On wildness
It's Sunday and I should be gardening. I should be tidying, chopping, weeding, pulling things up and throwing things away. But I'm not. Why? Because I rather love the wild.Yes, the garden is...
View ArticleOn being thingless in Dulverton. And balls.
So, James and I were walking Dan out over the fields by the river, me half-trotting to keep up with his loping stride (when did he get so tall?).On the narrow track on the way back, we came across a...
View ArticlePost a poem. The Seafarer - an Old English lament of loneliness.
There's been this 'thing' going round on Facebook, asking people to post a poem a day for four days. My old pal Cheryl tagged me along with the three other members of our short-lived Yellow Dog Sex Toy...
View ArticleREVIEW: MIMI Green Goddess Fresh Face Mask
So, as I was saying a while back, I used to love making up my own skincare creams and unguents. But nowadays I just don't seem to have the time, energy or, let's be very honest, the inclination to...
View ArticleMagma in the heart - a super-volcano of emotion
It's getting harder and harder to breathe. It really is. I have a huge pain in my chest, lodged in my heart, and it won't shift. Today it's beautiful on Exmoor, the sun is shining and the garden is...
View ArticleWhy do we do stuff that makes us feel crap? Was Freud right?
from loveyourchaos.tumblr.comWhy do we do stuff that we know makes us feel crap? Why do we hurt our bodies and harm our hearts and minds? I know what makes me feel good. It's so very simple. My body...
View ArticleMan and Superman - it's a (National Theatre Live) Shaw thing
'Do you and James fancy coming to the cinema on Thursday, with me and Gabs?' said Rachel. 'My treat.'Cinema? An evening out? Entertainment? Free entertainment?'Sure!' I said.'Exactly!' she...
View ArticlePoliticians are pants, courgettes are bananas and other arty oddities
So I had written this long, self-obsessed, whining, pathetic post but then, before I could post it, I had to go to pick up James from school and, when I came back, I stumbled across this picture of...A...
View Article5 ways to help with GCSEs, A levels and, well, anything really
I am neck-deep in revision, up to my eyeballs in osmosis and diffusion, global warming and biodiversity, Animal Farm and Of Mice and Men. Yes, James is in the throws of GCSE exams and I'm trying to do...
View ArticleQuaker wisdom for a shaken and stirred society
I've been watching social media today with sadness, as people tear one another apart over conflicting political beliefs. So I came off Twitter and Facebook and was wandering through some old files and...
View ArticleI have seen my bowels - and they are beautiful. On bowel-scope screening and...
A few months back I got an invitation. Now, back in the day, I used to get invitations to swish openings, to fancy press events and smart hotels. Now I get invites to bowel scope screenings. Welcome...
View ArticleWho do you think will get my vote?
'Are you going to vote?' James asked over lunch (tortilla, in case you're interested).'Yes,' I said. When I was young, I used to wear a badge saying, 'Don't vote; it only encourages them'. I thought...
View ArticleIs Niacin the cure for schizophrenia, alcoholism, migraine, arthritis and...
Now, this is interesting. When I was in Portugal I read a book called Niacin: the Real Story (click on the cover for more details).We were taking Niacin four times a day to dilate blood vessels (and...
View ArticleMountain-Monk Enku - In Heaven's River
A small parcel arrived the other day. Inside was a book, pleasingly square, entitledIn Heaven's River: Poems and Carvings of Mountain-Monk EnkuIt's a tribute to the life and art of the 17th century...
View ArticleWanted: one retreat centre.
www.darlingdoodlesdesigns.com What would I like for Christmas? A retreat centre, that's what. Nothing big and fancy and smart. Not a kick-ass spa or a fancypants hotel but a simple place where people...
View ArticleShiny happy people...
I'm so clean, I'm squeaking. I swear my innards are glowing. What was going to be a ten day juice fast turned into a twelve day one and, to be honest, it would have been the easiest thing in the world...
View ArticleLoving the Light - Days Eight and Nine
Where is the time going? I'm losing track. I'm feeling less and less inclined to turn on my laptop, or even my phone. More and more I'm finding myself able to enjoy each moment. I'm noticing the...
View ArticleStretching and steaming into Days Six and Seven of Detox Diary
Day Six at Moinhos Velhos and everything starts to shift. The headaches are gone and I’m feeling lighter, brighter, more settled in myself. You fall into a routine and it’s actually rather nice not...
View ArticleRummaging in the bowels of detox - Day Five
Day five of my stay at Moinhos Velhos. Fourth day without solid food. I didn't sleep well and woke feeling a bit dizzy but a good yoga session with Sita sorted me out. Aches and pains have lessened...
View ArticleComing a bit undone on Day Four of my detox
The headache comes and goes - sometimes just a tug on the temples, sometimes a vice around my forehead. It's part of the detox process, of course. It's my third day without solid food and, actually,...
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