The Simple Things

magical creatures

Here they come again. Like a bunch of rowdy teenagers in a children’s play park, a gang of immature starlings invades the garden, all bolshy banter, swagger and swank. They hog the feeders and bully smaller species off the bird table. They’re raucous, rude and greedy. Even my mother, a lover of birds, would greet the arrival of Sturnus vulgaris with a scolding “shoo!” Young starlings are an unremarkable mouse-brown, but, as the autumn evenings fold into the long nights of winter, their plumage darkens. A closer look reveals black feathers slicked with an iridescent sheen – purple, green and gold – like drops of engine oil on the surface of a puddle. And, at this time of year, the birds’ bodies are speckled with little white stars. Is this how…

things want and to wish for

Maker of the month Sustainable storage solutions Describing herself as a ‘paper potter’, Mairita Jonikane works with washable paper to craft eco-friendly, reusable storage bags. Her versatile and functional designs work for planters or storage. She’s inspired by the environment around her home in Latvia with bark patterns from native Birch trees and silhouettes of oak leaves. A sustainable product, these will last forever if cared for correctly, developing a beautiful wabi-sabi patina with age.etsy.com/uk/shop/WarmGreyCompany Spiritual journeys Sacred Places: Where to Find Wonder in the World by Clare Gogerty There are places in the world that are filled with “inexplicable magic.” In this inspiring book, TST contributor, Clare Gogerty, sets out the case for “transformative” travel, recommending journeys that will add a sense of reflective wellbeing to our busy lives. From the standing stones of…

good figures

, free public hand-washing stations have been mapped in Indonesia by volunteers. Charity worker Harry Machmud put a call out for people to mark them onto OpenStreetMap to help humanitarian agencies prevent the spread of Covid 19. It’s an example of how open mapping can help communities. $8bn That’s how much billionaire Charles Feeney has given to charities, universities and foundations in order to fulfil his dream of ‘dying broke’. He kept his donations secret, but his example has influenced other wealthy people to promise to give away at least half of their fortunes before they die. 64% more Vancouver Island marmots are living there than in 2003. Back then, only 27 of these animals, unique to the island, were left. Thanks to the Marmot Recovery Foundation, who’ve managed a programme of captive…

a poetic pause

On the cliff edgein a white-washed cottageclinging to ancient rockshe felt years spread under her feet;strata of muted coloursthreaded here and therewith ribbons of gold. She knew that she would liveprecariously, weavingher stories into song;Tregeseal, Cape Cornwall, Lamornafaded tapestries of childhoodmade bright again. Now the roof of the cottageis ablaze with sunlightand from a bedroom windowyou would see the fog lifting,a woman walking in the valley,and beyond the sea’s horizonthe delicate embroideryof distant islands. About the author: Woman, cliff, islands by Cornish poet Vivienne Tregenza is taken from Invisible Borders: New Women’s Writing From Cornwall, edited by Linda Cleary (Hypatia Publications). This prose and poetry collection is a lyrical journey through the county’s wild landscape, and an exploration of terrains of the heart, alive with vivid emotions.…

a drop in the ocean

The headland bench has supported bodies and souls through despair, joy, love, anger, grief and longing, dressed in sandy toes and flip flops and salt-frosted hair. It is rusted to red, razorlike ruin, worn-out in service to humanity. It stares at the relentless horizon, dignified, tired. Its position allows those who sit to remember that they, their problems and victories, are as tiny as a droplet of saltwater. Existing in an immeasurable expanse. So that they truly rest, less overwhelmed and less important. Put in their place in the universe. It endures despite life’s triumphs and catastrophes, weathered, worn, unbowed.…

finding your voice

1 Know what you stand for and why speaking up is important – the cost of not speaking up will often feel much greater than your fear. 2 Plan your key messages and you can anchor back into why you’re there and what you’re trying to communicate. 3 Support yourself to feel confident in whatever way works (for example, a breathing exercise or motivational phrase). It can make all the difference in how calm and in control you feel. 4 Practise using your voice at every opportunity – you can’t feel confident riding a bike without actually getting on one. Public speaking is the same. 5 Stop comparing yourself to others – there are people who will never truly understand a message unless they hear it in your way, in your words.…