A few years ago, when planning our summer holidays, we decided to indulge in a summer of festivals. The kids were now old enough to enjoy a relatively high degree of freedom and independence (having been attending festivals since they were young) and we are just about young enough to endure weeks in fields (and […]
Category: My Story

Friends for the Weekend
A clutch of some of our very dearest friends from our old London life have just come for the weekend and hedonism came a close second on the agenda, after the collective imperative to get out with the dogs and bask in the glory of the spring wildflower display that nature is currently laying on. […]

When in Rome
We had a marvelous Christmas and didn’t pay too much attention to the rules, as there has to be time off from the regime. That said the roast potatoes were done in sunflower oil, and were deliciously crispy (though I do say so myself) and the vegetables were the centre piece of the table and […]

It’s Christmas Already
Well, technically it’s not. Mercifully, given my usual state of utter disorganisation, it isn’t for another two weeks. But today was our annual ritual of having the grandparents over for lunch and putting up the tree. Christmas songs blaring out and dog kitted out in Santa outfit, we spent all afternoon festooning the tree in […]

The Big Five Oh!
Today is my birthday and (after the usual morning routine of prising two teenage girls out of bed and shoving them out of the front door to start their journey to school) I indulged myself and the dog in an extra-long walk. And what a walk it was. It’s a beautiful, fresh autumnal morning and […]

Mindfulness
Most mornings I walk the dog for an hour, or more if I have the time. Some days we walk with a friend and her pooch, which is great and filled with chat (unless we are on a very steep bit when we just huff) and others, like today, it’s just me and Noddy. He’s […]

My Personal Journey to Diabetic Freedom
As my wonderful husband exercised and ate his way back to health, I was stuck in a strange double life of healthy food provider and secret eater. And my weight was slowly, but stealthily, creeping up. And then my very best, dear and gorgeous friend got her breast cancer back and we all saw her […]

Just another manic Monday
Just another manic Monday…. …or Wednesday. Most busy families have at least one evening a week that involves everyone needing to be in different places at different times with a disparate set of feeding slots which all need to be catered for by the chief cook, bottle washer and taxi driver. This recipe for a […]