The unexpected benefit of re-employment (and an office in town) is that my use of the library has exponentially increased πŸ“šπŸ›

Rows of library shelves in the fiction section.

Finished reading: An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon πŸ“š

I enjoyed this and as a debut novel goes it’s written well. I’m certainly keen to explore what the author did next.

Poppy and I had breakfast in the park this morning to make the most of a rare glimpse of the sun.

Selfie of Poppy, a black miniature schnauzer, and the author sitting on a park bench with a field and clear blue sky making up the background.

Jettisoning networking in favor of kinworking means taking a more ecological approach, one oriented towards nurturing the soil, planting seeds, providing water and sunlightβ€”and then accepting that you have no control over what grows.

From Make kin not nets by Mandy Brown

Finished reading: Pageboy by Elliot Page πŸ“š

It’s important we hear trans people tell their stories and this felt like a necessary read. Although, I did find the jumping around through time a challenge to the reading experience.

Submarine, 2010

Senna, 2010 - β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

It’s been a while since I’ve watched a good documentary and this didn’t disappoint. Izzy’s pick for film night and it kept both of us non-F1 fans engaged and informed.

Got my pal Poppy staying for the next five days πŸ₯°

Black miniature schnauzer sitting on the arm rest of a green sofa and looking towards the camera.

Shifting feelings on blogging

For about a year, I lost my desire to write. I didn’t know why I was doing it. Who it was for. I’ve been in a funk, and it’s been bothering me. But over the last week or two, I can sense something shifting. I’m starting to feel excited about the possibility of returning to blogging.

Read More β†’

I forgot that one of the things I love most about Wimbledon is Heather Watson’s mum 😁🎾

Licorice Pizza, 2021

Gave up on the hour mark, just after Sean Penn’s character is introduced. Sometimes I don’t have the patience for films where I can’t connect with at least one character.

Finished reading: Sisters by Daisy Johnson πŸ“š

Unsettling. Daisy Johnson creates such atmospheric worlds. Now I want to re-read Everything Under.

I sacked off work this afternoon to finish this print project. A trial of using Ternes Burton pins for registration ahead of another multi-block project on the horizon.

Two colour linocut print of an orange tip butterfly.DIY printing setup with Ternes Burton pins taped to cardboard. A pile of paper with Ternes Burton tabs attached sits alongside.

Doing the weekly meal planning. Send me some inspiration please πŸ₯™πŸ₯—πŸ

My wife is going away for a week so just been to see her off at the station during my lunch break. She was running late so I asked if she needed anything for the journey (thinking coffee/sandwich etc). The reply: a new pair of reading glasses πŸ˜‚ Is this what it means to be middle age?

Finished reading: How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie πŸ“š

I finally went back and finished this. It was ok, an interesting idea just a bit one note in delivery and faded away towards the end.

Abandoned reading: Stoner by John Williams πŸ“š

Not for me. Perhaps I expected too much, but this sadly sits alongside The Rainbow as one of the most boring books I’ve tried to read.

Finished reading: Cuddy by Benjamin Myers πŸ“š

I enjoyed this overall. The local angle definitely helped. Was a little challenging initially getting used to the different styles, but after time I found the narrative flowed.

Hit Man, 2023 - β˜…β˜…Β½

I enjoyed this from the comfort of my sofa on a random midweek evening. Had I paid to see it at the cinema I’d have been disappointed.

It was clearly the Glen Powell show with no depth given to any of the supporting characters. And what an odd way to end it - maybe just skip the last 5 minutes.

The latest rain delay in New York allowed me to get the washing in before it started bucketing down here. I probably would have left it otherwise 🏏πŸ˜