I love food. I mean really, and if I ate whatever I wanted, I know I would have a big problem. I am very lucky that I have never really suffered with being hugely overweight, and I certainly never want to be skinny, but on my small frame a stone or two over my ideal weight becomes very obvious quite quickly. So whenever I found myself having put on a few pounds, I would grudgingly resort to dieting. I hated dieting! I could usually drop 6 pounds or so by sticking to a strict regime for a month or so, but it was miserable. I have never joined a slimming club, so I have no experience of that, b ..read more

HAPPY EARTH DAY!! And, to celebrate, I am publishing this post to offer a few ideas on how we an all take some responsibility in the care and preservation of beautiful planet earth. Because if we don’t, simply put, Earth doesn’t have a future. Personally, I am trying really hard to make some small differences as set out below….and if we all made some small differences … well, you know the rest. I love this quote by Jane Goodall: “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference ..read more

I love the sea. When I was 8 years old, my family and I moved to Torquay in Devon, on the south coast of England and, for the next ten years of my life, I was lucky enough to live just 10 minutes walk from the beach. Spending those formative years by the ocean were a huge advantage. Sometimes a place of refuge, sometimes reflection, but always a calming, nurturing environment that dialled down any anxieties or issues I was coping with.  Me on a early beach trip  One of my earliest memories is being at the beach. I think I was about 5 years old and I can still remember the wonder of s ..read more

If you are a follower of this blog, you will know that last year we lost a dear family pet – Lili our Burmese cat. She was nearly 18 so it was a life well lived, but heartbreaking for us all the same. Eighteen months before, we had lost her life partner Dennis (he was Lili’s cousin), who had also lived to a grand old age. My blog post Losing a Pet helped me express my sadness over losing Lili and a few months later, although I knew I could never replace her, we decided it was time to adopt 2 new fur babies. I very much wanted to get cats from a rescue centre rather than a breeder. There are s ..read more

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all realised how amazing we are, if we believed completely in our own capabilities, and were able to protect ourselves from negative criticism. We would all be aware of our strengths and weaknesses, and have a strong sense of worth, not only about our talents, but also regarding our potential. Most importantly, we would be accepting of ourselves, even taking past regrets and flaws into account. Well, it’s a lovely thought! But if we could, life would look a LOT different. Gone would be those days of self loathing and self destructive behaviour. Mood would vastly ..read more

It’s the beginning of January – a whole new year! Welcome 2023! Actually, I always find this time of the year quite difficult. I’m sure I’m not alone. It’s a combination of the post Christmas low, the guilt following having eaten, drank, and spent to much in December, the dreary weather, the reality that summer is months away, payday is weeks away…. and all in all it feels like a really good time to be a hedgehog and go to sleep til March. So .. here are my 50 tips to try and blow out the January blues and feel good.. and I guarantee you don’t have to give up a thing! *Please note this is a l ..read more

Christmas! It is nearly here! It’s the season of goodwill, generosity and charity, traditionally spent with friends and family. Unfortunately, it is also the season for feuds, squabbles and full blown rows, debt, worry and intense pressure. Emotions can run high at this time of year and as the potential for anxiety and conflict grows, it often threatens to flare up and ruin those few precious days off.  So, how you can you survive the season… and more importantly enjoy it!! Here are my tips for a fabulous, memorable and relaxing Christmas… 1. Make sure that you have conversations with al ..read more

I love animals. I mean really love animals. I would have a houseful of everything from horses to hamsters if I could. As it is we only have 1 cat now, having recently lost Lili who we adopted when she was 2. Lili was 17 and a half and had recently started to go downhill quite rapidly. Eventually we made the decision that it was time to take her to the vet and put her to sleep. Prior to losing Lili, the last time I lost an animal was 2 years ago when Lili’s ‘brother’ Dennis had had to be put to sleep having reached 16. I had not forgotten just how hard it is. On both occasions, I was absolutely ..read more

It is October already… and have to admit I struggle with this time of year.  Summer is over and I love the summer, but now the colder days are looming, the nights are getting longer and I am starting to feel a bit low.  I catch myself wondering if I have ‘made the most’ of the summer days, and start to feel anxious about the coming months, even though actually nothing has changed. For what seems like the hundredth autumn in a row, I fantasise about wintering far away, somewhere hot and sunny…but the reality is, just like everyone else else, I’m just going to have to cope wi ..read more

I originally wrote this post four years ago. My children, (children? they are now 26 and 23!) have now left university, but every year around this time I am reminded of how difficult those first few weeks in September and October were. For me… not for them. Here follows the original post: This morning, my daughter is off to University. She has been with me here all summer and I’m trying really hard not to cry. I’m almost managing it. Almost. Three years ago this week, we took my son to university for the first time, and since that was my first experience of a child leaving home, that was a ve ..read more