Ros Thompson Bach Flower Practitioner/ Reflexologist/Reiki Master

Well what an amazing week and it's still not over.....

This time last week I was bracing myself for the heat and challenge for a 10K sponsored walk for Sage House Tangmere, that was fabulous and to top it all we raised a nice amount of money all for such a great cause.

This has such an incredible feel good factor and I love this feeling which makes me want to do more.

The heat has been tough at times but it brings back so many memories of my time abroad and there are so many wonderful things.

We did however squeeze a very early morning trip to the beach with the children which was fabulous.

I have had numerous client conversations but one in particular sticks in my mind:-

"My daughter went away to Paris on a school trip - she has never been away without us before and she had a fabulous time" - this little girl is 10 and has a very complicated Autism diagnosis - the remedies have helped her and her family in just the right way!

On top of that I became a Rotarian last Wednesday - I am so honoured and thankful to be part of such a brilliant group, thank you Janie Foote and Karen Baker for introducing me to the Chichester Harbour Rotary Club. Watch this space for lots of news.

I also found myself double booked but managed to squeeze in a visit to the Chichester Chamber of Commerce meeting at the Nest - and Julian Roberts I am sorry I couldn't stay long but the half hour I was there was incredibly helpful. Ian Moore, Louise Maynard and Vicki Edgington some of the pearls of wisdom gained that morning were very useful - thank you.

It is of course the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend where we live and it is right on my doorstep to take the opportunity to stay at home and avoid the horrific traffic scenarios - but that is also a good excuse to watch the tennis.

I have to confess to have had a few late nights watching the tennis this week - I am so inspired by so much of what happens - how they play, the sheer determination, the power and the strength and the stamina is just incredible - sorry to see Djokovic go yesterday along with Arthur Fery but they have been awesome to watch.

I am going to find time to breath and maybe plan a few different things

So a funny thing happened the other day!

I went to the to collect some of their fabulous plants - another great thing that they do.

Pouring with rain and I mentioned to .l.ferrier about maybe me becoming a volunteer ambassador for the museum! Well today it became official and finalised.

Thanks to and Sophie for supporting me in this.

Why you may say something else ..... well, I spend some part of almost every weekend up there.

☀️ Breakfast on a Sunday morning overlooking the lake watching the dragon flies and the wildlife
☀️ Entertaining my grandchildren within the amazing grounds and playing with the toys in the playbarn that relate muore to my childhood than theirs - no tech in there at all.
☀️ Taking a relaxed walk through the woods and fields
☀️ Watching them turn the clock back on farming practices
☀️ Seeing the lambs grow and watch the amazing Percheron horses working in the fields
☀️ Looking at all the amazing exhibits and beautiful old properties

What is there not to like, this place is a veritable treasure trove - and finally of course it is where they film the BBC programme Repair Shop.

I am also very proud of the fact that my dad was a volunteer here right back at the very beginning - so if you like I am carrying on where he left off.

So I make know apologies but I will be dropping the occasional item of useful info. Like their amazing Summer offer for families over the summer holidays - Summer Adventure Pass - please call the office and find out how you can have a fabulous pass for the whole of the summer holidays for all the family - including discounts as well. .l.ferrier is looking forward to helping you to make every day a great day during the summer.

As we come towards the end of the school term, many families are feeling the pressure - the preparation for the 6-week summer holiday is only weeks away -something children may dream of, but for parents and caregivers, it’s a whole new level of time management and emotional logistics.

👉🏻 A Time of Transition

For many parents, especially those running a business, juggling a job, or rely on is gone. When I was doing it and initially I was a single mum it was planned out like an army routine.

Suddenly, you're wearing even more hats:

✅ Parent
✅ Entertainer
✅ Cook
✅ Referee
✅ Employee or business owner
… sometimes all before 10am!

It all sounds easy, but in amongst this there will be children of different ages and have different.

😊 Some children will be either excited or anxious. Children often have mixed feelings about the summer holidays:

😊 Some children LOVE it – the freedom, no school pressure, late mornings, playdates, and more fun time with family.

🤔 Others will struggle – they miss their friends, they need the structure of school, or and need to know what to do with so much unstructured time.

😔 All of this can lead to mood swings, boredom, anxiety, or restlessness in children. It’s not always easy for them to express what they need emotionally-and that’s where gentle support can really help.

🌱 Bach Flower Remedies for families

If you’ve never used Bach Flower Remedies, this could be a wonderful time to introduce them. These natural flower essences can support the emotions -with no side effects they can be used by both adults and children.

Here are some helpful ones during this time of year:

🌱 Elm – For when the pressure feels too much and overwhelm kicks in.
🌱 Walnut – For dealing with change, transitions, and adjusting to new routines.
🌱 Rescue Remedy – A essential part of home first aid kits moments of stress, meltdowns (parents or kids!), or big emotions.
🌱 Impatiens – to help ease the frustrations especially when your plans are constantly interrupted.
🌱 White Chestnut – when the busy minds that won’t switch off.
🌱 Larch – when your little one needs a confidence boost.

One or all of these could be of use and if you would like some advice please don't hesitate to let me know - it would be great to chat more.

Maybe you can tell me about how you manage the school holiday - and your best tip for staying sane.

Home again after another epic drive to Chester to see Lewers, and to send her off for her charity walk across the northern coast of Wales.

We were there for the send off but due to my work commitments we were unable to stay for the walk itself. I know my dearest friend will do her best to achieve her goal.

Sending you much love Lewers in everything you want.
So it was a good night sleep – I didn’t take much rocking – after the evening at the with Chamber of Commerce and listening to their activities and the work that they do – we are so lucky in Chichester to have this amazing place in the centre of town.

I have to confess to feeling a little weary this morning, but it was all very worthwhile – back in time to help my daughter out with work this morning, and great to see the children as well.

We always miss them when we are away.

Every morning I look at my remedies and always check in with what I need and how I am feeling – this morning the need was very much of the Elm remedy – the remedy to help manage the overwhelm that I was feeling when I started to write this.

Overwhelm is a strange thing and something I have learnt to check in with, I have seen people burnout as a result of it and I am not heading that way .

Those who feel this strange feeling, invariably feel low, lack confidence and utterly in capable of saying NO. There is also this feeling of drowning in everything. Not being able to see a way out.

Gradually over time you learn to notice the feelings and recognise the signs, thankfully I am there and realising that regardless of how I feel I need to get on with the job in hand and get my work done.

So it’s down with the remedy – Elm for the overwhelm and Oak for the exhaustion and we will get it all sorted.

What a fabulous week, and it’s not even finished!

Sometimes you just have to listen to your gut and go with the flow and that is exactly what I have done this week – it’s been too hot to argue with it to be honest.

Monday was brilliant fun – time with children and time with baby, music time and client time – what a great combo.

Tuesday – the heat kicked in and I did what I needed to do and helped with 3 sticky children as well as working but also attended the West Sussex Care Network, how interesting that is – the work that they are doing and the hope that is coming from it. So may people caring and offering services for those who need it.

Tuesday also brought me time for me – a break in services – a mess up with diaries and I found myself with time for me – a coffee with and 's Nest – this café is just brilliant and all anyone needs – totally independent and just such good value for money.

Forty-five minutes to sit quietly, and gather my thoughts, tie up some lose ends and join the dots up on others. Time to sit and empty my head and to put things into perspective. I spend most of my days in other people’s heads, so it is nice to have some time to sort my own head out.

Thank you .

Wednesday – despite the heat, I travelled to Alresford for the amazing networking run by Trudy Simmonds – I so love this lady – she runs the most incredible networking events – 35 ladies on the hottest day of the year in a barn in the middle of nowhere, thank you so much for Women's Business, and Chain Reaction for being simply brilliant. Seeing old friends and making new ones – I am sorry I had to dash off but duty called.

Then despite the scorchio (a word pinched from Carol Kirkwood) weather – a history talk at House – just brilliant talk for all and the beautiful air conditioning.

This morning – a trip to the QA in the extreme heat – how staggering to see the NHS investing in solar panels! On the covers in their carpark – just a brilliant idea.

Thank you to the NHS and the amazing Orthoptic Eleanor who is so incredibly kind. It is never easy when you are dealing with someone who is losing their sight – thank you so so much.

And thank you to all the staff their walking around in corridors with no air conditioning!!!

The heat postponed lunch with a lovely friend and also meant arranging light PDT for David – too hot to sit out in this heat!

The work from this week as resulted in 4 new clients with a variety of scenarios – but so satisfying to also see other’s benefitting from them too.

Oh, my goodness who is feeling the heat!

I definitely know that I am no longer destined for Europe in the middle of August, long gone are those beautiful sunny hot holidays – I know the heat is different but as wonderful as it is to see the sun and blue skies, and I am very grateful for that – could we just turn the heat down a bit please.

How are you coping with the heat?

Are you in your element and wanting more of it?

Or are tempers frayed and is ls life a little tedious! It is so hard to find a happy medium when the weather if like this.

Last week we had to cancel David’s appointment for his skin cancer treatment because it rained – it is due to be done this Thursday and the hospital have rung to cancel as it is due to be too hot for him to sit outside for 2 hours, that is what he has to do with the Light PDT treatment, 2 hours outside in the sun followed by the rest of the day inside. So, we now have another date!

Sleeping is tough too – whether you can leave the window open or not is debatable, and when people are sleep deprived – tempers are short and it is a little difficult.
Children may also struggle with the heat too – trying to keep them out of the sun and apply the right suncream of another thing that is also not easy – they don’t have the patience.

Our youngest was in the paddling pool earlier this week and it was so lovely – his first time and he had a wonderful time and thankfully it was so hot that my clothes dried out while I was wearing them.

I lived abroad for many years, but when I was much younger – the heat was never a problem then, there must be something genetically that changes within us that makes us unable to deal with the high temperatures.

If you own a dog then you should up bright and early to get them walked before the pavement is too hot – if you can’t walk on the pavement then they shouldn’t be there either!

So it’s lots of water, shutter closed, or curtains drawn and generally doing all we can to keep cool, just think folks by Friday it will change and we will be saying how cold it is and where is our summer.

If you are feeling fractious and irritable then maybe some Rescue Remedy to calm down the situations.

So, to coin a phrase keep calm, keep cool and we carry on……

This post is written very much with the thoughts of the many posts I have seen about people's grief and numerous tragedies that being experienced. As we leave Father's Day behind us let me tell you about a beautiful thing I have.

As a Bach Flower practitioner, I can offer one remedy that is the wonderful Bach Flower Collection - Honeysuckle!

No remedy can be a complete solution to grief and stressing memories from the past, but as I tell my clients this particular one can turn the black to a paler shade of grey and ease some of the pain and trauma.

How do you feel about your past?

Do you have fond memories? Would you rather forget it or are you constantly being taken back to it?

Are you homesick for something?

Honeysuckle is the remedy, according to Dr Bach, to remove from the mind the regrets and sorrows of the past.

It will help to balance all the influences, all wishes and desires of the past and to bring us back to the present. It helps to rationalise the thoughts and the ideas that others may express.

It is the perfect remedy for the child who is attending boarding school, or the person who is working away from home or travelling, it will help you to feel more comfortable with the new place.

We cannot take away the grief and sadness but we can help to lessen the pain - and with this remedy we hope to find the best result .

On a lighter note - a few drops of Honeysuckle in a glass of water can also help us with spring cleaning, if you are trying to have a clear out then this will allow us to gentle part with the clutter of the past without too much pain.

A beautiful flower to allow you to free yourself from the pain from the past and step into the future.

For more details have a look at the new blog it's in the comments, and if you would like to learn more please message me.

Monday is an admin day for me, a chance to catch my breath before we go charging off again into a full on week.

To look back at what was achieved – 15 bottles of remedies sent out, 2 dogs helped out, and 5 children and 8 lovely adults all in aid of supporting them through the next few weeks.

Networking with Clarke, both at Cafe and the Woods and then a beautiful lunch with Smith who enlightened me with some astonishing facts about the work of an architect! Who knew what was needed – I am in total awe!

Rather fed up with the rain on Thursday which meant that David had his skin cancer treatment cancelled – it can only be done when it is sunny! – hopefully it stays good till Wednesday.

Sprinkle that lot with time with the children, volunteering for House, it all serves to be another great week.

I start my Monday’s with my clarinet lesson – it is certainly a way to get my brain awake and firing on all cylinders – and I am mixing the day up with taking the children to Weald and Downland for George’s home education classes.

I, or one am incredibly grateful for all I have in my life and the amazing people I share it with – this coming week is just as bonkers but looking as if it will be incredibly good.

On Fathers day there is so much I would like to say but in essence let's remember the fathers we have, or the father figures we have, or those we have had. I simply know I have so much to be thankful for.

Personally my Dad died 16 years ago and I have very few photos of him, there was no social media around but the photo that is here always makes me smile.

Sadly taken with Dementia which also took away the most incredible brain anyone could have wished for - so talented and knowledgeable - never a day goes past when I don't wish I could ask him a question!! whether its about the birds, woodwork, cars, gardening or home repairs - this man knew everything.

Then there is David, a loving Dad to his first family, granddad and also a great grandad, and been the most amazing step father to Eleni and grandad to Nestor, Ocean and George. Loving kind, generous and always there to support. When we married I am not quite sure he knew what he was letting himself in for but he has never waivered in his support for us all.

And then there is who is the most amazing father to our three grandchildren Nestor, Ocean and George and incredible support to Eleni - thank you for making our family so complete
We are so so lucky xx

I talk a lot about how the remedies can help people and I know that there is a huge amount of sceptism! I have heard it and seen it but I also know that there are a huge number of people who have experienced the wonders of the remedies.

So as from today I am going to go through each one to explain exactly what they can do - you buy the bottles individually - you don't have to go through me!

The mighty Oak treee gives us a remedy to help highly-motivated people to relax?

If you are a driven, highly-motivated person, it’s likely to have come from your upbringing.

As a child, you may have received little positivity, praise, or recognition and this is what drives you, as an adult, to constantly achieve at a higher level.

Unfortunately, this can also put you at greater risk of burnout and extended periods of illness as a result, with conditions like M.E./Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia.

The Oak remedy can help you to avoid burnout or to recover and reframe if it has already happened.

By taking Oak, you will quickly find that the inner pressure will reduce. Your own natural energies will flow more freely and easily, your heart and body will be gradually start to relax.

You will then be able to meet your commitments, without exhausting your body.

You can read more about the benefits of Oak in my blog post the link is in the comments.