On the day the first UK case of Coronavirus was announced on the news, the birds moved in. A troop of tiny, chirping, colorful feathered creatures took roost in my head. My own personal town-criers. For the past month or so, they’ve been constant -unwanted- companions. Reminding me of what to worry about, who to … More The Chirping Birds
My phone beeps every time there is a breaking news story. Whereas once that noise signaled another Brexit saga to roll my eyes at… now that ding makes my stomach drop. Every. Single. Time. Butterflies swarm my tummy, I subconsciously hold my breath, and I brace myself to read the latest. ‘Cause these days the … More The Approaching Monster
The other evening Phil and I had a date night. In our own home. 🙂 We dressed to the nines, decorated the room with (battery operated! 😛 ) candles, and cooked a delicious Mexican feast. Later, over Chocolate Orange fudge cake, we started chatting about our year. Reflecting on 2019. Looking back.It’s become a bit … More Looking Back
Last month I had to move back to my childhood home. Back to my teenage bedroom, my Mum’s home-cooked dinners, my old village haunts. For two weeks I slept in my single bed, enveloped by brightly coloured walls, and surrounded by photos of my high school days. Meanwhile Phil remained back at our house alone. No … More Moving Out
I arrived at Harefield in a bright mood. The sun was shining, I’d spotted ten Red Kites en-route, and had met a friend for lunch beforehand. Moreover with my recent positive test results suggesting stability, I was confident I wouldn’t need to be reactivated on the transplant list just yet. But four hours later, I … More Bursting My Bubble
At the weekend I turned my central heating on for the first time. I debated whether to take that significant step for a few hours, before eventually my shivering body and blue fingers convinced me it was time. It was the day. It couldn’t be put off any longer. So I did. And although it … More Saying Goodbye To My Superpowers
Today I woke up crying that I wasn’t a teacher. It always surprises me when this happens. When I was first ill, I would regularly think about my former job, and pine for the life I’d lost. But then over time, I slowly accepted it, and moved on, and found happiness again in my new … More I Miss Being A Teacher
If I win the lottery I’m going to buy a village. Yep, as well as a smart new campervan, an amazing off-road scooter, a house big enough for ten dogs… I’m going to purchase a whole village. Apparently for twenty million I could get a splattering of homes, an old forge and (most importantly) a … More Faraway Friends
Last Thursday my Dad had an operation. It was only supposed to be four hours long, so when the surgeon hadn’t reported back after four and a half hours… I began to worry. After five hours, I started googling surgery complications and other reasons why it might have been delayed. After six hours I started panicking … More The Problem With Worrying
The first time I saw this photograph I was truly shocked. It was May 2016 and I’d just returned from a wonderful day trip with an old friend. But instead of looking at this picture and seeing our happy smiles, I just cried inside. All I could see was me looking odd. Not like me. … More The Photo That Made Me Cry
