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. On a pc, you'll see a 'Select month' menu at the side where you can choose a piece from the last 8 years. I'd love to hear your comments below each post. Have a good day. Deborah
After Disastrous Devon last May (involving an ambulance, a gallbladder and an early return home), we were holding out for Cornwall, in October. We aren't extravagant vacationers - we've had our fair share of adventures (and are planning a few more). But for now, a cottage, a view, a pile of books, is all really. … Continue reading To have and to hold?
Me: How much can you see of me? Him: (looking through the camera) Waist and up Me: Any fat ripples? Him: Er, no... Me: I want the truth, OK? In most situations, I expect a lie. But with this, I want the truth Him: No, you're fine. Let's just get on with it Me: Do … Continue reading The Last One
If I've said anything random to you lately, I apologise. There's only a certain number of times you can acceptably say, "Sorry?" or "Pardon?" without being written off as decrepit or deaf. Though I am, it seems, the latter, for weeks and weeks after a cold. It's not that I can't hear anything. I can … Continue reading Fearfully and wonderfully made
The Vaucluse is the most beautiful place on earth. Well, perhaps not THE most beautiful. Cappodocia, Turkey probably is....then there's Holy Island. Well, alright, there are quite a few beautiful place on earth and the Vaucluse is one of them. In fact, on our recent holiday, I found it so beautiful, that it actually hurt in … Continue reading From there to here…
The old man leans on the gate at the edge of the park. It is heavier than he remembers but then so are most things. Like his own stomach and the bag of weekly shopping. He sighs. If only he had taken better care of himself when the whole damn thing had started – the … Continue reading Waiting for Dad
"...If you listen carefully, the earth is singing." I swung round sharply. The two girls nearly crashed into me, their hands cradling petri-dishes filled with wood lice, ants and a fat snail with a shell crisis. I had one of those rare moments of tenderness. "That's beautiful," I said, "Really beautiful!" They looked up at … Continue reading The eye (and ear) of the beholder
I have scars in my eyes. Particularly the left one. If I were to wink at you with my right eye, you would have no nose. You might argue that this is a good thing in a way, but I assure you however misshapen your nose (I have one nostril higher than the other), it's … Continue reading Happy Valentine’s – Scars in our Eyes
At what point do you stop saying Happy Christmas and start saying Happy New Year? I'm never quite sure. After all, the Twelve Days of Christmas start on Christmas Day so perhaps we shouldn't say Happy New Year until 5th January, when incidentally, you're supposed to take down your decorations and NOT BEFORE (but who … Continue reading Happy Old Year and the Little Painted House
Call me sad but I loved Latin verbs. At an all-girls school, stuffed with hormones and self-obsession (I levelled out but have recently declined again - for obvious reasons), Latin verbs were immensely comforting. Like the shipping forecast , there was a predictability, a rhythmic quality to the conjugations that soothed you, suspended time and … Continue reading Prayer, Advent and Latin Verbs
We're climbing the Malvern Hills, and I'm wheezing like a catfish. I briefly consider whether dropping dead on a narrow path between trees in sight of the summit, is a good way to go. An action exit, so to speak, in pursuit of something beautiful. But decide against it. There are few walkers up here … Continue reading Hills and giving thanks on All Hallows Eve
stillwonderinghere 