It is Halloween today. In Wales, where I come from, it is known as 'Nos Galan Gaeaf.' Loosely translated it means Winter’s Eve. It is the night of ‘An Ysbrydnos,’ The spirit night. When the veil between our world and the next is thinnest. It wasn’t all dress ups and sweet treats in Wales. The … Continue reading Halloween
Now that I am at the pointy end of life, it's funny how my thoughts tend toward 'the end of all things' as Tolkien described the end of the world. Don't get me wrong, I am appreciating every day I'm given as if it's my last, well not quite, but I am living my life … Continue reading The end of all things
My husband retired at the end of June this year. It was a difficult decision because he loved his job. He was finally working for a company that didn’t take advantage of his nature. They respected his ideas and were open to new ways of thinking. Since then we have both switched off, pretty much. … Continue reading A Necessary Wintering
Have you seen the show 'Take five?' with Zan Rowe. Zan interviews famous musicians and actors and asks them to pick their five favourite songs and then proceeds to dive deep into intimate moments in their lives. It's a favourite of mine. I wanted to try and do that here this month...
It was a very special person’s birthday the other day. We met in 1976. he was the most amazing person I had ever met. I have written about our chance encounter in a previous blog: Encouragement I don't want to repeat myself but you may not have read that post and this story deserves to … Continue reading From Drummer to Artist: Glyn’s Inspiring Journey
The last time I slept well I think I was fifteen. From then on late nights, parties, finding my bed in the wee hours and questionable nutrition were the enemy of my circadian rhythm.
When I was a child I was told I was wilful and that ‘I couldn’t be told.’ Then, as a teen, I was the rebellious one, the black sheep. When I reached adult hood I was told I was bloody-minded. My husband had no idea what he was getting himself into. His mother was not … Continue reading Rebel with a cause
Many years later when I picked up my pen to write again, I found I still felt an invisible person reading over my shoulder. It took me a very long time to let go of worrying about who was going to read my writing. Four years of blogging has helped me be brave and write anyway.
Sometimes Auntie Pat would paint our nails and do our hair, that was the best. I loved the ticklish feeling as she painted the stinky nail polish carefully on each of my well-bitten nails.
Glyn was a rock drummer with hair longer than mine. He wore a cowboy hat and cowboy boots and more denim than most. I fell in love with him before we met.
Rhiannon Dowding - Writer 