Articles About Joy

The power of ‘It’s okay’

The power of ‘It’s okay’

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After an upsetting event the two words "It's okay" can offer much comfort. I've been the recipient of this easement, both at times of true distress and more trivial troubles. I've found myself saying it to others when wordier expressions would...

Winter solstice

Winter solstice

The shortest day, the day that offers us the least light of all of the days of the year is today. On this, the astronomical beginning of winter, there is more darkness across the hours but this December 21st showed me remarkable light, no matter...

The grey of the slate and of the mountains in the haze

The grey of the slate and of the mountains in the haze

The grey of the slate and of the mountains in the haze and of the stratocumulus filled sky is a far cry from the grey of the roads and of the walls and dusty windows of abandoned buildings. Three days in the grey (and green and blue) of North Wales...

Handfuls of sweet peas for Great Uncle Bill

Handfuls of sweet peas for Great Uncle Bill

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July brought handful after handful of sweet peas. A handful is the number of times I ever met my Great Uncle Bill. A handful is the number of garden tools of his that I now own. Even though in person Bill wasn’t a regular or considerable part of my...

The chameleon and the crown

The chameleon and the crown

Goodbye to October, the chameleon and the crown of the season. A month when we can nostalgically forget the dark, rainy days and delight in the life-giving glow of decay. It’s no coincidence that this beginning of the end sparks inspiration, a time...

How my garden holds me

How my garden holds me

The motif of this summer was intense heat and more intense work schedules. A garden participant said to me in one session “how lucky you are to work in this calming garden”. I agree, I am. When I am at either of the gardens I work at I feel...

Providing support with growing kits

Providing support with growing kits

A couple of weeks ago I put together some growing kits for the Wellbeing Support Team and their clients at Emmanuel House Support Centre. Can you help me to make more?

Recent articles

Roses but not the same

It is intriguing that despite everything we know, we repeatedly attempt to capture transient things. I suppose that's what makes those things so appealing, their unobtainable momentary perfection leaving us wanting more. And, in the case of flowers, all we can do is...

The power of ‘It’s okay’

After an upsetting event the two words "It's okay" can offer much comfort. I've been the recipient of this easement, both at times of true distress and more trivial troubles. I've found myself saying it to others when wordier expressions would fail. And although the...

Winter solstice

The shortest day, the day that offers us the least light of all of the days of the year is today. On this, the astronomical beginning of winter, there is more darkness across the hours but this December 21st showed me remarkable light, no matter how brief. It felt...

Some of Us Just Fall

Some of Us Just Fall: On Nature and Not Getting Better. Polly Atkin's very personal book, Some of Us Just Fall, is an intricate memoir of a person with a chronic illness. It is a testimony of how illness affects her body and mind and of the interactions with the many...

The grey of the slate and of the mountains in the haze

The grey of the slate and of the mountains in the haze and of the stratocumulus filled sky is a far cry from the grey of the roads and of the walls and dusty windows of abandoned buildings. Three days in the grey (and green and blue) of North Wales quietened my mind....

Handfuls of sweet peas for Great Uncle Bill

July brought handful after handful of sweet peas. A handful is the number of times I ever met my Great Uncle Bill. A handful is the number of garden tools of his that I now own. Even though in person Bill wasn’t a regular or considerable part of my life, he certainly...

Unearthed by Claire Ratinon

The timing of reading Unearthed by Claire Ratinon was significant for me and I will explain why later. It strongly articulates why representation in nature writing is so important. Claire did this beautifully and so cleverly against a phenomena that we experienced...

Chamomile, before the tea

Once you invite chamomile in, it becomes a faithful friend. Returning year after year, at first almost undetected as their tiny seeds nestle between the soil particles and the little plants volunteer their services around the site where their mother once stood. I...

The Garden Cure by Jan Cameron

The Grow Create Joy book club is back and I'm picking up from where I left off with The Garden Cure by Jan Cameron. The Garden Cure is a guide to cultivating wellness, for ones self or for others, using the garden. Jan has many years experience working in community...

The chameleon and the crown

Goodbye to October, the chameleon and the crown of the season. A month when we can nostalgically forget the dark, rainy days and delight in the life-giving glow of decay. It’s no coincidence that this beginning of the end sparks inspiration, a time to wonder who we...