of my favourites. I knew I wanted to create a mixed media piece so I used iron on vinyl for the words, then embroidered the skull. However, my initial design had the words running through the skull which didn't look great so I had to cover those with the red and black headpiece before attempting to 'write' with embroidery thread. I'm really pleased with how it turned out but I know what I'm like and I'll probably add some more flowers to the wreath before hanging it. There has been innumerable studies linking crafting to positive mental health, lessening of cognitive decline, alleviation of anxiety symptoms and more. Check out this article from the Crafts Council for more information.
I love the works of Agatha Christie but I've really struggled to not only make the time to sit and read but to also settle my mind enough to focus on anything longer than a short story. I've been really trying to make more time for reading and to motivate myself I signed up for the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge 2023. I'm pleased to say I flew through January's book 'Sad Cypress', although I did keep having flashes to the David Suchet 'Poirot' episode. It's thankfully motivated me to keep reading and I've already finished 'Queens of the Abyss' edited by Mike Ashley and I've started another Agatha Christie book about her time in Syria with her husband. For my birthday, hubby bought me a collection of Christie books which I'm already eager to get through, and frankly, don't the covers look gorgeous?!
Anyone who follows me on Instagram knows I love a good brew and this year the Samaritans are looking to rebrand 'Blue Monday' as 'Brew Monday' where you take the time to grab a brew and check in on friends and loved ones. Sounds very sensible to me, especially if there's biscuits involved. I made myself and my mini human a rather epic hot chocolate, which included delicious vegan squirty cream, sprinkles and loads of melted chocolate. Sitting on the sofa for snuggles and a cuppa is the perfect way to end the day.
So those were a few things which cheered me up today. I also saw a really funky cloud and was so happy to see our lipstick plant flowering. It's so easy to see the dark, but with a little effort, there is also light. I hope you and your family had a peaceful blue Monday, with a lot of brews and catching up.