Daughter moved away from home on Sunday and although she'd already done that once when she left for university, this time the move felt more final. She works in TV, so she's never home, and often has been staying away for weeks filming here and there. A couple of years ago, she went travelling … [Read more...]
Five things you should know about a Finnish sauna
Image: Visit FinlandI was three days (yes days!) old when my parents took me into a sauna. It was early spring, and we were visiting our summer cottage near Kangasala in the Häme province of Finland. By all accounts I loved the heat and gurgled away on my mother’s lap.I’ve been an avid sauna-goer … [Read more...]
Sauna hats
Last time when I was having my hair done at the wonderful Rossano Ferretti hair spa, it was a day before my holiday in Finland. Towards the end, when my hairdresser Clare was putting the straightening treatment on, she reminded me that I should leave my hair unwashed for 3 or 4 days to make … [Read more...]
Home-made Elderflower Cordial
When we lived in the country, one of my early summer routines was to make a batch of elderflower cordial. We had elders growing everywhere on the paddock, so on a sunny June (or late May) day, I'd take a large canvas bag with me and go and harvest the young flower heads. Since we've moved to … [Read more...]
Life Touch Massage in Crouch End and my old life in the country.
Eleonora at Life Touch MassageI've been suffering from a painful shoulder since last December. But it wasn't until May this year, when the pain became acute, that I decided I needed to go and see somebody. I found a web page for Eleonora at Life Touch Massage, read the testimonials, and decided I … [Read more...]
Crouch End Festival 4 – 13 May 2012
Visit the festival site here for more info. At the end of last year, when I told my London friends we'd finally found a flat to buy, and were moving to Crouch End, several of them said, 'You'll love it there - it's a very creative place'. At first I was flattered because this meant they thought … [Read more...]
On the move – again!
I have started the sorting out - honestly...We've finally found a place to call our own here in North London and are moving this weekend. I feel quite calm about it all, mainly because this move just cannot be as horrendous as the previous one (read all about it here), and also because this time we … [Read more...]
Southsea, again
Back of the benches on the wall of Southsea CastleThe Englishman and I've just come back from Southsea. This time we were there due to a very sad occasion, a funeral of a close friend's father. Although his passing was sudden, the occasion was more of a celebration of a full life. As the pastor said … [Read more...]
House rules
While going through some old files today I came across a note which, for years, was stuck to the fridge door in our old house. I think I posted The House Rules one day when coming home from work, tired, and finding the kitchen a mess, with several teenagers lounging in the TV room oblivious to … [Read more...]
A cool city dog
Our little terrier as a puppy I'm so impressed how our little border terrier has adapted to city life. When we moved up to London from the sticks a year ago, he'd been a country dog for all of his life. He was born only half a mile down the lane from where we lived; he'd hardly spent any time on … [Read more...]
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