Today I have had a piece of flash fiction published by SpillWords Press. After several short story rejections in a row  over the last few weeks, this news has given me a much beeded boost. Seeing it as the Featured Post of the day has felt like a sign of recognition. I had been feeling demoralised … Continue reading Flash Fiction Published

Yesterday the girls and I walked up to our local high street to buy some Christmas cards. It was a cold morning, and we were all wrapped up. The little one whinged; she had refused the buggy but didn't want to walk either. As if to prove her point, she fell over three times on … Continue reading Countdown to School

BBC news published an article this week about postnatal confinement, a traditional practice that is widespread within the Chinese community. Confinement is thought to be important because of the community's belief that the immunity of both mother and baby is low following the birth (note; I have not researched the science behind this belief). Women traditionally … Continue reading Postnatal Confinement

Early on Saturday morning I caught the train to Birmingham. It was still pitch black as the train left Bristol, and the light didn’t break through the darkness until about an hour into my journey. Dawn arrived as the train pulled into Gloucester, and I recognised the familiar landscape of the city that I grew … Continue reading Home Town

This blog was written for The Motherload and first published here. My grandmother-in-law died recently at the impressive age of 95, and I assumed that my daughters would not be coming to the funeral. I wondered how my three year old would respond to the tear-streaked faces, the sombre mood and the person-sized box being carried … Continue reading Children at Funerals

It had started off misty and grey that day, the air damp and cool against my cheeks. By the time I reached the halfway point of the walk, the earlier haze of the morning had cleared to expose a blue sky pierced by the unexpectedly intense sun. The light filtered through the trees, dappling the … Continue reading Better in Memory

As a teenager I thought I wanted to travel the globe. My tiny world felt so small it was suffocating me. I wanted to breathe life in; walk off a plane into new smells and tastes, and look down at my feet and see earth that was unrecognisable to the ground I was used to. … Continue reading Wander-lost