Hey there, lovely reader! I went to the pictures last week to see Kenneth Branagh's A Haunting in Venice. I don't go to the movies that much. It's too loud. I am probably the only person who takes her earbuds with her, switches them to noise cancellation, and can...
Life
π Two stories π
Hey there, lovely people! I went to a neighbour's party last weekend. I've lived on this street for 27 years and this was only the second one I've been to. In that time, older people have moved away and families have moved in. There are more young children here than I...
π Back to Business π
Hey there, lovely people!, I'm back from the UK and back to business here in the US. Got a bit waylaid by the obligatory virus one picks up while travelling and also by a kitty who was pleased to see me, but I am back at my desk and beavering away. What's next? My...
π Can you help Annabelle? π
Hey there, Phew! Have I been hot, dirty, and dusty these past few weeks? I am helping a relative declutter her home. It's been hard, physical work - quite the opposite to the type of work I usually do - but very satisfying and, I hope, helpful. Help Annabelle find a...
π New York, here I come π
Hey there, I'm off to New York for my son's graduation on Saturday. We're staying all week to enjoy the sights, a show or two, and a couple of escape rooms. I can't wait! The ceremonies are taking place at Radio City Music Hall and Yankee Stadium, two places I haven't...
π Need a little pick-me-up? π
Hey there, Thank you so much for all the well wishes. I am well on the way to recovery now. COVID plus pneumonia was no fun, but our Starry looked after me and, well, who could resist that cute face? Writing isn't physically strenuous, so I have been able to work in...
π Bye-bye UK π
Hey there, Greetings, When you receive this, I'll be touching down again in San Francisco, two months after leaving for a trip to the UK. Someone asked me how the trip had gone. It has been by far my longest visit since I left the country nearly 27 years ago,Β and I...
π Paris π
Hey there, Well, what an adventure I've been on. Since I last wrote to you, I've gone from being stranded by snow to navigating a fiery dystopian hellscape. But I tell you, to an author, it's all grist for the mill. Expect my experiences to be featured in a story or...
π Is this my real name? π
Hey there! This week I have answers to some questions, and of course some photos. There won't be a newsletter next Thursday because I'll be in Paris with my son who is flying in from New York. We will meet at St. Pancras International and take the train under the...
π Which one of these? π
Hey there! Gosh, this week's been busy. I feel I've finally mastered the basics of living out in the sticks. I know when the freshly-baked cakes are delivered to the coffee shop. I've eaten in the pub. I've discovered there is a bus tracker app. (OMG. There. is. a....
The real life “St. Mary’s”
Hey there, Golden gang! I hope you had a gorgeous week. I have been beavering away in my cottage writing. I've also been hanging out with my family and catching buses. Or not. I had planned to show you pictures of a nearby town today. It's a terribly pretty place, but...
π Naked covers π
Hey there, Golden Gang, Another week has passed, and I've had a lovely week. Friday evening fish and chips with a friend, afternoon tea in the cottage with another. The mornings are getting lighter and the evening sunsets from my cottage are wowsers. What goes on...
π Real life inspiration π
Hey, hey, hey! I'm writing today from a converted cow barn half a mile outside a North Bedfordshire village in the UK. The village was where I got the inspiration for Annabelle and Upton St. Mary and I hope to share with you over the coming weeks some of the village...
Happy Holidays!
Hey there! Are you nearly done with your holiday prep? The final Golden bird returns to the nest later today and the fun (and food!) and games can begin. On Christmas Day there will be calls to my English family, gift opening (with sausage rolls and mimosas,) followed...
Chocolatey biscuits for the win
Hey there! Hey there, Golden gangstas! I am continuing to pull my holiday season together. I simply love Christmas. It is my favourite time of year. It will be the four of us again this year and we are staying in California. We like our family time quiet. Christmas...
Not quite to plan
Hey there! I hope you are doing well. I am still in the UK, dodging the rain, still in awe of the green scenery after a three-year dry spell. I have been quiet this week. I injured my foot a few days ago. It has forced me to stay home for a few days, but not to worry,...
π¬π§ βοΈ I finally made it
Hey there! I bought a ticket to the UK last week and jumped on a plane inside twenty-four hours. I am currently in a coffee shop charging all my devices as it buckets down outside. I am damp but connected to the interwebs. Business continues as usual. All is good....
A true story
Hey there, Something happened a few years ago. I wrote about it. It's cute. And completely true. A magical (and true) story I moved to California on October 30, 1996. Virgin Atlantic flight VS019 arrived at SFO at 2:50 p.m. to be exact. I sat in seat 49C. Five years...
No more pink cartoons
Hey there, I had dental treatment last week. I'm adjusting to my new mouth and grateful for pain medications and sedation and skilled dentists on the forefront. I'm not a fan of the dentist. And as I had been waiting in trepidation for over sixteen months for this...
It’s been a while
Hallooooo! Gosh, it feels like I have been gone a long while. I hope you are doing well, and enjoying your summers. I've been hearing from some of you about your trips to Cornwall and Jersey. Seeing the photos makes me very happy. What I've been doing I have been as...
Sunny problems
Hey there, oh dear reader! It's windy where I live. In the afternoons, I can barely stand upright when I go for my walk and have to cover my head with my hood, holding it at the neck to keep the wind out. It is lovely and sunny though, so inside it is very nice. Next...