As the next two Wednesdays are Christmas Day & New Year's Day, this is simply to send my best wishes to you all & say that normal service will resume on Wednesday 8th January 2020.  

Pace of life isn't something I've previously given thought to, but since moving, it's been foremost on my mind. At first, what I noticed was the positive aspect - the lower volumes of traffic, the lack of crowds, relaxed and friendly staff in shops, no-one rushing around in a tearing hurry, a relaxed attitude to... Continue Reading →

Last December, Crime Reads discussed holiday films in a feature entitled 10 Thrillers You Forgot Take Place During Christmas. Now, Himself's idea of a Christmas film is more Die Hard than Holiday Inn and, despite my joy in holiday smaltz, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is probably mine, so I thought it was time for... Continue Reading →

The Insecure Writers Support Group is a marvellous group set up by Alex Cavanagh. On the first Wednesday of every month, members post thoughts, fears or words of encouragement for fellow writers. The link above takes you to details about the group and how to join. You'll also find a list of bloggers signed up... Continue Reading →

I'll apologise up front to readers from across the Pond, but I've always thought of Thanksgiving as an extra holiday, shoe-horned in because you don't get a proper break over Christmas as we do in the UK 🙂 Whilst being aware of the tradition that one joins hands and expresses something you've been grateful for... Continue Reading →

I've long held a view that higher education can come too soon for many of us. I didn't uncover a love for learning until my fifties, even though I'd had moments in my thirties and forties when I stopped and wondered "what if ..." I was in my late twenties when I had simple mathematics... Continue Reading →

All forms of social media are on the receiving end of some seriously bad press but, for today, I'm going to focus solely on Twitter's positive aspects. Having previously experienced the negative side of the online world, I've been careful in my use of social media platforms. To paraphrase a wise woman I know -... Continue Reading →

The Insecure Writers Support Group is a marvellous group set up by Alex Cavanagh. On the first Wednesday of every month, members post thoughts, fears or words of encouragement for fellow writers. The link above takes you to details about the group and how to join. You'll also find a list of bloggers signed up... Continue Reading →

My annual Goodreads challenge is now frozen at 52 books per year - a level I feel comfortable in achieving and one which means I don't spend too much time eyeing up short books solely in order to catch up! Before having a quick review of my progress, I instinctively felt I'd had a good... Continue Reading →

We've moved recently. I'm mostly sorted, but my office is still a bit of a work-in-progress while I try to balance it's different uses. Previously I had a corkboard where I pinned stuff - medical appointment letters, important things I mustn't lose and such like. I also had a noticeboard where I mostly stuck nice... Continue Reading →