Day 120 - a glorious little boy who needs our thanks. Thank you Angus.xx

Tuesday 30th April

What an absolutely stunning day on the island and I was up early and straight into that tunnel.  The boys went off on a long walk to put their bearings work into practice and hope they didn't get lost!  So I had the place to myself.  Lovely.

I am very proud of my tunnel achievements so far this year and, mostly, things are looking good.  I think it is about time I accepted defeat on the lavenders in the sick bay as there is no sign of life and I can put the compost to better use.  My tomatoes are finally showing a bit of back bone and shooting up and out at the same time.  My strawberries are beginning to send out little flowers that you just know equals strawberries so that was especially exciting.  My poor sweet peas are in a bit of a tangle so grow bags are on the shopping list.  Top of the class is jointly shared between my dwarf sunflowers and my beloved borage.  They are both a shining example of how to do it in a pot!  At this rate I am going I will have enough for an open weekend in the summer just to sell my plants.  That said, I never really do 'just' so this year I will serve tea and cake and take donations for the butterfly tree charity.  Perfect. 

I sowed 25 dwarf French beans into single pots and covered them and they are now part of my 'sink or swim' strategy.  I am fairly confident they will swim.  I potted on my beetroot because it is too early to plant these fragile darlings out and they were bursting out of their seed tray.  Of course, I am beginning to run out of space so some stuff is going to have to go in the ground and make the best of it.  The willow crop is pushing up and out and looks like it has all taken really well.  We could be onto something here.  We shall have to see how it copes with the autumn winds.  On the whole everything is looking good and I am about ready to start planting up my hanging baskets for the season.  Although I do some with the dreaded annual flowers I generally fill them with edible plants such as strawberries, herbs and tumbling tomatoes.  I hang them on the frame of the tunnel for a few weeks before selling them, always keeping a few back for us.  The area immediately outside the back door is in my sights.  I already have a raised herb bed there for ease of harvesting for cooking.  I am thinking that this paved area would make a fabulous potted vegetable and herb garden.  I have always wanted to have a go at vertical gardening with pallets and this might just be the year.  The wall faces south so it has huge potential.  I will keep you posted. 



I am a bit of a forager at heart and on a gentle walk today I could see that the first crop of dandelion leaves are ready for harvest.  I could stuff them in a mug of boiling water and drink it but then I would be weeing for days so I think not.  Instead, I harvested them and gave them to the rabbits.  We have two furry friends and they both love dandelion leaves as you can see!  Twitch could probably set the world record for the fastest ever eaten dandelion leaf.  Our other Rabbit, Smoky, is blind and deaf but that didn't stop him finding the leaves and getting stuck in. 

I was delighted to see the bluebells are beginning to burst open.  We have millions of them on the smallholding and for the next month or so they will appear everywhere in the house.  I am delighted that ours are English bluebells rather than Spanish as their perfume is much, much better.  This lovely sunshine just needs to hang about for a bit longer and the whole smallholding will turn a lovely shade of blue. 


My courses are beginning to sell already and I am taking lots of lovely bookings.  I meet the best people of my courses and I think it is going to a great summer of horticultural and creative activity.  My diary for the year is completely full with the addition of an open house towards the end of November.  Over this weekend we turn the ground floor of our home into a handmade gift shopping experience dropped straight down from heaven,  We invite local craft workers to sell their work and we offer mulled wine and mince pies to guests.  It is the ultimate in relaxing Christmas shopping.  It does need some careful planning though so invites to craft workers have started to leave my 'outbox.'  I am quite sure it will be a lovely weekend.

As a result of my little charity tea party some people are starting to run their own events to raise money for the Butterfly Tree charity.  I am helping where I can and do remember to please let me know what I can do.  I had a lovely text off a dear friend who joined us on Saturday.  She is now making butterfly brooches to sell in her shop with some of the proceeds coming to our campaign.  I was truly touched.  I also hear that one little guest has already filled his vintage tea cup up with loose change.  He is only 7 years old - don't you just love that?

I am now taking orders for our little tulle butterflies that remain at the heart of all we do.  They sell for just £1.00 and all proceeds go to the charity.  Five butterfly sales equals one mosquito net that will save lives.  We even pay the postage.  So, if you would like to order any to give to family and friends do let me know and my little elves and I will get busy.  Many thanks.

I end with a slight confession that won't surprise many of you.  I did, indeed begin reading my Dakini Power book before my little charity tea party and I am so incredibly impressed by it.  You absolutely do not have to be a Buddhist to be impressed by these twelve women as they help to shape Buddhism in the west.  You just have to be interested in people and their stories.  Granted, these stories are pretty powerful and rather humbling but completely absorbing.  I will do a full review of the book once I have finished it but I already recommend it to all. 

I am actually ending with a picture of borage because I am completely obsessed.  If you live on the island and would like to buy any of my lovely borage plants I am selling them at £1.50 each with all proceeds to the Butterfly Tree.  When they are gone they are gone.  Every garden needs borage because every garden needs bees.  Tis that simple. 

Until tomorrow. xx

Day 119 - chocolate brown cows with lots of cuddles.

Monday 29th April

Today has been one of those days when you just do as you are told.  I don't often do as I am told but there are some days I feel I have no choice.  I had planned to start our Butterfly Tree journal in school with the boys today but nudges from somewhere else made it even more important.  Maybe these nudges are just my thinking starting to join up again and maybe they are something else entirely?  No matter, journaling was very firmly on the agenda. 


I have journaled all my adult life and a few years ago I wrote an article about my journaling story and offered up some tips.  I have found that article and put it on my personal blog in case any of you are interested.  For me journaling is a part of each and every day.  I am essentially using this blog as my journal of 2013 but I still keep a hard copy journal.  I have kept all my journals going back years and sometimes I look back and see myself emerging and changing.  I am always surprised with these re-reading and it is amazing just how much I forget through the years - woman of a certain age and all that. 

My journals are not just about writing but they are also about illustrating.  From simple line drawings to watercolour painting to keen photography - they all have a place in my journals.  I often test out new creative techniques in my journal.  Above all my journals are where my life makes the best sense.  Journaling makes me find a quiet space and reflect before committing anything to paper and I think that is a good thing.  Our lives are always so full so taking some minutes out to reflect help us to sort things out.  Sometimes I need a lot of sorting out! 

At the start of the Butterfly Tree project we had decided that we wanted to journal together so George, Max and myself have been busy most of the day doing just that.  We each had a page to fill based on our little tea party.  George wanted to focus on his cake making efforts and Max wanted to record the amazing thing that was our raffle!  The boys are very experienced journal makers so after a brief introduction we began to plan our pages.  We agreed that each page should tell its own story and that it should be a complete piece of art.  It will be for the reader to find the through line that we are confident is there already.  I worked on the page that sums up the entire event.  We rarely do the title page first as ideas devlop as pages are made.  We often wait to the end to do the title page. 

The nudges towards journaling were evident last evening while watching Country File.  They featured my beloved borage yet again.  Do we think the world at large is starting to get the message that we should all be growing borage?  I was only half watching until I heard the word borage and then was completely tuned in.  The presenter was collecting herbs to make paper with.  The paper maker was a real artisan and I was very impressed especially as my efforts never turn out like his did.  I have made handmade paper before and I think I have even used borage in my efforts.  There began a quick facebook open conversation with two friends after which we agreed that papermaking at Hazelbank is a 'must' do in the summer. 

You can buy kits but to be honest they are expensive and I can point you towards a DIY method for making the frames that you need to make the paper.  Reminding myself of the process I did a quick search on the Internet and up came this glorious site.  At this point I became fascinated with the work of this fabulous lady from Norway.  Regular readers will know about my slight obsession of simplifying my life so on reading this site I immediately took the pledge and, if you scroll down, you will see my nice orange badge to prove it.  I do believe that, on lots of levels, our lives are too cluttered and this site will help me to further my decluttering journey.  Sometimes you just read something that someone else has written and know that a shared bottle of wine and a chat would be bliss.  This was one of those moments for me.  I probably don't need to ask you to watch this space as you know me too well and can probably sense I am already up to something!

So, from the borage paper to journaling with the boys with an early morning session with tea in bed drafting my meditation through writing course that begins in June.  I am thrilled that my face-to-face course at Hazelbank is already full and I have a growing group of online takers.  Journaling will play a large part in this course as we travel a pathway that plays with the relationship between meditation and writing.  I have talked about my journey with Morning Pages before with the wonderful Julie Cameron.  Her inspirational work got me into writing daily and that was such a good thing to do as an emerging writer but I have since drawn inspiration from lots of different places and that will support my teachings on the course. 

I also keep detailed art journals but I am not so good at keeping them up to date.  In fact, I am known to get a bit cross with myself over this issue.  I would be a much better artist if I spent the time on my journals.  I do love looking at other people's art journals as they tell such charming stories.  I even have a Pinterest Board dedicated to them. 

The boys have finished their page but, typically, I have not.  I so know how to let the side down.  The hope is that the journal will be available at the final event 'The Buttefly Supper' in September so that guests can see the journey of our campaign and some of the highlights.  I had a lovely email from the founder of the charity, Jane, this morning once more thanking us all for what we are doing and saying how moved she was by my blog post about the little tea party.  There is absolutely no need for thanks as we see this as a fundamental part of the children's education.  We have always got involved in charity projects where we feel we can make a contribution so it is for us to thank her. 

I have not made it out to the tunnel as we got rather lost in our journaling but tomorrow is another day.  I have managed to move forward my plans for One soul, many hearts and will have some very exciting projects lined up to help launch the site.  You just know I am saying no more...

As I finish this blog I glanced at the sea which is now a very deep blue which is a ethereal contrast with the very light blue of the sky.  In the centre of my view is the church spire and each side is framed by trees.  How lucky am I?  Despite the sunshine it is a tad chilly on the island as spring refuses to be sprung.  At this rate we will jump right into summer.  We are, of course, hoping for a better summer than last year.  I am still waiting to do my direct sowing but my patience is running out so it is happening this week.  You may remember my little story about the rocket seeds that I sowed in a large pot in the tunnel in February.  My approach was one of 'sink or swim' and I am delighted to report the little darlings decided to swim and we are now eating our first rocket of the season.  I am a firm believer that if someone else can do something I must be able to so my strategy is clear for my little seeds going in the cold ground this week.  All they need do is follow the excellent example set by the rocket seeds.  Tis easy. 

I was just distracted watching a tractor charging down the hill.  Me thinks the driver thinks he is on a ski slope.  It does mean that the field opposite our smallholding is almost ready and that means the darling baby cows (I know they are called calves) will be with us soon.  The last two years they have been chocolate brown and have made me think of hot chocolate everytime I looked at them.  This is their first destination away from mum so they cry for the first few days and we spend all our time stroking and comforting them.  There are much worse ways to spend your day.

Until tomorrow. xx

Day 118 - blobbing is my new best friend.

Sunday 28th April

I am in one of those contemplative spaces that always follows an important event.  The intense build up is over, the event has been a success and your mind starts to make sense of it all.  I find as a drift around the house restoring things to their usual place my mind is doing the same.  In order to run an event like our fundraising launch it has to stay at the front of your mind.  That way tiny details that make it special are not forgotten or lost in the chaos.  That being the case, most others things in your mind get pushed out of the way.  Today has been their chance to start pushing towards the front. 

I do some of my best thinking when watering the plants in the tunnel.  It is also where I feel at peace.  That peace was slightly challenged by seeing just how much work has been stored up in the past few weeks.  I just kept telling myself to step away from the compost bag as the potting on can wait one more day.  I was delighted to see real progress though and to see little seedlings had become proper plants.  Well done them. 

Hazelbank has a new feel about it.  It tells me that there is much to look forward to and I believe it.  My little Hen Hut is still shining very brightly and I spent an hour in there mind mapping and was amazed how easily it came.  I am a firm believer in the importance of space.  I have finally created a space where I can think freely and the release is a great joy. 

I worked on my emerging sister site that will actually take the place of this little blog at some point.  This blog has taught me so much already that I am using that new learning to drive forward to the next natural step.  This organic approach to planning suits me and I never feel under pressure.  Mind you, I set myself time targets and I usually blow them out of the water almost immediately so I am not sure I know what it is to run behind.  I had thought I would finish the year and then see what that took me.  For goodness sake it is only the end of April and I am already off on the development site.  That said I have the wonderful luxury of time to dwell, reflect and plan at an easy pace.  I have lots of things floating about in my mind when I think of the new 'One soul, many hearts' site and I am just letting the really important ones rise to the top.  I see the site as floating ink spots on oil and water.  They keep moving and even joining and I am just hoping a coherent structure for the site will emerge from these rather beautiful blobs.  I am mindful of a terrible art journey at secondary school when I was destined for failure at O level.  At the last minute I created this imaged based piece using ink in oil and water trapped in a slide.  I projected the slide onto the wall in the art classroom and kept moving it round.  It picked up all the work from my classmates but then changed it as the blobs floated their magic in the space.  My art teacher hated it but the external examiner loved it and I passed.  Excellent!

I have to warn you I have something similar in mind for One soul, many hearts.  I want to create a series of digital images both moving and still that can be turned into a complete story.  I want the, now famous, blob technique to work its magic once more so that we see the story through new eyes.  I know it all sounds a bit 'out there' but do let me give it a try.....  I haven't decided on a launch date for the new site because I am not in that head space yet but when I do you guys will be the first to know.  The intention behind the site has not shifted one cm.  It is still going to be a force for good and everything that is positive.  I am also still committed to bringing on board a young person to help build it as a way of passing the baton over - just a little!

So my contemplative day has been put to good use and I have also managed to move the Butterfly Tree fundraising campaign forward a little further.  You should see a big blue button in the sidebar.  This is my donate page that allows people to donate online with all funds going to the charity.  This will solve the problem for all those of you who have kindly asked how you can donate to the campaign.  By making my own page we can also all see how well we are doing.  From the start of this I have never seen it as an Arran thing because so many of you reading this do not live on Arran.  I hope this campaign will show just how well face-to-face and virtual worlds can work together for a greater good.  I have lost count of the times my mind has taken me back to the VT that I saw where the young boy was slipping into a coma from Malaria.  His mother holding his hand knowing he would never wake up.  I constantly wish that lovely boy could come back to us but he can't and I can't do anything about that.  I can still see his face and I will always be able to see it.  I recognise that I have to turn that into a way forward and this is my way of doing it.  With your help I want to raise a shed load of money to buy mosquito nets to save the lives of these children.  It really is that simple.  Hence my big blue button!

I have also posted the write up of our event all over the place and I would just urge others to do the same.  Making social media work for us is vital to the campaign.  Jane, the founder of the Butterfly Tree, has called our little campaign special.  I believe that it is special as it is finding a new way to help.  The effort involved so far has been heart warming and life affirming and this is just the beginning.  I see it as a story with no sense of an end but where a shared ambition can create good endings by breathing life into a much needed battle with the humble mosquito.  We are taking the fight to the little pests and protecting children from their lethal bite.  'Tis a good thing.'

I have also written an article for The Voice which is a fantastic digital publication with its home on Arran but its reach around the world.  I will add the link as soon as it is published.  Some of you guys are coming forward wanting to run little butterfly events of your own.  Please let me help and just tell me what I can do. 

You will see that I have updated the page on the Butterfly Tree on the top menu.  I will add a running total of the number of nets the money can buy as I see that as the most important indicator.  I have also added a Courses page and a Contact page today.  We have all our courses planned for the rest of 2013 and fellow islanders might like to sign up.  I will be donating some of my fees to the Butterfly Tree. 

My meditation through writing course has one place left for the face-to-face version to be held at Hazelbank.  Do let me know if you would like to join us.  Just a reminder that, as this is my first meditation course, this one is free as your feedback will help shape my teachings.  I have quite a few interested in the online version which is also free but I can take many more.  All I ask is that you set some time aside to do some of the exercises that will be outlined on a pdf that will drop into your inbox once a month.  There will be six drops in total, beginning in June and ending in December.  I then hope to offer a residential course on Arran next year at a reduced rate for my first group of participants.  So lots of look forward to.  Interestingly, I have a real range of people interersted so far with lots of different reasons why meditation and the journaling of it will be useful to them.  I am excited!

If I am honest tiredness is probably winning over the excitement so I am off to read a book and forget the world just for a little while. 

Do message me anytime if you want to ask me anything or just fancy a chat!

Blessings to you all.

Until tomorrow. xx

Day 117 - I can't speak.....

Saturday 27th April

I can't speak let alone write!  We have successfully launched the Butterfly Tree fundraising challenge complete with sunshine, smiles and a whole heap of good will.  The afternoon was a complete joy from start to finish but there was a moment; there is always a moment.  When my mother shouted out we have made £98.00 in the raffle alone and I worked that out to be almost 20 mosquito nets I almost cried.  As I was gathering myself one of the guests had already got her purse out to make it up to £100 and we had the 20 nets.  That is, potentially, 20 lives saved.  But we can double that because we also made another £100 from donations and sales of the butterfly crafts.  So that is 40 lives, at least.

From a humble little tulle butterfly much has started to fly.  We will keep them flying all summer and the campaign will end in September with a wonderful Butterfly Supper.

I will need to be making the little tulle butterflies in my sleep because all the ones on the tree flew away today.  I have lots of events running through the summer and I am delighted to share that two people are also hosting their own events.  I could not be more pleased. 

Today was a small gathering because it was in our home but despite that 31 people arrived in the sunshine to be greeted by tea and cake.  My son George, who is 15, spent two days in the kitchen baking the most amazing cakes and everyone commented on the delicious baking.  Others added their own contributions and there was a lot of cake.  I am not sure there can ever be too much cake though.

I then spoke for a few minutes about the amazing work of the Butterfly Tree charity in Zambia.  It is a relatively small charity that punches way above its weight and that is down to the team.  I have my team now and what a team they are.  It is not just the 31 that came to the launch today it is everyone that reads my blog as that has led to all of this.  It is people posting lovely messages on my facebook wall before I was even awake.  It is talened people taking time to make the most stunning raffle prizes I have seen.  This campaign speaks 'effort' and, I hope, shows the communities in Zambia that we really care.  We care that roughly every 40 seconds a child dies from Malaria.  We care that a simple mosquito net or an early testing kit could  make all the difference.  We care enough to do something about it. 

So my personal thanks goes out to each and every one of you but please know this is just the beginning.  I have a summer of asking for help ahead of me but now I feel less afraid to ask.  That makes a huge difference. 

After our first tea and cake moment we all went outside for the  official opening on my new studio - Hen Hut.  She shone very brighly in the sunshine and Pete read a story I wrote about her.  Then the moment I knew I would find difficult.  Lynn gave a lovely speech which was full of promise and hope before cutting the ribbon.  It was a moment that has now taken a special place in my heart. 

A need for more tea and cake and an opportunity to buy some lovely handmade gifts drove some back inside while others lingered in the studio. The force that is my mother then sold raffle tickets like her life depended on it. 

While doing the raffle I noticed the good humour in the room and just how much people seemed to be enjoying themselves.  Nobody rushed off as purses came out again for more buying. 

All afternoon Mollie had been filming and her film will be shared here once the poor girl has finished her exams.  There will be much more to say about this remarkable young woman in subsequent blogs.

So, from a tulle butterfly to 40 mosquito nets to save lives.  Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

Thank you, thank you.

Until tomorrow. x

 

 

Day 116 - no, not ready but still a picture of calmness!

Friday 26th April

Quite calm but absolutely no way near ready so a really quick blog with photos as compensation! Despite an army of lovely helpers we still have much to do and I am shattered. So not much more tonight and then a mad dash in the morning while remaining calm.

Absolutely thrilled by the interest in my meditation through writing course and people already committing. I am so looking forward to putting the course outline together and I have quite decided that this will be the first project for my new site 'One soul many hearts'. I know some of you have found it already. There is no hiding anything from you guys!

I have so many people to thank for their help with the launch of our charity campaign tomorrow but I will wait until my head is in gear. Please accept a general thank tonight and we really couldn't have pulled this together without you all. I have donations coming in from people who can't be with us and they are mostly in the shape of £5.00 notes so the message must be getting out there that £5.00 buys one mosquito net and that might just save the life of a child in Zambia. Sometimes, the message needs to be simple to get the biggest response so I am pleased. Of course the other simple message is that roughly every 40 seconds a child dies from malaria. So even though I am exhausted I know exactly why I have started this campaign and this girl will keep campaigning all summer. There is much to be done.

Photos are of some of the lovely work that is being shown in the studio for its official opening tomorrow. I wish you could all be with us and we have probably made enough cakes for you all to, indeed, be here! Perhaps some time between 2pm and 5pm tomorrow you could spare us a thought and I know I will be thinking about all of you. We can so do this and make a real difference. Thank you....

Until tomorrow. xx

Day 115 - I feel the time is right....

Thursday 25th April

I have had such a lovely day today.  It is always good when you feel a plan coming together.  My little charity tea party is taking shape and it is a real community event; both real and virtual.  This is just the start of a summer of fundraising that, I hope, will finish with a Butterfly Supper in September.  The people of Arran do a huge amount for charity so I am always a bit nervous about asking for support but I need not be as they always deliver.  But, for me, it is the additional support of my little virtual community that has made this event so special.  Many of you have used the words 'I will be there in spirit' and that is so warming to the soul.

Speaking of warming our souls up I have been formulating a plan for sometime and I feel now is the time to get it underway.  Yesterday, I highlighted the work of Hannah Brencher the young woman who has started a global project involving volunteers who write supportive and inspirational letters and leave them around the place to be found by random strangers.  I have since been reading some of Hannah's breathtaking writing on her personal blog.  I was so impressed by her writing and can hardly believe she is on 24.  One thing she said has stuck with me -

'I am a writer. not my choice. by the fact that I’ve had the hearts of others stapled to my sleeves since childhood and searching the ground for syllables seems like the only way to finally put those heavy hearts down.'

A few weeks back I wrote a post where I confessed to 'holding onto people'.  I have done this all my life, even when I was a child.  My thinking over the past couple of days has taken a slightly new twist.  All my life people have told me their stories and all my life I listened.  I have also tried to help where I can.  These stories are always filled with honestly and authenticity and I always think of them as shards of light streaming through a grey glen.  The stories have the capacity to change thinking and, in most cases, that is exactly what happens.  I always, always feel priviledged to have these stories shared with me and I have felt like a storykeeper.  Unlike Hannah I have never found them to be a burden and I think that is because we find ways to set the stories free.  I set free my story of my first baby, that we sadly lost, in a blog a few weeks ago and have felt a really healing ever since. 

This week I talked about my illness in a way I have never done before.  I am quite sure that is helping me as we speak.  However, what is interesting is that my story of my chronic illness has provoked other stories.  Since Tuesday I have listened to so many stories.  They are not all to do with illness.  Some are at bereavement, others are about family issues.  Some are life affirming stories about journeys people are on at the moment.  Alongside that I have been responding to questions about my meditation practice and how that has helped me with my chronic illness.  I would say that meditation has helped me with my illness more than anything else I have tried but it is worth even more than that.  I have been meditating for quite a few years and intensively for the past two years.  I would be completely lost without it now.  I take my practice out of my 'pocket' everytime I need it and it never lets me down. 

I have no doubt that meditation has brought me greater peace and happiness and I am not sure we can ask for anymore than that.  I am at a stage where I feel ready to share my practice and I have given this some careful thought.  I am writing a course that will take 6 months to complete and the focus is on introducing meditation as a tool for happier living.  In order to engage fully with my practice I am going to thread a writing dimension throughout the 6 months in the form of a journal.  This course is designed for anyone who has been curious about meditation but has not found the space to investigate further.  There will be two ways of studying this course reflecting my two worlds.  For locals I am going to start a small group off one morning a month with new practices to experiment with and short writing tasks to explore.  This can then be taken forward in their own time until we meet again a month later.  For my virtual friends I am offering a montly pdf to drop into your inbox with detailed exercises as outline for my local group.  I will make myself available for both groups via email in support during the month between teachings. 

I do not have an outcome in mind as I feel strongly that each person will begin their own personal journey and only share with me and, perhaps, others what they want to.  Meditation and creative writing isn't just for people who have issues they want to resolve; they are both practices capable of bringing great joy.  The course will begin in June and end in December at which time we shall be able to see how far we have come and where we might go next. 

As this is my first gentle step into teaching meditation I am offering this course absolutely FREE.  Don't fall off your chair and don't shout at the laptop Mother!  All I ask in return is that you stay on the course for the 6 months if at all possible and help me review it at the end.  That way my teachings will evolve and be able to reach more people.  It is not a course where you have to do everything that is suggested as I hope you will select the exercises that inspire you and that you have the time to complete.  It is not about how much you do but the intention you bring to what you do. 

If you are interested all I need is your email address so I can start compiling a database.  In the next few weeks I will send out the course outline and you can see if it is something you might like to persue.  If the virtual group takes off I would hope to run a residential course on the island sometime in 2014.  This would be offered on a reduced rate to all the people who have been part of the first course.  It would be my way of saying thank you!

For local people I would appreciate a quick email indicating your interest and saying which morning is good for you - remember we would only actually meet once a month. 

You will all know that I could never have imagined that this would be an outcome from this blog.  Perhaps we can all see the power of writing.  I think we all have stories to tell and this is just another one of mine that I hope to share so that your stories can be found. 

Onto more pressing matters.....I dashed about today collecting yet more lovely craft work for my little charity tea party while George began the big bake off in the kitchen.  For those of you coming on Saturday bring a list of pressies you need for birthdays this year because the shopping experience will be wonderful. 

My kitten is being her usual naughty self and dancing across everything but I am trying to keep calm.  She adores all the glass beads and the fluttering paper butterflies are a real favourite.

I had a quick coffee with a new friend who came on one of my flower courses a while back.  She has donated two wonderful jewellery frames and I had to fight back the tears as I loaded them into my car.  I am so touched by the effort everyone has put in and it speaks volumes about the human spirit as its best. 

We did chuckle over coffee at the weather report that was being shown on the TV.  20 degrees in the south and 10 degrees up here.  You have so got to love island living.

I have managed to timetable all my courses for the entire year and all my writing projects as well.  With the addition of my meditation and writing course I am full.  That is it, no more ideas Fiona!  Are you listening girl?

 I doubt she is, she rarely does....

Do let me know if you are up for joining me on my meditation course by emailing me either via my scottish island mum facebook page or direct at natureslarder@gmail.com

I really look forward to hearing from you. 

Until tomorrow, when I will probably not be so calm....xx

Day 114 - lots of banging with Dakini Power.

Wednesday 24th April

I am overwhelmed by the kind messages I received both last night and today after my post yesterday.  I absolutely hate talking about my illness and I hated the post yesterday.  As my poor health dominated my day I had little else to write about but your kind words have helped me get back on track.  I am slightly less drugged up but I do worry about the work I have done today because I am not sure I was totally with it!  Saturday could be interesting....

Another day dawned and sometimes that is the point.  There is always another day.  We have had lots of sunshine but not the heat my friends down south are having.  There is such a thing as sharing you know!  I have checked the forecast for Saturday and, at the moment, it looks dry and that is the main thing.  Things are starting to take shape and more and more lovely craft work is arriving. 

These beautiful candles made by Louise have already started to scent the space.  Every candle is handmade and no two are the same. 

I am ensuring that guests have plenty of shopping opportunities as these wonderful craft people have all donated stunning raffle prizes. 

Our second son, George, has made some lovely beaded jewellery and that is always popular.  They make such lovely little gifts. 

The day has been spent finishing off the butterfly crafts that we have made as a family.  Many of you have been busy too and the butterfly table promising to be stunning. 


Tomorrow I am off to collect yet more work and the flowers
ready to do my signature 'flowers in a vintage tea cup' arrangements.  Friday is flower day and I am looking forward to that. 

It will all be fine on Saturday and I am actually starting to look forward to it.  I probably shouldn't have said that....

As well as the chaos of all the preparation we have a new flat roof going on today It is all part of the life on Hazelbank.  My baby plants have all been rehomed to the tunnel so I really hope they are ready.  If I lose any you can expect to hear about it on this blog.  This weather is driving me bonkers as it just can't make up its mind.  Everything will be covered with fleece and I will be in there very early in the morning to check on survival rates.

The excuse of illness meant I read my lovely new magazine yesterday called The Simple Things.  It was a real joy and I thought the whole structure and layout deserved an award.  It is a very positive read and it has now been added to my monthly download list.  It leaves you feeling good and that is a great achievement in the modern world.  Like the newspaper Positive News it offers lots of solutions.  I love the story that is on their website today about a 24 year old young woman called Hannah Brencher.  A couple of years ago she started leaving supportive and inspirational messages around New York.  People would then just randomly find them.  The project 'Letters from the Heart' was born and now there are thousands of people doing it all over the world.  Hannah believes that it helps to lift people and combat feelings of lonliness.  It is such an angelic idea and I am sure it is not done yet.  This kind of idea just keeps on giving.  It is just the sort  of project I want to feature on my new site 'One soul many hearts.'  As a project it is filled with positivitiy but it also lets others in and I love that.  Well done Hannah. 

I was an excited little bunny rabbit when the post arrived this morning because I have been waiting for a very special book to arrive.  Entitled Dakini Power it is the stories of 12 women who are shaping the transmission of Tibetan Buddhism in the West.  I expect to be impressed.  I am quite sure Buddha expected his pathway to travel on through time and place and I believe that our journey should reflect where we find ourselves.  It is not about copying ancient practices; it is about taking these practices on a journey with us as time and place evolves and changes.  As soon as the charity tea party is out of the way I am delving into this book and I may be gone a while.  Those that know me well will now be thinking 'I bet she doesn't wait until after the tea party.'  No comment!

The banging has stopped.  I think we must have a new roof.  Excellent.

Until tomorrow. xx

Day 113 - a topic rarely discussed.

Tuesday 23rd April

Today is all about a subject that I do my very best to avoid.  A routine dental check may not be pleasant for any of us but for me it usually signals the start of a challenging day.  The appointment itself is no problem but towards the end of the scale and polish the first spasms begin and my day is set.  I don't talk about my illness because it is boring and I try hard not to think about it.  But today has been all about it so I fear I have no choice.  So many if you have messaged me about it perhaps it is time I said a little...

I have a condition called fibromyalgia which is a chronic pain condition caused by a nervous system that doesn't work properly.  It sends the wrong messages to my brain and the result is pain.  It began almost 10 years ago when I was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia which is a painful condition in the nerves in the face.  Over time the pain moved to two additional sites in the body and now it is pretty much everywhere.  I even get searing pain in my ear lobes!

I am on medication to control the pain and slow down my nervous system and without these I would be a little lost.  As you might expect I am not really one for popping pills and over the years have explored lots of alternative treatments with varying success.  I have not, sadly, been able to replace the medication as I accept that this keeps me functioning.  Over time, my body has slowly began to struggle with the, sometimes, high levels of pain and movement has become more and more challenging.  It is a battle of the mind as well as the body and this mind refuses to submit!  The secret to this thing is to keep moving because if I don't I won't be able to.  Recent research shows that there might be a genetic link and I did have a grandmother who had similar symptons and she ended up in a wheelchair.  This girl is so not going there.

So my innocent trip to the dentists always costs me a day in bed on tramadol which sends me into a bit of a spin but makes the pain bearable.  I will be right side up by tomorrow and at least I have nice clean teeth.  I cope pretty well with my illness largely through ignoring it and refusing to give into it.  I also refused to be defined by it.  The very last thing I want my children to see is a poorly mum so generally they don't.  When they do they are, of course, little stars (can you call a 17 year old lad a star?).  I hide myself away and they know I would prefer them to just get on with their days.  I remind them constantly that there are people much much worse off than me and that it is not going to kill me - I am more likely to kill it.  Although incurable at the moment we all live in hope and watch the research very closely.

So now you all know all about it and there is not much else to say. Don't think for one minute preparations for our little charity tea party have been halted.  My darling family have all been busy working their way through my list.  Good to have a list me thinks!  We will be all shiny on Saturday despite the cold weather that is set to join us.  I will ignore that as well.

Harry has just arrived home and this job seems to suit him well.  He is working for a horticulturalist and so all his experience in growing is proving very useful.  That said, he has just done 8 hours of weeding.  He is 17 and that is what you do at that age.  I can remember lifting potatoes all day at that age.  A joyful memory.

I do hope that this post makes some sense.  I fear the tramadol has a tendency to fry my brain a little but I have quite decided that a gentle frying every now and then is good for it.  Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible and I am sure it will reference a fabulous magazine I have just discovered called 'The simple things'.  It is packed full of stripped back living and right up my street.  I have a new goal in life now as I really want to get something published with these guys.  I will feel I have landed then.  I have also just picked up a status from Mark Boyle informing us that he has received planning permission for a new build on a six acre site and his plans are enough to turn the entire planet upside down and give us all a good shake.  I will, no doubt, share his progress on my little blog and I am not afraid to copy the man.  Hazelbank needs to look out!  I can feel my family groaning.....

Until tomorrow. Xx

Day 112 - high pitched screaming and the lovely Di.x

Monday 22nd April

The start of a busy but rewarding week as preparations continue for our butterfly charity tea party at the weekend.  It is sort of a weaving job to make sure we get to everything.  I spent some time with Max and George going through the school work they had done while I was away.  All tasks completed and we were all pleased.  Their spring journals are a delight.  They know this is the last time they will do this and every page is a work of art.  All the children have excellent presentation skills.  One of my favourite features of home school is the fact the children have the time to finish everything.  No more trays full of unfinished work.  I never rush them, although sometimes we do have timed activities.  These instances of timed tasks are just to teach them the importance of completing something in a specific time.  Generally, we don't work to artificial time frames and their work is all the better for it. 

One of the tasks was to build a bug hotel at the bottom of the garden.  We do one every year and I am normally right in there with the mud, rotten branches and bugs.  This year George and Max tackled it on their own.  Now this might look like a pile of wood to you but look closer -

Inside the loose structure are plant pots filled with hay.  The structure is also designed to have lots of entrance points as well as exit points.  Damp mud is deep inside the structure for the bugs that like the cold and damp.  See, we even give a home to my mortal enemy the slug.  This bug hotel is a long way away from my tunnel but be very sure that those slippery little suckers will make their way to the   tunnel and happily chomp through my veggies.

We monitor the hotel through the season and you would be amazed at how many bugs move in. 

Apart from the catch up on home school the rest of the day has been organised chaos.  Ribbons, beads, paper, fabric and naughty kitten have been the order of the day.  Mimi clearly wants to help and she is particularly fond of chasing ribbon around the floor and her name has been the subject of high pitched screams on more than one occasion.  Of course, now the house is a complete mess and the tidy up alone will take days. 

We are not alone in our creative endeavours as butterflies continue to arrive in the post.  On Saturday I had a wonderful delivery from my friend Di.  Di is the lady I told you about who has been reading my blog since the power cuts.  So we have moved from christmas cards to chatting most days.  Fabulous!  Three beautiful butterflies arrived from her complete with a letter.  The letter began -

The cry was unanimous, 'what do you mean you want to go to hobbycraft? We want to go home.'

'Well we're so close and I've got an idea....'

'But hobbycraft is rubbish mum.'

And so the tale began of Di's journey in butterfly making.  Hobbycraft was indeed rubbish but Di had a plan.  Di, like all good women, has a stash!  This stash is full of fabrics, ribbons and beads.  Armed with her pink pliers and some wire she created the shape of the butterfly she had seen in my photo. 

I am sure not long later three pretty butterflies sat before her and they are now on the island waiting to be sold.  To fully understand this story you have to know that Di has three sons!  It is a very male dominated house and so the time spent with her pink pliers would, I am sure, been lovely.  I do hope she ate cake at the same time.

It is such a charming story and so typical of the project so far.  People from all over the country have helped get us off and running.  There is always room for more little helpers so if you fancy helping just get in touch and I can send patterns for various crafts by email.  We will be selling all through the summer and all help would be gratefully received. 



These little people would all be so very grateful.

George, Max and I have started a scrapbook of the campaign so we can look back one day and remind ourselves of the joy of being involved in such a wonderful project. 

Di making her butterflies, despite a lack of a pattern, is indicative of what is at the heart of this campaign.  We want to put effort into our contributions and we want to tell the story of this 'effort' to the children in Zambia.  We will write the story up at the end and send it to Jane to read to the children.  They will see just how much we care.  This feels important.

I have not added anything new to my list and I have some lovely red ticks by quite a few jobs so we are heading in the right direction.  A good day in the Doubleday family.  An inspection of the willow crop witnessed real growth and the plants in the tunnel are loving the sunshine.  I do hope you have had some sunshine. 

Until tomorrow. xx

Day 111 - the promise of a tree complete with butterflies!

Sunday 21st April

Another busy day and I am thinking it will be like this for a while. I am starting to tick things off my 'to do' list and trying hard not to add any new jobs. We have had a sunny but cold day and I am always grateful for the sun.

My lovely Kev has had a wonderful response to his piece about his family yesterday. He not only had over 200 page views but lots of lovely comments. The poor man has started his own blog and I fear I may be partly responsible! I have added it to my favourites section on the sidebar on the right of this post. I am, of course, wishing him every success with it and I am so looking forward to reading his writing.

We have our butterfly tree ready for next Saturday's tea party and we even have butterflies on it! Butterflies are arriving in the post and I am going to be doing lots of thank yous to lots of people. We have turned the front aspect of the studio into the beginnings of a beach garden but the planting is not yet done. I am using the raised beds that Max made with his Dad and I have had a word with the plants in the tunnel to ensure they are ready for planting later in the week.

The boys worked really hard yesterday and the studio is really coming together.....just in time.

The most wonderful raffle prizes are arriving on a daily basis so I am really confident that the raffle will be a hit.

The whole week is now devoted to getting ready so we just need some dry days to make the whole process easier.

I am one for the detail and I was down on my knees placing each piece of sea glass and shell in the spaces between the steps. I so need to have a word with myself.

George and Max practiced making butterfly cakes while I was away so we are all set to go on the cake front. Pete has been put in charge of tea! There will be a couple of creative activities set up for the afternoon. The children will get the chance to make their own paper butterflies on sticks and the adults will get the chance to make their very own prayer flag. It is just a little hint of the creative work we hope to offer from Hazelbank. I have made and labelled all my crafts and I have also made some pieces just for the charity.

Mollie, of course, will be here filming all afternoon and then I will add a link to the final film on a future blog post. I have had some emails asking me if I would accept donations. These are mainly from off islanders and I am hugely grateful. If you would like to make a contribution to this fundraising campaign on behalf of the Butterfly Tree charity just message me and I will give you details.

I am of a view that it will all come together because it always has before. The Doubleday family are well rehearsed in events and everyone always makes sure it goes well. With that firmly in the front of my mind I refuse to get stressed. I want us all to enjoy this campaign and make as much money for the charity as possible. If you haven't joined the charities facebook page it is well worth it. The founder of the charity, Jane, keeps us all updated with current projects and new targets. It is easy to see how much difference this charity makes to the communities in Zambia.

I am off to hopefully tick off more things off my list. Although I have individual thanks to make may I just take this opportunity to thank those of you who have donated raffle prizes and made butterflies. We simply couldn't do this without you.

Until tomorrow. xx

Day 110 - One of my favourite people in the world.

Saturday 20th April

OMG how busy are we on Hazelbank.  Only a week until the opening and we are trying to look organised.  There is lots to tell you and lots of tears and donations are starting to flood in.  I am truly touched.  I will do a detailed blog on that tomorrow but suffice to say the butterfly tree has appeared in all its glory! 

Thia blog is not about me today.  I knew a lad in school called Kev and in the past few years we have regained contact through facebook.  Kev writes wonderful messages on facebook and he is the person who can bring on the tears in seconds.  It is his complete and utter devotion to his family that I think we all find so wonderful.  I asked him to write from the heart and he has done just that.  It is a complete honour to share this with you and a complete honour to count him as a friend. 

A Day in my life

So where do I start? Well let’s go back to the beginning.

My name is Kevin and Fiona, being an old school friend, has asked me to write a few words, about me, my work and my family. She said people would like to read it. What about me I asked? I am just a simple man who loves his family and does what he can to give them a good life. Yes, she said about you, your work and stuff.  So here’s how I got to this point of writing a few lines for you to read.

The bags are now packed and ready in the hallway. An early start is on the cards for me tomorrow morning. The taxi is booked for 04.30 and then I will be off, away from my loved ones for well who knows with this job.  I grab the lead, the family dog knows I am on my travels again.  Funny how they can sense that changes are a foot.  We take a walk in the darkness, just a quick walk tonight Boy as its turning cold out there. I do a final check on the house and turn off the lights and head up to my bed.

The alarm goes off after what seems a very short night. I try to keep the noise down as I head down stairs, the taxi will be here soon.  I kiss my wife gently on the cheek and tell her I love her and will call you later, I whisper trying not to disturb her, she turns and we say our goodbyes.  Karen is sleeping at home tonight  so I won’t disturb her   We said our goodbyes last night and she knows I will miss her as I tell her enough.  She may be my eldest and twenty two years old but she’s still my baby girl.

I pass the open door to my son’s room – funny, I walk in thinking he will be there but he’s not.  I knew he would not be but I had to check . He has been left home for over six months now with his work , we talk on Facebook and txt but he is his own man now and dads are not too cool to have fussing in his life. He knows if he needs me I will never let him down, like I told him you will always be my son where ever your life takes you. The house is quiet as I walk back downstairs.  By the time they wake up I will be just getting off my first plane of the day. I grab my bags and head out side to await my taxi.

The taxi ride is the normal early morning silence, I flick in and out of my phone Facebook, eBay, emails all the stuff we all do as a daily ritual. How did we ever manage before phones? Well we all used to talk to each other more but I suppose it’s the sign of the times. I stuff it in my pocket we are here at the airport. A quick coffee and then we go through I am soon boarding and heading to Aberdeen.  The sun is breaking through now another day is dawning and I will see it arrive as I have many times before , but every daybreak is different depending what you’re up to. Watching the sun come up with a loved one is special as you both share the experience. Today I am alone I am on route to the heliport ready to fly offshore.

The trip is one I have done many times before. I arrive in Aberdeen I grab my bags and have an hour before my helicopter check in. I sit and ponder over a coffee a quick check of my phone, eight o clock my family will be up and busy chatting over breakfast while I am miles away. I check my phone a message it’s from Karen ‘love ya dad’ see ya soon xx a warm feeling comes into my body. I watch the world go by and in no time it’s my time, I head into waiting area and soon I watch the flight brief I have seen it many times before but I listen as if I was a first time flyer. Suit on time to go to work.

So we head out to the rig, the chopper flight is long by now my early morning start means I drift in and out of sleep. This trip it’s an oil rig 200 miles offshore from Aberdeen. A bleak place to be but it’s my job and my home for the next two weeks.

Later in my cabin I unpack my bags. I put up my pictures, both my children and wife take pride of place above my bunk. I gaze at the pictures and drift back to when they were took, a hot summers day I got my family together so I could get some nice pics I touch the frame I miss home already .

It’s been a long day, as I lay in my bunk I have had my chance to call home after tea. My wife tells me what’s been going on and says she is on her own tonight as Karen is staying out. So we are both alone tonight, but I am miles away and will be for the next thirteen nights. It’s a hard job to do especially since I have a family, not young children I know and they both go about their own lives they probably don’t even think about their old dad as much as I think about them. When I am away I have time on my hands and spend time looking back in my mind at their lives. It seems like only yesterday they were crawling and learning to walk. Now they are grown up and have lives of their own. I take one last look at my picture and switch out the light I say in my mind night night and sweet dreams to the both as I did when I said good night when they were children.

My family means the world to me and I miss them loads when I am away, I do this job and be away from home so I can give them a better life. There are times when I wish I was at home but then when I return home I feel the love and warmth of my family it makes it all worthwhile.

So there you have it a short few words to tell you about a day in my life, so next time you look up in the sky and see a plane go over, it could be me heading north again and away from my loved ones. But on the other hand I could be heading home and full of excitement of being back in my place as being just a dad and a husband.

Night night all

 

 

Until tomorrow. xx

Day 109 - homeward bound.xx

Friday 19th April

Sitting waiting to get on the ferry after the most wonderful few days in Lincoln with Molly.  How did that girl turn out so enchanting?  She is such lovely company and we do enjoy our time together.  I am refreshed and ready to resume my life but thank you Molly for a proper girly rest.

It is a beautiful evening and Arran looks majestic rising from the sea and that rock is my home.  I have finally finished Mark Boyle's book entitled the moneyless manifesto and what an interesting read it was.  I began it thinking I would probably have come across his topics before as I have read quite widely on sustainable living.  There were many issues that I had debated in my mind that Mark raised but he has a refreshing approach.  There is a simplicity to his arguments that mean they are stripped back to the basics of living.

His argument that we have over complicated life is presented with validity and supported by evidence.  Personal preference becomes the only counter argument at times and so he easily wins.  The passion that Mark feels for the planet is beyond question and there are times when I feel more than a little guilty for the way I sometimes treat the place that my life depends on.  He does resist preaching and I admire him for that.  He asks questions and offers some answers and I admire that too.

There is no doubt that I am further on in some of the sustainable issues he raises than others.  That, I feel, is one of the best uses of the book.  You can do a sort of carbon footprint health check and that can only ever move us forward.  Some of his more controversial discussions on issues such as 'home' are contextualised in interesting debates of approaches such as squatting.  This brings up the whole debate of ownership which, in turn, debates land issues.  Again, Mark is solution focused and also community focused as he talks of schemes such as Landshare.

It is a book that you can dip in and out of and I had to do that as I am quite busy at the moment.  I was slightly disappointed in the ending but I am not sure why.  Was I expecting some kind of blueprint for life to be laid before me?  If I had been I probably wouldn't have followed it anyway.  It is an engaging read that offers more answers than in other books that have tackled issues of sustainability.  Few would argue with the central issue that the human race needs to do so much more to preserve the resources we have for future generations.  Mark has done some of our thinking for us and I can only feel gratitude.

If others read it as a result if me reviewing it then his 'publishing' strategy is working in a moneyless way.  Well done Mark.

The boys are tidying the house as I blog on the boat and drink tea.  Excellent.  It is not a memorable Friday travelling on soulless motorways but some of the views were wonderful and I am so looking forward to parking myself back on Hazelbank.  I hear my kitten has been a good girl so maybe I should go away more often.

Have a lovely evening.  Until tomorrow. Xx

Day 108 - resetting the creative dialogue.

Thursday 18th April

My last day in Lincoln with Molly as I head home tomorrow.  This journey will not involve public transport as I think I have had enough of train journeys to last a life time.  Pete is currently visiting his parents in Norfolk so he is picking me up and we will head back to the island by car.

I have so enjoyed my time with Molly and we already have plans brewing to do it again.  She is my only girl so I do miss the girly things now she is at university.  Thankfully we like similar things so we can lose a whole day wandering about Lincoln.  Today was a bit more focused as Molly needs a new laptop so off we went to get some advice and now the big Internet comparison thing that we all do begins in earnest.  After the search for advice and a lingering look by me at the Apple Mac Pro on the way out we had to have a coffee.  We always have to have a coffee.  Then the wandering resumed as we headed back into town.

Lincoln is a real gem and if you haven't been you must add it to your 'to do' list.  As a city it is small enough to walk around and there is lots of see.  My favourite, and slightly obsessive thing, is to look at the canal boats all tied up just begging me to buy them.  There are quite a few for sale but I am not greedy, one would do quite nicely.

As I contemplate my return to the island my head is filling with our charity event on the 27th.  I have gathered my thoughts enough to scare myself with the list I have to do before the event.  Thankfully we are making it a family effort and the focus of home school will be on the preparation.  After the event I will take a short breath before moving hazelbank into its next phase and offering more and more courses.  I already have a couple in the diary and those have filled really easily so I am guessing there is enough interest to make this work.  The smallholding has to pay for itself as it is not a hobby and the addition of the courses is, I feel, a good move.

In my quest for the courses to be life affirming as well as really enjoyable I am currently doing some research on prayer flags.  I so enjoyed doing my first three last week and it was more than the actual sewing that gripped me.  Thinking about what I wanted the flag to say and why was contemplative and releasing at the same time.  I am hoping that this current research will transfer into a small, bespoke course where people can come and express themselves through their own prayer flag making process.  I want to strike a balance between seeing the flags as a way of releasing us from things that are holding us back in life and the desire to be aspirational.  I don't want the sessions to be a space where we get contorted by things we need to let go of and so this research that I am undertaking is critical.  Although clearly a Buddhist tradition I don't really see that as that relevant to the making of a prayer flag.  My research so far suggests that anyone can benefit from such an activity and I am enjoying the questions that are being thrown up by the process.

I am offering guests at our tea party the chance to have a quick go to, at least, get themselves started.  They can then take it away to finish in their own time.  I am currently working on a design for the Butterfly Tree charity as something I might send to Jane and the team.

Moving forward from the opening event I will be available to offer butterfly tea parties to fellow islanders who can get a group of friends together.  I have mentioned this before and I already have a couple booked in the diary.  I will happily come to you bearing supplies to make butterfly crafts and cake.  If you can provide the tea and some friends we have the makings of a lovely time.  If you then ask for donations from your friends these can be added to the growing total of funds raised for the Butterfly Tree.  It is such a lovely way to raise money so do email me if you would like to book a tea party.

On a totally different subject to reflect just how chaotic my mind can be I have a collection of articles that need moving forward.  In 2011 I became involved in a writing project that involved short pieces of creative writings at different locations around the island.  I am probably now in a position to extend that work before putting the collection together.  I am anticipating, at this stage, they will take the form of an ebook and this book will offer a different perspective on the island.  The intention is that it 'speaks' to people who are interested in engaging with their own creativity and looking at where they live with new eyes.  It will include some tutorials on how I approached my project on Arran as well as the pieces of creative writing themselves.  The work is on my laptop which is at home but, if my memory serves me right, I have about 11 pieces already written complete with photographs.  The obvious byproduct is that it might trigger some visits to our beautiful island and that would be a real bonus.  The focus is on speaking the language of creativity through appreciation and interrogation of space.  It is easy to love Arran but I felt that the project engaged me with the island in new and more meaningful ways.

I don't anticipate having the time to put it together until the month of October so I have set that aside.  Meantime I thought I might test the water a little to see what you guys think.  I have a piece called 'Meditation in May'  that I wrote in response to a walk I took (in May) up to Glen Ashdale Falls.  It is almost May once more so I thought I would post it and let you see what you think.  I would be very grateful for your views.  Look out for it soon. All the pieces are completely different as all the places they are based on are different.  The list contains some flash fiction, memoir writings, personal essays and one or two more spiritual pieces.  I am resisting finding a through line and allowing the differences to stand proud because there lies the essence of the project.  Different places evoke different responses and I want that to be clear throughout the book.

As a potential extension to this project I am considering running residential courses on the island where guests can explore their creative responses to different places on the island.  This doesn't have to be just using the written word and I would hope it would move into other artistic corners as reflected by the people engaged in the course.  I am testing this idea out on you guys first so if anyone thinks this is an idea with 'legs' do drop me an email.  It is very early days so all your advice will help to shape this and that is how it should be.

So, I hope, lots to ponder on from today's post.  I spend quite a bit of time responding to emails from you guys and you are so good at asking the right questions that my thinking continues to move forward.  Some of you have found my personal page on facebook and sent friend requests and that is truly wonderful.  I am always delighted to accept as I use facebook a lot to share things and I do love a good chat!  Your engagement with this humble little blog is what makes the whole thing work.  Thank you, thank you.

Until tomorrow xx