Me to You

Today the journal is 5 years old! Thanks for reading & I hope you continue to enjoy it 🙂 Embedded in the days, there are moments that we can share with others, to help with the practical aspects of life. Optimal began as three separate items that I wrote to help me work through different …

Roaming (Into Nature)

Went wandering... and it was bliss. Sunshine greeted our party, as we visited an old favourite - Baddesley Clinton. Once home to four writers, it is the sort of setting in which you imagine inspiring great things. I'm light on words today, sharing the photos and leaving space for you to enjoy them... I've begun …

Into the Garden

I rewilded half of the garden last year, enjoying the rise in wildlife. We see squirrels, foxes and a variety of butterflies, birds and bees here. Closing the gate beyond the patios after some Autumn tree pruning, allowed more time for studies and work. Sat on the patios near the house, I listened and watched. …

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. Lately, I've been planting and writing scenes for my latest novel. This week is 'Mock Move' - rummaging in a dozen areas around the home, that if …

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 …

Antique Bag

Made from bri-nylon underskirts in the 1960s, 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 when Mum gifted it me last year. I’ve known this …

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). Here are some small actions to carve some slow living into life. Any one will add a …

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 …