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.

Winter Sunshine

Blue skies in January compel me to squeeze every last sunny drop from the short hours. Saturday’s last light was golden at Compton Beach. It was chilly, sat on the rough grass of the cliff’s edge, but still perfect for a winter’s picnic of tea and brownies.

I always hated tea from a flask, but I’ve just discovered that the secret is proper loose leaf tea without milk (and a big slab of chocolate brownie to help wash it down).

We sipped our tea as the light dipped below the water, glowing orange while the last of the surfers sat and watched that last sunny drop.

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.

An Alphabet Year

So when I said that I had picked one word for the year that wasn’t entirely accurate.. In true rock ‘n’ roll style, New Year’s Eve found Tom and I sat by the fire with coloured pencils (I know, wild huh?) and a whole alphabet list of things we want to do this year. A few will be easy to do but some might be more challenging (read: unlikely). Lindyhop anyone?!

Astronomy, Botany, Curry vegetables, Dinosaur hunting, Easter egg hunt, Fly a kite, Grow a pumpkin, Hilltop running, Invite friends & family to the island, Jar jams from foraged fruit, Knit something lovely, Learn the Lindyhop, Mountain challenge, Nettle soup, Oppose injustice, Print something, Quote of the month, Read more, Sign up for a race further than you can currently run, Transform some junk, Use the library, Visit with someone lovely, Wander and wonder, Xylophone, Yarn bomb, Zoology.

Running Through the Storm

There seems no letup in this stormy weather, though our house on the hill remains dry and my heart goes out to all those affected by the floods. Living on the coast, we’ve had our share of dramatic weather. But rain and wind won’t keep me indoors; I’ve discovered that the very best thing to do in stormy weather is run..

Walking or cycling in these winds just feels like a hard slog, but running feels natural. After all, what do you do when you get caught out by a shower without your coat ten feet from the car? This is just a small extension of that.

In the last couple weeks we’ve tramped through thick sloppy mud, slipped down water-soaked slopes, been pushed by the wind along slick chalky paths, and held for dear life on to sea railings against horizontal hail. This is not the time of year to buy a nice new pair of trainers- they won’t survive a month. So grab some old gear and let the wind and rain buffet you about. It really is good fun out there.