I was just upstairs in our bedroom, putting away washing (this isn't the point of this story!). I closed the doors and looked up as I heard an aeroplane flying overhead. We're on the Lanseria flight path to Cape Town so this wasn't unusual until it all stopped. In March last year, for South Africans anyhow, it all came to a grinding halt, as w...

Today Skye and I took a 'mental health day'. To be honest it didn't really look much different from any other day other than the fact I gave myself permission to not feel creative or productive or driven by my diary. I acknowledge that this is an incredibly privileged decision to be able to make before anyone reminds me of that! Skye and I are not ...

I read this, this morning, and smiled to myself. There are some things that are best forgotten … but there are a couple of things worth remembering that are too easily forgotten. Those times in your life when you felt absolutely alone and uncertain. And yet somehow, perhaps beyond perception, there was a great click after which suddenly a new frien...

It's Pride month - which should be every month and I'm very proud to be who I am but that's not the subject here. The subject is mental health and due to our extreme circumstances, this has hit the spotlight more and more. I am proud to say that, 102 days ago I called a family doctor and told her my symptoms - my life was unmanageable and I was com...

 I think we're all a little 'magpie-ish' in that we get attracted to bright shiny things - people, places, life purposes. Sometimes it's a distraction, the need to rescue, a desire to fill our lives with fun times and happy people. One of my loves sent this beautiful video the other day - full of wise words and thoughtful things, the...

I was chatting to a fascinating new friend who I met through work - same generation very different upbringing. Our conversations flow easily and we laugh and he asks questions and offers up information with such ease it feels like we've always been talking like this. He always starts what 'could' be an awkward question by saying 'can I ask you...

I remember a poem we learned at school (is it learned or learnt - I should know!) - it was about a guy (I think!) who was way out to sea and people were watching him from the shore - he was waving, or so they thought, so they waved back. He was drowning. Yesterday one of my besties called me and I was recounting a time when I really needed physical...

Anyone who knows me knows that P!nk and I are best friends (she doesn't know it yet but that's not the point) and of course her latest song (and documentary) 'All I know so far' is typically brilliant. In listening to the bio for her new movie (I know right!) she said, amongst other things, "I want it to be worth it for my family; it's a conce...

Blu(e), in all its variants, means so much in my life. It's my favourite colour, one of my best friends calls me blu, my favourite small person's eyes are blue, my girlfriend calls me her 'blue-eyed girl', the sky and its colour which always makes me look up, is blue, for the most part, and now here's Blu ... the next addition t...

So it turns out you CAN put a pig in a palace - not that I live in a palace but humour me I like the saying. Almost 4 years ago today I collected the Little Luna Lovegood, popped her, screaming, into a cat box, and brought her home (don't let the word 'pop' fool you a friend had to help - who was equally terrified - and she got out much to our horr...

​Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a song with words kind of person - I find meaning in so many of them and just a tune can take me forward, or backward, in the stories of my life. When I first heard this song by Black Coffee I was convinced the words were about the love of my life... words like: "I need your voice to save me … I need the sun to kiss ...

She's been out there since 11h35. Well, first up against the garden fence then under the tree and then she clearly needed to sun herself, in the middle of the garden where she was making her hate for life really clear. My love called this evening - to catch up on our days and hear about the crew here. I gave running commentary on the lot - and ther...

Many years ago now - who can be sure how long - a friend of mine and her daughter came to stay with me - they needed a soft place to land and this seemed opportune. I've always had that quote 'if you build it, they will come' (Kevin Costner in some lovely movie) and that's how I wanted this house to be - a soft place to land for me and mine. So the...

I'm home alone for a few days. I seem to operate like this - a house full of people and then dead quiet. Pen said to me the other day she wished she could be more consistent, I said I've resigned myself long ago to the fact that I just don't operate like that. Madness and Genius (not that I'm suggesting I'm either of those) sit quietly beside each ...

I'm good with other peoples lives … my own life, not so 'smooth sailing'! Isn't that the irony. My friends and I are each others sounding boards - I include my sister when I refer to my friends, because she's both (sorry Marms!) The other day my love and I were, as I've said before, naval gazing …. it's really quite interesting being in a same-sex ...

Tell me where does the ode to Marmite come from? I don't know really - I guess forever its just as I've got older my friends have clocked that I love it and have given me 'stuff' for my home….. I then proceed to tell Jade where each of my marmite memorabilia comes from. Everything has a story, right? You're very sentimental. For some reason that wo...

I had a dear friend called Thomas, he reminded me of Toad of Toad Hall - he was flamboyant in his dress and stature and personality. He was introduced to me as a client - we soon became firm friends. Our 'business meetings' would take place at our shared hairdresser or a book store where we poured over decor books and planned his next shop; or one ...

Could you be less 'insert the phrase'? I laughed and thought he was joking, I realised he wasn't so I said 'Yes, I could be less many things. But No, I won't. The conversation ended and I put the phone down. I remember looking at the phone as if I'd taken leave of my senses and the conversation hadn't happened, but it did. I remember saying that I ...

Over my birthday weekend I had a few plans Saturday some of my loves came for lunch - I love cooking but only for people outside of my own otherwise its just food that needs to sustain and I wish we had a house fairy! In the morning I prepped with such glee and thought about what I'd make and listened to music and was so happy. By the time my loves...