I have completed my challenge to walk 30 miles  in a week for World Cancer Day which takes place on the 4th February each year. My mileage total is 32.59. I have made my donation of 1 pound for each mile I pledged to walk to Cancer Research UK.

The walking adventure that completed my challenge…

After my regular Thursday morning get together I headed off to Attingham Park for lunch and the Snowdrop Trail. I enjoyed taking my car for a leisurely spin in the sunny weather. When I arrived at Attingham I was surprised at how full the car park was for a ‘week day’. I checked in, made my way to the teashop and joined the short queue.

There was a sign suggesting that face masks should be worn in crowded and enclosed places, a reminder that there is still a bug on the loose and to be careful. Most people were careful, however I dropped unlucky! A lady behind me was up close and personal, as in so close she kept touching me. I arrived at the counter area with the sandwich and drink I had chosen and was asked if I wanted anything else. I didn’t.

As I was about to pay, the server attending to me asked if we were all together (meaning me and the two ladies behind me). Oh no said the lady behind me who was so close, she was touching me again. She still didn’t get it. I had to ask her to move so that I could get to the card reader to pay for my lunch. She moved just enough for me to access the card reader but was still in bodily contact with me!

Lunch items in hand, I picked up a glass for my drink as I made my way to a table looking out over the parkland. As I was finishing my sandwich a gentleman with a mobility walking aid arrived by my table and said ‘I am going to inflict myself on you, in fact two of us are, I have no choice’. As he was about to sit himself down at my table his wife called him away, other tables were available.

Comfortably replete, I set off on my walk towards the walled garden and the snowdrop walk. As I entered the snowdrop walk, I noticed a grey cloud over that area, the only grey cloud in a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. As I entered the woodland snowdrop walk I was first treated to ice cold raindrops followed by hailstones. I embraced the weather but regretted this meant I had to put my camera away.

I set off on a lovely walk around the walled garden, revisiting the snowdrop walk when the sun was shining (which it did for the rest of my walk), exploring new pathways in addition to my farourite walks. The photos of the walk speak for themselves there is no need for additional words

The Vision & Verb collaborative project (by women of a certain age) has now reached its conclusion.  Marcie was our inspiration and guiding light, so I feel it appropriate to share her closing Vision & Verb.

Namaste

With palms pressed at heart’s center – we sound our voices.  We begin with a deep resounding ‘ohhhhm’.

Some of us are tentative at first. Our voices are new to us. We’re unsure. We’re shy. We’re scared. We haven’t – yet – given ourselves permission to speak out loud…to sing.

Together – we grow strong.

We connect to our hearts and our heartsongs. We connect to the earth and its energies. We connect to one another…honoring our intentions and commitment to show up together in this one space…in this one time…in this one day.

We are all the same.

We have arrived here from all corners of the globe. We were strangers. We have become friends. We’ve shared the stories of our lives…and our life’s stories. We’ve dreamed. We’ve laughed. We’ve cried. We’ve challenged and inspired and encouraged one another to be the best selves we possibly can.

We’ve learned kindness and patience and gratitude and joy. We’ve held one another in times of sadness. We’ve celebrated our victories. We’ve honored our defeats. And -  we’ve been there for one another as a reminder that tomorrow always comes. A new day will dawn and with it – another opportunity to begin. Again.

For me – our time here at Vision and Verb has been one long beautiful communal vinyasa practice. Our bodies and our breaths. Our images and our words. Quiet…soulful…deeply meaningful and powerful personal connection.

We’ve shown up. We burned brightly. And now – the time has come to let go. With appreciation…compassion… grace.

We honor the endings by knowing that every ending is really a beginning. We’ve shown up for ourselves and one another and done the best work that we can.

‘We’re all just walking each other home.’

Just as we began – almost 5 years ago – we close by bringing our palms together once and again at our heart’s center.  We sound our voices in a longer and deeper and more resonant ‘ohhhhhmmmm’. We’re confident. We’re strong. What we needed – we learned – we’ve always had within.

We’ve felt the energy. We’re now feeling the release.

We bring our hands from our hearts to our third eye center. A reminder to ourselves to follow our heart’s lead. We bow our heads.

And together – we say:

Namaste’.

The light in me honors the light, love, beauty and truth and peace within you. In sharing our authentic selves and brave stories – we are united. We are one. We are the same.

In deepest gratitude.

* * *

Thank-you to all of our dear and loyal readers who have shown up and shared in our stories. Your presence and spirit and quiet encouragement has meant so much to us here. You can find links to our individual blogs by checking out who is gathered around Our Table.

When one door closes another opens.

We look forward to your joining with us in wherever our new creative adventures lead.

***

Some of the ladies are preserving and sharing their posts from the project, they can be viewed at the following links:

• Marcie
• Cherry
• Donabella
• Ginnie
• Sue

In January 2010 I was inspired by a new blog project of pairing of words and photographs/art (Vision & Verb). I followed the blog from day one and in 2011 I was honored to be invited to contribute to the project alongside the ladies who had inspired me with their thoughts.

The project is coming to an end soon (today was my last post) and I am feeling a little sad that our combined contributions will no longer be collectively visible.

My contributions to the group have been recorded on Cherry Elsewhere.

Shalom xx

The three images in this post are my latest contributions to the Vision & Verb initiative to sell greeting cards in order to generate money to be given as loans to men and women around the world who are starting their own businesses.

It is my turn at Vision & Verb today.  My post is about a project launched by the Imperial War Museum (IWM). It is a digital memorial to record the life of every person who served in uniform or worked on the home front during World War One.  An ancestor of mine is listed on the site so I will be taking a small part in the project.  I invite you to join me there.

It is my turn at Vision & Verb today.  My post is about the Kazerne Dossin museum and military barracks which serve as a permanent history and memorial to the Jews who were held there awaiting deportation to Nazi concentration camps during WWII.  I invite you to join me there.

More photos of the museum and barracks can be found in my Flickr set.

It is my turn at Vision & Verb today.  I share a brief overview of my recent holiday in Mechelen.  If you have been following my journey you will probably know most of it already

But non the less I invite you to join me there…

It is my turn at Vision & Verb today.  My post is about about the choice of a weekend away  in Mechelen as a Christmas gift.

I invite you to join me there.

It is my turn at Vision & Verb today.  My post is about the extreme weather that has been taking place in the British Isles recently.

I invite you to join me there.

It is my turn at Vision & Verb today.  I am reflecting on the upcoming anniversary of  WW1 and the series of events that are planned to commemorate the occasion.

It is my turn at Vision & Verb today, I am reflecting on my adventures of 2013.