There are lots of after effects when you do something negative in life – and over the years I’ve carried around more than my fair share of regret about lots of things I’ve done – or (more often) not done. Right up until the day she died my mother was trapped inside memories of her past, … More Snowdon epilogue
I spoke too soon about the rain holding off yesterday. When I woke up this morning it was chucking it down – and the whole world looked damp and miserable. I know that this is a stark indicator of my potential mood for the day because on any other morning I’d look out of the … More Fifteen stone certificate
Despite the entire week threatening me with torrential downpours they have (mostly) failed to materialise. This is presumably because I am now the proud owner of some all weather outdoor waterproof trousers and a raincoat – and have been dying to deploy them to test whether or not they leak. On the one day that I … More To queue or not to queue
There are few better places to reflect on things than a graveyard. I started writing this post in the middle of an early morning walk, sitting in the shade of a nearby church with my flask of coffee and thinking about why I felt so down yesterday. Just in case my current setting may appear … More 99% are really really good
If yesterday proved anything to me it was that just when I think I have a handle on life – and that I’m sorted and happy – a chance thought comes along, yanks the rug out from under me and leaves me feeling profoundly blue. Yesterday morning I felt like I was on top of the world and … More The thought
Although I’ve had quite a few milestones over the last year I’ve hit another quite unexpectedly today. It’s not a ‘scale’ or a ‘non scale’ victory but instead an experience that’s caused me to pause and reflect on what might come next. But I’ll rewind a little. I’m getting ahead of myself. When I started writing today’s post I was sitting … More Starting point
It’s not rained for a while. Not properly anyway, meaning that dirt track walks have suddenly dried out and extra bits of the countryside have become accessible. I’ve continued my slightly ambitious walking schedule this week and maybe explored a little more than usual as a consequence. When muddy paths aren’t an issue I’m far … More Pity party
I read a quote in my latest self help manual yesterday which has made me think hard overnight about my motivations in life. It was a simple enough soundbyte but (as a lot of time is the case) a small, unexpected thought (triggered often when you least expect it) can pry open a crack and … More To covet or not to covet
I felt like a broken man when I woke up yesterday. I knew that my enthusiastic tramping around the Malvern hills on Sunday may have repercussions but I was expecting it to be in my knees – and not… well… EVERYWHERE. OK – I’m probably overstating it a little – my upper body escaped largely … More Mostly broken but still functional
Well my self-help book cherry is well and truly popped. Today I sat down and read from cover to cover ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k: How to stop spending time you don’t have doing things you don’t want to do with people you don’t like‘ by Sarah Knight (link). I guess that … More Self-help – book one
Since I started blogging it’s not unusual for me to suddenly stop and take a photo of where I am – which I never used to do that much. I find myself often writing opening lines of posts in my head as I walk or playing with the construction of a paragraph that I’m thinking … More Photobombed
