In the last few months I’ve been discovering a new depth of gratitude for the good and simple things in life: family and friends, the changing of the seasons, the joys of working, the surprising goodness of the average human being, whatever the global context. In part this re-examination, or even re-discovery, of gratitude is… read more

One of my quiet, secret pleasures is mending things. I’m not great with power tools (yet) but pretty handy with a needle and thread. I darn socks, sweaters, the annoying toe-holes in my pricier stockings and sweaters; buttons get sewn on; seams on split boys’ trousers repaired and, occasionally, the sewing machine comes out, though… read more