The most beautiful day arrived on the island today but with it came an unmistakable autumn wind. I love how Mother Nature plays with us in these early autumn days. Us islanders know full well what is coming as autumn storms are legendary here so it is a time to be on standby. High winds from the west with bring the inevitable cancelled ferry crossing and that feeling of being rather cut off. That slightly isolating notion is, I think, rather healthy as it serves to remind us what island living is about. There are times when the ferry can not sail and it can be an occurrence often in the winter months. In those times the community has to rely on each other to keep daily life ticking over. The Co-op lorry is not trundling off the ferry so provisions can run low very quickly. Emergency services are always at the ready with the helicopter on standby to take emergency cases to mainland hospitals.
So, as we await the first real run of the ferocious westerly winds we enjoy some late and warming sunshine. I am not blessed with continual good health so some days can be a bit of a struggle. Today is not one of my better days following a very long and painful night. My life, however, is enriched by having almost completed the 30 day rewilding challenge. Even on my poor days I must do my 30 minutes and it often grows into much longer. If, like today, I can't venture far I am grateful to have 10 acres to gently stride about in and, at this time of year, I rarely miss a harvesting opportunity. I see the curry plants have sprouted seeds to collect and dry and the blackberry harvest knows no boundaries this year.
My parents planted this pampas grass which is a little bit of a throw back to the 1970s (no offence Mother). I love it because the birds take their daily bounce on it as it moves in the breeze. It is their personal fairground ride and I can sit for ages and watch them. Our front garden is sizeable and needs a bit of autumn cutting back once all the plants have released their seeds and bounty. I am losing my view of the sea so that must be remedied. Last night I lay listening to the waves while everyone else slept.
George would like to thank everyone for their kind birthday wishes. He had a lovely day and his big cousin came over to build his bike so that he could have a ride to the village and back. We missed Molly, of course, but she was with us through Skype for all the important bits of the day. She kindly bought him a comprehensive dog care book for his present and last night he was stretched out on his bed deep in concentration with this new found knowledge.
Despite cooking on fumes today I have managed to draft the next month of my Meditation through Writing course and I always amaze myself at how this comes together. It is an example of years of practice taking a permanent and lasting hold on you so that the process of theorizing becomes effortless. It still takes quite a while to type 12 pages though.... This coming month we are focusing on the uniqueness of a writer's voice and the students will have lots of opportunities to play and become creative. I hope that it will be a lovely well to welcome in the autumn season.
Now that is written I can focus on the last couple of weeks build up to the launch of One soul many hearts. I have something for every page but only a few pages are ready to publish so I have a bit of editing and chasing to do. After some really engaging discussions with owners of small businesses I have decided that those wanting to establish a long term relationship with the site will be known as Ambassadors. They will promote all that we do and in return I will promote their work at every opportunity. Of course, that means I must choose these businesses wisely so it will not be a quick process. Once chosen though these Ambassadors will be a real asset to the promotion of the site and will even get their own shiny one soul many hearts web badge. I have already got a couple of businesses in mind for such a role so watch this space.
In a similar way I have begun a mini campaign to pledge my support to small businesses that make their own products in the run up to Christmas. I will be running a feature on One soul many hearts that will point readers in the direction of lovely products that are perfect for Christmas presents. If you make your own products and would like to be included please get in touch asap. This will be a joint publication as it will also appear here as part of Scottish island mum.
I do not have as much control over my mind as I would like. Just as I should be concentrating on the launch of One soul many hearts the migration of Scottish island mum keeps popping into my head. The migration will, I hope, be welcomed but I am so going to have to reign myself in on this one. I am, however, very clear on the difference between the two sites. One soul many hearts is, essentially, a platform for sharing and I hope that will filter through to every aspect of the site. Scottish island mum is going to be just for me. It will migrate into a streamlined space that allows me to share my life journey in a more organised, accessible and user-friendly way. So, I have the affirmations in place now I just need to create the look and feel of Scottish island mum as she moves into 2014.
Pete and I are going through a period of re-structuring work commitments to allow him to spend more time on the smallholding and pick up more freelance work. I am focusing on my writing as we move into 2014 and limiting my craft work to joint projects with Angie from Sugar and Spice. We have enjoyed doing events together in 2013 and it does seem to make it much easier on both of us. Those who know me well will know that I am up to something with all this restructuring and I would tell you but then I would have to kill you. Suffice to say I have picked my life up and given it a shake and have the beginnings of a plan emerging. You will be relieved to know that thee child held on well with their fingertips and so will have a place in the plan.
Until tomorrow. xx
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