The sound of a holiday ending

Sunday Blog 66 – 8th January 2023 As I covered up my mother’s swimming pool with its blanket, the wheel squeaked in a mournful kind of protest. It’s quite a big pool, and the sound grated for what felt like several long minutes. I was just about to take my brother and his adult daughter …

Homecomings and the spicy cough

Sunday Blog 56 – 9th October 2022 The suitcase was completely unpacked, the memory-foam neck cushion had its cover stripped for cleaning, the travel wash was flapping on the line, even the adaptor plugs were stored away. Why did I feel so discombobulated and not quite here? Travel is always a bit like that for …

Signing off from London

Sunday Blog 55 – 2nd October 2022 I’ve had such wild dreams about this holiday. I’m hoping it will… slough the layer of apathy off the layer of calm, and allow me to look many fears in the face… But I suppose the closer I get to the destination, the more I mistrust romantic notions …

Vale Hilary Mantel

Sunday Blog 54 – 25th September 2022 Recently I stumbled across this interview with Hilary Mantel from a couple of years ago where she asserts that writers can be productive by carving out just two hours per day. Admittedly these need to be golden hours where your energy is high and you’ve had enough time …

A fine hand with the delft

Sunday Blog 51 – 22nd August 2022 The sound of my darling husband emptying the dishwasher always puts me in mind of this description. The bashes and crashes of the mugs being returned to their spots, the plates slid into the drawer all summon up visions of chipping. (I know, just shut up already, he’s …

The idea of home…

Sunday Blog 47 – 31st July 2022 It’s Sunday morning in a Wheatbelt town and we’re closing out a Song Writing Retreat with a voice lesson in the church next to the Quindanning Hotel. The acoustics are amazing. We are doing vocal warm-ups, just singing sounds but no words. The magic that comes from voices …