Last year was a weird year for many reasons, but what I didn't expect was how much of an negative impact it would have on my reading. In all honesty, the numbers don't matter a jot, for everyday life will always have an impact on the amount of time each of us have for reading.... Continue Reading →

When you get the opportunity to design a home, it tends to be about the practicalities - the space available, potential restrictions on materials and style of building, needs versus wants, and of course - cost. Rather than being practical, I thought I'd talk about those aspects of homes I've seen in the past which... Continue Reading →

Himself & I came late to the Downton Abbey party. Before we became a couple, I'd watched a couple of episodes and decided it had potential, but life took a turn... and I forgot. But after a run of particularly violent and gory films (I may have mentioned I'd not seen Tarantino's famed offerings), Himself... Continue Reading →

And so starts a new year... Does it look much different to the last one? Well, yes & no to quote my old friend Noel. Yes - in that we'd no idea at this time last year what we were heading for, and No - in that there's already a lot which is familiar from... Continue Reading →

I always wind down ahead of Christmas, but this year, I'm going extra early. So this is simply to say thank you for your company this year and to send you all the very best of wishes for whatever form your holidays will be taking this year. Stay safe & well and here's to a... Continue Reading →

Life in lock-down brought with it many a change. Some read more, others couldn't concentrate on a book for the life of them. People also had strange dreams ... I've long had a degree of fascination about dreams, specifically what we can learn from them, with the twist being that for a couple of decades... Continue Reading →

Whenever I see this on a questionnaire, I answer in the affirmative: two. But they're not real tattoos, by which I mean they're boringly practical and not decorative in any way. I did consider turning at least one of them into something more decorative, but never had the courage to sit through the expected pain.... Continue Reading →

There are times in life when you think "if only I could be a fly on the wall during that discussion" but, if you're anything like me, it's usually something directly relevant to you - either personally or professionally; I've never given serious consideration to being a fly on the wall in some other time... Continue Reading →

I'm one of those women who've always suffered with cold feet. From the time I left life in the tropics, I've always needed to keep my extremities warm - hands, feet and neck. When the temperatures really plummet, I'll even put on a hat. I do not suit a hat. My previous apartment had a... Continue Reading →

When writing her thesis - many a year ago now - my daughter thanked me for having been a stickler over English grammar throughout her childhood. I cannot deny that I was surprised - in fact, you could have knocked me down with the proverbial feather - for all my persistent corrections to her speech... Continue Reading →