Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese: This engrossing story combines medicine, family, and politics to great effect. Moving between India, Ethiopia, and New York City, we follow the story of identical twin brothers, born of a secret union between an Indian nun and the British surgeon she assisted. Part coming-of-age story, part mystery, part sweeping … Continue reading For the Love of Books | Four Family Sagas
Week 3: A week where the Sussexes dominated every news feed. Thanks to the tail-end of Storm Brendan, I was soaked two days running. I met friends for an overdue catch-up (I printed this card twice, stuck them back-to-back and put the journaling on the reverse). The Boy Child and I went to the pub … Continue reading Project Life Revisited | Weeks 3 and 4
January has passed by in a blur here at This West London Life; let's see what the numbers made of it: 13: Yikes! There's a teenager in the house! 68 walks with Tilly. 15 scrapbook pages created. 14 birthday thank-yous written by the teenager. 7 nights in Marrakech (spoiler: it wasn't me). We ate out … Continue reading Month in Numbers | January 2020
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane: Family saga at its best. I whipped through this over several evenings and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll mention this book again when my post about family sagas goes live soon and it's a contender for the my best reads of 2020 list already. The Photographer of the Lost by Caroline Scott: … Continue reading For the Love of Books | Currently Reading January 2020
We watched/are watching Dracula ("I'm undead, not unreasonable"), Wisting and The Trial of Christine Keeler. I listened to an interview with Kathleen Keyes. Hankies at the ready. (This is obviously not a fun thing, but worth reading all the same.) I came across a perfect quotation for book lovers: "Strange, isn't it? To love a … Continue reading Four Fun Things
Haha - feel free to discuss in the comments.
"Mum, have you seen my moustache? All the cool cats have one!"
It was while I was considering the dilemma of lack of storage space for full scrapbooks that I was sidetracked by browsing through Volumes 1 and 2 of The Boy Child's albums. They're shockingly awful. I don't say that in the hope that you will leave a comment in order to contradict me and tell … Continue reading Project Life | Revisiting Those Early Years
I'm of an age where I can remember things being kept 'for best' - the dress that was only worn once or twice a year - Christmas and a 'special' family occasion, that bottle of of my favourite Champagne or the eggshell china tea set that spends its days wrapped in newspaper, quietly waiting for … Continue reading Don't Save It 'For Best'
Last year I told you that my favourite Christmas gift of 2018 had been a duvet set. This cute cushion seen above was by far my favourite gift of Christmas 2019. That's Tilly's hairs you can see there. And should I decide to put the cushion in the spare room when The Best Friends come … Continue reading What Was Your Best/Favourite Christmas Present?
