On wishing myself well

This year I’m going to be selfish. I’m going to do the things I want to do with the people I want to do them with. I’m going to go where I want to go and see what I want to see. I’m going to figure out what’s really important to me and spend less […]

On the eve of a new year

Hello people 🙂 I hope all your Christmases were fantastic, and wish you a brilliant last night of 2016, whatever you choose to do with it. I’ve just got back to Berlin and am already at the second ‘party’ of the evening so I’m going to put my phone away and be marginally sociable… I’ll […]

On making the first mince pies of the season (or ever)

I don’t remember the last time I waited until this close to Christmas to start making mince pies… Last night, a friend came over. She’s German and had never even heard of mince pies, let alone thought about making one. That obviously had to be rectified. Here’s the process of rectification: 🙂 🙂 🙂 I […]

On sheep dogs

Do sheep dogs care about the sheep who stay where they’re told? Do they even notice them? *** Today my thoughts kept circling back to sheepdogs. I don’t think I’ve spent more than a handful of hours in my whole life watching sheepdogs working, but every time I get the chance, I am impressed. Where […]

On failure and other misfortunes

(Warning: contains a small amount of blood and a great deal of frustration) *** On Sunday I admitted failure.  I had failed to finish the book in time to send it to the printers before leaving to catch the plane, despite staying up all night to work on it. I was quite miffed (ok, a […]

On rainbows and double ended candle burning

I’m trying to finish my ‘book’* before Saturday evening. Or at the very very latest by Sunday morning. That would mean I can send it off to be printed before I go on holiday. ‘Holiday’ is used in the loosest form here – it’s more a chance to revise ALL the things than a chance […]

On learning to fly

My colleague made me an aeroplane for my birthday. He’s been away, so I received it yesterday. He explained the technical aspects and showed me how it works. Two days later I still haven’t managed to actually fly it.. ..which he finds hilarious 🙂 Especially because, way back when, he was in exactly my position. […]

On not talking about Christmas

It’s the 25th of November. That makes it exactly a month until Christmas. I am ignoring that, and all other Christmas related things. Between now and then, I have: 4 exams to revise for a book to finish compiling and find pictures for and format and send off in time for printing 3 aquariums to […]

On forgetting my own BlogDay :(

I didn’t write anything yesterday. I went to bed at 7:30 with a headache instead. Yesterday was the 23rd of November 2016. I started writing here on 23rd of November 2012. That means the blog turned 4, and I didn’t even acknowledge it :(. Luckily Claudette came to the rescue and congratulated it for me.. […]