Musings :: Moments :: Memories
The days are closing in now. It is getting darker earlier, and I know many people hate these shorter days. I have always enjoyed the extended periods of darkness in the evening; for me, it is an invitation to hunker down and find some cosy things to do. This menu is a collection of activities—books… Continue reading My Cosy Autumn Menu
When I was putting together my reading list for the new season, Wuthering Heights jumped out as a book I have been wanting to revisit for a long time. I read it so many years ago, I barely remember it. However, I also knew that I wanted something more out of this reading experience. I… Continue reading My Personal Curriculum
The summer was a strange one. It was slow and relaxing but with bouts of chaos punctuating it throughout. We had a wonderful holiday in Minorca, which was a blur of sunshine, sightseeing, swimming, and reading interrupted by 'Mum, watch this!' every few minutes - which, to be clear, I did not mind in the… Continue reading Hello September
June wasn’t the most productive month for reading, thanks to the disruption of having the house decorated—paint tins, ladders, and the constant hum of activity aren’t exactly conducive to getting lost in a good book. On top of that, I hit a bit of a general lull; the kind where you pick up your Kindle… Continue reading June Reading
I didn’t expect this liminal stage to last quite so long. I thought I’d leave teaching, take some time to reset, and then move on to the next step with a clear plan and a fresh burst of energy. But here I am, 18 months later, still somewhere in the middle. Once I got a… Continue reading The Space Between
May was a slow but lovely reading month for me—one of those where I felt genuinely immersed in very different kinds of stories, from Regency England to a cosy fantasy coffee shop to the chaos and silence that followed the Vietnam War. Here’s what I read: Miss Austen by Gill Hornby This book has been sitting… Continue reading May Reading: Austen, Axes, and the Aftermath of War
April was a busy month with travel, reading but absolutely no writing at all. This is a quick rundown of what happened around here in April: Health: I tackled an issue which I had been trying to ignore by seeing a private GP and then a specialist. I saw my physio for the last time… Continue reading April Things
After a busy reading month in February, March was a little slower. This is fine. My reading life has rarely kept a steady pace. There are the books I read in March: 1. Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport. I listened to this on audio and maybe that it… Continue reading March Reading Review
March has been a busy month. I started the month with a little March Bingo challenge—where I aimed to tick off a variety of experiences and small adventures. I came so close to a full house, but one square remains unchecked: a visit to the Lord Leycester Hospital. Not for lack of enthusiasm, mind you,… Continue reading March Reflections
Last night I managed to finish Chapter One in my new middle-grade fiction chapter book. It is a real milestone because although I have only written almost 3,000 words - just a tenth of the word count for my abandoned novel - it feels like real progress as I am following a solid plan. As… Continue reading Project Hazel: Chapter One finished
Notes From My Day 