I mentioned in my Small Things post this week that I had been reading about Frida Kahlo. She was an incredibly passionate, clever woman who lived her life with a great deal of pain. Her style choices, such as wearing traditional Mexican clothes and darkening her eyebrows and moustache, were made to make political points,…
Category: Reflections
Small Things
Since I’ve been working I’ve been finding it really hard to get any quality writing time in, but I’m still here. At the moment each day is different. I’m seeing a lot of other people’s struggles and it can be hard not to be overwhelmed by that, but I’m here and I’m still trying to…
Westminster Abbey
When my Grandma got us free tickets to visit Westminster Abbey, I thought it would be an interesting way to while away an hour or so, but when we arrived I realised it was far bigger than I had imagined, with far more to occupy our interest for far longer than I had thought. We were…
Arms of Grace
Did you ever have those moments as a child when you would get so upset about something that you would be inconsolable for a while? Refusing to be hugged, refusing to be talked out of your tantrum, refusing to calm down? I did, but like most children, I would always eventually ‘break’. Whether someone made…
Believe there is good in the world
Lately I’ve heard some pretty sad stories and seen some pretty sad things. People are living with real emotional pain and all the effects of trauma and loss; children are neglected and bearing loads they should not have to carry; illness steals people from our lives and injustice is rife. We want to patch up…
How to Savour Winter not Suffer it
Winter is my least favourite season. I really struggle with the cold weather and the dark mornings and evenings (and quite often in England, afternoons too!). It can feel like a time to just shut down or hibernate, or just to ‘get through’. Lately though, I’ve been making lots of resolutions to be grateful and…
This World We Live In
On my next day off, I’m spending the day in Paris. I’m going to dress like a French girl. Maybe some flats, maybe a simple but sweet necklace, a scarf perhaps, and a spritz of the Chanel perfume Andrew’s mum gave me. Breakfast will be hot chocolate and fresh bread, followed by a stroll in the fresh…
Life Lately/Writing in Pencil/Small Things
The last few weeks have been full of uncertainty in terms of my future, which I think, on balance, has been good for me. I’m getting stuck in to the process of exploring what I might do, taking initiative and being proactive, whilst accepting that anything could happen. I’m reading a great book at the…
Small Things/ My week so far…
My week started badly. I was in the wrong frame of mind on Monday morning, so negativity swept across my day like a hurricane. It’s destructive, letting yourself travel down the road of despondency. My New Year’s Resolutions – things like ‘see God’s goodness’, ‘keep hopeful’, ‘be thankful’ – seemed to be slipping away as I…
New Year’s Resolutions when you really don’t know what the year will hold
My sister and I love the ‘what’re your New Year’s Resolutions?’ discussions on New Year’s Eve, and as I wrote here, I’ve tended to be a big fan of looking ahead and giving ourselves goals and hopes. I really buy into it. This year, though, I have found it hard to come up with anything…
2014
How would you describe 2014? For me, it was a year of two halves, one of change and growth. During the first 6 months, I finished my job in Buckinghamshire without really reducing the pace of life and work at all, had a lot of fun with friends and family with dog walks and trips to London and meals…
Life Lived 