September 1st: Official start of meteorological Autumn. I mean, I declared it Autumn on 1st August and, despite the heat, I see no reason to change that idea. What September really means is official approval to enjoy the turning of the leaves, admire the flavours of coffee available and crochet a large wrap or blanket without risking completely overheating underneath it. And, today, books. I … Continue reading September Small Things 1: New books
I couldn’t believe it when I went to check out how many years ago I did my September Small Things on the blog. I thought it was like 3 or 4 years ago. It was last year. Last year I had a whole month of recording the #smallthings of September life. I wrote how Life is made up of the Small Things, and posted as … Continue reading September Small Things: Part 2
I’ve been away for nearly a week, plonked very usefully over a weekend so it didn’t take too much time away from work. It’s funny the lengths, as a self-employed firm, that you go to to maximise holiday time. We always used to go away over August Bank Holiday, so that a 5 day break from the office was really only 4 days holiday used … Continue reading Book Friday: Bella Grace Issue 32
Happy International Day of Hygge! 28th February (29th on a leap year) is a day of hygge around the world. And, yes, we can still celebrate and mark hygge even if the whole world outside has gone to pot and lost its mind. Indeed, it is incumbent on us to make sure that hygge goes on and remember that, although there are so many places … Continue reading Happy International Day of Hygge: I hygge because I can.
How are your anxiety levels? Mine are quite high, with issue layered upon issue and no control over any of them. What power do I really have over Covid, Ukraine, familial choices, local or national politics and more besides? And I’m a news hound. I read a daily newspaper online (or sometimes two), we have a news channel on as the default background noise at … Continue reading Creating Sanctuary: Take a News Fast now and then.
I’m so pleased that February has been a lot brighter and less wintry than it could have been here in the UK. SAD, winter sadness, has been a real part of my life for the last 10 years and every winter I have to build in the actions that I know will help me to keep just off the bottom of the bottomless pit. Hygge … Continue reading An A to Z of Happiness Health Hacks.
First Friday in February. For a short month, February always seems to have exercised an extraordinary level of control over my life. Both my parents were born in February and, although they never made a big fuss of their own birthdays when we were little, once we hit teenage years there was a bit more excitement about them. And then I had the good fortune … Continue reading Book Friday: Little Stories of Your Life by Laura Pashby
December’s posts this year all share the theme of Mindful Christmas. There’ll be short posts each day encouraging us to pause and look at our celebrations in a more measured, mindful way. Every day has a concept heavily tied in to Christmas, and the plan is to look at them individually, examine what role they play in our own Christmas and, if we decide we … Continue reading Touch, and Other Senses: Mindful Christmas Day 22
How to Hygge the British Way 