A Disorderly Retirement
I suppose this should come with a trigger warning – I’m about to discuss the possibility that people might die. Stop reading now if you think it’ll all be too much. I am quite blasé about such things, though, and am happy to talk about them. Which might explain why people get a wary look…
I know this is the traditional time to look back on the highs and lows of last year, but it is not one I have any desire to linger over. In fact, I’m planning to draw a veil (or maybe a large blackout curtain) over the whole thing and pray for better times ahead. Instead,…
After being away for nearly six weeks, I’m getting used to being at home again. I’m settling back into the routine of cooking, dreary admin, yoga, book club, gardening and all the many things that make up daily life. In fact, I was washing the dishes the other night and it occurred to me…
It’s surprising what happens when you venture outside on foot with no techno gadgets attached to your ears or flickering in front of your eyes. A few days ago I was walking along the canal path and a man asked me to take his photo. He did laughingly say that he was trusting me not…
Well, we’ve done it! We have finally completed the Thames Path, all 185.2 miles of it. I have to admit that we didn’t do it in one go, day after day, unlike those hardy pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago. I’ve just calculated that we did it in 28 sections and it took nearly two…
Well, I’m back from my annual visit to family and friends in Canada. It was a visit like no other, full of drama on both a personal and national level. There’s just something in the air at the moment. To be honest, despite the great pleasure of connecting with friends and family (I am now…
I have finally got round to making a photobook of my trip to Africa last year and it started me thinking about the most amazing sights I have ever seen. The wonders that made me stand and gape in awe. I refuse to use the word ‘awesome’ because I think it has lost all meaning…
I really dislike being referred to as a consumer. Yes I do consume things, but it isn’t my whole being. I walk, talk, breathe, sing (quite badly) and many other things besides. But my main function in life is not to spend money and buy things, so I am staging a rebellion. Christmas in particular…
January can be a very bleak month when you live in the northern hemisphere. The days are short and often grey. The wind blows, the snow flies, the rain drenches, the ice lies in wait. If you’re a fan of winter sports and live in a snowy country, January can be wonderful, but for the…
Today I am typing my 200th blog. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been at it so long. When I started I didn’t even think about how long I might do it. Back then, my main concern was how I’d actually set it up and I don’t think I could have done that without the…