It was torrential rain and sideways winds this morning at 5.45am!

Lynsey and I ran into the worst of it but it stopped for the middle section of our run!

It was a great run, I really needed it as we missed last weeks due to the ice.

My hat looks like a flower pot!!

It does make me feel so much better going into the week.

I’ve had a lovely evening chatting to lovely lady from Ireland, about Her Travel Circle.

Then the feet went up.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Torrential rain all day today.

It’s 8°C so there’s no longer any black ice but the rain is causing flooding all over.

I’ve not felt 100% today…. I’m fine, I’m just not on my A game.

Everything has been screaming at me to rest as I tried to push on through.

I really wanted to work on Her Travel Circle today but my head wouldn’t clear enough to concentrate on anything.

Nothing was working. “you need to rest”

I need Craig for this but “you need to rest”

I cannot login to this “you need to rest”

Why am I so useless “you’re not, you need to rest”

Nothing is going to work today “yes it is, you just need to rest”

How often do we fight that compassionate voice in our head?

It’s 4.10pm and I’m still fighting it… though in writing it down like this, I may actually accept I “need to rest”.

Her Travel Circle is doing so well. It’s been full on since one of my TikTok posts went a bit wild on Thursday. It’s sitting at 46.3k views which is nowhere near viral, but it’s viral for me!!!

I’m not complaining at all, I just have to make sure I still get a bit of downtime. That said, businesses do not build themselves!!

We had to go out about 2pm and the roads are so flooded…. And still the rain teems down.

My head is buzzing with so many things I need to do, want to do, would like to do, think I should do but I’m going to try and switch off this evening. It’s giving me a headache. 🫣😆

Hope you’ve all had a great weekend!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

First of all I have to share dessert that mum and I shared last night.

This was a giant profiterole.

Uh huh.

It was very, very, very lovely!!

We had an early night and I was up at 5.30 this morning working on Her Travel Circle!

I do my best work early in the morning. I seem to be the most focussed.

Today’s news js that I hit 10,000 likes on my TikTok posts.

I have to say, it’s where Her Travel Circle really seems to excel!!

Wait till you see all the homes we have now!

Sweden’s out latest one! Cyprus joins last night!

It is very exciting!!

It was very cold and icy in Oban this morning.

Mum and I had breakfast together and let Dad sleep and then I headed off for the 8.56 train.

Of course, I was annoyed I was leaving so early but mum told me that dad was feeling better when she got back to the room.

Despite being extra wrapped up… the train was still freezing!! It was really, really bitterly cold. It gets colder as the train goes faster.

I still took lots of photos but I was really glad to get off the train in Glasgow.

The snow kicked in just outside Tyndrum.

It was such a lovely winter wonderland!

Look at the clouds behind us. There’s heavy snow up over Glencoe.

Here I am all wrapped up!!

By the time we get down the side of Loch Lomond, it’s wet and foggy. You can hardly make any of it out.

A very snowy Ben Lomond in the distance, you’ll have to take my word for it.

I got home and by 1.30pm and it was really lovely to see the dogs again. They were so excited.

I’ve spent the afternoon in front of the fire, with the dogs, compiling a list of things you can do from our house.

We have our first Her Travel Circle booking in two weeks time and I thought it would be a good document to have! I’m enjoying piling it together.

And relax. I’m tired. I had a lovely wee trip away but it’s still good to be home.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

2,100 days of my daily blog.

That’s commitment.

Why am I still going with this?

In all that time I’ve only grown about 750 followers but I seem to get so much out of sitting down and reviewing my day.

As things get busier with Her Travel Circle I might not have as much time but I should really make the time.

It calms me.

I take a step out of whatever reality I’m living and just breathe.

It’s that simple.

There are days when things happen to me that I cannot share, mostly as they may have a huge impact on me, but it is not my story to tell. I find those days difficult as there is something bursting inside of me to get out.

I got into trouble in primary 1 at school for always wanting to be part of show and tell… even when I’ve nothing to show or tell…. I’ve always wanted to talk! I know, I know…. Some of you are shocked….

So on a round number day I usually share my stats but life has changed so much this year now that I’m back on antidepressants.

I am so much calmer, so much less anxious, so much more in control.

Life with anxiety is so hard and I think more women suffer from it than not. Mine just broke me, back in 2018, but I see now, it was because I needed to break to be reborn.

Yes that sounds corny and dramatic but that’s really what happened.

I have never really been ME until now. I was always who YOU wanted me to be or the person I thought everyone expected me to be.

I’ve said before that Craig married a Manager in the Scottish manufacturing industry, who went to conferences and customer visits all suited and in high heels and look at me now…

So back to today.

I was up at 5.45 and on the train to Glasgow by 7.10am.

It’s a stunning train ride from Glasgow up to Oban but it started in the dark!

Once out of Glasgow, the train hugs the Firth of Clyde estuary then Loch Goil, Loch Long and Loch Lomond!

I match the Christmas tree in Queen Street Station!

It was stunning. It’s cloudy but high level cloud.

Dirty windows but this is the Cobbler, Ben Arthur.

The train is FREEZING!!!! The first carriage is completely empty.

This was the lovely sight that greeted me as I got off the train! Awwwww 🩵🩵

We went for brunch and then for a wander around the sights and the shops.

Check the seagull !!!

This is the view from mum and dad’s room!!! Said hi to dad and left them to rest and I went off out again.

I climbed the stairs to McCaigs Folly.

Just in time for sunset.

This wee robin was right at my feet for ages.

Back down to the sea looking up at the Folly in the skyline.

We’re off out for dinner shortly.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

My soup was like plaster for the walls… you could stand the spoon up in it but it tasted so good despite the grated finger!

It wouldn’t stop bleeding again this morning so I’ve now got a plaster on it, it’s just where it is! It turns out I use my right thumb for almost everything… who knew?!

I am shattered today… really dog tired. I didn’t sleep great last night and woke at 4.40am wide awake and head buzzing about my Her Travel Circle TikTok reaching 38,854 people so far!!

I’ve gained 1,149 followers on TikTok as a result of that one post!

Her Travel Circle now had 117 active members and 17 hosts. It’s exciting!!!

Here they all are!

Women can travel solo and stay in all of these homes for free! if the other woman likes you enough that is….. obviously!!

So yeah. I am knackered and I need to shut my phone down for a bit this evening.

I’m off to Oban at 7am tomorrow to meet Mum and Dad up there for a lovely wee night away. Poor Craigie has to work so can’t come. It was last minute and he’s fully booked!

So I’m off to my favourite Scottish town with my favourite Scottish parents for a wee gallivant.

I’m taking the train which I’m very glad about now.

We might get snow!!

I am hoping that the clouds clear for some blue sky….. 🤞🏼

Have a great night.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

I woke at 5am this morning as we were meant to be running. I was to check the weather outside when my alarm went off and by the time I woke up the girls had already agreed it was too icy to run.

I was actually gutted as I really wanted to run this morning, but a TikTok post that I had done for her travel Circle, last night, was going viral and I was getting millions of comments that I had to try and reply to, so actually I was able to do that before I went to work and then had to catch up with loads of them at lunchtime and then again after work I feel like I’ve been on my phone every spare minute of the day! That was a very long sentence, but I’m actually dictating this as I’m so tired I don’t want to type. It’s very hard to dictate the blog when you are used to typing it.

I also sliced my thumb on a grater, grating carrots so I’m struggling to type as well.

So back to my morning, before I went to work I I put a washing in the machine and hung that washing up. I cleaned the bathroom. I even cleaned the tiles right up to the ceiling which I haven’t done for years, shamed to admit.

It’s been a good day. I got loads done at work, my head’s been clear and focused. I took bags to the charity shop on the way home from work!

I came home and made lentil soup to take to work so that Ellison and I can have it for lunch tomorrow. Check me.. I’ve been eating hers all week…, this is like taking soup to the SOUP MASTER!!! I wonder what she’ll think of it?!

I’m really tired now though, so I’m gonna put this out and I think I might have a very early night….. not like me I know.

I won’t be dictating the blog very often as it feels very strange.

On the positive side today, not that there weren’t any negative sides, Her Travel Circle has 15 hosts and over 100 members now which is great news!

Hope you all have a great Wednesday night!

Wonder if Ellison will notice my slice of finger in the soup?!?! 😆

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Wow that’s a first…. I almost forgot to do the blog today.

I’ve been working on Her travel Circle tonight. I’ve not achieved much but I’m trying to find my way around the website.

I’ve been making changes to the website at work so I thought it might be similar. It’s not but that doesn’t mean I can’t learn it!

I’ve had a good day today.

It went from

-7°C to 0°C this morning creating black ice everywhere.

It was treacherous when I left for work and the windscreen cover was covered in ice crystals!

And now I’m in bed…. I’m shattered. The first day back was much easier. I had Ellisons soup for lunch today which was sooooo lovely.

I thought this was quite apt!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Back to work today!

And it was fine.

The day passed really quickly.

It was -7°C when I left fhe house this morning and I couldn’t get into the drivers side of the car. I managed to get the passenger door open and I squeezed across the centre console to start the car. I then had to squeeze across the centre console to get back out of the car and start trying to defrost it. 😆

The de-icer was freezing on the car. I tried the hot water in a ziploc bag but it melted the frost on the windows which then iced straight back up again.

It took me 20 minutes and I even had help from Claire.

It was a beautiful drive into work.

The land is dark and the sky is navy blue with a dark orange band along the horizon. Every tree and structure is the perfect silhouette.

I want to take photos all the way in…. Instead I take deep breaths and appreciate the beauty.

Apart from the climbing in the car and scraping it was a beautiful start to the day.

It was equally lovely on the way home.

Craig had the wood burning stove on for me so I’ve had dinner (which, like lunch, involved green salad and fresh veg…. Check me!) and I’m now in my comfies cuddling with the dogs.

And relax……

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

I had the best morning taking photos of the Wolf Moon and the sunrise this morning.

This was the mon at 6.30am when I first woke up. It’s way bigger or brighter than it looks in the photos.

I feel much brighter today. We had a lovely evening with Claire & Graeme last night.

My head is clearer today. I’m not angry or irritable. I’m tired but that’s ok.

I harnessed up the puppers and set off about 8.30am.

It was so cold until the sun came up!

We stopped a lot for photos.

And then the sun started to rise.

Our wolves and the wolf moon.

And then I started to play with the setting moon.

It’s tiny on the horizon now.

Unless you zoom in.

These are the flowers that Claire brought me last night, aren’t they beautiful?!

So for the rest of the day I’ve tidied the house, put washing away and done new washing, we took the Christmas tree down and tidied up after that. I had a lovely lunch with last nights leftovers. This was last nights food….

And I got my jammies on and sat under a crochet blanket to write this and watch Absentia on Netflix.

The fire’s on so it’s super cosy in here.

I go back to work tomorrow.

Reality kicks back in.

It’s been an amazing holiday.

I’ve loved every minute of it apart from yesterday’s irritation.

I’m blaming the moon!

Have the best week.

We can do this!

Stay safe everyone 🌕🌕🌕

Soooo cold today. I had a great sleep.

I woke at 5.30 but went back to sleep until 8pm. A good 11 hour sleep almost!

We were running at 8.30 this morning and the moon was amazing.

It’s the Wolf Moon today.

All of these are taken while running.

It’s very cold and frosty!

5.8k in the bag! Blair had run out from Beith and ran home before we took our finishing photo!

I found it hard today. Maybe running on the same the other day?

So maybe the full moon is what’s wrong with me?!?

I am antsy and irritable and I honestly don’t know where to put myself today.

I am argumentative and everything seems to be annoying me.

I don’t like the person it makes me but I’m trying to embrace it as I was resisting it and that wasn’t helping at all.

We went for a food shopping this morning as we have Claire and Graeme coming tonight.

We came home and I took the dogs for a walk in the gorgeous sunshine.

This isn’t very clear but I love these two black and white kittens sitting around the corner from each other!

So yeah. I came home and tidied the house and went to bed.

I was cold and wasn’t even tired enough to sleep but I turned my audio book on to try and shut the noise down in my head.

I’ve no idea where this has come from.

I’ve had a lovely holiday.

Maybe, dare I say it, I juts need routine again?

I feel so much better after a wee lie down.

I’ve done my Words to Live By journalling and I’ll be looking out for the moon 🌕 🫣😆

Have a lovely evening!

Stay safe everyone 🌕🌕🌕

Look at how much money I have saved by not drinking….. £19,700.

I have not drank 17,500 units of alcohol, that’s gotta be a good thing, right?!

7 years since I started dry January.

7 years since I started one of the most difficult challenges of my life, but I hated the person I had become.

I had been off sick from work for 3 months. I’d actually just gone back to work but that only lasted another 5 months…. And then I was done for good.

I was cast aside by the industry that had made me ill.

Actually let’s be clear here…. I was working for a few men that were far too political and far too aggressive or my people pleasing personality. They tied me up in knots. The spoke to me like shit but I tried to be kind to my team and I just got crushed in the middle.

It was never the career for me, never the industry for me…. I just didn’t know any better.

I did well in school, went to Uni like a good girl, got a good job and worked very hard at it. Only to be slapped in the face over and over and over.

I was a shadow of my former self and wine was the only thing that made me smile… until it didn’t.

It was never just one glass.

I started to black out. I appeared to be the life and soul of the party but inside I was breaking.

Stopping drinking was so very hard in culture that uses alcohol to celebrate everything.

It was especially hard as our life revolved around the village pub but I was determined.

I only had a couple of wobbles and felt like death afterwards. The second one strengthened my resolve.

I am a much better version of myself since I stopped.

My life is completely different but I put my needs first now.

I might seem dull to some but I’ve finally found peace. No more trying to fit in.

I have to face everything head on without any numbing… except as I say that, I realise my antidepressants numb me more than anything but you know what I mean.

I still find it really hard at times, it feels unfair and I can feel left out but honestly, this is right path for me.

100% present in the moment.

I woke at 5.30 and got out of bed…. Determined to spend some time on Donna Ashworth’s journal for 2026.

I headed out the front door to marvel at the almost full moon.

Everything was so bright.

I settled down next to the Christmas tree which is very dry, despite being full of water.

Then I got the dogs to pose!

I started the journal and chose the word RIPPLES for the year. I want to see the ripples flow from me, positivity, kindness around the world. Dramatic eh?!

I chose DREAM for January as it will allow me to manifest and focus on abundance but also to rest and relax.

And that’s what’s I did all day.

I tried to go outside and cut up kindling with Craig’s wood cutting thing…. But it scared me a wee bit as a few bits bounced back to hit me…. Think it was a bit above my pay grade that machine!

It was a beautiful but very cold day and I chose to sit under a blanket and watch Broadchurch on tv.

I was cuddled up with the pups.

I felt bad then I felt relaxed and then I felt guilt and then I relaxed.

I needed a rest after all the busy-ness of the last week or so.

Broadchurch was amazing and that’s it done so I can get on with my life now!

Craig’s not stopped all day, he’s been building a woodshed!

And relax.

Two more full days of holiday.

I’ve loved this break.

Need longer!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

We were in bed by 9.30pm last night and never saw the bells!!

I had the best sleep though!

I have never liked Hogmanay or New Year for some reason.

It turns out I was never a big party girl and it always felt like the one day of the year I was forced to celebrate. Jeez I sound like a barrel of laughs don’t I?!?

I woke about 5.30 for an hour or so and then again about 8.30am.

It was lovely to be up that early on New Year’s Day.

I have to be honest and say this doesn’t feel like a new year at all. Not sure why, maybe missing the bells has a lot to do with it.

This holiday is going way too fast!

I did have a lovely morning not having to be anywhere at a set time.

We had bacon rolls and coffee for breakfast then took the dogs out for a black ice walk!

It was a lovely morning. Quite unexpected as I thought it was going to be wet and windy!

Craig’s mum and stepdad came down to give me my Christmas present as they’d left it at home Christmas Day! I got a fantastic head torch, among other things. Can’t wait to use it.

We then got ready and headed into the village pub for the big village New Year’s Day!

The sunset was lovely too.

The moon is huge.

It’s lighting up the roof of the house at the end.

So pretty!

So happy new year to you all.

I hope 2026 is kind to us all.