This week’s Gathered Gold is from a poem I wrote after an early morning in Chiang Mai. I was waiting to get picked up by bus to travel to Chiang Rai for the day. as I waited in the quiet morning hours as the sky changed shades, I found myself in the moment. Noticing each second as though it were being played out just for me. the feeling of witnessing those moments stayed with me, and so I wrote about it. The distant chants rising through the air, the city lights slowly turning off one by one and feeling the night chill around my arms before the day warmed up. I think that is what I love about writing. It teaches us to notice the moments that might otherwise disappear behind the practical things. A walk. A morning sky. A page. A breath. Sometimes the ordinary moment is only ordinary because we have not looked at it long enough yet. Silver to Gold the pale non-committal sky vacant above sleepy Chiang Mai, distant chants rise in smouldering scents night lights blink cursing the dawn lingering chills stir soft mountain air a cloudless sky breaks - silver to gold, growing shadows long searching for warmth barbets fly hollow jetstreams a day holding breath morning sky, moonlit silk wanes to blue as the sun crowns the day

What is something you walked past today that you normally would not notice? A colour, a sound, a window, a flower, a stranger’s laugh, the sky doing something beautiful. I noticed today how often I whirl my way through the morning without stopping to really see the ordinary moments around me. So I invite you to take a moment with me and share something that you were grateful for today.

This week’s theme is gratitude in ordinary moments. To begin: name 3 ordinary things you’re grateful for today. Nothing fancy. Nothing polished. Just three small things that made life feel a little more held. 1. My desk - I dream, write and create at my desk - my whole world on a table top. 2. The sunshine - feeling so free and warm, walking along the beach in the sun is like meditation for my bones. 3. Coffee in the morning - it's an act of love in a cup x

Today’s Wordcore word is Croozling - snuggling down under a blanket or duvet to stay warm and cosy. Apparently it comes from old Scottish dialect, which feels rather perfect because I’m Scottish, and I do love a good croozle under a blanket. This week we’re exploring gratitude in ordinary moments, and I think croozling fits that beautifully. Sometimes gratitude is not a grand thing. Sometimes it’s an extra five minutes under the duvet!

Today’s Wordcore word is Croozling - snuggling down under a blanket or duvet to stay warm and cosy. Personally, I love curling up with a good book for an extra long lie, this week I'm reading a fantasy novel - When the moon hatched - Sarah A Parker - which I am loving! All about dragons and secret powers. What is your ideal croozling setup? Blanket, drink, book, playlist, socks, candle, pet, silence?