Spring has sprung.

Written By and.

And just like that Spring has sprung into Summer.

I have pondered what is the point of this site and why would anyone want to read what I’m up to and then I correct myself and remember this is my public journal and I have been searching for a way to write more regularly and with a theme (I love a theme), yet not found the formula that works for me. In my day job I am involved in the weekly newsletter which we pre-schedule and always (well have been for a year, or so now, consistent on). Here however I’ve never found my mojo or rhythm of writing. Yet the thoughts of quarterly as living in the seasons and adding to it as a weekly focus just won’t happen. I feel that there is something in that seasonal approach from what we do and achieve in that time. 12 weeks is a long time, it’s 84 days and a lot can happen in that time for sure.

Also now without social media which I still have moments of missing, well not missing more the action of doing social and that FOMO feeling arises its ugly head every now and then which I truly do not like the feeling- I lose my gratitude in those moments and get stuck in comparison- why because I think its human to do so, yet unhealthy to sit in that space.. and it’s very, much less now after now 3 months. (Stopped all my social postings excl Twitter and Pinterest which are very sporadic the rest were stopped from the beginning of April 2022)

The seasons resonate so much now since we moved to Easter Shian and my writing can sit in that space of seasonality as it links to all aspects of what I share Food, Life and Living.

In my first 50 years of life, the seasons happened without thought or wondering from me. I truly didn’t connect to or with anything of nature with awe or wonder, my lack of appreciation was reflected in many parts of my life too. I have already decided and chose to max out the next 50 years of my life for sure. I’ve written about this before yet have really only connected the latter to how I can make this second season of my life be shared and journaled for me ultimately. This Spring I started my Morning Pages (Julie Cameron’s work) and I have stuck to them, even when travelling. It’s an everyday activity and I mostly do them in the morning as needed yet some days I’ve ended up doing them at the end of the day - yet I did them. Since April 15th I have only missed one day, for me this level of consistency is impressive! The impact they have on me is it gives me balance. It’s a cathartic way of expelling, healthy no structure you just hand write 3 pages. That’s it. I truly enjoy doing it and at no point can I read what I’ve rewritten as it is pretty illegible. The site has grown into Home of Living all thing hoose, Life (my Mind Your Self site is now part of this one so there is only one place for everything how I live my life now ) and of course the original inception of Food after The Taste so I’ve split my little seasonal blog into each section. It’s not full disclosure or everything yet it’s a good share and download of what’s happened in the last 84+ days. Hope you enjoy it as I did reflecting back on the Spring Season.

Well, I’ve now rambled enough here’s my Spring Season all in one.

Spring Food

Food. Well, some of it!

It’s been a great food season with our travels we got to eat in some great places from Catch in Las Vegas to home cooking at the farm. We did a bit of keto, to vegetables only and as always we change it up so we never get bored and experimenting with food is pure joy for me, I will eventually get round to writing recipes, just need an active notebook when I cook and scribble so I can share. I read so many cookbooks and think why not and then never write them down, as every recipe is a bastardization of something we’ve eaten, read, existed, or adapted.

My favourite food this Spring season was- Denver the Halcyon and its in-house restaurant; creme brulee sweetcorn!

The best food delivery was the @gastrogays, who I have the honour to say of friendship since The Taste and they have written a cookbook and it’s fabulous and full of recipes for fried food only- pure joy. Get it here. And if you’re not convinced (god knows why not) see what Nigella thinks of it, she loves it no other endorsement needed.

Memorable Spring Eating Diary

Only good food goes on this list!

  • Ballintagert Grandtully, Dunkeld

  • Tatte Bakery Washington - amazing a must-do in the Circle district

  • Foxtrot Cafe Du Pont Circle Washington

  • Lyle DC Hotel is a beautiful place and fabulous hotel (will stay there next time)

  • Willard Center is the most expensive pastries, delicious, ever purchased, good overpriced for sure ($69 for two pastries and 2 coffees!)

  • Market Place Bar - brilliant burgers and for Dave a great Old fashioned cocktail

  • Del Mar restaurant Washington Wharf- felt like being back in Mallorca amazing

  • Bonnie Brae ice cream Parlour- got covid and ice cream was my go-to food

  • Local Johns Halycon Denver

  • Quality Italian also at Halycon Denver- this was where we had creme brulee sweetcorn- the last meal dish for sure

  • Main Street Creamery Sarasota - the best EVER icecream sundae had two

  • Yellow Belly St Louis was great fusion food

  • Insomnia Cookies - yet more icecream

  • Din Tai Fung Las vegas- amazing food at Aria Resort

  • Tom’s Urban Las Vegas - okay would’’t go again, the clients we were with made it great

  • Catch Las Vegas instagrammable people, food and restaurant.

  • Chook - Denver great food concept a Stanley marketplace

Spring @EasterShian

Living

Living is the hoose, all the things that are happening in renovations of Easter Shian, interiors, thoughts, and ideas of how we live and how we are living here. Easter Shian is our forever home for sure, we even have part ownership of a graveyard too so we can always remain here. The hoose is my genuine joy, I adore it so much I am biased and understand that living remotely (nearest shop 16 miles away is not everyone’s cup of tea) for me who 15 years ago said to Dave - I want to live I in a field. My dream has come true. The house is a challenge only in the positive sense. We are taught something new pretty much every day, patience being one of them and I need that of gratitude. I do and say all the cliche things like “I pinch myself when I wake up” statements which after nearly 2 years here is still true, I get a calmness that overtakes me when I turn onto the 4 miles single-track through Glen Quaich to the house.

We also started doing test retreats this Spring with non-paying friends/clients as we thought it was just our bias and it isn’t. There is something a touch magical in the house and its location all packaged together and everyone who visits experiences it. My kids are a different story their lives are busy and full, and they haven’t visited for a long time. This Spring I chose to make more regular visits (prompted by one of my daughters,) to England as they don’t come here, life and giving are about balance and choosing to do the right thing is important to me so I go to them instead, the joy it gives back is seeing them of course and then coming home the happy impact is relived every time I drive back.

Many many blogs on the actions we have done on the renovations and the dramas that ensued from it. This Spring we have accomplished a few things around the house

  • Both the keeping room and sitting room are now fully decorated and in full use every day. They are our day-to-day living spaces, keeping room in the morning, and sitting room in the evening. Different feelings in both. The themes are nature in the keeping room and the snugness and hug of serenity calm in the sitting room.

  • The main bathroom shower has been dropped - irrelevant for anyone except me as it was too high and now means we can have a flush to the floor walk-in, plus changed all the taps in that bathroom to be more traditional and the shower bath taps too. Not noticeable to others for us it’s a big change.

The sitting room is decorated with warm neutrals

  • The ceiling is painted in Lick Pink and it gives this delightful glow to the room.

  • We move this room around when we have guests so the sitting is not as intimate, it’s perfect for the two of us like this, the light fitting I am saving for a Tom Raffield fitting which will complement this room and we have curtains in here adding to the smugness feeling.

Summer brings A LOT of changes again so the next update will be chockablock of updates.



Spring Life

From work, travel and all that life throws at us, getting out my own way for the most of it.

Life is full for sure, and I intend to keep it that way. Life is not just about work and travelling it’s all the things that get thrown at us as we work to create life balance, managing life ebbs and flows, likes, and dislikes. We all experience life’s grief or sadness in its different depths and disguises as well as joys and happiness and even these emotional life feelings are felt all at once. We can be easily overwhelmed by life and be bored with mundanity. Some days just getting to the end of the day is good enough.

I truly love Spring as a season, its transformational nature, it seems to bring optimism that isn’t always felt at other times of the year for me.

Spring was a big travel time for us as we spent nearly 4 weeks in the States working. Visiting Washington, Denver, St Louis, Oklahoma, Florida- Lake Mary and Sarasota, Las Vegas, back to Denver, New York and New York upstate Rye and Syracuse. We planned the trip with some pre-booked and also some not, some odd venues and some truly luxurious. This combo was intentional to allow us to be different, not stick to a routine or corporate hotels allowing us to stay in some amazing places. We made some great choices and some rather not great with Covid in the middle we have to flex out plans to all adding to the adventure.

Life threw a few curve balls as it does, from getting Covid after 2 years of avoiding it and mid-trip to the USA, feeling parental woes and also my house sale fell through 6 times throughout the whole of Spring! Yet here we are bearing the scars of resilience and achievement. It’s fascinating that when we are in moments of despair, loss, sadness, guilt and shame, it all feels unbearable, intense, and never-ending and then, it’s another day, another month and it all feels a little more, well calm, feel a little more capable. For me a big personal admission work is my sanctuary- my mental and emotional calm and where I gain my serenity, balance, creativity, and capability to move forward, where my personal life can be messy, funny, loving, selfish, worrying and overall, just hard some days.

A couple of new Life likes.

Mood app (saw this from Chickens Shed Chronicles (Do Lectures from David Hiett,) defo worth a follow ) this is so fabulously simple and is a visual mood collator, one click and you are done. I started this in early May and have been relieved to see how many good days I have as I seem to over-exaggerate my moods. This helps a lot.

I’ve read copious amounts of books so far my favourite has been Jane McGonigal’s. See my Spring stockpile of books ( and this is some of them not all!) The library is filling and I’m contemplating adding more shelves to the games room and dining room!

Not being on social media is revelatory and even though I have moments of FOMO I read more, I’m more creative, I am more vocal, less introvert-thinking and have deeper open discussions (Dave and myself). Generally have more in-depth thinking so enjoyable. Note I am on Twitter sporadically and Pinterest remains so I can keep my interior desires sated!

  • I’ve started a program of course work with The Future Institute for my work (day job RLC Global). It’s brought a whole new perspective that’s enlightening and very uncomfortable as it’s something I’ve never done before. If you want to join and be a futurist with me, (my soon-to-be moniker I can add) then go here via this link and I get a little badge for referring you!). It’s a great community and so thought-provoking.

Overall, Spring Life has shared some real learnings

• Not assuming anything at all, ever.

• Have no expectations of others, only yourself.

• I can and therefore I do, I will, I shall.

• I am not responsible for others’ behaviours, being more responsible, conscious and intentional for what I say and do is all I can do.

• Gratitude is being able to see, accept and do. I am grateful for each and every day. Truly.

Spring has brought more questions and in the light of all world events from wars raging around the world to abortion rights removed in USA, to climate change to refugee migration crisis to racial discrimination to political polarization and cost of living to gender inequity and imbalance to the mental health pandemic being ignored. The list is and continues to grow. Being a singular person doesn’t feel enough sometimes.

Inadequacy feels real. I do not share political persuasions, yet right now in the world and I feel more is needed on how we are able to do better, to help more, and working that out is one that I never seem to answer or feel I do enough on. I am acutely aware of the fortunate position in my life, where we life, how we live, the roof over our head and being able to afford to live with the rising costs of living- being able to make choice that for some of different genders, race or geographical location cannot make or able to make. I ask regularly what I can do better, how can I help more, and in light of that I always come back with less of an answer just more issues for me to help with. So, we have decided to work 4-day week to make that 5th working day one that gives back be it community, socially, our time, environmentally in any way

A few things we are doing one person at a time focus

1. Support the Happy Newspaper this is written by a Mancunian lady called Emily Coxhead and many years ago we got to put up a post-it note in Manchester Piccadilly gardens when she first started. Get her newspaper that focuses on the good that does happen.

2. Buy your toilet paper from Who Gives A Crap - Use this link and get £5 off too. Buy it even if for only find the loo wrapping paper it has on- Dave and I competitiveness comes out and we compete to find it! The box has been used by my son as a side table ( as per their suggestion) and it’s all for a good cause and makes a difference. Go do it plus you will save money.

3. Buy Local- truly we don’t do the big shop anymore and even though we can get every delivery imaginable in the remoteness of Easter Shian we drive every week (not that as environmentally friendly yet we don’t go anywhere during the week!). Support local shops and businesses and make a difference.

4. We are a paperless business and wanted to add more to our carbon offsetting. This Spring we decided to be better at doing more for our carbon footprint. We joined Ecologi as a business to combat our carbon footprint for our travel and also keep adding to the tree population that’s needed. Every tree counts. It’s a small business making a big impact. Join Ecologi or any other to make your one-person at a time contribution.

As a round-up of my Spring that’s pretty much it, I have enjoyed this experience of writing it in this format and will keep it for a year and see how it goes.

Have a glorious Summer and see after it’s over to reflect on Food, Life and Living adventures.

and. https://www.and.scot
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