Legend has it that Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived in two interconnected houses. So did Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton. These examples of keeping separate living space as a couple make it seem like an eccentric, artistic lifestyle choice. Yet so many women I know desperately want their own space (whilst also often wanting to be in relationships). It’s not surprising that a … Continue reading Living apart together
One way I’ve been passing time is watching old Italian movies. I’m in a Sophia Loren phase. Apart from giving me full confidence that eating spaghetti is the way to live, her characters have a strength, practicality and robustness that is reassuring. As well as the vintage collection, her most recent movie is on Netflix along with a documentary, What would Sophia Loren do? It’s … Continue reading What would Sophia Loren do?
The theme of the moment for me is re-evaluation and trying to work out what’s next. Or being ready for anything! The winds are changing, Mary Poppins style, as the events of 2020 continue to turn our way of life upside down. It’s so hard to write about the process of letting go of things in life when you are not sure what will replace … Continue reading Another roll of the dice
Decluttering. I’m lazy so I tend not to get rid of stuff until I absolutely have to, until I run out of space or I feel so emotionally unbalanced that tidying seems like a good idea. To be fair, I don’t have a lot of storage space (because London). My wardrobe had reached the point where I’d just stuff clothes in at random, meaning everything … Continue reading Sparking joy with square brackets
Digital spring cleaning can be revealing. Going through old bookmarks reveals my preoccupations whilst in my twenties. It’s a time now behind me, so it’s fun to look back at what it shows with my worldly, more wrinkly eyes. A decade of aspiration During my twenties I went from broke student to working home owner. Rather than hedonism and freedom, I aspired to an image … Continue reading My twenties according to my Internet bookmarks
When I read Emma Gannon’s excellent book the Multi-Hyphen Method, I was struck by a page describing different generations. Gen X is labelled as those born in 1961 – 1980 whilst Millennials are those born in 1982 – 2004. Having been born in 1981, according to these brackets I am in neither category. Yet according to some definitions, I am a Millennial. Though perhaps a … Continue reading Geriatric Millennials: my generation
Growing older is something we don’t talk about enough. We live in a society that prizes eternal youth. So we must stay quiet about it. Beyond a certain age, to be mistaken for being younger is a huge compliment and a personal victory of sorts. (I got ID’d in Waitrose – yay). But to be mistaken for being older than you are, well…that’s embarrassing. We … Continue reading Acting our age
