What’s been making me happy: January

What’s been making me happy: January

Hello! It’s nice to be back writing after a slightly longer than expected break. Christmas and New Year didn’t quite pan out how I had expected, with a rather debilitating virus and a couple of cases of conjunctivitis forcing our little family into hibernation mode. Apart from hospital, doctor and pharmacy visits, we did little over the festive period apart from rest and recover. I won’t lie, it wasn’t the merriest time but we’re all happy and healthy now and for that I’m very thankful.

It’s hard to believe we’re three-quarters through the first month of the year already and I know for many – particularly those in the U.K. – it’s been a pretty tough start to 2021. Now more than ever, it feels important to celebrate and appreciate the small things in life, so on that note, this is what’s been making me smile in January…

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The week that was

The week that was

How’s isolation life treating you?  I find have days where I enjoy being within in the confines of four walls – warm, content and protected from the outside world.  Other days I feel claustrophobic and yearn for normality and the ability to just go and do as I please.   It is what it is though and like all challenging situations I know this too will pass.

Here’s how my last seven days have looked…

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A return to reading

A return to reading

Throughout my entire childhood and for the majority of my adult life I’ve been a voracious reader. I’ve always loved lingering in libraries and book shops.  Picking up tome after tome, reading covers and being delighted and drawn-in by cover art.

Last year, days before travelling to Iceland, I started Black Swan Green by David Mitchell and was really quite enjoying it – but then somehow I got a third of the way through and suddenly it was days and then weeks and then months, and I hadn’t read a page…

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The town of books

The town of books

My mum, dad and brother and are now safely back in Australia and I can hardly believe their six week stay in the U.K. is over. The time truly flew by and at the end of their holiday it felt quite ‘normal’ to have them here with us in Malvern. It was lovely for our families to spend time together and it’s a little sad everyone is back spread out across two hemispheres once again.

In our final few days together we took a little trip to a town called Hay-on Wye, right on the England/Wales border.

It’s known as the ‘town of books’ due to its abundance of second book shops and for hosting the Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts.

It’s an amazing little place…

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