Sunny dog walks, a French beach, and my recording studio!

 

 

Hello from a sunny doggie walk!

 

 

Once we got over the little bridge there was a big off-leash area. Fluffy white Micky dog loved running around while Daphne and Chloe are more nervous and stick close to mum.

Daphne and Chloe being brave

 

 

Public parks are such a blessing. How lucky are we to be able to choose different areas to visit without even having to mow the lawns or weed the garden ourselves?

Micky loving life

Daphne sticking close to mum, and Chloe is just behind me

Like most doggies, these guys LOVE going in the car :)

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Today’s photos are the last in my series where I invited readers to send in their take on what a soft, calm life means to them.

 

 

 

These calm, moody images are from Belinda, who lives in rural France, but was holidaying in Biarritz in the southwest of France. Because of the cloudy day she said it was lovely and quiet as she sat on the beach, having a rare treat – a yoghurt ice-cream. “Even in busy Biarritz in France I can find places of calm.”

 

Thank you Belinda, for your dreamy photos! It looks so peaceful and… French 😊

 

Today’s accompanying excerpt from ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’ is a petite paragraph from the bonus chapter ‘50 Ways to Romanticize Your Everyday’ and it’s tip no. 28:

:: Take a paper book out with you ::

“I love Pinterest images where a lady is reading her book at a café, in the park or at the beach. It’s just not quite the same with a phone or Kindle, if only for the aesthetics! Keep a book with you so that you too can sit for a moment and read a few pages. Why not recreate that Pinterest vibe for yourself?”

I always feel too self-conscious to read or journal in public, unless I am waiting for someone. Somehow that makes it okay! Perhaps I need to get over myself and do what I want to do?

Do you read (or journal) in public? Do you feel self-conscious as well??? My mum always said people were too busy thinking of themselves to worry about what I was doing. Maybe that’s true 😂

 

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And finally this week, here I am in my little 'recording studio' at home, working through my audiobooks!

 

 

When I first started recording them, I looked into hiring an actual recording studio locally. But I can only record for short periods of time, 30-60 minutes each day, so I didn't really think it would work out practically.

So I set up one of our guest rooms as my recording studio at home.

I put a blanket over the mirrored drawers and have pillows piled up behind me. The more soft surfaces the better! I sometimes close the curtains too, although it's nice to have the sunshine and natural light.

I shut the door and put a draft snake along the bottom, otherwise I can hear Daphne snuffling under the door looking for me 😂

I do have to stop and re-record if there is an outbreak of barking while a car drives past or a bird flies within their eyesight... three dogs makes a lot of racket! And one always sets the others off - usually Chloe, the smallest and most antagonistic in her own cute way 🤣

I've been really enjoying getting reacquainted with my books. Apart from when I write them, I don't really read them again, because after the many read-throughs for proofreading and editing, I really am thoroughly sick of each title as I release it!

In spite of those many many readings I still find the occasional typo as I read the audiobooks, so I tidy those up as I go😊

I hope you’ve been enjoying listening to my narration if you’re an audiobook person. You can find them on Spotify and Audible, and anywhere else you get your audiobooks from, including your library where you can ask to have them ordered in!

Happy weekend to you 🌸🌸🌸

xx Fiona

PS. You can find ‘100 Ways to Live a Soft, Calm Life’ here on Amazon and all my others through my fancy Linktree page below.

 

 (My Amazon links are affiliate but the price doesn’t change for you, thank you if you choose to use my links!)