Persistence pays and how I manage stressful times

I’ve never been a sporty type. From lurking (and surreptitiously reading!) in the outfield during a middle school baseball game, to spraining my back when I first attempted a forward roll and huffing and puffing in the gym as classmates ran around me, my lack of...

My top three tips for winter coziness, comfort & cheer

Despite living in Canada, I’m not a winter person. While British friends post photos of snowdrops and green daffodil shoots, I look out my window at snowdrifts knowing it will be almost three months before I see any such signs of spring here. This January has...

British autumn adventures

As most of you know, I have two homes, Canada and England. And while I now live in a part of Canada where my Irish family roots on my mother’s side extend to the 1820s, I also have British ancestry and spent many years living and working in England. This week, I’m...

Blooms, books and a summer blogging break

Here in Canada, we’re on the cusp of summer. With these warm, sunny days, vibrant pink wild roses and purple iris are interspersed with peonies, bright-eyed daisies and honeysuckle. After a long winter, June always brings me a sense of hopeful promise. It’s the...