Author Archives: The Lady in the Back Row.

Last night we lit our first fire in years. The barrel was one we picked up off the side of the road. An old table gave up its iron top for a lid. Yesterday we bought a small iron grate to sit inside it. Pieced together. Practical. Ours. I cut the wood myself with aContinue reading “First Fire”

Coffee before my hair appointment. Grateful. My grandchildren stayed overnight — just lovely. I used to change hairdressers often. That stopped after what happened to my daughter. She went to a vegan hairdresser and walked out with her hair burnt off. Years of growth gone in one visit. Hair isn’t just hair. It holds identity.Continue reading “The Weekend – Trust”

Summer is quietly drawing to a close. The last few days have carried gentle hints of it, warmth lingering in the air, but this morning I was woken by the loudest thunderstorm. The kind that reminds you the seasons are shifting whether you’re ready or not. The ground is soaked, yet the air still holdsContinue reading “Steady Forward into Autumn”

I just got lost in an Instagram hole. It’s Thursday. I need to get up and get ready for work. But as I sit here, I notice something different. My whole nervous system feels less crisis-driven. Calmer. The energy around me feels steadier. Not that everything is perfect, but it’s not urgent, not chaotic, notContinue reading “Steady Forward”

There is always a problem at work. That’s what I’m employed to resolve. Policies and procedures exist for a reason, to ensure fairness, consistency, and integrity. They are meant to protect people, not to be manipulated for personal gain. When I witness bullying in the workplace, especially when policy is twisted to benefit the veryContinue reading “Conflict Resolution”

I had almost forgotten the irritation of traffic congestion after working from home for so long. One day a week in the office now feels like a luxury, and a reminder. The early rise. The steady crawl through the morning commute. Then doing it all again in the afternoon. By the time I walk backContinue reading “Work/Flexibility”

Back in the office today, it is only required one day per week. A sense of normality slowly returning as my girl looks like she’s recovering. I hope with everything in me that she continues to move forward. The past eighteen months have taught me to take nothing for granted. So many times it hasContinue reading “Hello Monday”

Up early. Pilates done. The rain lightly falling while I sit in the yard before the day properly begins. Today is the sixth day of Chinese New Year — traditionally known as “sending away poverty”. A day to clear out the old and make space for what’s ahead. That feels fitting. Today I’m cleaning outContinue reading “Sunday ✨”

My girl seems to be improving after 18 months. I’m quietly hopeful and crossing my fingers it continues. This weekend has been lovely, spending the past two days with four of the five grandchildren. The girls have just returned from a cruise and were full of wonderful stories. We just shop, eat food, taxi serviceContinue reading “Looking Inwards ✨”

There is a quiet kind of strength that doesn’t look dramatic. It doesn’t announce itself. It doesn’t demand applause. It simply shows up again today. This season isn’t about reinvention. It’s about regulation. It’s about tending to what already stands. Health is no longer a crisis to solve. It is maintenance to honour. Home isContinue reading “The discipline of Staying Steady”