I woke early this morning, to grey sky and long-awaited, if half-hearted rain. I had to run out in my pyjamas and pull a few toys in. We are so used to hot, dry days and nights now. My daughter’s gym mat, when I moved it, left a still-parched rectangle on the once-green lawn. I…
Tag: writing
Summer Small Things
It is high summer here, and high time I wrote another Small Things post. I am doing Beth Kempton’s Summer Writing Sanctuary* next week. In her warm-up exercises, she asks, “What does summer mean to you?” I found myself writing about freedom: freedom from routine; freedom to drive off to different places or swim in…
3 Great Reads
Lately, my words haven’t been coming so easily. I have a brain that is tired, and it needs permission to be quiet. It sometimes needs the words and music of others to fill it with colour and hope. It needs to be distracted, rested and soothed. So I haven’t been writing much, although I hope…
Back to the Blog (Small Things)
I got a rejection email on my book. I was expecting it, but was still disappointed. For a moment, it made me feel like giving up on writing. But I have learned a few things over recent years. The first is that I couldn’t stop writing, even if I wanted to; it is a part…
Small Things
In my Small Things posts, I write about the things bringing me joy and hope. It is sometimes important to note, though, that the good things don’t always diminish the sad and the bad, as I wrote on Substack, here. Life is full of both joy and pain. In fact, this week, before I find…
Small Things: Thank God for celandines…
… and forget-me-nots, and dandelions, and wood anemone, and bluebells… The small things are my miracles, really. I have written it before, and will, no doubt, write it again: it is the small things that give me faith and hope when everything seems a bit bleak. They are my mustard seeds, which help me to…
Life Lately
We have had some late nights, long days and big emotions in our family this week. Honestly, I’m exhausted. As always, though, there are joys and profundities woven among the difficulties. I have been sharing lent updates (and other bits and pieces) on my Substack, here. I am finding our lent activities quietly hopeful and…
Small Things
Writing, for me, has always been a way of honing in on the beautiful, the hopeful and the wonderful. I like to write to notice and name. I often write ‘in praise of…’ things. I do write to express and process pain, questions, sadness and anger, and this, too can be very helpful, to myself,…
On Haikus, Trees and Kindness
Lately, I have been reminded again just how much we need to contemplate nature. Without it, humanity is somewhat prone to losing our collective head. We have recently seen the most ludicrous acts of violence, abuses of power and truly bizarre attempts at reasoning. It is distressing and it must be confronted. This, combined with…
My Family and Other Animals
Our home is starting to feel like the Durrells’ place: full of eccentricity and animals. Like Gerald Durrell, I loved animals as a child. My parents signed me up for the RSPCA’s Animal Action magazine, which, as a true 90’s kid, I loved. I pored over the little quizzes, fact pages and letters. I entered…
When it is time to finish
He had been so happy playing with the ball, watching it bounce again and again, out in the Autumn sunshine. When the adult told him it was time to come inside, time for Circle Time, he found it hard to register her words fully. The ball was still there, big and bright and bouncy. He…
Life Lived 