Lately…2

Mornadoodle* beautiful people. I'm writing in a brief flash of sunshine, while bursts of sheeting rain and rough winds, "shake the darling buds of May," as Shakespeare wrote. How are you? Lately, I've been planting and writing scenes for my latest novel. This week is 'Mock Move' - rummaging in a dozen areas around the …

Launching Optimal – FREE journal

Today I’m launching OPTIMAL – a journal of growth. This FREE ebook has been useful to me, time and again, so I’m excited to be sharing it with you. The journal has three sections: Part 1 enables the creation and resetting of habits and systems, freeing time and space for what matters most. Part 2 …

45 Year-Old Bag

… no, not me, I'm talking about the bag in this photo 😛 Made from bri-nylon underskirts, this item is a living testament to the “mend and make do” culture of previous decades. A lady that knew my grandmother crocheted and sold them. They were her side hustle for extra income. I was very happy …

Lately…

Afternoodle lovelies, how are you? I've had my head down writing or looking up, enjoying the blue sky. It's gorgeous to hear birds chirping. Weather and lifting of restrictions this week, has meant sunshine and more time in the garden. The sweet scent of Spring is like catnip for inspiration. I've been creating a download …

Let Harmony In

Over the years, I've navigated periods of anxiety/stress by using focus. Prolonged periods of stress, such as we are all experiencing, can see focus impaired or amplify hyper-fixation, as a way to cope (focussing intensely on one thing). Adapt. Carve a little slow living into life. This list will give you a place to start... …

In The Embrace

As a meditation sometimes, I draw a tiny circle with my index finger, in the palm of my other hand. The slight ticklish sensation is a distraction for sometime, against a surge of emotional overwhelm or pain. I love mixing the deeply reflective intention with a burst of action. We can be both things. I …

Crafting the New

The contrasts are intense at present, between many things. The elegant design of nature is playing out as it does, with a serenity that is captivating. I watch it through the window and on walks. The global virus continues, leaving a path of devastation. I see it in news updates and when catching up with …

First Steps

In recent weeks, the sentiment behind Buckminster Fuller's quote on reality, has lingered in my mind. How can I create a new model of reality, in order to make the old model obsolete? There are ways the pandemic impacted daily life, that didn't affect me, because I make different choices to many. Some of them …

Wintering

The decorations are up, the candles lit. It is one month to the Solstice, so this is my last post of 2020. I'm digging in with writing, studies and a simpler schedule, ready to embrace the coming festivities and reflection of the season. As I wrote to a friend the other day, who was apologising …

A Book of Green

Editing has begun! I'm still a few months from the release of my next book (a nonfiction project), though the excitement is tangible. A trusted writer is casting their eye over it, before I head into production. Elements for the cover are being gathered for the first look. It's been a tough year for humanity, …

Oh Marcus…

Emporer Marcus Aurelius, of Rome. Writer and Stoic. The words he wrote two thousand years ago, have a wonderful way of opening doorways and sending refreshing breezes through places in my wanderings, that I love to venture. Below are 3 phrases from Meditations, that I've found myself returning to often, of late... "Keep looking straight …

Failure as Friend

My Dad taught me from a young age to befriend failure – it’s a far better teacher than success. To this day I have only ever won a board, card or sports game when I have genuinely managed to outwit him. I learnt that hard work and challenges are inevitable in life. That they always …