To do

I haven't got very far with my 'to do' list and I blame this on a) the weather and b) the fact that my fridge is broken. a) and b) seem to be perfectly legitimate reasons (excuses) for my failure to make more soup and my lack of any attempt to become a green-fingered balcony-beautifying gardening goddess. However, yoga is something that I can practice in doors, by myself and at no cost and due to these simple facts, I am feeling a nasty niggle of guilt that I have not yet become one of those lean, rosey cheeked and elastic yogis that you see float around organic stores.

To give myself some credit (because if I don't, you're unlikely to) I have got out the yoga mat and stretched into down dog on several occasions since I added the practice of yoga to my 'to do' list. I have not blogged about these instances because my down dog days have been few and far between and taken together would hardly constitute a 'practice'.

I tell myself that when spring comes I will be up with the earliest birdies and stretching as the sun rises over the nearby sports stadium (not as picturesque as the sun rising above the sea, but you've got to work with what you've got). I delight in this image of myself, limber, refreshed, full of peace and at the same time energetic. In my daydream, I finish my practice with a smile and proceed to eat a healthy breakfast of muesli and fruit, washed down with a little green tea. I am wearing a very tasteful get up and my entire apartment is spotless.

It's a wonderful hope however, here's the thing, unless I actively do something about achieving this pretty picture and drag myself from bed on the chillier mornings before Ireland's excuse for a summer begins, I may be too stiff and too set in my lazy ways to hop out from beneath the covers when those warmer, clearer, brighter mornings roll around. (In order to achieve the imaginary tidy apartment I may have to employ someone).

I'm a great believer in dreaming wishful daydreams to get us through the days when we're not too thrilled with ourselves or our lives. Does anyone out there agree that, when it comes to getting and staying happy, hope is as important as love? I think so.

However, hope is merely a daydream if we do not take the actions available to us to bring about our dreamed up versions of reality.

Many things are out of our control, but starting to practice yoga is something that I can do for myself so, in order to show that I do respect the 'list', I will be up with those birdies (although maybe with the later sleeping crows, until I can get with the early bird program and rise when the alarm sounds) tomorrow morning and saluting the sun, downing the old dog and namaste-ing my way to that image of myself that I like to imagine.

With regard to the 'urban garden' - I get far too emotionally attached to my plants to subject any fresh young shoots to the snow and ice that persist this month. Once the chill is gone from the air my balcony will be ready for its makeover.

And as to the soup, excuses, excuses but until I get a new fridge, I fear for my life and the life of my boyfriend too much to store fresh cream or any dairy products in my home. I could make my favourite soup, pappa, with bread, tomatoes and handfuls of basil leaves but don't hold your breaths. When the new fridge arrives we can re-negotiate.

Until then, I will amend my lazy ways with a first small step. One down, oh so many more to go... but I feel better now that I've made a plan of action, even if it is a paltry plan.