Cultivating better conversations

Looking out from a field shelter to the trees beyond

The smaller field shelter was a handy retreat when the heavens opened. I’d come out clothed for a sunny morning alpaca round. And the farmhouse was too far a dash. Standing here, looking at a different, more enclosed view, I wondered about the conversations we need but often avoid. Is it because we have a … Read more

The gift of fresh sight

Colours of autumn trees across the valley

What difference would it make if we saw the familiar with new eyes? I suspect that if we were open, it might change the story we tell ourselves about where we are and why we are here. Pause. See differently. Re-story 🌿

Beyond the sound of the storm

View up the lake with debris in the foreground

When the noise of the storm has died down, we are often left with an eerie silence. An emptiness that allows us to gather our meanings and turn them over in our hands. To see what is left of value. My friend Tracy Ingham, an emerging poet, recently wrote this beautiful piece on the shores … Read more

Finding beauty after the storm

Edge of the lake in shadow, with sunlight picking out fresh rushes and vegetation

Touched by the edge, Storm Antoni left its mark in the valley. Yet whatever kind of storm we face, there is an after… AFTER THE STORM Don’t expect thingsto be the same.They can’t be,life has moved on.Loose rubbish,the detritus of years,has been swept away,  and today is a new day.Find the beauty,  unwrap the story. … Read more

What happens when we cross a boundary

what-happens-when-we-cross-a-boundary

A shift occurs when we cross a threshold. It’s both external and internal, though not always immediately apparent. Because our surroundings change, and so do we. And when boundaries are protected to define who belongs where – we also create a new story about who we are. So this is not a space for those … Read more

Seeing is different to looking

seeing-is-different-to-looking

We can focus our eyes in a specific direction or even search for something particular. But that doesn’t mean we are seeing it. Seeing involves opening ourselves, not just our eyes. And the act of seeing, of engaging, changes us. Are we seeing, or are we just looking? Pause. See. Re-story.