Is it just me, or is your mood mirroring the grey weather here in the UK? On balance, we’ve had a good summer, but I often find this time of year depressing as I know there’s 6 months of grey weather ahead. I have a process I follow in Autumn which mirrors what I do in the garden, so I’m harvesting, pruning what’s overgrown or dead & planting bulbs for Spring. You can read more about that here As always, when I work through the questions, I realise I’ve achieved more than I initially thought, & the moments which brought me happiness & joy were also unexpected. I notice those moments had one thing in common, each time I was fully present & accepted life is at was now in that precise moment. Accepting life as it is NOW. As a childless couple our life has largely been unconstrained by others. However, Roger’s mum is very frail so we can’t plan too far ahead, which for me, being a planner, is hard to accept, especially not knowing how long our life will be this way. First the acceptance… Accepting this has been a challenge & when I’m struggling, I remind myself of these 2 quotes from John Kirkwood’s book ‘The Way of the Five Seasons. First, he describes acceptance as meaning ‘assenting to the reality of a situation without attempting to change it, protest against it or run away from it. This does not mean that we have to like … Read more
8 gifts of inspiration from Save Me from the Waves
A new book from Jessica Hepburn is always a joy & I was honoured to attend the launch of Save Me from the Waves. If you don’t know Jessica, she’s … Read more
What getting up at 4am taught me about enjoying Christmas
Several years ago, a good friend suggested I make a list of experiences I would like to have life & places to visit. Touching a whale in Baja was no … Read more
The one thing I’ve learned this year.
Is it just me, or is your mood mirroring the grey weather here in the UK? On balance, we’ve had a good summer, but I often find this time of … Read more
Finding Joy Beyond Childlessness, 5 things I’ve learned in 5 years.
It’s 5 years since my book, Finding Joy Beyond Childlessness was published. It was a huge milestone, when I announced to the world that, despite being childless & my life … Read more
What DOES your heart want?
London recently experienced its first 5pm sunset of the year, a visible sign that Spring is on the way. But it’s taking its time, one day I feel energy rising … Read more
How to start the year in a way that supports your deepest intentions
As we head into another year where there are so many unknowns, you may be tempted to try & control those things which are in your domain & set yourself … Read more
What’s of value to you?
It’s the time of year when nature leads the way in harvesting what it’s produced during the year, storing what it values to tide itself over the Winter & shedding … Read more
What a difference a dress makes
A couple of weeks ago I bought 2 dresses, had a lovely time with a dear friend trying them on & then a few hours later couldn’t stop the tears … Read more
How much is your life controlled by what will people think?
When I was 10, I was prescribed glasses because I couldn’t read the blackboard at school. Every morning my parents put them in my school bag & there they stayed, … Read more
Kintsugi – the art of repairing ourselves with gold
Several months ago, I spent a lovely day with friends on a warm glass making workshop. Only a couple of hours after I’d got my pieces home, the laptop slid … Read more
Welcome to Spring, the time to start moving
After several false starts, it seems that Spring is finally here & following the still & quiet of Winter, nature has begun to move. And maybe you also feel the … Read more
Time for me to make a new map
I’m writing this shortly after turning 60 which, I can tell you is not for the faint hearted. Before stepping forward into the new decade, I had a long, hard … Read more
Four things I learned from (almost) 8 years of journaling
A friend recently asked me how long I’d been journaling & when I replied that it was almost 8 years, she said ‘so you must find it helpful.’ I guess … Read more
What do you want to take forward to next year?
Autumn or Fall is the time when nature leads by example, by shedding what it doesn’t need, retaining only what’s necessary to sustain it through the winter & when seeds … Read more
What my back taught me about acceptance
Three years ago I wrote a blog about acceptance & I guess I thought (or hoped) I had it nailed. But looking back I realise there was one crucial piece … Read more
