Category: achievement

First night of the year in my van. First stop Totnes…camping with friends in a cool spot by the river so we could go to a reggae gig Channel One Sound System in the town hall. Fun night of dancing and making friends. Bumped into lots of people I knew which was lovely.*****

Great day in the garden, planting plants and digging up other plants that need to be moved. Then a brisk walk to the beach and back.
Found these 2 Verner Panton String chairs on the Way back at a roadside garden sale at a bargain.

Went to Karst for an evening of poetry, dance and music. This was Sadhna Lakshmi Ventakesh from Mumbai’s incredible dance in front of Debjani Banerjee’s piece of art. It was good to see friends I hadn’t seen in a while *****

Me and Christina ending our work week with a nice stroll in Frederiksberghave a nice big park in the middle of Copenhagen.

Another day walking to the studio and painting. Otto has become a pretty good studio dog. The building my studio is in is from Tudor days so the floor is slightly slanted so Otto’s ball rolls across it which keeps him occupied when he’s not curled up sleeping*****

Strolling down to a local wine shop called Bællevin (Bælle= pour down/gulp/guzzle) to pick up a delivery of fresh organic vegetables.
This is the old factory chimneys of the old Carlsberg brewery. The building is renovated and it is now a dance event hall/theater.

I’ve been going to yoga most days, running every week and the studio regularly. This morning I stopped and read a book in the sunshine on my sofa. The book, written by women from different centuries about travel was given to me by my good friend Sharon and was the perfect uplifting tonic on quite a blue day. When I came home from the studio I saw this crow made by my good friend Mark Orr in America.  He died traumatically a few years ago and seeing how the crow was aging, grief for Mark suddenly hit again.*****

Another interesting day at work. Had a patient that was struggling with breathing after a big thoracic surgery, managed to keep the patient feeling safe and calm and stabilized till he could go to ICU.
Also my Mum’s birthday today, think she would be proud. ❤️
Cycling home in lovely sunny weather.

Back in the studio and working on this painting*****

Getting up early in the morning is always an achievement being a natural late sleeper.
But looking out on this view always helps.

I make my mother’s chocolate mousse sometimes as it is delicious. I made a big batch for my friend staying last weekend but she didn’t want any…this was the final one.****

After work, decided to go for a little run, managed to run 9km and passed this little Stone House Temple in Frederiksberg Have, a small park near the Copenhagen zoo. Right behind this building there is a Lake full of pelicans and flamingos.

A first date in the sunshine in a very sweet village at a lovely pub….home, a jamjar full of white russian made, cycled to the Barbican to celebrate Sky’s birthday. A lovely evening and fun cycle home.*****

Spring cleaning in the summer house and a bit of gardening on an interchangable sunny rainy windy quiet spring Sunday.

Another beautiful long ramble with The Muddy Boots…about 10 miles I believe on Dartmoor around Manaton.*****

Getting up early on my day off to go to the Dojo and train Aikido.
Today it was special Keiko training and we practised Ken Tai Jo which is sword attacking Jo (a long stick).
It is always a work in progress and always lots of details to correct, but really enjoy putting in the work and the effort.

I’d just got back from hot yoga and was about to go to the studio but a friend got in touch. He needed to move houses and had been let down by a lift. I could help with my van so I did. Off he went to his new shared home near Totnes.*****

Busy day at work, had 2 nurse students in training and had a patient that suddenly needed acute treatment, which we handled. So stabilized the patient, the students learned a lot and the patient felt well looked after.
After work met up with a High School friend. Great chat and went to a concert in Den Grå Hal in Christiania. (Near the little red wooden barack we used to live in Victoria)
We ended up not really seeing the concert but sat outside talking and catching up on a couple of decades of life.

Walking to the studio a different way to keep my beautiful adhd mind happy. Had never noticed this piece of brutalist architecture before.*****

Great day at work, teamwork and collectively surplus energy (‘overskud’ in Danish).
Then Aikido after work, also with lots of excess energy.
Then home and, with inspiration from a colleague, made this lovely potato, zucchini and goats cheese pizza.

Walking to my studio with Otto…travelling / exercising / painting…earning money from my passion, keeping expenses low so being free from having to work so much*****

After work-run in Søndermarken. Not intentionally taking the photo upside down while running. Like the perspective.

The only photo I have for the day but this is of me getting ready for a first date….a very pleasant evening with pizza and red wine in Tavistock*****

Work, aikido and late evening grocery shopping in Carlsberg byen. Bicycling home on toppled cobblestones.

Finished my latest painting. Yesterday my friend Jo bought a painting she’d seen for sale on my Instagram.. encouraged me to go to the studio today.*****

Back at work in the morning after a lovely leisurely weekend.
On the way home from work:
This sphere on top of an apartment building always makes me stop and stare; made by Jeppe Hein.
In this photograph, it looks like the sphere is contemplating tightrope walking.

My tour guiding took us, after a leisurely breakfast for a morning walk to Noss Mayo, along the coast path and back along the stunning estuary. Perfect springlike weather to make it a perfect morning.****

Friends visiting at the summer house, went for a walk to the nearby viewpoint Rågeleje.
Then back to have sweets and coffee.
Also managed to fit in a bit of gardening. My garden is a little bit ‘Wild on Purpose’ but trying to help some plants thrive, which means a bit of weeding to bring light and space.
This is my garden shed, which is probably over 40 years old.

A few weeks ago I really wanted to play Scrabble but I a) didn’t have a Scrabble board b) didn’t have anyone to play with. Well roll forward …I found a Scrabble board in a charity shop in Greenwich and my friend Jo came to stay. A delicious lunch at Emilia in Ashburton, followed by a walk at Spitchwick. Red wine, cheese and biscuits and Scrabble made the perfect Saturday night evening. My rock n roll has matured….*****

So after a really hectic couple of weeks, working overtime, I finally had a full weekend off with no plans and no obligations.
Went to my dear summer house (first time this year) and did a bit of pottering about in the garden.
This tree which I found in the wild and replanted in my garden looked really dry and shriveled from a distance but actually had small buds getting ready to sprout.
Also while gardening swallowed a small twig and almost choked on it. Not sure how I managed this but my throat is still in shock about this twig going down the wrong pipe.

So proud of my friend Trine. Heart Nurse Extraordinaire 🥰

Made two curries ..one chicken grinding up all the necessary spices…and one coconut cauliflower dal…ahead of tomorrow so the flavours could mature and so I wouldn’t have to cook while my friend was staying.*****

Finally the day of the TAVI nurse coordinator training seminar.
Very nervous to start, but then it just kinda went along okay.
Made 50 nurses engage and take active part in what turned out to be a really great day.

Healthy Living. Yoga. Healthy eating*****

Getting up early, to meet up with my colleague to prepare for the nurse seminar we are hosting tomorrow; 50 nurses from all Scandinavian countries coming to learn and share experiences.
Worked all day and a bit of the evening, until welcome dinner for all the nurses.
Then home and early to bed.
Only stopped for a minute all day, to take a picture of this little ‘anticipating Easter’ flower arrangement.

Drove all the way across London on my way back to Devon…stopped to catch up with friends for a pub lunch near Frome on the way back…even managed a supermarket shop before arriving home.*****

Another long day at work, first 8 hours normal nursing job, and then 4 hours of concentrated work on the nursing seminar.
Afterwards met up with Peter and had a lovely dinner out near Carlsberg and then a cosy stroll home.

Mickalene Thomas at the Hayward Gallery, Southbank. Walked the dogs in Greenwich Park and then went to see an exhibition in town. Then had a gorgeous evening with Jessie at her home.*****

Day time off, so went for a run for the first time in a month, it was not fast but felt great.
Afterwards met up with a colleague to prepare for a seminar I’m hosting on Friday.

Had a studio tour of MDM studios at Marden Wharf near the O2 in Greenwich. I connected with the company in Saudi and will hopefully be helping them with some of their amazing projects over the next year. It’s an incredible studio space. Then found a Scrabble set in a charity shop walking back to Jessie’s mum’s house. Had another lovely walk in Greenwich Park and Vietnamese dinner at home *****

Interesting day at work, visitors from Lisbon, Portugal came to see how we work with patients suffering from valvular heart disease and undergo percutanious heart valve implantation. Lots of inspiration meeting colleagues from other countries.
After work a really hot and relaxing Saunagus at Winther Island, Kalvebod Brygge with a view over Copenhagen Harbour (looking over on your old neighbourhood Islands Brygge, Victoria;)