I just read this article, The Families We Choose, over at the Kinfolk website. I love its opening sentence: ‘There’s no such thing as a perfect family. Regardless of what kind of family you were born into, you can keep adding characters to your clan, whether or not you’re related.’ The essay is a relatable read,…
Category: Lifestyle
Vegetable Tart with Creamy Potatoes
Lately, I’ve been consciously eating less meat and experimenting with more Vegetarian dishes, and generally I feel a lot healthier for it. One of my favourite dishes is a simple tart made with roasted vegetables, tomatoes and a little feta. Andrew’s Mum also recently taught me a great potato dish that goes pretty well with…
Life Lately
There’s a lot to write about lately. The plight of the refugees trying to get to Europe has, for many of us, been an unavoidable presence in our minds. I find it sad that we’ve all only just caught on to the severity and tragedy of the whole situation. It seems that it took a…
Precious
Life is precious, isn’t it? I’m remembering that today, on what is a very ordinary day. Andrew’s hammering away finishing the bathroom floor, Jamie’s curled up on the bed and I’m sat next to him, laptop and books spread around me. I’m listening to Jose Gonzalez, whose music I had kind of forgotten about, but…
The Easy Way
I often want everything to come easily and simply. But I don’t believe that we learn to love unselfishly or give generously or create authentically or worship passionately by having an easy life. I believe that it’s often the sacrifices we make or the hardships we face that draw out these things. On Sunday, our…
Small Things
At the beginning of this week, I wrote this post about How to be Happy When Life Feels a bit Frayed, and I’ll be honest, since then I’ve been struggling to follow my own advice. I have felt frayed this week – edgy and unsettled and withdrawn. It has taken a lot of effort to…
How to be Happy When Life feels a little Frayed
I used to think that the best way to manage my happiness levels was to treat myself when I felt I was going ‘low’. Tea and cake, a new outfit, a magazine, a nail polish, or even a holiday. And these things do help, to a point, temporarily. But in this stress-filled culture we’re living…
Small Things
It’s the small, simple things that add up to a life you can celebrate. Small, simple things like taking time over breakfast, watching the rain on the window, getting caught in a good book when you ought to be doing chores… Watching a great film with family, ‘popping in’ to a friend’s house and then…
Recipe – Andrew’s Carbonara
If you’ve been reading this blog a while, you’ll know that Andrew and I are big fans of anything remotely Italian. Our holiday to Rome back in 2012 was the best and we both love the food and culture of Italy. Andrew makes a lot of great food, but one of my favourites is his…
The North Devon Coast – Morte Hoe
The beautiful Morte Point has been one of my favourite places to go for years now, and this weekend when I was feeling a little fragile, I knew that a trip there was a surefire way of lifting my spirits. Morte Hoe is a tiny village nestled on a cliff just along from the popular Woolacombe…
Small Things
The summer holidays have begun, and I’ve been spending lots of time with my nieces and nephews! I have found out what it’s like to shop with a six year old: think hiding inside clothes rails, a desperate desire to go up and down escalators, and the phrase ‘I want’ on repeat – but also…
Life Lately
Lately, it has felt like summer. I’ve been learning to drive the tractor, putting up tents and eating outside. At school, where I work, goodbye cards are being made, displays taken down, games being played and films being watched. It’s a new season, and it’s good, but with it comes more change for me as…
Life Lived 