This Year of the Tiger is about courage, bravery, and resilience. We’ve all been developing and drawing on those in these recent years, but perhaps now more than ever as post pandemic stresses build, we are going to need our tiger qualities. In a small way we’ve drawn on them a lot this week, discoveringContinue reading “Sod’s Law and Tiger Traits”
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Peaking early in 2022
The past is the past – whether two years, two hundred or two thousand years ago. It creates and shapes our future. This week has seen us travelling (for us) the final stretch of the Peak Forest Canal – known as Peak Forest Upper as it stretches into the Peak Forest, through ancient landscapes ofContinue reading “Peaking early in 2022”
Oh Pooh!
This week started with Winnie the Pooh Day (the birthday of author A.A. Milne). As ever the ursine who always underestimated himself as the Bear of Very Little Brain, got our life afloat spot on in a succinct reminder which seems valid for everyone, however they are living and working. So often we forget thatContinue reading “Oh Pooh!”
Some just have everything
Canals are remarkably like people. They each have their own character, their awkward bits, their lovely parts and their idiosyncrasies. Some, just like some people, seem to be blessed with everything, and that goes for the Macclesfield where we’re moored right now. The Macc has beauty, history, the right amount of challenge and some ofContinue reading “Some just have everything”
Crisis? It really is an opportunity!
A new year is here that appears for most to herald times at least as difficult and uncertain as its predecessor. That is stressful situation and just adds to the pressures many were already facing as 2021 ended. Wellbeing and mindfulness increases our resilience to stress, our ability to cope with whatever life, work, colleagues,Continue reading “Crisis? It really is an opportunity!”
Slow is the only way to go
A new year, a new start and a new month – January named after Janus as my erudite cousin Liz reminded me. Janus was the Roman god of transitions, whose two faces were both reflecting and looking forward. It’s easy to reflect on the calm of the inland waterways (until you meet another boat atContinue reading “Slow is the only way to go”
Gratitude – the gift that gives
Io Saturnalia! Happy Solstice! and almost Merry Christmas! Are you ready – wi These significant festivals begin this week with the official start of winter. It marks a time of ending and beginning, launches a time of taking stock, counting our blessings if you will, and being grateful – all of which done positively isContinue reading “Gratitude – the gift that gives”
Our Plan B to party on
Christmas demands planning, and despite Omicron, Delta and other Covid-associated variants, it looks like bubbles this year will be mainly alcoholic! Living afloat Christmas demands decision making not just on what presents to make/buy, what shopping to do or who is cooking what. We’ve both had both our jabs and our boosters and our fluContinue reading “Our Plan B to party on”
Iced up and frozen solid
What a week – snow, ice, frozen ropes, rain, fieldfares, owls, kingfishers and fantastic community spirit. Living afloat on England’s inland waterways makes us much more aware of that archetypal English conversation staple – the weather. We live in it much more than we did amid bricks and mortar. Winds buffet the boat, sometimes gently,Continue reading “Iced up and frozen solid”
Taking nothing for granted; blood, sweat and an end to washing our dirty linen in public
This time last year we were in the midst of Lockdown 2, wondering whether Christmas would be a time we could share the presence of loved ones which was the greatest present we wished for. Since then the world has moved on, and in some ways we have learned to live with a pandemic. Vaccinations,Continue reading “Taking nothing for granted; blood, sweat and an end to washing our dirty linen in public”
Pickingupducks 