Category Archives: Weekly Photo Challenge

Christmas Present

It doesn’t seem possible that Christmas is just over a week away, a New Year chasing its heels. So much has changed, not least of all the weather. The last couple of weeks in southern England have been unseasonably mild, … Continue reading

Posted in Books & Reading, Christmas, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 131 Comments

An Italian Journey: Writing And Healing

September arrived and with it, any thoughts of writing vanished.   My birthday; a long-awaited holiday.  Both beckoned.   But somewhere in the space between early spring and autumn’s first flush, everything blurred into one big smudge of I can’t face it. We … Continue reading

Posted in Travel, Weekly Photo Challenge, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 198 Comments

Write Dance Believe

Before I dared to call myself a writer, before I could ever imagine seeing even a single word of mine in print, before I knew what a blog was, I read this: ‘When your life’s seasons, assignments or relationships change, … Continue reading

Posted in Flash Fiction, My California, Nature & Wildlife, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 120 Comments

The Power Of Surprise

In early summer of 2001, Eldest Son gave me a fabric CD holder inscribed with the name of his high school and date of his graduation.  Ideal for holding CDs for my car, when I opened it, I noticed there … Continue reading

Posted in Family Life, Flash Fiction, My California, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 109 Comments

A Trio of Cubs, A Telephone Box And The Love Of Reading

For bloggers with cameras, photo opportunities turn up in surprising places, with thoughts of friends never far away. On Sunday, I took a bracing walk around the grounds of the majestic country home of Forde Abbey in Dorset.  Dating back … Continue reading

Posted in Bench Photos, Blog Hops, Books & Reading, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 76 Comments

In Which The Story Changes

I found the words one day as I walked. These words:  ‘Stranger In A White Dress.’  The title of my memoir. But as I climbed high above the sea,  I found something more: I found strength. And I realised that … Continue reading

Posted in My Dad's Alcoholic Prison, Travel, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 90 Comments

Happy Place, Stolen Days And A 99 Word Flash Fiction

Last week, Hubby surprised us with the news that he had heard about a pumpkin farm mere miles from where we live. “What? Really?” Aspie D and I asked incredulously. “Yes, really!” So guess what we did at the weekend? … Continue reading

Posted in Family Life, Flash Fiction, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 81 Comments

Homecoming Queen: 99 Word Flash Fiction

When I first joined Facebook, I left the question about ‘hometown’ blank. To me, your hometown is the place where you are born and grow up and return to decades later for heartwarming family reunions (I love the thought of … Continue reading

Posted in Family Life, Flash Fiction, My California, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 71 Comments

Jewel Of A Surprise – 99 Word Flash Fiction

What moves one person may not move the other.   It’s all about perspective. This week for the Flash Fiction prompt over at Carrot Ranch, Charli ask us this: ‘In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that … Continue reading

Posted in Family Memoirs, Flash Fiction, Nature & Wildlife, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 68 Comments

Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge Day Three: School Symbol

When I left California in 2003, I couldn’t have known that it would be a decade before I would return. It was bittersweet to say the least, walking down memory lane two years ago with my dear friend, revisiting places … Continue reading

Posted in Family Memoirs, My California, Photo/Story Challenges, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 98 Comments