The Importance of Being Ordinary
Sometimes lessons in parenting can sneak up un us and in this case, arrived for me just in the nick of time. I'd been invited to a lunch where I was surprised to run into a classmate from primary school.
“Being Good” with Isla
It was during Covid that a brand-new set of twin girls burst into our lives. There is no history of twins on either side of the family, so none was more surprised than my daughter and son-in-law.
In Support of the Helpline
The other night Martin and I had dinner with two couples we've known forever.As Paul stood over the barbecue, he mentioned that after he’d assembled this brand-new Weber, he’d found the lid was cracked. He called the Helpline.
A book, a shop, a welcoming gallery in Madrid
What’s the link between the woollen jacket I bought in Madrid on our recent holiday, and The Fire and the Rose by Robyn Cadwallader, longlisted for the 2023 Ara Historical…
SPECTACULOUS!
We’re on Foehr, the island in the North Sea, where Martin’s parents spent their later years. Our kids used to call it the Snow White Island. Thatched-roofed cottages and fields dotted with lazy Friesian cows really do give it a fairy tale quality.
Canine Wisdom
Q: What do Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, and I have in common? A: We both like dogs that talk.
LOCAL AUTHOR SHOCKED
LOCAL AUTHOR SHOCKED!!! Here’s what happened next… Sydney author, Elizabeth Lancaster, expressed utter dismay that she could still be drawn in by clickbait headlines.
What’s Fish Got To Do With it?
As a follow-up to my Local Author Shocked story, I wanted to share a conversation I had with a friend who was a television reporter in New York City some…
What Ever Happened to the Southerly Buster?
Summer is over, but the heat remains, and I’m wondering what ever happened to the relief-bringing southerly busters. I know a version of them still exist, but not with the…
Why I’m Not a Travel Writer
Our last visit to San Francisco last January included a trip to Mendocino, a picturesque village with a strong alternative culture in Northern California. While Martin learned the hard way…
