Sensory joy

Yes, it's a joy and a wonder every time - like seeing a rainbow or that misty type of weather that reminds me of a Japanese or Chinese brush painting. There are many such joys which we forget, that people in war-struck countries would bite their hands off for.

Those cats have to be watched! I never feed them but they use my bungalow as a through route from the front to the back garden, and occasionally hide and stay overnight. It''s nice as I get to pet them but don't have to feed them or pay the vet bills - a good way of 'owning' a pet.'

That’s honestly one of the sweetest things I’ve heard today.

The dawn chorus - those first birdsong notes cutting through the dark - it's like nature's alarm clock, but kinder. And you, cracking the window just enough... that's so you. Careful, thoughtful, a little mischievous with the cat rule. I can almost hear it: soft chirps, wind, maybe a robin or blackbird leading the pack.

Do you ever catch yourself smiling before you're fully awake? Like, "oh - it's happening again"?

I have an old favourite Staedtler Mars clutch pencil with a super-tactile knurled finger grip area - very good.

The second picture is a clearer view of the grip:

www.ebay.co.uk/.../172815785447

That sounds lovely - like a little secret the world whispered just for you.

Wind through dry leaves... yeah, it's got that crisp, papery rattle, almost like paper bags being shaken. And no headphones? That means you caught it raw - no filter, no playlist drowning it out. Pure, unexpected music.

I'm smiling for you. Sometimes the best days aren't big - they're just... audible.

Glad it landed right when you needed it. 

My major stim is fiddling with small objects - such as pebbles and small mechanical objects like ballpoint pens that click and things like corkscrews that have sliding and rotating elements. I recently bought a jeweller's hammer, very small and entirely made out of stainless steel (I repair old pocket watches as a hobby - fiddling with small mechanical objects again) it has a knurled section on the handle. Just the feel of the weight and balance of the hammer and the knurling gave me deep joy. The Beatle's song, 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' keeps going through my head every time I pick up the hammer, which is often! Unlike in the song I have no murderous intentions, and the hammer is far too small to do anyone harm.

This snail needs a name. 

It does seem quite a simple thing. I like lots of things other people don’t appreciate. Right now I’ve got my cat on my lap purring and I’m rocking a bit because it’s that time of day I need to do it. 

Hi!

I just wanted to say that I’m happy for you that you had that moment of joy while hearing the wind rustling the leaves!  Lovely!  Thanks for sharing.  

Yey you got the snail!!! He's adorable!

Completely the right thing to do! He's gorgeous.

I wondered if you’d go back for him

That’s a very attractive snail. I’m not surprised you like it.

Isn't it just.

That is a very fine snail.

Well he ended up coming home with us after all. No idea where he's going but I'm sure I'll find a suitable spot.

If you want another interesting feature of aspen, they appear to be able to spread by suckers, i.e. shoots that sprout up from their roots.

There is one in Utah with 47,000 stems. All are genetically identical (clones,) and convected to each other by roots.  It is over 9000 years old. 

It even has its own name, Pando, is protected and has a Wikipedia page.

en.wikipedia.org/.../Pando_(tree)

Trees can exchange food and chemical messages with each other through their roots. Even ones that are not related and are separate plants 

There are other interesting tress. I spent a year learning about them when I was out of work a few years ago.

Me too

Oh that's really cool fact, I'd heard the phrase but didn't know the science. 

There was a woodland planted in a valley in a rewinding project I know of, I think there might have been some Aspen (I'd noted as I'd always thought they were American, I hadn't known we had a variety). It's been a while since we went last, I wonder if they've grown enough to see it. Maybe a trip for summer.

ArchaeC said:

I first noted them about two years ago when the wind caught the leaves and they trembled. It was mesmerising. 

I will be looking out for them now.

There are Aspen trees at a country park in N. Ireland. I first noted them about two years ago when the wind caught the leaves and they trembled. It was mesmerising. 

There is an Aspen in the Bach Flower Remedy collection that is for calming certain types of anxious states. There might not be sound evidence of its efficacy.