Have I ever told you that I am one eighth Welsh? My maternal great-grandmother was Welsh, from near Buckley or Hawarden. Her name was Gertrude Thomas, and she seems to have been a bit of a dour woman, from my Mum’s accounts. I can’t exactly blame her: her husband was injured in World War I, her son was killed in World War II and by … Continue reading In Wales, it’s Eight Different Weathers in a Day: Part One
When the sun shines, the thermometer rises and the weather has you gasping for breath, it can be hard to appreciate how good summertime is for hygge. It’s too easy to have hygge down as a cold weather thing when, at its heart, hygge is probably just as enjoyable during summer if you think of it as finding a cosy, welcoming place, spending time with … Continue reading Summer Hygge: 10 Ways to Really Appreciate Life When It’s Summer
It’s June. Flaming June, as the painting by Lord Frederick Leighton has it. So far, not a very warm, hot or languid season. But give it time. I never mind a cool summer. I’m not a lover of heat, so even were it to be beaming sunshine, languid heat and air so humid you could suck it in great lungfuls and feel the steam as … Continue reading Whether it Rains or Shines, there’s always time for a Book.
May so far has been a rollercoaster of a month. I’ve had fantastic times with friends and family, and lost a few loved ones or been through the mill for one thing and another. On the plus side, I had a holiday. On the negative side, I lost a beloved pet (Harley the guinea pig, finally, passed away on my birthday of all days. It’s … Continue reading Finding My Purpose: Creating Sanctuary
Did you make it to a proper holiday this year? We didn’t. We’ve had a couple of nights as a couple in Leamington Spa, a long weekend as a family in Northumbria and Peter and I have a weekend booked in London during October. Weekends away suit us as small business owners, because to an extent the work required to get ready for even a … Continue reading Book Friday: The Art of Being a Tourist at Home by Jenny Herbert
There are days when waking and having an hour of peace is absolutely wonderful. And there are days when the bed calls me back. Today was the second sort of day, so after waving Son Number 1 off to work at 8, I crept back into my warm bed and had a half hour of cosy wrapped up resting. I don’t very often drop off … Continue reading Five Minutes Crochet and a New Place to Visit: September Small Things Day 2.
When I was a little girl my Mum used to accuse me of building castles in the air. Meaning my plans were baseless and had little chance of succeeding. I think she was referring to my alternative careers as a princess, astronaut, Olympic gymnast and shepherdess in a Thomas Hardy novel. Oh… and international musical sensation. I had very little chance of being any of … Continue reading My Life Needs More Castles.
My kids are all back at home, all in the house and we have 62 days (all of July and August) until potentially we’re split up again. I remember when they were young looking at the six weeks of summer holidays with a strange blend of excitement and anxiety. Would the weather be good or bad? Did I have enough cash to stretch to everything … Continue reading There’s 62 Days of Summer Vacation and University Comes Along Just to End Them…
How to Hygge the British Way 