A couple of weeks back I wrote about how I was a chaser of lost causes, in that I find myself starting things which are impossible to complete. I gave a couple of examples: a challenge to read a book by an author from every country in the world and; an attempt to walk the … Continue reading Chaser of lost causes part 2
Chaser of lost causes
When I still used Twitter I had said that I was a chaser of lost causes in my profile. I was half joking of course and had meant that many of the things that I wanted to see change in the world were very unlikely to happen. Sure enough very few of them have but … Continue reading Chaser of lost causes
Drawing lessons
One of the things that I told everyone who asked what I was going to do once I was retired was that I was going to try and learn to draw. We are fortunate in Morpeth that we have an art shop which sells everything that a budding and more mature artist may want. What … Continue reading Drawing lessons
Look for the unusual
I’m making significant progress in my quest to read a book by an author from every country in the world. I’m on number seventy which is past a third of the way. There is still some distance to go but I am encouraged that a third is closer to a half than it is to … Continue reading Look for the unusual
Universities, please talk more
I thought I was going to have to drive into work last week as I was due to visit Durham University's Business School at Millhill Lane. It’s a good three kilometer walk from the rail station and there are a lot of hills to contend with. Checking my diary, which is always a good thing … Continue reading Universities, please talk more
BCorp revisited
I’ve been on the BCorp trail for a few months now. In case you haven’t heard of them, BCorps are a business idea that it started in the USA. The B stands for benefit and a benefit corporation is a type of for-profit corporate entity that includes positive impact on society, workers, the community and … Continue reading BCorp revisited
Read the world
Image of Vaddey Ratner It’s a crazy idea I know but I get them from time to time. I read a lot, getting through two or three books a week, sometimes more. At the time I was reading ‘The Call of the Toad’ by Gunter Grass, a German author when I wondered if it would … Continue reading Read the world
Green housing
Wandering round the dust bowl that is Great Park with my grandchildren, one in a pushchair and the other free running, got me thinking about recycling. It’s strange how your mind wanders yet the building site is huge and seems to have been going on forever. It must be nearly twenty years now since the … Continue reading Green housing
Back on the horse
Image from Pintrest It’s a long time since I have been on a horse. It could have been either in my thirties or even in my teens. It’s not something that I get much chance to do. Apart from a brief flurry with my daughters when they were young, the closest I have come to … Continue reading Back on the horse
Diamond League
I’ve finally made it. It’s only taken me 2053 continuous days of practice but I have finally made it to the top of the leaderboard in Duolingo, the online language app. So that’s practicing languages every day for over five and a half years, Christmas day, New Year’s day, every day. I’ve studied Dutch, Spanish, … Continue reading Diamond League