Moments are what matter – of hygge, niksen and ukiyo

Small is beautiful in our world. The fact that our home, office, workshop, and studio is just 50ft long is a clue to why small is something we treasure. Not everyone can have or would want to have a micro home, a tiny home, but everyone can have micro moments in their day that addContinue reading “Moments are what matter – of hygge, niksen and ukiyo”

Never look back? There are times it helps but not in anger

It can be tough to look back – this week we encountered Adrian Edmondson on his Berserker book tour. He was looking back as one does when launching a personal memoir. In part, Edmondson looked back at his time at a Yorkshire boarding school. It was a time he recalled feeling helpless; at the mercyContinue reading “Never look back? There are times it helps but not in anger”

Full Monty shows the power of volunteers

This week we’ve been on one of the shortest stretches of canal new to us – the 7 miles of the Montgomery Canal (known as the Monty). This stunning canal which straddles the Anglo Welsh border is beautiful, special (site of special scientific interest SSSI) peaceful (at the moment) and well worth a visit byContinue reading “Full Monty shows the power of volunteers”

Giving up

Scouring the news for glimmers of positivity seems an exhausting process – but we all need these to give us hope, not just about the current situation, but for our own wellbeing. Looking around us and making our contribution to improving the world around us can be one way to help us get through bleakContinue reading “Giving up”

Work-life collision

Just when we thought we’d got that work-life-balance thing spot on – but we’ve been discovering how confusing it can be when work and life collide. It’s more of a linguistic shunt than a literal crash… so to explain… One side of our business is property letting – bricks and mortar, rather than floating homes.Continue reading “Work-life collision”

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”

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”

Silver linings and a reminder of what really matters

I know that many people working from home have found themselves viewing their home differently – some despairingly but many positively, learning about their home and community in a different way. I’ve had a new experience of our home this week too. I don’t do ill very often – I think the last time wasContinue reading “Silver linings and a reminder of what really matters”