Dear Readers, It is with the deepest sadness that we have to tell you that Elaine Kirsch Edsall passed away peacefully on January 5th at Forest Holme hospice in Poole. Elaine battled bravely against cancer for 30 years. Her husband Mark was with her, holding her hand. Rest in peace darling wife, dearest friend. YouContinue reading “Carrying-On”
Category Archives: thoughts
The Unappreciated Days Appreciation Society
It’s horrible not being appreciated, and nobody feels this more than Days do. We say we don’t like Mondays (poor Monday, he’s got quite a complex about it) and we can’t wait for our holidays, or Saturday, or Christmas day, and along the way we completely ignore the day we’re having, which can be justContinue reading “The Unappreciated Days Appreciation Society”
Sammy Nutkins
Sammy Nutkins is a poet. He’s also a ginger cat, but we all need to find our own place in life even when it follows an unconventional path. A particularly handsome ginger cat, with a slightly academic air and symmetrical marmalade stripes, eyes the colour of liquid amber (when they’re open), and an elegantly longContinue reading “Sammy Nutkins”
insignificance
January dawns with the promise a new year brings; 365 new days, 365 new chances. Sometimes we jump in and take a chance, sometimes chances jump out and take us. February, lighter in days but darker in mood, carries the weight of expectation on hunched shoulders. Country-wise elders rub gnarled hands and mutter “February fillContinue reading “insignificance”
42 West Street
This happened last year. The pain? It’s truly indescribable so I’m not even going to try. And if that’s not enough, I have never felt so frigging ill in my whole life. If this is Karma and I’m paying for past transgressions then many earlier versions of me are now debt free. I’m on theContinue reading “42 West Street”
morning
An early morning walk is my new normal because the need to be outdoors, to feel the morning air and the grounding presence of a world larger than mine is overwhelming. It feels strange to walk without the footfall of a companionable horse, but this is now and that was then, and I’m trying toContinue reading “morning”
What She Wrote
Once upon a time there was a girl who wrote stories. They were mostly stories about ponies. One day in school her teacher asked her to read her essay out loud to the class. The girl stood proudly and read clearly. A lot of the other little girls were also pony-mad so the story wasContinue reading “What She Wrote”
HennyPenny and Martina
Like all the other waifs and strays, HennyPenny limped into our life a mere shadow of her former self. We should have a sign on our house saying ‘Soft Touch Suckers Live Here’. I answered a knock at the door to a woman whom I vaguely knew through another friend, but it took a momentContinue reading “HennyPenny and Martina”
Trust
Do you ever wonder if penguins stand around laughing while one of them pretends to walk like a person? The thought hadn’t crossed my mind either until I tried (in vain) to distract myself this week from real life, and real feelings. Meditation has been too scary because I don’t want to be alone inContinue reading “Trust”
worry
Back in April, Bruce and his horse-neighbour Winston broke their dividing fence, and hoolied around the field like a couple of youngsters. Things sobered up when Bruce got kicked on his hock, and I found him standing by the gate looking very sorry for himself. The joint swelled and subsided, puffy became the new normal,Continue reading “worry”
a horse, a husband, and cancer 