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Thoughtful

A glimpse into the future

It’s quiet this morning. None of the usual arguing over shoes and hair bands. No asking for pancakes. No un-flushed toilets. Just silence, sweetened occasionally by late spring chirps. A clock ticking, car whirring, tummy rumbling. Waiting. The girls were all away this weekend. The youngest two at Brownie camp …

Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking

I’ve just finished Quiet – The power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking, by Susan Cain. It’s a fabulous feel good book for introverts and I can’t stop thinking about it. The premise is that while introverts make up 1/3 to 1/2 of the population, society is …

What do you get your 84-year-old father for his birthday?

My dad turns 84 tomorrow. He moved from Cleveland, Ohio to Los Angels in the 50s to be a tennis star (really). His claim to fame is winning a set off the Number 1 seed of the time. Like many first generation Americans, he was the first in his family …

Seize the day! (and the Mayflies)

Mayfly

There's something about a nice day that makes you want to take it by the hand and roll around in the grass. We spent Sunday evening picnicking in our secret spot on the Thames: a farmer's field perfect for frolicking. It was an impromptu meal made of what I could find  –  sticky sausages with honey and whole-grain mustard, a crusty loaf, Stilton and salad. I filled a pitcher with Pimms and lemonade, and panicked slightly when I couldn't find any cucumber (we made due with some cut apples and oranges.) Added a sprig of mint from the pot in the garden. Perfect.

When children grow up #sob

We spent the weekend at hotel in Cornwall that is very popular with families and goes to great lengths to help entertain the kids. The weekend culminated in a Saturday night fancy dress disco. My girls, aged 6, 7 and 9, even talked me into buying some pointy damsel hats …

I changed my mind mummy

Red nose Last Friday morning my youngest, aged 6, didn't want to part with a pound coin in order to wear home clothes to school. In case you've landed on this blog from across the pond, Friday was Red Nose Day/Comic Relief, a fund raising appeal where basically all of the UK comes together to raise money for charity. The evening culminates in a live telethon, and many celebs donate their time in some way. Gordon Brown, JLS, Justin Bieber, Paul McCartny, Davina McCall, and Keira Knightley all made an appearance this year. It's really an amazing event, raising more than £74 million on this campaign.

The world stops when you find a lump

Staring down at the radiology request, a few handwritten words seemed to jump upwards off the page to the sky: Gritty. 8 mm. URGENT. Surely this wasn’t about me. A month earlier I found a lump. My GP couldn’t feel it, but she sent me to get it checked out. I wasn’t that worried at …

The dry spell

I suffered a dry spell after our second child. A major one. One I imagine the Sahara Desert to be like. Long. Flat. Never ending. I just didn’t feel like it anymore. I was too tired. It didn’t hold my attention. I would crawl into bed after a day of wiping drippy noses and …