Thanks for dropping by. I'm a author and teacher with interests in education, mental health. faith and community. I like to wonder aloud about everyday life, hope and the silly, incongruous things that shape us and make us who we are. I also like hats, cake and those tiny little snores cats make when they sleep. On the Home page, you'll find around 100 wonderings, all different in length and content. On a pc, you'll see a 'Select month' menu at the side where you can choose a piece from the last 12 years. You can find out about my books on the Books tab. Miracle! I'd love to hear your comments below any posts you read. Have a good day. Deborah
I cycled into town today to post a book. I love cycling, and I love autumn, at least when the weather is like it was today - drowsy and warm, and smelling of mown grass and earth. I cycled along the twittens (Sussex word for alleyways). The sun fell down through the trees and landed … Continue reading Autumn and the art of being human
January. For me, the very word conjures up things like dead poinsettias, stark trees, mud. To say nothing of left-over Christmas cake looking ashamed of itself for existing. Do you remember that song January? It was released by the group Pilot in 1975. I was thirteen and can still sing it off by heart (not … Continue reading January – sick and tired?
Is it true that opposites attract (with relationships, as well as magnets)? Are we more likely to seek out people with different personalities/talents to our own? And will those relationships thrive? I once assumed this to be the case. Observing partnerships, it has often seemed that one person is introverted/tidy/detail-conscious while the other is outgoing/disorganised/big-pictureish. … Continue reading Do opposites attract? Thoughts on The Wounds of Time, by S L Russell
'I am a textbook people-pleaser. You can't trust me. I probably need help.' This is my (slightly adapted) favourite quote so far from a series my daughter introduced me to recently. She had been telling me about it for ages, to the point where I agreed to watch a couple of episodes just to stop … Continue reading Living to please?
Recently, when the doctor suggested Vitamin D tablets for bone density, he asked me what flavour I'd like. "Sorry?" I was still coming to terms with having not-dense bones and wasn't ready to move on. But, you know, they only have ten minutes... "Well, they come in two flavours." He paused a bit embarrassed, "Lemon … Continue reading What flavour are you?
Lately, to add to my other foibles, I've been staring at trees. I've always been a bit of a tree freak but in these STRANGE TIMES (sorry), I'm becoming a bit obsessed (in my defence, I am shielding, but not for much longer!). The fruit trees are fat with buds and every day their baby … Continue reading Slowly, then all at once
I don't know what it is about daffodils but they're such HAPPY flowers. The colour of a smile. Not that yellow is the actual colour of a smile (unless you have bad teeth) but it should be. I'm not going out much at present, but my husband came back from the supermarket again with a … Continue reading Lifting the heart on a grey day
I found out the other day that there are over thirty words for mud in Sussex. Although the local dialect is rarely used now, some of these beautifully descriptive words still occasionally pop up. Ike - a mess or area of mud Clodgy - muddy and wet, like a field path after heavy rain Gubber … Continue reading Mud and compost, Sussex-style
Dad loved Christmas. His eyes would go all shiny and bright as he recounted stories of his youth, how he and his brothers would choose a Christmas tree, cut it down and drag it home by sledge through the snow. We never knew how true this actually was. As with many of Dad's stories, it … Continue reading Look up
Many of us have an activity or two in life that transforms us. We change from generally likeable, easy-going types in cardigans, into red eyed gremlins, waving pitchforks. For some, it's the supermarket shop, for others, driving (I know a clutch of normally gentle, mild-mannered people in the latter group). Whatever our intentions beforehand, the … Continue reading The Bad-tempered Cleaning Company
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