We are so close to the end of the year but this year isn't done with us yet and there may be still more bad news to come. I'm trying to avoid the news but sometimes news creeps in, like the UK Covid death toll passing 62,000. Like the UK rolling towards Brexit with no… Continue reading Holding my breath again (50.20)
Author: Michelle Kn Stone
Australian-born London-dweller. I love books, travel, my garden, my husband and sunshine but not necessarily in that order.
Champagne, cake and Christmas (49.20)
This week we reached the end of Lockdown 2.0! Now, back to what passes for normal life these days. This week I celebrated my birthday, and it was a good day. It started in the morning when I went out for a run as the sun came up. My friend thought I was mad, but… Continue reading Champagne, cake and Christmas (49.20)
Is it too early?
When is it appropriate to start celebrating Christmas? It's November, but around 1 in 4 of the houses in my street already has Christmas decorations up. For me it feels way too early to start with Christmas. Christmas is a December celebration and you should wait until at least the first week in December before… Continue reading Is it too early?
A visit from an old friend
I should have known from the fluttering sense of panic when there's nothing going wrong. I should have known from the sense of gloominess when things are actually OK. I should have known from the tiredness and lethargy and lack of interest in anything when we are about to have things to look forward to.… Continue reading A visit from an old friend
Break it down again (48.20)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1100QINlo4 Break it down again, no more sleepy dreaming. Good grief, here we are already, approaching the last four weeks of the year. Maybe that's why I have those fluttering feelings of panic in my chest. No, this year the panic is more likely linked to a sense of 'where did all that time go'?… Continue reading Break it down again (48.20)
Jigsaw / lockdown
I've just realised that jigsaw puzzles are perfect metaphors for lockdown, and not just fun activities to do during lockdown. (And I am using the word fun advisedly.) Jigsaws - and perhaps lockdowns too - start initially with some enthusiasm when you tip everything out onto the table and anything seems possible. That's the time… Continue reading Jigsaw / lockdown
#LateReview – The Fourth Protocol (1987)
Having just watched the four James Bond films featuring Pierce Brosnan, it was actually quite refreshing to watch this and see what he's like in a good spy film. Based on a novel by former spy Frederick Forsyth, The Fourth Protocol is set in peak Cold War time, with a classic USSR vs UK/USA plot… Continue reading #LateReview – The Fourth Protocol (1987)
Chaos, connection.. and broken internet (47.20)
After having some plaster repairs a few weeks ago, we repainted the bathroom on Sunday and Monday. I say "repainted the bathroom" - what we did was repaint only those areas that had had plaster work done. Something strange happened when we opened the bathroom paint. It curdled. Like old cream, it turned into a… Continue reading Chaos, connection.. and broken internet (47.20)
Bond evolution – Die Another Day (#20)
After watching this film the first time in the cinema, I thought it would be a cold day in hell before I watched it again. It was so bad. I remember having an argument with the friends I saw it with on the way home. "That was a great film," they said. "Are you kidding… Continue reading Bond evolution – Die Another Day (#20)
Bond evolution – The World is Not Enough (#19)
I always thought this was one of my favourite Bond films. It had a good plot, good characters and was directed by a 'serious' director in Michael Apted. However on my recent re-watching I found the gloss had come off it somewhat. The opening credits show a series of dancing women in pools of oil,… Continue reading Bond evolution – The World is Not Enough (#19)
Tales from Tobhamhor 