What a twisty story! Nothing is what it seems in this new book by Louise Candlish, as character after character is revealed as not what they seem. Alex lives with his wife Beth in the suburb of Silver Vale. He prefers to live a quiet life and keep his life private but, when Beth tells […]
Turning the page
My 2022 journal is nearly completed and my new one is ready for tomorrow. I’ve given my website a fresh new look and have added a menu at the top of the page. I’m ready for a new year. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my posts here and especially […]
Poppies galore
Seven years ago, I visited Glenmore House near Camden for a gardening workshop. Not only did we learn much about seasonal plants but we also enjoyed a tour of the garden. That’s when I fell in love with poppies. There were huge beds that included poppies towering over me. You can see in this photo […]
Summer solstice
Today we welcome the summer solstice, that time of year that marks the beginning of summer. Given the amount of rain we’ve had this year, it may have been optimistic of me to expect sunshine. A temperature of 13 degrees and steady showers is what we have instead. Ah, well… Instead, I’ll add brightness with […]
Newsletter: snow and impermanence
Earlier this week, my Instagram feed was full of pictures of snow-covered landscapes, both country and city. Apparently, it had snowed in Britain while I was sleeping. I follow many IG accounts based in Britain, mainly to see photos of beautiful gardens and the work of craftspeople I admire. You know how it is on […]
Six years to trip around the world
This month, I sewed the binding to my Trip Around the World quilt. It’s the biggest quilt I’ve ever made, finishing at 231cm x 256cm (91in x 101in). Let me tell you the story of how it came to be. Six years ago, I started cutting squares from fabrics in my stash. I wanted to […]
Book review: The Game is a Footnote
This is the eighth story in Vicki Delany’s Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series and, as you would expect, there’s a murder investigation to solve. Gemma Doyle, the owner of the bookshop, is a level-headed English woman living in West London, Massachusetts. When strange things start happening in Scarlet House, an historical re-enactment museum, the board […]
Garden diaries
Do you keep a garden diary? I started one when I moved here a few years ago, mainly so I could keep track of what I had growing and where. It’s been so useful. My diary has been through several reinventions. I waver between wanting an online one so I can use it on my […]
Newsletter: stories and sewing
Hello everyone, I’m popping into your inbox mid-week to share I few things I’ve found engaging. Please leave a comment if you find something of interest here! My garden is full of aquilegias at present. I love these dainty cottage flowers and wrote about them here. Are you watching Wednesday on Netflix? We are halfway […]
Book review: Paperbark Hill
I read this, the latest novel from Maya Linnell, a few months ago and it was just what I needed at the time. We were in a period of constant rain and, from inside the house, I could see many plants in my garden drowning. It was difficult to believe that my dahlia tubers would […]