Category Archives: family

A good news day

Posted on June 18, 2017 by

There are days when you wake to a bit of grey cloud, when the hot water takes an age to run, when the toaster seems to have reset itself to a light char setting and the milk is on the … Continue reading →

Posted in family, miscellany | Tagged , | 34 Comments

Apprenticed to my mother: reach for the skies

Posted on June 12, 2017 by

While my mother was a determined and constantly busy person, she begrudged having to do any more walking than absolutely necessary. If Mark Twain thought golf ruined a good walk, mum rather thought a good walk a bit of an … Continue reading →

Posted in family, miscellany | Tagged , , , , , | 29 Comments

contentment, a state of being #carrotranch #flashfiction

Posted on June 6, 2017 by

Here’s the latest from Charli’s Ranch June 1, 2017 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about feeling content. Explore what is contentment and any direction will do. Go where the prompt leads. This should be … Continue reading →

Posted in creative writing, dogs, family, flash fiction | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Complacent or confident #embracingthefuture

Posted on May 28, 2017 by

I found this picture the other day, amongst a number I inherited from Mum. On the back, in my gran’s  handwriting it says: ‘R101 from bedroom window’. The R101 was the British government’s attempt to find a way for long … Continue reading →

Posted in family, humour, miscellany, thought piece | Tagged , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Apprenticed to my Mother: on camera

Posted on May 16, 2017 by

My mother was 81 when she moved into her new bungalow. She had a knee replacement soon after dad died having been putting it off while he was ill. Never one to exercise or indeed do anything that might be … Continue reading →

Posted in families, family, humour, memories, miscellany | Tagged , , | 34 Comments

Realising Your Limits #parenting

Posted on May 9, 2017 by

March 2009 Sophie cleared the plates. Mark, her son, back from university for Easter didn’t help. In her head she told him what she thought. ‘So any plans for the summer?’ ‘Huh?’ He was already at his phone. ‘What? Yeah. … Continue reading →

Posted in miscellany, family, short story | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

Apprenticed to my Mother: The Great Outdoors

Posted on May 6, 2017 by

My mother loved her garden. The family home in Hampshire morphed from an awful clay pit with a few decrepit fruit trees into a beautiful oasis. My parents put extraordinary effort into the conversion. Fortunately their skills were complimentary: mum … Continue reading →

Posted in family, gardens, memories, miscellany | Tagged , , , | 21 Comments