On our living room wall, there is a beautiful wooden plaque, inscribed with a poem from our wedding ceremony. We’d never heard the words before, but as one of my best friends, Zoe, stood in the church pulpit, and read them aloud in front of our family and friends, they truly resonated with us. The … More Holding Up The Ceiling
It was a trip three years in the waiting. We booked the family holiday back in 2019. When Covid hadn’t yet started its deadly rampage, when ‘social distancing’ was unheard of, and when you could cough in public without causing alarm. With homes miles apart, my Mum and siblings and I were looking forward to … More Third Time Lucky
It was a typical Sunday morning. The radio was playing love songs, Kepler was chewing his toy squirrel, and the Covid tests were brewing on the side. As I served up the runny egg soldiers, I glanced across at them. Over the past eighteen months, we’ve stuck many swabs down our throat and up our … More I Caught Covid
It wasn’t the trip we expected 🙂 The last time Phil saw his Father was March 2020. He flew to the Isle of Man days before shielding began, and days before the island closed their borders to visitors. For over a year. Living with advanced dementia, and in a residential home, we couldn’t even ring … More Covid Russian Roulette
Back in my twenties, buying travel insurance was easy. And quick. And cheap! It was one of those simple five minute jobs, normally done whilst watching television, and often on the day before the holiday. Fill in a short form online, pay for it, and voila, insured wherever I wanted to go. For a few … More The Eye-Watering Cost of Travel Insurance
Phil’s brother rang me on Wednesday. He had just tested positive for Covid. At the mere mention of the virus, my stomach dropped. Worry. He’s the first close person I know to have caught it. The news headlines have reached us. But then my head started whirring, and my heart started thumping. I thought back. … More The Wait
I met my tribe at university. I arrived at York on a cold October day, with a lava lamp, yellow dinner plates… and an enormous desire to do something different, exciting, adventurous. To make the most of my uni life. So I joined the canoe club. Over the next -amazing- three years, those black-and-yellow clad … More Rekindling Friendships
Six months ago, I was lost in the storms of depression. My happiness had upped and left, my enthusiasm was missing, and I couldn’t find joy in usual loves. With rain pummeling the windows and my heart, with coronavirus restrictions still creating uncertainty and loneliness, and with the rampant virus still causing fear; summer seemed … More The Sunshine After The Storm
I’ve never looked forward to a wedding so much. After being postponed twice, due to lockdown, one of my oldest and closest friends -Kate- was hoping for third date lucky. After a year of staying in and bad news and being apart, I was ridiculously excited at the prospect of a celebration and a long … More A Lockdown Wedding
Over the last eighteen months of staying home, I’ve grown to love where I live. Forced to keep local, instead of day trips in neighbouring counties, we’ve enjoyed picnics and adventures straight from our front door. Instead of driving for miles to find our fun, we’ve had fun scootering for miles. Instead of exploring the … More A Change Of Scenery
We Can Adjust The Sails 