Little words of wisdom

Reading round-up: April 2026

image from Freepik

The Blitz Detective Investigates - The Custom House Murder: Mike Hollow

The Blitz Detective Investigates - The Stratford Murder: Mike Hollow

The Blitz Detective Investigates - The Dockland Murder: Mike Hollow

Death In Holy Orders (Inspector Adam Dalgliesh Book 11): PD James

The Murder Room (Inspector Adam Dalgliesh Book 12): PD James

Gardeners' World August 2025

Gardeners' World September 2025

Gardeners' World October 2025

Gardeners' World November 2025

Making Happy Things: Sue-Ching Lascelles

Stay-Stitched: Erin Arsenault

Despite feeling somewhat low and dispirited, I nevertheless managed to read a fair few books during April.  As you've probably realised by now, I do rather enjoy a good detective murder mystery 😉

I have come to the end of catching up with the Gardeners' World subscription I took out last year.  I dropped these last four copies off at our local library this morning, which is where I've been donating all the GW magazines once I've finished reading them.  The librarians are always highly delighted to receive them, as cost-cutting measures has meant that they can no longer buy subscriptions for the library.

My little butterfly mind is also flitting back to the possibility of having a go at making some clothes for myself, hence the sewing books.  I haven't actually done any "dressmaking" since I was in my first year at senior school, and then it was a subject that I really couldn't get the hang of ~ it took me a whole school year to make one simple item, a little skirt in red crimpolene 😄  In recent years though I have come across the concept of sewing without paper patterns, instead just using basic shapes to make simple clothes.  I'm working up the courage to try this idea to make myself a skirt, as I haven't been able to find anything that really appeals to me.  I currently only have one to my name and would really like another couple as a change from always wearing wide-legged jeggings.  I'll be sure to let you know how things go when I actually pluck up the courage to try!

Pulling 'em up...

 

...my big girl knickers, that is 😉

Thankfully I'm not feeling quite so downhearted and gloomy as I did in my previous post.  Perhaps having the odd spell of better weather has helped, who knows 😕  It does feel as if this winter has gone on for a very long time, though ~ and we're still having some pretty cold and wet bouts of weather.  On the "up" side, though, we have recently had a smattering of warmish sunny spells which has definitely lifted my spirits ~ hopefully better days are on the way 🤞

Combined with the seemingly never-ending winter, we had the "delights" of a rat getting into the house walls.  Thankfully it didn't actually get into the body of the house but it was just horrible knowing it was there; mice are bad enough but rats really creep me out *shudder*  Trying to put things into perspective, though, we haven't had any vermin problems for a good five years.  Adrian discovered the spot where he thought it had got in and took steps to block its access.  Unfortunately the bloody thing was inside at the time and couldn't get out.....so it ate the bait up in the roof space and died inside.  Of course we didn't realise this until the unmistakeable smell of decomposition started to appear ~ and we had no idea of where it had died, and frankly even if we had we wouldn't have been able to get to it without ripping up the walls.  This happened before we went south in March and although the smell has lessened quite considerably, it is still noticeable at times.  For some reason ~ and considering we discovered we had mice when we moved into St Abbs ~ this rat episode got to me way more than the previous rodent issues we've had.

We've also had a major issue with a long section of one of the garden walls, such that has required it to be rebuilt.  I will be sharing that little episode in an upcoming post 😏  Suffice to say it has taken a huge chunk out of our living room refurbishment pot, which means we'll be saving for a fair bit longer before we can make any progress there *sigh*

Basically I think I've simply found myself in a perfect storm of what would, individually, be irritating but not really overwhelming little issues.  One thing coming along after another, though, along with my looming 65th birthday next month has just knocked me back a tad.  Mind you the latter has made me pause and take stock of my life, so there may well be a few changes afoot ~ watch this space😉

  

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)  

Little words of wisdom

 

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)  

Little words of wisdom

Peace...

 

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014) 

Little words of wisdom

 

Drifting.....

image from Freepik.com

That's how I've been feeling these past few weeks ~ just drifting on a flat sea, with no land in sight.  I've had some major "wobbles", in particular wondering if moving here to Orkney was a good idea.  Sometimes, despite having Adrian, I feel very lonely.  It occurred to me that although I have acquaintances I don't have any close friends, and indeed haven't had since I left school.  It doesn't make it any easier to know that because of what was happening in my life back then, my anger and resentment encouraged me to cut off my nose to spite my face as it were and I've struggled to climb out of that particular hole ever since.

I joined the Scottish Women's Institute in January and although the ladies are pleasant I don't really feel like I "belong".  I think it would be fair to say that I don't feel like I fit in anywhere, to be honest.

 I often feel like my life has just "happened", without me having much input at all.  Much of the time it's felt like I've been standing outside of myself, just watching but making no effort to control or direct anything.  I find it hard to believe that I will soon be 65 years old and yet I still have no idea who "Sharon" is.  I often feel like I'm an empty sort of person, just drifting along with no purpose, no goals, no talents, no achievements, always feeling second-best and second-rate.  And what makes me feel even worse is knowing just how lucky I really am, with all that's going on in the world, but still feeling this way.

I realise that I am wallowing in self-pity and that I need to pull up my big girl knickers and just do something ~ anything really.  I know this isn't the sort of post that anyone really wants to read (if, indeed, anyone actually does read anything I post) but I just wanted to try to explain why my posting has been so erratic.  Hopefully I'll feel on a more even keel at some point and will be able to get on with life again.  

Peace...

www.allposters.co.uk

Father, Mother, God,

Thank you for your presence during the hard and mean days.

For then we have you to lean upon.

Thank you for your presence during the bright and sunny days.

For then we can share that which we have with those who have less.

And thank you for your presence during the Holy Days.

For then we are able to celebrate you and our families and our friends

For those who have no voice, we ask you to speak.

For those who feel unworthy, we ask you to pour your love out in waterfalls of tenderness.

For those who live in pain, we ask you to bathe them in the river of your healing.

For those who are lonely, we ask you to keep them company.

For those who are depressed, we ask you to shower upon them the light of hope.

Dear Creator, You, the borderless sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the world that which we need most.....PEACE.

Maya Angelou

(4th April 1928 - 28th May 2014)  

Little words of wisdom