urban gardening

Tags

after-hours mutant, city living, Dublin, gardening, photography, photos, plants, sunshine, urban gardening

Like so many city dwellers I don’t own a garden, only windowsills and a bit of pavement. While that does bring the advantage of not having to cut grass or weed it also means fewer flowers and no trees.

Since the weather has been so lovely I abandoned my cleaning (yes, half way through dusting the lure of the sun was too strong to withstand) and took a trip down to a garden center with one of my neighbours. We had some lunch and emptied out our pennies and stocked up on  a few plants.

Back on the street we weren’t the only ones  enjoying the outdoors and soon the neighborhood felt like a Italian piazza – everyone was sitting out enjoying the sun, chatting to each other and  enjoying food and drink on their doorsteps.

Now all I can hope is that the sun stays around for a while allowing me to enjoy my blue bench and my very own urban gardening.

brightening up the street

urban gardening

sunny Saturday morning

Tags

endorphins, halo-effect, health, psychology, Saturday, summer, sunshine, vitamin d

It’s meant to be raining, according to the weather forecast, but the sun doesn’t seem to have gotten that memo. For now it is shining and keeping those rain clouds at bay.

Studies have shown that we become nicer when the sun is shining, we tend to be quicker to answer researchers, give directions more readily and we even reach further into our pockets and give larger tips. Even the stock-markets trade more and is three times more likely to go up when the sun shines. Yes, even traders and investors feel more positive on sunny days, but unlike us they don’t just buy an ice-cream cone but put their money into bonds.

This happiness and optimism that awakens in us when the sun comes out to play is called the “halo-effect”. Now the halo effect defines how we see things due to our knowledge of an other thing. So, if someone is good at say card games we assume they are good at dice games too, or if someone is bad at football we assume they are bad at basketball as well. And when the sun shines making endorphins bounce around in our brains we just assume everything is good, because we feel good.

Sadly the downside to summer frolicking is that the suicide rate goes up. The reason behind this is that someone who is feeling low sees lots of happy, jolly people and it makes them feel worse about themselves so they become more prone to seeking a permanent solution.

But with all that said I just think most of us love the luxury of letting the warmth of the sun caress our skins and enjoy wearing light summery clothes. Of course we have to be mindful to not burn but letting the sun tickle us helps produce Vitamin D and as our skin is highly efficient at doing just that only 15-30 minutes of sunshine creates the same amount as drinking 200 glasses of milk would.

I am not a fan of milk myself I think I may just treat myself to an ice-cream, let my skin take care of the vitamin D production and let my endorphins run wild – what a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

 sunshine inside a flower

early rising and sunshine

Tags

alarm, early rising, getting up, mornings, sleep, sleep cycle, stages of sleep, sunshine

It is so much easier to get up when you are woken by sunny skies. This morning the sun tickled my nose before the alarm went off and I enjoyed a few minutes stretching in bed.

Being woken in this gentle way is not only much better for us but seems to be the way nature intended it to be. Loud ringing, buzzing or screeching alarms are not only really annoying they are also not good for us as they often interrupt us during our deep sleep and REM phases. Since our bodies are designed to wake up in our light phases of sleep, either before or after an REM, if we are pulled out of our deep sleep we feel groggy and tired. It also means that we start the day with or bodies already feeling stressed.

There are actually five stages of sleep in a cycle, and each sleep cycle is about 90 minutes long. The first two stages are considered light , the next two (three and four) are deep and the final stage is REM ((rapid eye movement), in which you dream. It is fine when you are woken up out of the first two stages of sleep, you feel rested and  good – that is why short naps work – but once you are pulled out of one of the last three stages it’s a different story. You will feel more tempted to press the snooze button and long for more time in bed.

That is why it is always better to allow your body to wake up naturally – even if it is early – you will feel more rested for the rest of the day and you won’t feel drained or stressed before you’ve had your breakfast. And of course everything is better when the sun is shining!

against the wind

Tags

against the wind, bikes, cycling, cycling against the wind, Dublin, Ireland, photo, photography, sunshine, wind, windy days

Most days you’ll find me cycling in and out to work, battling the traffic and hoping it will do me more physical good than harm. It’s a good 20-25 minutes cycle each way and a small stretch is up a steeper, longer hill than I would like.

This morning, when I buckled on my helmet and zipped up my all weather jacket (which actually is a complete misleading term, it is fine against the wind but not really against the rain), I was thrilled to see the sun shining brightly and only a few white fluffy clouds in the sky.

Oh, but how deceived I was.

I quickly discovered that the ‘blustery winds’ the weather man had forecast were much stronger than he had promised and soon I was huffing and puffing against the wind. My heavy bike and large (full) saddlebags  catching the wind and soon I am sure my face was as red as my rage against the misleading weather.

The whole 25 minutes peddling in to work I was giving out to the wind and when I hit the hill, I am unashamed to admit, that I got off my bike and pushed. I arrived in work in time – maybe a little more out of breath than usual and happy that I for a  few minutes I had the office to myself- giving my mood (and face) a bit of time to settle down.

Now all I hope is that the wind doesn’t change direction – that way I’ll have it in my back the whole way home, a extra bit of push after a long days work.

Dublin bikes for all to use – I prefer my own

having a very Good Friday

Tags

Easter, Good Friday, masters, novel, photography, photos, short story, sun, sunshine, writing

It’s half way through the day and I have to admit I am having a very Good Friday. That hour of extra sleep and a treat of a bagel for breakfast were the perfect start to bright and sunny day. Some light house work (yes my floors needed a bit of TLC) and a few cups of tea later and the day still stretches before me.

And while I still a good few items on my to-do-list I have decided to indulge in lots of writing time. With the summer break quickly approaching I need to sit down and type. I am behind with my novel and still am at least one short-story short so the hours will be filled with sentences – both long and short – carefully crafted (I hope) and perfectly phrased (I hope even more).

However, since the sun is out, I will take myself for a walk, soak up some rays of vitamin D, boost my serotonin levels and get that tiring melatonin down. And who knows maybe my hiding muse will come out and play for a bit – after all the sun is hard to resist.

the Easter bunny is keeping watch over my progression – until he is eaten

 

 

lost summer

Tags

Dublin, flowers, Hans Christian Andersen, Ireland, photography, quotes, rain and sunshine, summer, summer sun, sun, sunflowers, sunshine

At this point the summer should be in full swing but somehow it never really arrived. After a very wet and miserable weekend and a mixed bag of rain and sunshine today I think it could be time to come to terms with the fact that we may not a get a summer this year at all.

And while I know that this is always a possibility in Ireland right now I do grave a week of just heat and sunshine. Maybe it has to do with the need for more vitamin D or maybe it is just my simple desire to wear short sleeves and sandals. But either way I think the desire for some summer sun is very understandable at the end of June.

However no matter how hard I hope for or how much I long for this years summer to finally make an appearance there is nothing I can do to convince Saint Peter to comply. But not one to give up easily I have decided to buy my own little bit of sunshine in the shape of sunflowers. Now their happy yellow heads greet me every morning, indoor sunshine at it’s most beautiful.

Just living is not enough … one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.

Hans Christian Andersen

foggy mornings, sunny afternoons

Tags

Dublin, fog, frosted glass, fuzzy world, magical atmosphere, spring, sunshine, weather

Over the last few mornings a thick curtain of fog has covered most of Ireland dipping everything into a fuzzy world of haziness. Early today when I looked out of the window it was like gazing through frosted glass, a magical atmosphere of surreal reality.

But as the day matured the sun finally broke through the fog, the warmth of it’s rays penetrating through awakening the world and everything in it. Edges emerging from the haze, colours suddenly appearing.

As I walked home after a few hours of lecturing I couldn’t help but feel a promise of the summer in the air, a few brave souls baring chalky legs to the spring sun and birds singing in the trees. I can’t believe that there are only four weeks of teaching left in this semester, time is speeding up and the year is advancing quickly.

But for now I’ll enjoy these slow foggy awakenings, allow the day to start off a little unclear and be surprised by what the sun then later brings to light.

sunny Saturday

Tags

birdhouse, Dublin, home improvement, quote, sunny, sunshine

Dublin seems to have decided that it is summer again, with temperatures above 18 degrees and the sun having fun high in the sky it really doesn’t feel as if October is just a few days away.

And while I should be sitting at my desk and working the sun keeps tempting me out. And since there are probably only a few days like this left in the year I think I may just be naughty and enjoy the nice weather.

So in a little while I will wander down to the garden, or maybe I’ll go to the beach, but for now I will do something I have been meaning to do for  quite some time now.

For Christmas last year I got a birdhouse, but since I was over in Germany and my suitcase was too heavy I had to leave it tucked away at my sisters. When I went over to see my siblings and other clan members in the summer I Was able to take the birdhouse back with me. And since then it has been patiently waiting for me to hang it up.

But that sounds more simple than it actually is, after all the birdhouse was designed to sit on a pole dug into the earth. My tiny back yard has no earth, no flower beds, nothing hat would allow me to dig a hole in.

So I have been trying to find a way to attach the house to the wall and the only thing I could come up with was a bracket. So I am going to give it  a go and see it it works. And hopefully, if I hang it they (the birds) will come … after all I would love to watch those feathered friends feed outside my window and entertain me.

A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.

writer Maya Angelou

sunshine and art classes

Tags

art, art classes, arts, creat, creative, pinting, spring, sunshine

The sun has found it’s way back to Dublin and since yesterday afternoon clear blue skies and warm spring sunshine has been mocking my cold.  But while my nose dribbles and glows a vibrant red I must say my spirits have been lifted by the return of spring.

And because the new rays of sun have given me an infusion of energy I decided to make good on a promise I made to myself at the beginning of the year.

For a while now I have been thinking about getting back into drawing and painting. As a child and teenager it was my favourite pass-time but over the years other things have taken over my time and my scribblings have turned into blank pages. But every now and then I feel the urge to create, get my hands painty and attack a canvas with my arty attempts.

Because I wanted to do new and more things this year I decided to give art classes a try, however time flies by and all I have to show for my ambitions are a few new paint brushes. So this morning I decided to turn thoughts into actions and I found myself  an accessible art class and next Friday I’ll drop down and try it out for the first time.

I am quite excited about this and can’t wait to let my inner artist out to fingerprint. Who knows maybe I will even not be as bad as I think I am, which will hopefully motivate me to keep it up.

 

summer came

Tags

afternoon stroll, Dublin, endorphins, halo-effect, happy, miscellaneous, psychology, random, summer, sunshine, thoughts, warmth of the sun

I can’t believe it but for four days now the sun has not disappointed and shines down on beautiful Dublin. But as today is Monday my desk is calling and I have to leave the beautiful day outside and try and keep my head down and type.

Studies have shown that we become nicer when the sun is shining, we tend to be quicker to answer researchers, give directions more readily and we even reach further into our pockets and give larger tips. Even the stock-markets trade more and is three times more likely to go up when the sun shines. Yes, even traders and investors feel more positive on sunny days, but unlike us they don’t just buy an ice-cream cone but put their money into bonds.

This happiness and optimism that awakens in us when the sun comes out to play is called the “halo-effect”. Now the halo effect defines how we see things due to our knowledge of an other thing. So, if someone is good at say card games we assume they are good at dice games too, or if someone is bad at football we assume they are bad at basketball as well. And when the sun shines making endorphins bounce around in our brains we just assume everything is good, because we feel good.

Sadly the downside to summer frolicking is that the suicide rate goes up. The reason behind this is that someone who is feeling low sees lots of happy, jolly people and it makes them feel worse about themselves so they become more prone to seeking a permanent solution.

But with all that said I just think most of us love the luxury of letting the warmth of the sun caress our skins and enjoy wearing light summery clothes. Of course we have to be mindful to not burn but letting the sun tickle us helps produce Vitamin D and as our skin is highly efficient at doing just that only 15-30 minutes of sunshine creates the same amount as drinking 200 glasses of milk would.

But as I can’t resist much longer I’ll give in to the lure of the sun and wander down to the park for a mid-afternoon stroll. And as I am not a fan of milk myself I think I may just treat myself to an ice-cream, let my skin take care of the vitamin D production and let my endorphins run wild.