Early One Morning... - Christina Hollis

...Just as the sun was rising, I found myself scurrying around the chores in typical headless chicken mode. The night before, I’d fallen asleep the second I slumped down in front of the TV. I’d call that a wake up call, if it wasn’t a contradiction in terms! Too exhausted to make the following day’s packed lunches or start off the washing machine, I crawled straight off to bed. That meant I was already two jobs down when I woke up the next morning. Once the laundry was on the go, the online grocery order posted, the hens let out and fed and all the sandwiches made, I skidded into the greenhouse desperate to get all the watering done before the school run.


As I opened the door, the fragrance of growing things stopped me in my tracks. Brompton stocks in full flower, ripening strawberries and lush herb leaves accidentally crushed under foot all added to the delicious mixture of perfumes, warmed by the low rays of the sun. No wonder aromatherapy is so popular. As W.H Davies wrote in his poem Leisure;

‘What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare?’

How right he was. No matter how hard any of us work, more jobs will always loom on the horizon. I decided it was time to take a little break. I fetched a cup of tea and enjoyed it sitting on the greenhouse bench. It was worth it to enjoy the pleasures of those flowers and fruit. They are over so quickly.

I’d like to tell you that the hands of the clock magically went backwards for those few precious minutes, but it didn’t happen. We got to school after a hot and breathless hurry, and the panic was only over when I switched on the computer and started work. Working on my latest WIP for a few hours gave me another tranquil space where I could recharge my batteries. Writing is another great stress-buster for me.

That’s just as well, since the whole mouse-on-a-wheel circus of family life starts afresh first thing every morning!
Do you ever manage to snatch a few minutes of time for yourself? And do you have a special sanctuary? I’d love to hear about it!
Christina Hollis writes Modern Romance/Presents for Harlequin Mills and Boon, when she isn’t chasing her tail, the family, hens, or swarms of honeybees.

You can catch up with her here:

Website: http://www.christinahollis.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter/com/christinabooks
Facebook: http://bit.ly/9rv4df

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