nature is amazing

Press pause

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

Fridgesays quote

A pause can last a moment or a lifetime.

As we head in to the last quarter of 2026, as the seasons alter- it makes sense to pause, if we don’t we might miss the beauty around us.

The pause I’m suggesting isn’t a lifetime and perhaps it only lasts an hour or over a weekend, but before the social calendar of Halloween, bonfire nights and Christmas calls…have a pause.

In this pause I recommend you ignore thoughts to the future, reflecting on the past or any time of setting goals. In fact, I recommend you do absolutely nothing.

For some this looks like a duvet, snacks and a movie, marinading yourself in not socialising and dressing to not leave the house, for others it looks like leaving the technology behind and going for a long walk. Undisturbed in nature is my personal favourite, the Mr and I have been doing this on a Sunday for the last few weeks. We walk for about four hours and go through forests, live stock fields and follow public pathways exploring the countryside and ignoring any conversations that involve anything other than right where we are. We don’t take phones and knowing we won’t be disturbed is part of the joy.

Back to the pause…I’m recommending doing very little as the modern world often requires high levels of engagement and attention. To pause is to fill your own cup up and take a break from the world. To notice the season change or like I mentioned earlier to snuggle down and watch a movie that doesn’t require anything in return.

Stay in pause and you’ve become stagnant and that doesn’t serve anyone, mostly yourself. The world will move on without you and when you need to move you’ll find the process hard and daunting. That said, I think most people move so quickly trying to reach goals in their careers, social lives, exercise and many other aspects that they miss all the beauty in the in between moments, so take a leaf from Autumn, slow it down for a moment, look around and soak up the now – pause is a moment in time you never regret.

Magic is all around you

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

Quote original from fridgesays

If you choose to see it, magic indeed is everywhere. In this week’s blog I’m going to tell you about the hazelnut ‘tree’ but first let’s set a context. In the UK, with the exception of one blue sky joy day – it’s rained. Grey Sky’s, potholes and misery have taken over the landscape, the trees are bare and everything is muddy, miserable and did I mentioned it’s rained a lot?

In February and March the hazelnut bush or tree (the world seems divided on this) produces catkins that hang from its branches. You can pick a few for a cuppa – thanks to its magnesium, iron and calcium packed nutrients it’s super good for you, although does taste like your drinking ‘the outdoors’, recently I discovered that these are the male part of the plant…over dramatic and droopy they swing from the plant looking like fancy tree earrings but the magic is just behind the catkin…(if you peek and choose to see the magic) behind each catkin is the female part of the plant. Its tiny bud gets fertilised as the wind pushes the catkins pollen towards the bud. Seems like usual fertilisation? It is BUT the bud is beautiful! It’s like a red and pink tropical flower, it does not belong in rainy grey UK conditions, and most adults walk past it without even noticing it.

Since learning about the hazelnut tree I always make time to stop and check out the stunning flowers, blooming despite the grey and damp surroundings.

Perhaps this isn’t your abracadabra kind of magic, but looking for joy and unexpected delights is a way to increase the magic of March. Feel free to share in the comments below any my wish for you this week is that the pot holes of life aren’t on the roads you travel.