Today Power Off Weekend got national coverage, thanks to a mention on BBC Radio Scotland's Tom Morton Show. Here's the brief clip and some challenges Tom has posed to us: Power Off Weekend BBC Scotland Tom Morton Tom, here's answer #1: No worries, Tom. We'll simply crank the handle on our handy-dandy wind-up radio, and we'll be able to listen to BBC Radio Scotland all we want. As for your other... Read the rest of this article >>

It is time for us to celebrate the coming of Spring, this year coinciding with the latest Power Off weekend. Everyone is welcome to join us with this because it happens in your own home, or a neighbours, or friend's or tent! The Power Off weekend is 48 hours, from 11pm on the Friday night to 11pm on the Sunday (19-21 March 2010), without electricity. Power Off is all about having time to have fun, play... Read the rest of this article >>

Overbearing corporate-ness is a problem with StrengthsFinder, its assumption that you must be manager at a Fortune 500 company if you're reading it. That assumption turns off a lot of people, but there's good stuff here if you can get past that. That's why today I want to have a little creative fun while looking at the 4 categories of strengths in StrengthsFinder and how to use your type of strength to help you... Read the rest of this article >>

“Spinning makes you think of little old ladies.” Malcolm and I are sitting in the conservatory waiting for the sun to dip below the clouds and treat us to a rare sunset over the water. For the past several months, the sun had hidden behind the peaks of our neighbouring island, Hoy, and only for the next few weeks would it set right on the horizon before wending its way north to hide again, this time behind... Read the rest of this article >>

I love when I try something new, think I've failed, and then it turns out great. Such was the case with my first attempt and dyeing, carding and spinning my own yarn, the first of which I'm calling "The Coming Storm". But it's also brought up some questions about why getting paid for something seems to equal appreciation. As I mentioned in my previous post, I wanted to create a yarn that captured both the colours... Read the rest of this article >>

As my Dad told me recently, I'm well on my way to the 14th century at the rate I'm going. Well nothing says medieval like spinning yarn, so today's post is for the crafty types and wool lovers out there with whom I'd like to share my newest project: Orkney tweed yarns. Getting started with spinning When we moved to this house, our landlandy generously left behind her spinning wheel to use and it's been... Read the rest of this article >>

Have you taken Strengthsfinder and had "Ideation" as one of your top 5? Know someone who has? Today I'm writing about something pretty specific: how to develop Ideation as a strength. If you don't know about Strengthsfinder, it's a fantastic personal development tool I've written about before. Strengthsfinder has fundamentally changed how I live and work, helping me see what's unique and wonderful about what I... Read the rest of this article >>

This morning shone brightly, bringing the feeling of spring and all its energy and enthusiasm with it. The problem was, so many things weighed on my mind I couldn’t seem to start on a single one. I felt restless, cranky, worried in that intangible way that happens when I have too many things in my head and doubts that I’ll ever manage to get them all done. When I get like this, Malcolm and I sit down for a... Read the rest of this article >>

"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams." That's the phrase circling around my head this morning as I watch another thrilling gust of snow sweep past the kitchen window. I'm thinking about the often delightful responsibility of being a dreamer, a storyteller, and how you tell a story that's both honest and worth telling. A good story starts with the improbable or downright impossible I think... Read the rest of this article >>

Today's fun and games involved Malcolm dishing up tasty slices of 6 different brands of butter atop oatcakes to answer that timeless question: Is it worth paying more for a better butter? Since we're such butter junkies -- I'd guess we go through something like a pack a week -- we thought finding this out would be be both fun and illuminating. In our case, is it worth dishing out the extra money for Lurpak and... Read the rest of this article >>