When I write these weekly 'Pause for Thought' posts, sitting at the kitchen table, I ask myself what good things happened this week, what caught my eye, what made me stop in my tracks to admire it, what made me smile? It's so easy for the weeks to fly by and then conclude that nothing much…
As we reach the final day of January, I thought I'd finish on a seasonal note. It may not be a popular month, many might be glad to say goodbye to it, but it hasn't been without its highlights. This past week, especially, we seem to have experienced all four seasons - snow, heavy rain,…
It's been a mild January so far, but if there is one word that springs to my mind this month, it's grey (and relentlessly so). Even my normal optimistic self is craving now for some sunlight, some hint of colour outdoors, some blue sky on the horizon. In their absence, I've been quietly focused indoors. Perhaps it's…
A decade ago I ran an online shop. In hindsight, it was a little ahead of its time, selling handmade, locally sourced gifts, the kind you find these days on notonthehighstreet.com. It was a part time endeavour, which I dedicated my evenings to while working full time during the day. It was also a labour…
It's so easy, isn't it, come Wednesday, when we reach the mid point of the working week, to start thinking about the weekend. Collectively, as a nation, we seem to sigh with relief that most of our working week is behind us and that the weekend is almost in sight. I know it's something I'm…
I always feel optimistic at the start of a new year - gazing into the future, contemplating the twelve months ahead, quietly excited about the possibilities it brings for moving forward. I've never been one for resolutions but each year, as I've opened a new diary, I've felt compelled to write down some goals and…
