Today I thought we could look for lovely things. I thought of the idea when I read this little poem by Sara Teasdale. Night Stars over snow And in the west a planet Swinging below a star – Look for a lovely thing and you will find it. It is not far – It never … Continue reading Look for a lovely thing
Here’s another way of presenting your words, of making your words into a present. It is what I am going to call the collage concertina. If you can think of a better name, let me know! This is a book that you can make as long or as short as you like. You can keep … Continue reading Zigzag Memories
Today we will show you how to make a card with a twist. It is another way to write to a friend or to someone who might like to receive a note. It has a little pocket inside it, so you could add a little extra something, a drawing, maybe, or a photograph, a sticker … Continue reading With a twist
Just at the moment, we are not able to meet many people, to sit around and chat, to share stories, to imagine things together. There are probably people who you are missing. They will be missing you. You may also know of people who live alone and never see anyone, from one day to the … Continue reading A Kindness of Words
In our last post we thought about ways of naming the landscape and parts of the landscape. Here is aa nice frame that you could use to put them to use. Here are some lines from a poem by Ian Macmillan about the walk to school: Down Barking-dog lane past the street with the boat … Continue reading Routes
When we know a place well, we have our own local names for streets and landmarks. In our village, where there is a ‘Front Street’, many people call the parallel street, ‘Back Street’, even though it has a quite different name on the street sign. There is a Mill Road [though the mill no longer … Continue reading Naming the land
All families have lots of stories. Some families are always telling stories. Sometimes you have to ask. My grandfather told me stories of when my dad was a little boy. My favourites were about Jip, the dog. When Jip was a tiny puppy, Grandpa brought him home on the train. He hid him in his … Continue reading Tell me …..
I have been digging up weeds in my garden and I have been learning about worms. They are amazing creatures, moving tons of earth every year, adding nutrients to the soil and making drainage holes that allow minerals to run deep into the ground and feed the plants that grow there. Yet there is very … Continue reading Up close
Today, many people remember those who have been killed in war. We are reminded of the great absences in the lives of families; and of lives cut short in battle. Perhaps we also think about the way our lives are interlinked, the way that war changes the present and the future, and wish for there … Continue reading Benediction
Smell is hard to describe. When we mention a smell, we usually just use the name of the thing that is giving off that smell – lavender, coffee, banana, even, chip shop. Smell is brilliantly evocative. I smell coal tar soap and think of my father; sterilised milk, that is my Great Aunt Addie. Smell … Continue reading The Smell of …..
Writing Box 