Cathy Jones

I would love to write something poetic here about how as the leaves change so do we but honestly I'm just a pragmatic soul. I'd rather be comfortable than romantic. Although currently I am neither of those things. It's October and the leaves are turning. I've just left my toxic job and I am in the process of recovering my (soul, mental life, physical health) joie de vivre. But growth is what comes after the rest. So I'm calling this fallow season- where I put the manure in to nourish the soil (told you I wasn't romantic).

This is another one that will be a work in progress.

Okay, calling it summer is a bit of a stretch. This morning's forecast is for thunderstorms. So a lot of the items on this list will not exactly be your traditional warm weather, holiday mode vibes. But given that I am currently living somewhere where it is soaked in the morning and sunburn in the afternoon…

The thing I like the most about Aberdeen is that you can get every environment in one day. Coast, forest, urban, suburban and rural can all be experienced within about half and hour of each other. And you could throw in a mountain in a couple of hours.

Many trips to the library. Many. Possibly too many books to read but as usual I will make the attempt.

A guide to the background thinking that fuels.personal development.

Normally I like winter. It's peaceful, a calm time of year to reflect and enjoy a quieter version of the world. This year however I have enjoyed it less. I've been cold for 400 years. And it rained for four weeks straight. So I did things to make myself less miserable.

Life has changed a lot in the last two months and I'm only just now catching up to myself. I have moved back to my own little flat which is ahem barely habitable. I like to think of it as my very own little garret. Unfortunately I moved at the busiest time of the work year. So not much more than the basics have been going on. Nonetheless here is a list of the big and the small that has kept me going

Some people follow a neat and tidy path in life. Others... don't.

I'm starting a mega list. I'm not quite sure how to describe it other than it is going to have books, ideas and maybe stuff. Maybe it is my life right now, my brain just now. A snap shot of all the different threads that make up my current existence.

It is so hard to believe that we are past the summer solstice already. I still find myself saying oh I'll do that when summer comes. Ok so living in Scotland doesn't help- as I write this it is raining for the third time today. Between bad weather, illness and work the last few weeks have disappeared in a haze. Projects have piled up, plants are dying in my bedroom because they haven't gone to their home in the allotment and I have lost track of what I am doing. A review is needed. I starte dout reading the blog on Fortelabs and that sent me off on a book buying bonanza. Fingers crossed I get something done before my room turns into a compost heap.

Decaffeinated tea is becoming a horrible necessity. It is hard to describe just how comforting I find a cup of tea but caffeine is not my friend. So I am on the hunt for a decaf tea that doesn't taste like leftover Rice Krispies milk. Sadly I never remember to drink anything else. So this is my list of things I will hopefully remember to drink instead of tea.

If it was a relationship status it would say It's Complicated. I love gardening. It is the one activity that I feel from beginning to end. It's a big project in a little space. And when I'm tired and can't do any more physical labour, I read about gardening. And sometimes watch it too.

Museums from my travels and ones I hope to go back to soon.

I have developed a massive book collection over the years. But I've pared it down to just the necessities- this list is just one shelf!