It’s Not About the Roses
October 20, 2025 No CommentsImage by Yoksel on Unsplash 13 February 2022 It’s Valentine’s Day already in some parts of the world. I know that the date fills a number of my fellow widbuds with Horror. Or Grief. Or Sadness. Or Resentment. There’s such “noise” around Valentine’s day in (at least Anglophone) parts of the world – it’s one […]
Read MoreChoosing Life – A Love Letter to Julia from Paula
October 20, 2025 1 CommentPosted on 5th February 2023; received on 3rd November 2022 Photo of Paula and Julia by another school friend I wake up to a firm ray of sunlight bursting through my dormitory window on July 2nd, 2019. I can’t wait to finally see my family after what feels like years. Suddenly, an inexplicable feeling of […]
Read MoreWhat does hope look like for me now?
October 20, 2025 No CommentsStunning photo (*) by precious widbud Charlotte MacNaughton, near Yellowknife, Canada’s Northwest Territories (January 2023) 26 January 2023 Way back when, back in my life before, and soon after I had started up my business, Kaleidoscope Development, I wrote a blogpost on “Hope”. It was 21st April 2014. I actually called it, “Hope – Part […]
Read MoreViolent Dreams to Usher In the Year of the Rabbit
October 20, 2025 1 Comment22 January 2023 Image by Gary Bendig on Unsplash I have woken late this morning – almost 9 am – very late for me. But I have been drifting in and out of sleep for the past few hours – since before 6 am. I no longer remember what dream woke me before 6, but […]
Read MoreIn Praise of Love and Mountains
October 20, 2025 2 CommentsPhotos and Art by Véronique Balcerzak 15 January 2023 After Mike died, I made an effort, particularly at Christmastime, to ensure there was a gift from him, not only for each of the kids, but also for myself. The first year, it was soft toy teddys made from his t-shirts. I remember that we needed […]
Read MoreLearning to Shuck Oysters at 55
October 20, 2025 No CommentsMain image by Tommaso Cantelli on Unsplash 7 January 2022 I am a bit of an Omnivore, in that I eat everything, and always have done. I have never been a fussy eater, I have a great appetite (which I didn’t lose even when I had gastroenteritis, aged about 14), and I truly relish food. […]
Read MoreChannelling Christmas Spirits
October 20, 2025 1 CommentMain image by Rob Wicks on Unsplash. Other photos my own. 29 December 2022 Today is my first “me day” in a fat week. I have had eight continuous days, (mostly enjoyable, if also busy), of catering and making, shopping and cooking, organising and preparing, washing and folding, sweeping and wiping, loading and unloading, and […]
Read MoreSlightly Lighter
October 20, 2025 No CommentsImage by Caleb Woods on Unsplash 26 December 2022 I survived another Christmas Day. Woohoo!I survived yet another Christmas Day.I am impressed. And of all of the above words, the word “survived” is the one that least fits. Because, for the first time in 9 Christmases, it didn’t feel like “survival”. It wasn’t exactly singing […]
Read MoreTwo Additional Years
October 20, 2025 1 CommentImage by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash 8 December 2022 Today I have lived two full years longer than Mike lived. He never quite made 20,000 days, and I am now well over that milestone. I have been lucky to have… …as compared with what Mike had. The numbers look ridiculous. Absurd. And as I type, […]
Read MoreDid I hear you say “…my surviving kids…”?
October 20, 2025 2 CommentsPhoto of my surviving kids, 27 July 2020, on what would have been Mike’s 57th birthday 1 December 2022 I was on a call last night for a personal-professional (same-same) development programme. It was the fifth meeting of eight we are having as a learning cohort. The group of participants is not large. All our […]
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