Unfortunately, the last few weeks have been more difficult than I would have liked. Moving house and town and changing my lifestyle while the manfriend is away working has been difficult. I started prioritising all the boring things I thought were necessary for some stability, such as buying a new chopping board, painting the bedroom, mopping floors and paying bills.
Since the new moon two weeks ago, nature has been calling and I really don't think she has been very happy with me. I spent most of Spring and Summer in the garden, getting my hands dirty, regardless of the rain-soaked skies. My whole body has been crying out with emotion and angst as I have let inconsequential tasks get in the way of doing what I want and enjoying the things that I want to do WHILE I am doing them. Being in the moment is one of the most difficult tasks I find to complete. Amidst all my note taking and post-its stuck on walls, doors and book covers, not once do I write, "do what you love" or "be in the moment". It all sounds too hippy dippy but I'm beginning to realise that they are the most important tasks of the day. Two nights ago, mother nature called again with a whopper of a full moon and I retaliated like a child, hiding in bed and mooching around the house all day yesterday in a depressed stupor. My mam then told me of an Indian full moon tradition where all Indian women place a bowl of rice out under the full moon each night to invite pure ideas and cleanse emotions and the spirit. The moon last night was a beacon of clean light and as I left the curtains open to let the light into my room, I knew things were going to be different.
I woke up alert and eager to live out the day with purpose and spent all day in garden in the crisp autumnal winds. The dogs bounced around the garden, making me smile so easily. My hands were dry and caked with mucky soil, my nails were black with mulch and dirt and by the time I had finished sweeping up the leaves outside my house and roadway, I felt like I had swept up the badness and confusion of the last few weeks and instead of hiding them, I found a use for them. 
I piled barrells full of beautiful golden, amber and yellow leaves onto my parents' raised garden beds and gently tucked the soil and the worms and all that nutrient potential into the ground for the winter. I lovingly threw the leaves in the air while I played with the dogs, I didn't try and pick up every last leaf and took time to enjoy leaves flying around the air out of my bucket. It doesn't matter, I thought. I wasn't trying to control everything. I was letting things just happen.
I've got a few pics and videos to show you how to mulch and use those free beautiful leaves to make free beautiful compost.
Enjoy! X
Video 1
Video 2
There is a website called http://glad.is that had an article about 10 Things to do to Make you Happy. One that really stuck with me was daily altruism and I remembered with great love the Maori word 'koha'. Koha is a beautiful practice celebrated by kind people that simply means gift or gifting. You give willingly of time or energy or seeds or food, expecting nothing in return. I gave koha of my time and love for the earth and gardening to my parents. But I also gave koha to the earth, giving thanks to it for producing our summer food and to the worms and all the other small life making the soil better for us in the future. I tucked that soil under a blanket of golden leaves as if it were my own small child going to sleep and it made me so happy. I wasn't tired or sore or cold from being outside. I was invigorated, healthy, happy and calm. Mulching made this girl very happy. As my Dad says, "Everything comes to those who wait".
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