Comfort Zone

Something occurred to me these past few days, a collection of thoughts, feelings and experiences which led me to this conclusion :: I have become deeply entrenched in my own personal  Comfort Zone. Now this is no bad thing in my opinion, for I am very, very happy and content tucked up inside my zone. And if happiness is a measure of success, then I have that in spades.

My life is fairly mundane for the most part. Days of low key, mellow routine which revolve around the needs of my family interwoven with my daily quest for pleasure and creative fulfilment. I am extremely fortunate to have a loving and stable home life, my health (which I never take for granted), friendships and freedom. I relish my freedom more than I am able to put into words - my days can sometimes feel a little adrift as I don't tend to have a huge amount of structure, but that is just a teeny tiny down-side with a very large up-side. I can wake up and choose what I do with my days, I can choose where I wish to spend my six child-free hours, I can do things on a whim, can chop and change depending on my mood, the weather, a whiff of a spontaneous idea - this freedom is sooooo precious and I consider myself very, very lucky indeed to have it.

In recent years, my life experiences have accidentally narrowed somewhat. By that I mean that I don't tend to ever venture very far from home any more. I used to love going down to London once or twice a year, getting on the train and setting off for a day of adventure in the Big Smoke. I used to love the thrill of it, used to crave the excitement of Big Shops, stimulation, inspiration, retail therapy. I don't recall when exactly I stopped wanting to go places, it just kind of dwindled down to nothing so that the idea of journeying for three and a half hours in order to spend money in shops just began to feel rather silly.

Every year we take our family holidays in familiar places within the UK - Dorset, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, Northumberland. Every year I give quite a lot of thought to new places we might visit, new things we might try, and yet every year we settle with familiar routine and go back to the same places. It seems we still need to be in our comfort zone, even when we aren't at home.

Sometimes I get frustrated by the whole same-same of my days, this very ordinary little thing that my life has become, but truthfully that doesn't happen often. I have come to really appreciate the gentle familiarity of a small life spent in a small rural market town, being Mum to my three Little People and being the person I am without effort, struggle, stress or ambition. It is peaceful, it makes me happy, this small domestic life of mine.

On Friday I spent some lovely hours with J who had the day off work. I know he sometimes envies my days of freedom, and the days he has free from his working life are precious to him. I asked him what he wanted to do with his day and he said he'd simply like to walk by the river. Fine by me - lets go.....

He chose a familiar and favourite place of ours, the footpath along the River Wharfe at Bolton Abbey (twice in one week for me!). It was damp and still, and aside from the rushing sound of the river it was very quiet and peaceful on this dull, cold, overcast Friday morning. It really does make you feel great walking amongst nature, it tops up the feel-good tanks somehow. Such fresh, cool, oxygenated air here under the trees as we teeter on the edge of Winter. We walked and talked and it was good.

After our walk we headed further into the countryside to one of our favourite pubs (the New Inn at Appletreewick) for a spot of lunch. This pub is so unpretentious, so down to earth and rustic, we love it's simplicity very much. On this Friday lunch time we were the only customers, we sat right there next to the log fire and soaked up the warm and cosy atmosphere.

This was the day before a Very Big Day Indeed, and there was a certain amount of nervous anticipation filling my mind. In the quiet of this small pub, J and I talked of what was to happen the next day, our Big Day Out, our journey to a city which was to take me way out of my comfort zone......

We had an early start on Saturday morning, leaving the house at 7am before the sun had risen over the hills. As we journeyed out of Yorkshire, we were surprised to see the hilltops of Lancashire dusted with a powdery covering of snow - Winter has arrived in a sharp, sudden snap of coldness here. Bye bye Autumn.

Travelling to Manchester was such a strange thing, it was nerve wracking and familiar all at the same time. Manchester is the city where J and I met each other twenty two years ago, where we studied, lived, socialised and worked for eight years through our twenties. We know the city well and loved our life there, and yet it still felt very strange to be back, so unexpectedly unfamiliar. And huge. Crikey, everything in that city is enormous! Very close to our destination we had a really stressful time in the depths of the city centre when our trusty sat-nav lady went absolutely bonkers and completely lost the plot. She had a total meltdown and started talking non-stop at us in her impeccable English accent "turn right, right hand lane, keep right, Albion Street, keep right, Manchester, Birmingham Airport, right hand lane, keep right, Birmingham Airport, etc etc...." What On Earth???!!!  I was sooooooo uptight, we were trying to find a particular car park and my heart was hammering so loud with anxiety that I thought I might just open the car window and throw up my toast and marmite. Luckily for me, J is a) a very good driver and b) unbelievably calm in times of navigational stress.

So eventually we found the aforementioned car park, and all of a sudden we were there at the (huge) Manchester Central convention centre. It's a really beautiful old building (an old railway station), constructed in a huge arc and kind of industrial but with so many curves it is rather graceful and lovely. The Handmade Christmas Fair was already under way (it had started on Friday) and there was a lovely atmosphere in the building. We went straight to the Super Theatre and I tried very, very hard not to be nervous.....

......gulp. So many chairs!!!! Yikes!!!! My internal dialogue was a little bit like the sat-nav lady at this point, kind of a slightly panicky, manic running dialogue of randomness. But, it was *OK*, I managed to stay calm and the team behind the scenes were friendly and welcoming and instantly put me at ease. I can't really tell you an awful lot about my chat with Kirstie as it all went by in a bit of a blur. There were around 180 lovely ladies in the audience, but it still managed to feel quite cosy and informal somehow. We chatted, I relaxed a little. We chatted some more. I talked about crochet, colour, blogging, all things I feel good about and found that I actually had quite a lot to say about (!) You can read a really great write up on Kathryn's blog Crafternoon Treats (Kathryn was in the audience).

It went by in a flash - forty five minutes of being very far out of my Comfort Zone, on the stage and in the spotlight, public speaking and all. SO far removed from my normal little Attic-dwelling life, but I surprised myself and really did genuinely enjoy the whole experience. My big hope is that I might have inspired someone to maybe start a blog of their own, find their writing voice, be brave enough to share their thoughts ideas and projects with others.  Becoming part of this amazing, thriving blogging community right here in the world wide web has changed my life. There is so much good here within the creative community, so much talent, passion and inspiration, and it's a real privilege to be a part of it. I love my little blogging space so much!!

Did I mention how BIG Manchester is?

City buildings and city streets, the height of the surrounding landscape, it was all quite overwhelming. I suddenly missed the hills, I missed the familiarity of feeling gently grounded amidst a rural landscape. J felt the same - there was a moment when we both stopped walking and looked at each other and communicated a "lets get out of here" thought. So instead of heading right into the city centre as planned, we turned right around, walked back to the car and drove away.....

.....not too far away mind you. We simply headed five miles out of the centre to the quiet leafy suburban roads where we used to live. We drove down our old road and past the old house which we shared with five friends, and parked in the car park of our old local pub where we once spent a lot of our time. It was refreshingly familiar and surprisingly unchanged since we left almost twenty years ago.

We plonked ourselves down on some saggy leather sofas next to  a glowing coal fire and breathed out. Phewwwwww. A large glass of celebratory vino and a very good hot steak sandwich later, and all was right in my world again.

Yesterday (Sunday) was a day of total slobbery. Arriving home on Saturday evening I had felt utterly exhausted and drained. I went to bed early and slept for ten hours straight, waking up with such a huge sense of relief and a lightness in my soul. I did it! I went well and truly out of my Comfort Zone, and it really was OK, I did OK. Still, this sense of relief stayed with me all day, and I made the most of it, allowing myself a personal little glow of pride whilst lounging around on the sofa in my pyjamas. We lit the fire after lunch (it's gotten really blinking cold here), and I settled down to immerse myself in those Sunny stripes of glorious colour.

At the end of my legs, my feet were cosied up in some rather lovely hand knit socks...........and that's a story I shall tell you about very soon :)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Corinne]

beautiful photography! you have a very artistic eye.

[Michelle]

Wow, sounds like a great day. I had a Big Day Saturday too. It was my brother's wedding days do he was marrying a beautiful Yorkshire lass. We travelled from Birmingham to Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire. I did all the driving there and back, the most I've done in the three years since I passed my test and boy did it rain on the way home. But we had a fantastic day and I'm more determined than ever to leave the big city of Birmingham and move a beautiful Yorkshire village like Kirkbymoorside. I love the North, Yorkshire and Cumbria are such beautiful places to live, I have to say, as happy as I am with my life and wonderful family I am a little bit envious of yours ;p

[laura]

Dear Lucy, what a wonderful post! I love your blog for many years, but this time I can't stop watching your photo and reading your inspirational words.
Thank you very much for sharing all of this with us! <3 <3 <3

[Judyk2310]

I'm sure you did wonderful!! Isn't it nice to visit a large city but know that you have your special place in a small town? I like that as I live in a small town and always appreciate coming home from the city.
I finished my CAL Granny Stripe blanket!! I even put the edging on!!!! Getting ready to order more yarn from the Wool Warehouse. I love that I can get a Lucy package as that leaves all the decisions about color to you. I love your color ways so how could I not love your yarn packages!!! Thanks so much!

[Fuzzbunkle]

Hooray for you! What an inspiration stepping out of your comfort zone in front of all those people - very impressive. And I am sure your talk was just like your blog, full of colour and vibrancy that left everyone who attended bursting to get out their crochet needles. Well done :-)

[Bev]

Just found your blog today, Lucy, while looking for crochet holly leaves (thank you!). We seem to have almost identical lives, except my focus is my tarot blog and five dogs - kids are teens now. We live in a small Welsh village and my daily pleasure is walking in the nearby woods. I, too, have felt as though my life has closed in over the last few years. We home-schooled our children, so everything revolved around them. After reading your post (and heart beating fast as I drove around Manchester with you!), I feel better about loving being home and content with my 'small' life. Thank you again.

[Abbie]

You have such a beautiful way with words! Thank you for sharing bits of your life, thoughts and comfort zone with the rest of the world!

[Maria João Machado]

I wish I lived in a place like yours. That field and nature... love it! XOXO

[Anne]

Thank you Lucy, for your insightful blog, inspiration in all things creative and wonderful photos. It is like walking along the banks of the River Wharfe and visiting the New Inn again, rather than it being a distant memory. Priceless.

[Penny L]

Do you know Lucy, I think this is one of my favourite posts ever! Its so full of thankfulness, and just lovely to read of a life well lived. In a world so full of sad and scary things it's just aliitle bit brilliant to notice the good. And I have no need to leave my comfort zone either!! I am so glad it went well on Saturday , I really wished that Manchester was not so far from lovely Dorset! Thanks for sharing so eloquently. Lots of love Penny Lxxx

[Sam]

Looks like a touch of Adriafil on your feet! One of my favourites.

[Vai]

Congratulations on a job well done! And may I say how envious I am of the rural countryside you live in? I visited England for the second time last month and spent most of the 9-day trip in the Lake District. I fell in love with Grasmere and Ambleside. In fact, I'm quite in love with your 'foothpaths' - they are magical, leading you from one amazing place to another, all the while trampling through wonderful countryside. Love your blog and your pictures, especially those taken on your walks! I live in Mumbai (India), and rarely get to step into the countryside, so I am living vicariously through your blogwalks :-)

[Ali Whale]

I have always thought you to be very lucky in that you have been able to make the choice to stay at home and that your relationship with your husband is such a strong one. You seem to live exactly the life that you want, filled doing exactly what you want to do. No wonder your husband is sometimes a little envious!
Having said that parenting and blogging is a job and you do that extremely successfully and your approach to it is now taking you into things that you wouldn't normally choose to do. Enjoy it Lucy, nerves and a step outside the comfort zone are good and you are so naturally lovely that you can only come across well. You inspire so many people (me included) just by being you. Keep up the good work...x

[Grace Edwards]

That's so great that you decided to step out of your comfort zone even for only a few hours. I know the people who came to hear you talk are glad you did! I think it's good to do stuff like that every now and then - long term wouldn't work, but the occasional tummy butterflies is good for the soul. Thank you for being so generous with your ideas, thoughts, designs and color combining gift.

[Nienke]

Beautiful autumn colours!

[Karen]

Beautifully said, as always. Totally relate to you on the comfort zone thing, familiar suits me very well too. Well done for your Kirstie interview!

[sue godfrey]

So pleased to hear about your day with Kirstie. Ilive in the North West, Lytham St Anne's and hadn't heard of the event. Hopefully it will be better advertised next year. I have just recently retired, I am a quilter but am keen to broaden my horizons 😀 do you have any advice on where to start to learn how to crochet? Hugs Sue x

[Rural TN]

Lucy, you are awesome! I read your "chat" link. A million readers! WOW! Would have been in the audience is I lived close. Thanks for a great blog. Love your directions/patterns. Happy Thanksgiving from the country in Tennessee in the US.

[Gayle]

Hello dear Lucy, I'm on row 43 of the Granny Stripe but using the Harmony colours. It's very hot here in Aus but I can't resist the relaxing feel that comes with crochet,even when it's hot. I taught myself to crochet after coming into contact with you. It's changed my life. I'm onto blanket no.5 and planning the next.
Your explanation of what makes your life so happy and content has reassured me about my own life. I'm 62 an empty nester living with my hubby of 41 years. My life is filled but simple and sometimes I have felt I should have done more eg worked full time,made more money etc etc. you have helped me feel worthwhile again. Thank you so much for sharing your life.

[Bruna Ferreira]

Lucy, your blog is my comfort zone on the internet! love you!

[Sabine]

Your blog is worth reading every single word! I like your style and of cause your beautiful blankets. At the moment I have to deal with a big change in my life. I'm not longer shuttleing between the country where I earn my money for our 150 years old school house which we (we means - I earn the money he is working at the house) are restoring. A lot of happy crochet projects including the cosy blanket helped me over the last 4 stormy years with very less comfort zone. Thank you Lucy for your guidance through this time. My blankets keep me cosy and warm in this beautiful but at the moment a little bit cold home. Inspired by your Yarndale we had a creative garden event - appx. 20 visitors, but a lot of fun and nice chatter. And I know all things need to be STARTED!
I love your blog - and know I'm in a community of thousends of people all over the world.
Maybe I start the CAL but with the Cosy Stripe Blanket ;-) - keep individual

[amandine]

love your work so much , I tag you on my blog , so you win the Liebster Award . See that on my blog ( I can't post the direct link sorry ... :/ )
;)

[Beth]

As someone who thrives on routine, I can completely understand this. But life never lets us stay comfortable for too long! I quit my job of 13 years two years ago and moved 300 miles from home. It was horrifying! But I continue to enjoy the adventure of it. Still, it is nice to come home at the end of the day... (Also- I knew you would do great! xx)

[Jennifer Tuggle]

Dear Lucy, I have read and loved your blog for many years, since the very beginning. Your words and your work are inspiring. This post, in particular, moved me to comment. It is so heartwarming and encouraging to read about your CONTENTMENT -- with your family, your home, your job, everything! So many people now are searching for that contentment and happiness, and you have found that BEING ENRICHED by the SIMPLEST THINGS is what it is all about! I love that, and I love the reminder of that. I feel that you never take your blessings for granted, and that being grateful is indeed a way of thinking and living. Thank you, thank you sweet Lucy! And isn't it fun to think we are like long-distance friends--I live in Athens, Georgia--a long way away!

[Nic]

And r-e-l-a-x! Having clicked your many-colours-including-ruby sock heels together. You're so good at getting experiences across in writing Lucy, carry on blogging x