Hello December and hello favourite holiday treats!

After a busy and stressful November, December has crept up on me. While I’m not ready for the last month of the year, it’s also the season of favourite holiday treats. Starting the month is an advent calendar. I’ve had one since childhood and it’s a tradition I also...

The season of giving

Since I live in a small town with no home mail delivery, I receive mail via a box at the local post office. At this time of year, when Floppy Ears dons her festive red coat and we take our daily walk to the post office, that box is stuffed with glossy catalogues,...

A year of words and a writing hangover

Last week, I finished the longest book I’ve ever written, all 101,294 words of it. And while many rounds of edits remain, for now it’s done and I can celebrate. A dual timeline women’s fiction novel set between the Second World War and 2018, it’s also the most...

Holiday memories in music

Although I don’t usually start playing holiday music until December, 2020 has been such a grim year that I dug out my seasonal CDs and created a Spotify playlist in the middle of November. And from traditional carols to sacred music and popular festive tunes, now more...

Finding baking memories

As summer’s warmth becomes a distant memory, I’m doing more baking, a favourite pastime but one I haven’t had much time for in the last few years. To bake, though, I needed to sort through my overflowing kitchen cupboards and the boxes stacked at the foot of the...