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...

A different kind of Christmas

With less than two weeks until Christmas 2019, the few presents I’ve bought are still in a drawer, unwrapped. My holiday cards remain in their packaging and apart from a vintage Santa candle and musical angel, my cherished Christmas decorations are still tucked away...