Good morning! It’s Friday, I woke up 4 times in the night to breastfeed Jo, and this is day 5 of our baby being in childcare. So for the first time in 8 months I find myself with time to return to regular writing..

It’s my birthday on Sunday, and I turn 45. Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of my father’s death and the two grandchildren here in Barcelona that he has never met are 8 years old, and 8 months old. This year has been the biggest and craziest rollercoaster of my life. There have been more tears and challenges than ever before, and plenty of moments where I wonder if I am completely losing the plot. At the same time, or at least fluctuating hour by hour, there has been so much joy, and moments where I feel empowered to bring up two amazing human beings AND continue the journey of my life’s work with the Boodaville project. The greatest challenge and adventure lies ahead now that things are slightly more settled.. How do I design a future for my family that integrates their wellbeing and education with the work I want to do promoting ecological design and living a permaculture life? I’ll keep sharing on Fridays how that goes, as well as resources, quotes, reflections and stories about the beauty of the ecosystems we are part of and how we might regenerate them. 

I would like to ask you for a little gift for my birthday, just a few minutes of the most valuable thing there is; your time and your attention. This is also a gift for you; pause, and move slowly for just a few minutes. I invite you to zone out from the mundane, take deep breath, or several, and maybe slowly stretch your neck and notice the position of your shoulders. Gratitude is one of the healthiest habits there is. Would you think about something that you are grateful for? and now something related to the connection you have with me that you find beautiful, or meaningful? Let your mind wander back through time, delve into some memories we share, and remember. Then write me a birthday message? Either here in the comments, or anyhow you like. My life at 45 is so surprising, so complex, and rather messy but I know with all the amazing people and life around me the dance will continue and the ecosystems will flourish. Thank you