A Monumental Muse - Page 4 of 5 - Find yourself in an oasis of peace, tranquillity and serenity. There is no sadness here only beauty and nature.

Guest Writer A Quick Tour Around York Tutors with Judith Morris

April 18, 2020 Monumental Muse

This is the second post from guest writer Judith Morris, Proprietor of York Tutors. York Tutors provide top quality language courses to students for whom English is a second language. Their groups range in size from 10 to 110 and stay in homes in and around York. From The Pen of Judith: Despite having travelled extensively, York, at least to me, is still one of the most beautiful places in the world. We have everything here – a long, deep history which explains our plethora of amazing museums, fabulous and quirky shops, gorgeous walks and green areas plus some of…

Feature Article Are You Overwhelmed With A Sense Of Loss?

April 14, 2020 Monumental Muse 2Comment

Are you overwhelmed with a sense of loss? We can help! We are delighted that Geraldine Mace – a leading Grief and Relationship Coach based in York – has kindly agreed to guest write for us. Here is a little introduction to Geraldine and what she does. Please share with our readers a little about yourself and your business. When I left school at 18, my first job was working at a GP surgery where I regularly encountered grieving people. Those who had lost a loved one and were trying to make sense out of life and those who had…

Feature Article The Door No One Wants To Open

April 9, 2020 Monumental Muse

“The hardest thing for anyone to do is open that door and walk through it. I see people walk past the window time and time again, but they don’t want to come through the door. Sometimes they walk past 4 or 5 times before they enter.” It’s an incredibly perceptive observation and unsurprisingly it comes from Paul Kelwick. Paul is the Manager of G R Pinder Memorials in Scarborough. It’s more than a job to Paul – it’s a way of life and he uses his knowledge and years of experience to bring an especially personal touch to his clientele….

Feature Article A Chisel, A Hammer And A Robin

April 8, 2020 Monumental Muse 3Comment

On a bright and sunny Spring morning amidst the daffodils, sweet-scented hyacinths and ancient gravestones in York Cemetery there sits a solitary figure, patiently tip-tapping at the delicate stone in front of him. We hear him before we see him, his hammer and chisel strangely in tune with the birds singing all around him. He blends in beautifully to his surroundings, as if he belongs in the wooded glade which is his workplace today. He appears to be oblivious to the little Robin who carefully supervises his every move, but it turns out later the Robin is often his companion…

Feature Article A Muse of a Childhood Spent in a Yorkshire Village. Part 1 – Winter & Summer.

April 7, 2020 Monumental Muse

Growing Up “On The Farm” If, with retrospect, I could choose a childhood for myself I would choose exactly the childhood I was privileged to enjoy: that of growing up on our family farm in Tholthorpe. It was amazing. Not only did it shape my whole life in a way that I’ve been drawn to the village ever since, long into adulthood, but I wanted my own children and now their children to spend as much time as possible in the village “on the farm” enjoying the same thrills and experiences shared by generations before them. A Simple Life Village…

Guest Writer A Personal Muse – Judith Morris – “Cemeteries”

April 6, 2020 Monumental Muse

Today we have a post from guest writer Judith Morris, Proprietor of York Tutors, as the name suggests based in York. Prior to joining York Tutors Judith worked in the design industry before switching to accounting. She left work in 1978 to marry Malcolm and dedicate her time to raising their daughter Sheena who was swiftly joined by a younger sister Rebecca. Once the girls were in full-time education Judith chose to return to work by joining York Tutors. On writing for “A Monumental Muse”, Judith tells us: “When Sharon asked me if I would like to contribute, I was…

Feature Article Book Club – Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why. How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action”

April 4, 2020 Monumental Muse

I first read this book whilst holidaying in Mauritius. Once I started it I couldn’t put it down and then when finished I read it again…and again. Something totally unheard of for me. Each time I re-read it I pick up something new. Author Simon Sinek discovered that well-known successful people such as Martin Luther King, Steve Jobs, The Wright Brothers, Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela all have one thing in common: they started with “Why?” Those who start with why he discovered, never manipulate, they inspire. People follow them not because they are told to but because they want to. …

Coping With Loss Grief – Eat Well, Feel Better with Sabine Horner

April 2, 2020 Monumental Muse

When I first met Sabine Horner, Proprietor of Asana Nutrition, last year at a networking meeting, her life had taken a totally different direction to that which she had planned, and it was all because of a personal tragedy. Sabine’s husband, Kevin, had passed away from acute myeloid leukaemia. During the last 18 months of his life, as his body fought the effects of the toxic chemotherapy drugs, Sabine studied Nutrition Science and Practise at the NCA in York to learn what nutrients would help him to feel better quicker. As part of this course, Sabine learnt about the effects…

Coping With Loss The Compassionate Friends – “The Gift” to Bereaved Parents

March 30, 2020 Monumental Muse 2Comment

The following is a poem, written by The Compassionate Friends (TCF) founder Joe Lawley: The Gift I have a gift. I did not want this gift, it meant suffering and pain. The pain came because of love. A love which had manifested itself in a child. The child brought its love to me and asked for my love. Sometimes I did not understand this. Sometimes I did not appreciate it. Sometimes I was too busy to listen quietly to this love. But the love persisted; it was always there. One day the child died. But the love remained. …

Feature Article Taking Loving Care of Your “In Loving Memory”

March 27, 2020 Monumental Muse

When you suffer the loss of a loved one the array of things you need to do can be totally overwhelming, from the moment they take their last breath and you find yourself thrust into collecting their death certificate and having to register their death to the minute they are buried or cremated and you have to acknowledge this is a final “goodbye”. The only remaining thing for you to do is to decide how to mark their final resting place – what kind of a memorial will you put in place for them – and who can you trust…