Stray thoughts, tamed.
Sources of Joy - Days 38 and 39 I am not sure that there should be a space between these two days. They form a contiguous blob in my mind. Each blob contained high anxiety levels tempered only by the calming effect of having a mountain of work from saving me from having to think... Continue Reading →
Sources of Joy - Days 36 and 37 Note: All graphic material on this page is the sole copyright of Toni Le Busque, who so engagingly illustrated my brief but informative memoirs in Scatterling. Seeing as she had so much fun drawing them, I am, as far as I know, the only one who is... Continue Reading →
Sources of Joy - Day 35 There is a well-known hymn: Lead kindly Light, amid th'encircling gloom; Lead Thou me on! The tune of the hymn linked here is not the one I know, but beautiful, anyhow. Just as beautiful is the very recently published collaborative effort of freelance translators giving voice to their own... Continue Reading →
Sources of Joy - Day 34 Yesterday, I won a prize. I shall receive a book in the post. What makes it special is that it is a novel translated from French by a recently-made Facebook friend. The idea of reading it on my forthcoming train trip to Porto appeals. Today I had a lovely... Continue Reading →
Sources of Joy - Days 31—33 I have decided to give the "Sources of Joy" series proper blog titles from now on, with the day count as the subtitle and the URL. I shall be revising the titles of all past posts in this category in the days ahead. That way, I can keep track,... Continue Reading →
Communicating When I started out 2014 feeling slightly jaded from the effects of electing to work during the holiday period, and finally got around to formulating a few resolutions two weeks after everyone else, it occurred to me that this year, more than any other, seemed conducive to more open, and more frequent, communication. This is... Continue Reading →
Technology, and carrots Receiving sudden, very sad news of the critical state of health of a childhood friend is tempered by the appreciation of the Facebook chat box. The exchange with the healthy brother is Immediate, direct, intensely personal. We share so many links and interconnections, so many years. Words in print don't convey the... Continue Reading →
Small things I am happy that a friend has planted mint underneath her garden tap in the middle of California. I love chatting on Skype with my cousin; we are serious and silly in perfect proportions. I can review my VAT records without grunting or swearing. My first Saturday afternoon sleep in ages felt decadent and... Continue Reading →
Sources of Joy - Day 26 Day 26 – a Friday – started early and stretched itself to the ridiculously late, thus flying in the face of all that it methodical, disciplined, rational and desirable, even. It was a day to shift mountains, dig deep, travel far and yet stay fixed in one place. It was... Continue Reading →
João woke up in a happy, bubbly mood, which had a domino effect on me – and, who knows, perhaps even a butterfly effect elsewhere. She has a red and blue butterfly tattoo on her right arm (which to her is a symbol of freedom), so this is entirely possible. I was already happy and calm,... Continue Reading →
That elusive pair of jeans 