Thanks for dropping by. I'm a writer and teacher with interests in education, mental health 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. Click on any post to keep reading and to subscribe, if you'd like to. You can click on the tabs to find out more about me and my other writing. Have the best kind of day. Deborah x
I've always wanted twinkly trees but in London we didn't have trees to twink. So when we moved to this house in Sussex, the fruit trees by the front door filled me with quiet joy. At Christmas, we would have twists of tiny lights and their delicate glow would lift the hearts of passers-by with … Continue reading Christmas lights
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
Do you ever have a night where it feels as if you don't actually sleep at all? You're exhausted and desperate to slide into the pool of oblivion but instead, you lie rigid, brain fizzing, eyes popping, muscles poised to act. Occasionally, you seem to skate over the surface of sleep like a swan or … Continue reading To sleep, perchance to dream…
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
Social distancing can be awkward, can’t it? Maybe you're more relaxed (I'm what I call a rulie not a floutie). But you may not have asthma and such a history of bronchitis that you can't say it out loud in case your chest hears and immediately convulses. I'm out and about now, as we all … Continue reading Social distancing moves for Brits
Dear Manufacturer of hand gel, Firstly, I'd like to thank you for your sterling efforts to keep the nation's hands clean and virus-free. These days, your trusty, little bottles are indeed a pleasure to behold, sticking out of people's pockets, thrust into shopping bags or about to be drunk by thirsty toddlers (Relax. His mum … Continue reading Concerning hand gel: letter and ode
I recently wrote a post on another blog featuring possible letters from fictional characters during Lockdown. You can find the post here. Below are my imagined replies. They weren't as easy to write but it was fun and I hope it raises a smile or two, for you. Dear Paddington, Thank you for your lovely … Continue reading Literary Lockdown – letters
Did you know London begins on the A22 just outside Whyteleafe? Unless you're on the train, and then it's probably somewhere like Purley Beeches. This is when you're travelling from Sussex. Of course that's just my opinion. There are actual signs up on roads that say things like 'Welcome to the London Borough of Croydon'. … Continue reading Boundaries, baldness and the art of listening carefully
'Even Michael McIntyre never had to perform for 6 hours solid,' says Fran Hill, author of new book Miss, What Does Incomprehensible Mean? released tomorrow, 21 May. But can teaching really be that hard? Charting the life of a secondary English teacher over the course of an academic year, the book is testament to the … Continue reading School – the best days of your life?
I'm walking like a cowboy, my knees are socially distancing from each other and my back aches. But I'm happy. I hadn't cycled for at least 20 years, probably more. I have a friend who is a veteran cyclist. She cycles everywhere and is so devoted to her steed that she customises it to suit … Continue reading Pedalling like a believer
