Liebster

Michelle kindly nominated me for a Liebster award: a gesture of paying forward the blog love, by answering some questions and sharing with a few friends. Michelle’s questions were too good to resist, and I even found myself asking others the very same questions over the weekend.
So, here are my answers..

Click your fingers and where would you like to be right now?
Polmina, Cornwall: a magical little stone hut sitting on a wild part of the Cornish coast. No phone reception and no telly; just moorland, Atlantic views and a cosy fire to read by.

What has been your biggest adventure?
Desolation Wilderness (the clue’s in the name right?!) Years ago, Tom and I spent several days hiking through this empty landscape on the Pacific Crest Trail. It was the closest I’ve come to danger, with a near-deadly slip on a glacier, falling asleep to the grunt of nearby bears, and carrying all our provisions on our backs. The views of endless empty space as far as the eye could see still sticks with me.

What is your favourite thing that you have cooked recently?
Pizza. I know, simple right? But I am in love with Smitten Kitchen‘s recipes and have recently discovered her quick and easy pizza dough. It doesn’t require much forward planning (which suits me perfectly!) and I like the flexibility of adding anything to the top (artichokes are my favourite).

If you could skip the learning and suddenly have a skill what would it be?
Fair isle knitting. I’d like to be able to create those beautiful colour combos that reflect the heathery landscapes of Scotland. My obsession with wool grows every year, and I would like to be able to do more with it (chiefly inspired by this marvelous woman!)

Are you doing now what 18 year old you thought you’d be doing?
At 18 I had just begun an English Language & Communication degree. I’m now a Speech and Language Therapist helping young children develop their early communication skills. So, whilst I took a roundabout way to get here, it’s not too far removed from where I started.

What do you think 80 year old you would like to see you do before you get there?
Live in a house in the country, complete with animals (sheep, ducks, hens, pigs!)
And visit the Southern Hemisphere.

Finish the sentence: When I find myself smiling while walking down the street it is usually because …
I’ve noticed some small piece of nature amongst the concrete, like a heron flying high over the street or a squirrel up a lampost.

What is your favourite ritual – daily, weekly, monthly or annually?
Tea! It is so delightfully British, and really does resolve many a woe. My husband, father and brother are all equal tea fanatics and when together we’re always debating what particular loose leaf to put in the pot. It drives my mum crazy who, with her American background, simply doesn’t get it!

Thank you to Michelle for her questions, and here are my six to pass on…

What is your favourite journey?
What was your best read of the last year?
If the sun is shining, where do you go?
Where’s next on your ‘must visit’ list?
What are your words to live by?
Tell me a joke.

I’d like to nominate the ever-creative Kelly, Danisse, Katy and Kat.

Fried Green February

I’ve been spotting tiny pale green shoots popping up from the earth, and hearing birdsong on my morning walk to the ferry. It’s only February, but I’m embracing these tiny promises of spring and I’m ready for some warmer reading.

I’ve relished some very stormy reads this winter: Whisky Galore, set on a far Scottish Island; Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow, set in snowy Denmark and the Arctic Circle; and January’s start to #theyearinbooks: We, the Drowned. I’ve spent a month reading through a century of shipping lives, sailed through freezing fog along banks of icebergs and relentless storms. It’s been a fantastic adventure.

It took a year of Tom’s encouragement before I finally read this book. Whilst it’s beautiful cover was inviting, it’s 688 pages were intimidating. But not a page was wasted. Vast in the time and distances described, Jensen tells of the generations of men crossing the world’s shipping routes, gone from their home town of Marstal for years at a time. The stories of the young boys’ tribulations in school, and the women managing shipping companies back home were equally captivating. One world war was described from a distance, while the second was brutally close. So many vivid character, different perspectives and personal stories within this book, I’d confidently recommend it to anyone.

Such a read is a hard act to follow. The only answer seemed contrast. So, I’m hoping for a gentler and warmer read in Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. I’m suspecting this book will make me long for warmth and summer blooms. Right now, I’ll settle for a bit of afternoon sun and an old tree.

The Hottest Ticket in Town

February is here and I am starting to get seriously excited about the spring; not just for the warm sunshine and fresh greenery, but also for the excuse to visit this fabulous place and meet lots of lovely people. Payday has arrived, the January doldrums have passed, and I have a ticket to Blogtacular!

Kat and Kat have lined up a stellar cast of speakers to welcome this new bloggers conference on to the stage. I’m particularly looking forward to hearing from Anne and the guys behind Mini Moderns. I love Anne’s colourful slice of Paris, and am forever in love with Keith and Mark’s textile designs (especially this one!)

Billed as the place where ‘blog dreams come true’ I thought about mine. I’m looking forward to indulging in a weekend of colourful creativity: writing inspiration, practical advice, and catching up with friends without there being a screen between us. Go get your ticket and I’ll see you there!

Quote of the Month: One Hand

Isaksen held out his hand and counted on his fingers: inventiveness, persistence, vision, will to survive and, more than anything, the ability to unite in a common purpose to achieve what was impossible for the individual. Five fingers, one hand.

The hand that blows with the wind, the hand of flexibility, the hand that seizes every opportunity that presents itself!
Carsten Jensen

January has been a busy start to the year, with plenty of new plans and outdoor adventures. We’ve grabbed every free moment of blue sky and got muddy feet more times than I can count. I’ve met people over new projects and scribbled plans over old notebooks.

But I’ve still had plenty of time on the couch with this book, going through the stories of the many generations within. This quote in amongst the pages seemed a perfect January theme: persisting through the storms, sharing the load with others, and preparing for the unexpected along the way. I hope the next eleven months will be filled with plenty more inventiveness and vision.

Social Reading

January is just made for books. Firesides, cups of tea, woolly socks; all perfect for settling down with a good read. It’s that time of year when everyone is brim full of new determination to do more of what they love. And who doesn’t love to curl up with a book? Sure, I know we get distracted by screens, or the conversation at the neighbouring cafe table (no? just me?) But. I do love it when I finally sink in and get lost in another world between the covers.

I love to share good reads with other people. I’d rather know what you’re reading, than what you thought of Strictly. And if I see someone with a book on the train I usually get busted for craning my neck to spot the title. If it has a beautiful cover, I’m in love, and have to share it on Instagram. So, I’m very happy to join Laura in sharing my reads in #theyearinbooks, and I hope you will too! My head is stuck firmly in We, the Drowned at the moment. It’s a fat read to finish by the end of the month, so I better put the kettle on and put down the screen.