A sense of seasons

The crisp-apple air of autumn has begun blustering about. Tiny cold and warm fronts battle in eddies above my tea mug; on the window sill; at my upper lip. The invisible becomes tangible in this shifting season, and as the birds rang in the dawn an epiphany woke within me. Autumn will forever be scented. … Continue reading

One Small Thing

Life is made up of small things. Mostly these are the little gestures and daily patterns which make up existence, but every once in a while there are those magic, infinitesimal changes that alter the course of everything. Or if not everything, at least Important Things. ~ One week ago I became an Aunt. A … Continue reading

The Name Game

When the conversation eventually turns to wedding business it is telling to see who asks what I will wear and who asks if I will change my name. Names are so important. I relish place names with odd provenance. I make up names for characters in books I will never write. I cherish the sounds … Continue reading

Old [Fictional] Friends

Do you have stories that never get old? No matter how many times you hear them they still feel alive? They can rekindle a sinking heart or augment delicious indulgences, but always prove stalwart companions. Must be some type of magic. And today, as I sold off our books — we’ve shed several hundred so … Continue reading

The Hermitage Anew

This morning I went for a walk through the Hermitage. I often do when I’m feeling hemmed in and cranky. I’ve probably walked it a hundred times. This little woodland nature reserve, replete with babbling stream and mossy Hobbiton-esque rocks, has been my reprieve ever since I moved to this city. It’s my perfect mix … Continue reading

Potted.

You know those times where you are so busy just the thought of adding to the To Do list feels heavy? Where you wake up already feeling late? And spend a fortune on chai lattes and taxis to fit in every last ounce of day? Well, I have that. It’s become something chronic. I don’t … Continue reading

Flashback: 2003

A decade ago I was living in a basement apartment, sleeping in a windowless bedroom-cum-cupboard; the through-path between my flatmate’s bedroom and the living room. My family referred to it as The Troll Hole with thinly veiled disgust. A decade ago I scraped together rent for this palace by working 3 jobs, including the graveyard … Continue reading

Mixtape Memories

In a world of mp3s and Spotify, I may be showing my age, but I’m still a sucker for a mix-tape. It’s easy for us Gen X – Gen Y bods to be overly nostalgic. I know this. I am not even the first to wax poetic over the nuance and romance of curated musical … Continue reading

Thankful

I love family. I love Bean. I love leaves and travel and the sea. I know this. You know this. As I sit in a dark, cold house looking out at a grey, blustery day, I am thankful for the bread in the oven, and the hands that have learned to make it. I am … Continue reading

Endings & Starts

Do  you ever wonder what life would be like if things were different? I don’t mean if Hitler hadn’t been born, or if Superman had landed in the USSR instead (though that is a fascinating idea, Mr Millar…); I mean everyday things. Life is built on such a mountain of happenstance. What if I hadn’t … Continue reading