To have or to not have a baby

What’s the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make? Why? This was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make and one of the most personal. In the end I decided not to. Mainly because the reasons for having one just weren’t compelling or convincing enough for me. The reasons not to were more convincing:Continue reading “To have or to not have a baby”

Book Review: The Tao of Winnie the Pooh by Benjamin Hoff (1982)

The cultural phenomenon of Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne (1926) crosses generations and time. Winnie the Pooh still speaks to me as an adult within the adult world. It speaks to the child within and her curiosity and wonder at life. The characters are each archetypes of human desires and fears.

10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #106

Enjoy ASMR from an ancient library, paintings to evoke childhood wonder, a yummy lentil curry, a punk loving goat and how to cope with climate anxiety and much more this week.

Book Review: Selfish, Shallow and Self-Absorbed. Sixteen writers on the decision to not have kids

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟 Genre: Non-Fiction, Psychology, Women’s Writing, Feminism, Family, Relationships. Publisher: Picador Review in one word: Provocative This book is designed to be confronting, provocative, emotional and stirring in all of the ways that many people don’t like to discuss in polite conversation. That’s because it tackles one of the most (ridiculously) controversial taboo topicsContinue reading “Book Review: Selfish, Shallow and Self-Absorbed. Sixteen writers on the decision to not have kids”

Book Review: The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Publisher: Faber & Faber Genre: Fiction, Psychological thriller, Literary Fiction. Review in one word: Subconscious Originally published in Dutch and winning the Man Booker International Prize in 2018, Lucas Rijneveld’s debut novel captures in bloody, beastly and corporeal detail the lives of a dysfunctional farming family in the rural Netherlands, some time inContinue reading “Book Review: The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld”

Netsuke & Gashapon toys Ancient Japanese treasures and modern collectibles

Netsuke are uniquely Japanese and sublime in their beauty. They are tiny objects carved of ivory, ceramic, wood, tortoise-shell, gold or many other materials. They tell the story of the culture of Japan during the old Edo period and before. Netsuke featured fishermen and farmers, who rubbed shoulders with scholars, samurai warriors, royalty and evenContinue reading “Netsuke & Gashapon toys Ancient Japanese treasures and modern collectibles”

Comforting Thought: Try and sleep on it

If it ever becomes so bad, you will not see hope. Try to sleep on it. When you wake up, you might not feel better, but a little different. That sometimes, is worth hanging on to. Googie McCabe

Comforting Thought: Some things will be outside of your control

Some things will be outside of your control. Don’t waste energy on fighting, do what you can to use them to your advantage. Even the fiercest of winds will eventually lose it strength. This is when you will be able to use yours. Googie McCabe

Comforting Thought: True friends will like you, just as you are

Don’t change for others. True friends will like you just the way you are, despite your faults. Be a good friend to them in return. Forgive shortcomings. No one is perfect. Googie McCabe