Category Ordinary Life
Turns out I need birds in my life
How many weeks has it been since the covid shutdowns began? Feels like forever. A new mode of living that, despite the overarching gloom of illness and economic ruin, has many small charms. For example, birds. Last week, on a whim during my masked grocery run, I bought a bird feeder and some seed. I […]
Easter breakfast
This morning while my parents and siblings texted each other about their Easter hams, Justin made an equally delicious ham-free breakfast of ricotta pancakes, chicken sausages, and an omelette. I spent the rest of the day working, a complete basket case of stress, while Justin talked to his parents and enjoyed the roof and baked […]
Flowers for Easter
Back in December my mother, sister, Scoutmaster’s wife, and a few strangers had a lively exchange on Facebook about their blooming cacti, and I — ever the joiner — wanted desperately to be part of the club. And now I am. Joy.
The comeback artist
The last thing I did in London before leaving my keys in the flat and catching an Uber to the airport was to pull my shamrock out of the dirt it was planted in, chop off all the leaves, and hide the roots wrapped in wet cloths in my luggage. I wasn’t sure if it […]
The new office setup
So much has happened since my last post! I’ve started half a dozen drafts about the move to Seattle, settling-in last week, starting the new job, and the craziness of covid-19 – but it turns out that living those things has taken up all the time for writing about them. But I am here and […]
Last night in London
It’s finally here! After three years in London I fly out tomorrow with a one-way ticket to Seattle to start a new life there. I’ve said my goodbyes, moved into a hotel, and composed many unwritten blog posts about the emotional rollercoaster, stress factory, and logistical puzzle that is a trans-Atlantic move and job change. […]
Packing up
After three years my time in London is coming to an end! one month from tomorrow I will be starting in a new role in a Seattle. Which means that between now and then I need to pack up my life here in London, move (almost) halfway around the world, and set up camp in […]
Back together again
Remember how I broke my 250-year-old Chinese dish when I (inadvertently) tapped it on a granite countertop while using it to eat a burrito bowl? Well, the Japanese Kintsugi lady has plied her craft and now all is well with the world.
Playing house in Rotorua
After polishing off our ginger beers at Hobbiton and leaving the bucolic hobbit holes to their New Zealand evening, we all piled into the cars (me into my compact Toyota; everyone else into the giant people-mover) and drove to Rotorua, where we would be staying for the rest of the week. Rotorua is a smallish […]
Flower emergency
So. Those flowers I got last weekend so that they would be in full bloom by the time Justin got here for Christmas? Well, by Saturday they were looking glorious. But by Sunday morning… Wilting! DISASTER!! It wasn’t due to a lack of water, so I hypothesised that the stems weren’t pulling water, and that […]
A More Gentlemanlike Manner 