Vatican City was always going to be hard one in my quest to #ReadTheWorld. My intention was (and still is) to read a book from an author who was born in each country in the world. There are 197 countries in total according to the list I am using (Wikipedia) and I have 11 left … Continue reading Reading the Pope
Tot ziens Duolingo
Three thousand, seven hundred and eighty eight days is approaching ten and a half years. This is how long my streak has been on Duolingo, an American language learning platform. That’s a long time, every day sitting down to study a language that I am increasingly less likely to use in what remains of my … Continue reading Tot ziens Duolingo
Day walks
One of the great things about living where I do is that I can get away from it all. If I want to, I can be in the city within twenty minutes, or catch a train to more or less anywhere in the country, or the world. If that’s not what I want, in five … Continue reading Day walks
Park benches
Being the completionist that I am, I always have one project or another on the go. I’ve written already about my reading and walking challenges but my latest is around drawing. This was one of the things I wanted to get better at once I retired and I have practised every day over the last … Continue reading Park benches
What to throw away
Clearing out your deceased parent’s house is never a happy occasion. Not only are you grieving for your loss but the work can be a momentous chore. Only once the people have gone do you start to question the value of the items that have been kept, or hoarded in some circumstances. Of course, life … Continue reading What to throw away
From the sea to the lough
I’ve made it, finally. When I retired I set myself a few small challenges to fill my time. I’ve been reading books from authors from every country in the world (now on 151 of 196) and have been learning to draw. These are still ongoing. The challenge I have finished, however, is my walk along … Continue reading From the sea to the lough
From little acorns
I think I last wrote about my little trees back in August 2023. I’m pleased to say that most are still growing in their small pots on our back patio. I have a few rowan, a silver birch, a dwarf beech, a sessile oak and a few others that I can’t remember their names. How … Continue reading From little acorns
Drawing faces
If I say so myself, my drawing is coming along quite nicely. Ever since taking lessons, my confidence has grown. My eldest daughter bought me a little book for Xmas, encouraging me to sketch something every day. I’m over fifty days in and have managed to keep up so far. That is me all over … Continue reading Drawing faces
Goodbye LinkedIn
Image thanks to tictacseo. It’s that time of year when you try to make sense of the past and turn your thoughts to the future. I’ve long given up on resolutions but I have been thinking about what life is like as I get further and further away from work. One of the things I … Continue reading Goodbye LinkedIn
Getting there
For me, it has always been about the journey rather than the destination. I know this sounds like a cliche yet I don’t mean the physical act of traveling somewhere but rather the movement from one particular position to another. At work I was far more interested in seeing movement towards a desired objective rather … Continue reading Getting there