I completely forgot to write my blog yesterday because I was so distracted. We are actually leaving the country tomorrow for the first time in nearly two years and not only is it more complicated than it used to be, but I’m really out of practice. I can’t quite remember how international travel is done….
Confusing cliffs
I’m afraid there was no blog last week because I was in deepest Dorset with a somewhat eccentric internet connection. I had decided that since I was on holiday I’d just post a few photos with captions, but things didn’t go according to plan. I tried to upload some pictures, without success, and then couldn’t…
Foraging about
September used to be such a busy month with endless back-to-school or back-to-university demands involving large quantities of food, stationery, clothing, nagging, paperwork, shopping, time, driving and, mostly, money. (Shopping for children’s shoes is a bleak memory that I keep hidden away in the deep recesses of my brain, never to be allowed out.) It…
Silk Road Obsessed
There is an aura of mystery and intrigue about the Silk Road that still lingers centuries after the trade routes fell into disuse. I have long been fascinated by the lands ranging from China through Central Asia to the Middle East, and I think it must have started in my childhood, as so much does….
My thrift knows no bounds
This week I’m writing about thrift, but it does takes me a while to get to the point because first I wanted to tell you the story of a British-Canadian woman called Barbara Amiel, who featured in a Vogue magazine article in 2002. The writer was given a grand tour of Ms Amiel’s lavish Kensington…
What’s in the box?
No-one wants to be left behind and I’m always curious about the latest trends, as long as they’re fairly legal and not too repulsive. I like knowing what TikTok is, as well as Twitch (I’m so cutting-edge!), even though it’s highly unlikely that I’ll ever use either of them. Life is short and there is…
I’m done with thinking
One of the joys of growing older is that I find myself increasingly out of step with popular thinking. It might be increasing grumpiness or resistance to change, but I’m inclined to think that it’s just laziness on my part. I’ve decided that I can take a well-earned break now and let other people take…
Watching old films with new eyes
I know this sounds ridiculous, but I’m struggling to find anything I want to watch on TV, catch-up or any of the countless streaming options on offer. We have more screen entertainment available in our homes than ever before and I’m sure that’s part of the problem: endless choice can be paralysing. Looking at shelf…
What would Dervla do?
Since I’m still not venturing outside Britain (I can’t face the uncertainty of it all), I’m relying on travel writers to take me to fascinating places. I’ve been reading Dervla Murphy’s first book, Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle. My immediate thought was, “Why on earth would she do that?” Who would choose…
Wayward genes
A few days ago my son gave me a look that I can only describe as one of bemused disbelief and said, “You have finally lost the plot.” I do find that children are your worst critics, something that I try to bear in mind when talking to my own mother. I don’t think he’s…