Things We Love

Every so often I like to do a quick roundup of things that I’m enjoying in life just now – mainly things I’ve encountered by chance, occasionally things I’ve been sent for review. I meant to do one before Christmas but ran out of time, so I thought I’d do one now instead.

Radio Paradise logo

Radio Paradise: Radio Paradise is a digital radio station, and it’s the only thing we ever listen to in this house. We’ve completely abandoned our own music collections since we found it. Based in Paradise, California, and run by husband and wife Bill and Rebecca Goldsmith, it is commercial-free, listener-supported, and they play nothing but brilliant music. There is no chat at all, just an eclectic mix of old and new music in almost every style. It’s a bit like Spotify, but with more chance of you finding previously unknown music that you love. Continue reading

The Shovel List

Marian Keyes book

One of my favourite books of last year was The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes. If you haven’t read it, you really should.

One of the things from the book that has stuck with me is the concept of a ‘shovel list’. A lot of bloggers have been writing their ‘bucket lists’ recently, but a shovel list is not quite the same. As Helen Walsh (one of the book’s characters) describes it; ‘it’s a conceptual thing. It’s a list of all the people and things I hate so much I want to hit them in a face with a shovel.

I decided I’d have a go at writing my own. I’ve had to limit this list to my top ten, otherwise it would be my longest post ever. But here goes… Continue reading

Goodbye 2012

Before I can say a proper hello to 2013, and look forward at our plans and hopes for this year, I think I need to say a proper goodbye to 2012. It was very much a year of transition for each of us – from Scotland to England, from the education sector to the charity sector, from toddler to preschooler. There were – as with any year – both ups and downs, but I am pretty proud of how well we have all adjusted, and I’m so pleased that I have taken the time to record many of the best moments on this blog.

DorkySon-DorkySon-0017 Continue reading