iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 1h

It's two years today since my mum and I were lucky enough to catch a spectacular display of the #aurora! (Sadly no sign of them here last night, despite the alerts. Too much cloud cover!) #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights

Portrait: vibrant pink, purple ,blue and green aurora, and some of the classic 'streaks' of light, with tree branches silhouetted on the right in the foregound.

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Introvert recharging: brief lunch break edition

Portrait: colouring stuff (gold foil 'thank you' postcard and a couple of green pens) plus a bowl of homemade lemon rice, on a table. Blurred in the background are wisteria leaves wrapped around a trellis.

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Medlar jelly incoming! (Once they've bletted, anyway...) #medlars

Portrait: close-up of unbletted medlars (small, yellow-brown fruit)

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Since today marks 18(?!) years since the first episode of BBC's Merlin was broadcast, here are a few photos of the Château de Pierrefonds model I bought when I visited for my 18th birthday - an excellent use of €99. The later photos are from my visits to the real thing in 2014, 2018 and 2019. 🏰

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

My first attempt at making paneer makhani (AKA paneer butter masala) 🍽

Landscape: a dark blue bowl of homemade curry. The sauce of orange, topped with coriander leaves and a swirl of cream, and contains chunks of paneer.

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

I have an interesting few weeks (or possibly years) ahead of me... Eeek! #GeneralSynod #CofE

Screenshot of an email confirming receipt of my nomination to stand in the upcoming General Synod elections to represent the Diocese of Gloucester

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Cappuccino said "No moving!", and who was I to argue?! 🐾 #CatsOfBluesky #Caturday

Portrait: close-up of a very fluffy cat (Burmese longhair?) curled up on my lap. His fur is mostly cream, but his tail and ears are dark brown.

Portrait: me (30 year old white woman, with short brown hair, glasses, and a colourful t-shirt) sitting cross-legged on a blue armchair. Snuggled up in my lap is a very fluffy cream and brown cat, his tail dangling over my legs.

Portrait: Cappuccino, a very fluffy cat (Burmese longhair?), sitting and posing on a blue armchair. His body is cream, his hind legs are pale brown, and his face and ears are dark brown. He has gorgeous blue eyes.

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

We had some really interesting conversations about faith and culture, and the meals we shared have forever ruined takeaway curry for me - there was no shortage of wonderful homemade food! They were all very generous. It didn't work out as a rental situation, but we have kept in touch. (2/3)

Landscape: two pieces of colourful rangoli (floor art, here made with dyed rice). The left is shaped like a flower. The right one is smaller and has a blue circle with the words 'Happy Diwali', surrounded by a lotus and other colourful shapes.

Landscape: the rangoli, seen at night, decorated with lit tealights

Landscape: two large metal containers of homemade Indian food. The left is rice with paneer, nuts and leaves. The right is a sweet rice dish.

Landscape: a lit ceramic diya (oil lamp), with a decorative flower design. In the background are rangoli).

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Prompted by a conversation at work yesterday, a little #ThrowbackThursday thread to my 2024 rental with Indian (Hindu) live-in landlords and a Pakistani (atheist, but culturally Muslim) housemate. As a white British Christian, I brought a third religion and background in the mix. (1/3)

Landscape: my landlady's shrine on a feast day. There are low white cabinets and shelves of icons, candles and incense. In bowls on the ground in front are fruits and various homemade dishes (sweets etc).

Landscape: a temporary shrine, seen after a puja (devotional worship) session. In front are colourful fruits (including a coconut with a red felt hat!) and other offerings. The shrine is a low table and has an icon decorated with yellow flowers, behind which is a large banner depicting Ganesha (deity with elephant head and four arms).

Landscape: a starry ground-based firework from Diwali celebrations

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I'm pretty gutted that today's blood donation will be my final one (after too many incidents of going lightheaded post-donation), but am so grateful to the wonderful team at Gloucester Donor Centre. A Negative blood but definitely not A Negative experience. 😉🩸 #GiveBlood @givebloodnhs.bsky.social

Portrait: my outstretched left arm, midway through a blood donation, with the bag of blood visible on a machine to the left

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I arrived into work today to find a little gift on my desk. 🥰🪴 #TinyJoys

Portrait: a succulent in a grey pot, with a handwritten note in front which reads, "To Hannah - enjoy! Elli"

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Impromptu Sunday afternoon adventures with friends are the best kind of adventure. 💕🏵 📍 Cerney House Gardens

Portrait: view across a garden including lots of dahlias in a variety of colours, especially yellow, red and pink. In the distance is a small stone pavilion, and behind that large trees

Portrait: pale orange dahlias, streaked with red

Portrait: close-up of medlars (small, yellow-brown fruit) growing on a tree, partially hidden by its leaves

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

The Speech House Lake waterlilies are back and they're beautiful! So pleased I correctly timed my visit to try and see them. 🪷 #ForestOfDean

Landscape: lily pads and pink waterlilies on a lake, with a blue sky overhead and fir trees on the far bank

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I am really, *really* not made for this kind of heat. (And more to the point, neither is our poor planet. Seeing the real-time effects of climate destruction on nature and on people's lives - especially those countries who have contributed least to emissions - is terrifying and devastating.)

Portrait: thermostat in my bedroom reading 30.7°C at 7.46pm

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

It feels hilariously British that, in the middle of a heatwave, the closest thing we had to #eclipse totality (in the UK) was suddenly scuppered by a massive cloud. Very pretty, though. And I saw some of the projected crescents on my walk up to the park, which was simultaneously sunny and dim...

Portrait: lots of little crescents cast onto the road, through the leaves of a tree. There are red brick houses in the background.

Portrait: dramatic rays of sunlight emerging from behind a large cloud. Trees are semi-silhouetted in the foreground.

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

For #InternationalCatDay, a throwback to 2013 when my sister's then-kitten Mercutio met my rabbit Topaz for the first time 🐾🐈🐇

Landscape: slightly blurry photo of a tuxedo kitten meeting a large, reddish-brown Rex rabbit indoors

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Gearing up for a Choral Evensong rehearsal at the glorious @gloucestercathedral.org.uk. ✝️ 🎶

Portrait: view from the choir stalls towards the great east window at Gloucester Cathedral

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

This month marks 30 years since my first visit to (my now beloved) #Eryri! ⛰️ Return visits have, mercifully, not featured The Hat. Good grief.

Portrait: scanned film photo of my dad, looking ridiculously young, holding baby me. He is wearing a maroon jumper and I have a terrible, frilly white hat on. In the background are mountains and a lake, and in front of us the remains of a picnic, on a mat.

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Sandhurst Hill #sunflowers, seen on yesterday evening's walk 🌻

Portrait: two sunflowers, backlit by sunshine, with a dramatic sky overhead. Blurred in the background are lots more sunflowers.

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

I feel horribly seen, but in fairness it is a very nice pasta bowl (albeit not a shallow one).

Screenshot from Dunelm website of a mottled light blue pasta bowl, on sale for £6

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Someone brought fresh plums into the office! #TinyJoys

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

One of yesterday's honeycomb Crunchie brownies from an excellent recipe by Jane's Patisserie 😋 #baking www.janespatisserie.com/2020/09/10/h...

Portrait: homemade chocolate brownie, with Crunchie pieces inside and on top, on a white plate on a table in the sunshine

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

📍 The Druid's Oak, Burnham Beeches Looking pretty good for an 800-year-old!

Portrait: large oak tree with a bright blue sky above, and some very parched grass in front

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Layers and layers. ⛰️💙 It's one month today since my Y Garn hike, with its amazing views of fellow Glyderau plus Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). #Eryri

Landscape: layers and layers of mountains, with a hazy blue sky above

Landscape: a green-grey Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) rising above the grassy slopes of Y Garn

Landscape: L-R: views of Tryfan, Glyder Fach and Glyder Fawr

Landscape: sunny views on the descent of Y Garn, with Pen Yr Ole Wen (left) and Tryfan (right), plus Llyn Idwal and Llyn Ogwen (lakes) in the valleys between

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Homemade ice cream milkshake season has arrived! 😋🍓 #TinyJoys at the end of a wobbly mental health day

Portrait: a glass of homemade strawberry and banana ice cream milkshake (pink, with little red flecks), topped with squirty cream and colourful sprinkles

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Golden hour suits her. 💛✝️

Portrait: detail of Victorian Gothic church west exterior, including saddleback tower, the stone looking golden in the evening sunlight. Behind is a clear blue sky.

The church is St Philip and St James (AKA Pip and Jim's) in Leckhampton, Cheltenham.

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Woohoo! I saw the Bayeux Tapestry in France when I was nine and always knew I'd want to see it again. 21 years later, that dream is finally coming true. 😊

Portrait: screenshot of booking confirmation for The Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum, for a slot on Friday 4th December 2026

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Today marks five years since my baptism. 🕊 It didn't really mark the "entry point" to my Christian life (although I tend to move mostly in Anglican circles these days, where that makes more sense as infant baptism is the norm), but it was definitely a significant spiritual milestone. ✝️

Me (Hannah, 25, white and wearing a navy blue t-shirt and black trousers) entering a church baptistry as Steve (pastor, white, middle-aged, wearing a red rugby top and blue shorts) stands nearby holding a mic

Landscape: me being baptised by immersion in a modern church baptistry

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

I am currently staying with friends but had to pop into my (top floor, Georgian) flat earlier, and YIKES.

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Happy #SummerSolstice, folks! ☀️ (Admittedly not actually a solstice picture, but it remains one of my favourite photos from my 2021 visit to #Stonehenge.)

Portrait: some of the trilithons and other stones at Stonehenge, with vibrant sunset colours behind

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

Belated birthday dinner out with the parents, ft. the most gorgeous künefe 😋

Portrait: künefe (Turkish variant of the Arab dessert knafeh, made of layered cheese and spun pastry dough, coated in honey syrup), topped with ice cream, pistachio pieces, a piece of strawberry and a slice of orange. Blurred in the background is revani, a semolina sponge cake.

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Why is there a peacock at this service station? What is happening?! 🦚

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Spectacular views from yesterday's hike up Y Garn - a pretty special way to spend the last day of my 20s. ⛰️ (This was my third time climbing the mountain, but only the first that the summit wasn't shrouded in mist!) #Eryri

Landscape: views on the ascent of Y Garn, with several lakes visible, plus Pen yr Ole Wen (left) and Tryfan (right). The evening sky is pale blue with wispy clouds.

Landscape: layers of mountains (left of shot) and the sun glinting off the sea (right), while in the foreground are the heaped stones of the summit shelter

Landscape: mountain selfie featuring Hannah with messy (short brown) hair, colourful glasses and a big smile

Landscape: cairn (left of shot) in the foreground, and views across to Pen yr Ole Wen (left/centre, mountain) and down to Llyn Ogwen (right, lake) on a sunny evening

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

I know I'm pretty tired today, but I didn't think I was *quite* at "hallucinating peacock on random city street" levels of tiredness... 🦚

Portrait: peacock wandering along a street in Bangor, Wales, next to someone's garden fence and plants

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

My fourth time staying at this Eryri accommodation, and I was greeted with a lovely surprise! 🥰⛰️

Portrait: a 30th birthday banner and helium balloon, plus a card and bottle of Prosecco

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

What a huge privilege it is to call the gorgeous @gloucestercathedral.org.uk my office for this week. ❤️ ✝️

Portrait: the cloisters of Gloucester Cathedral on a sunny day, with sunlit through the glass casting patterns on the floor. Magnificent fan vaulting is visible above.

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Ten days 'til I'm back in my happy place! ⛰️ #Eryri

Landscape: a river snaking its way through a rough landscape of ferns and heather, with mountains peaking through the mist in the distance

Portrait: the gloriously clear water of Llyn Cau (lake) with rocks visible under the surface, all in the shadow of the mighty Cader Idris on a sunny day

Portrait: close-up of dainty white flowers, with rocks and a mountain blurred in the background

Landscape: beach at sunset, with the sky (including the moon) reflected in the sea. Mountains are silhouetted on the horizon.

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

12th century depiction of the Trinity on the font at St Mary Magdalene, Eardisley, for Trinity Sunday. God (the Father) is holding a book, Jesus (the Son) is holding a staff, and the Holy Spirit is depicted as a dove. #CofE

Portrait: carved font on a stepped stone base with greenery in front and a jug to the right. Part of the font's carvings are visible, showing a depiction of the Trinity, showing God the Father as a man with a halo holding a book; Jesus as a man with a halo holding a staff, and the Holy Spirit as a dove on Jesus' shoulder. Above and below are intricate swirled patterns.

Portrait: closer view of the carved font at Eardisley

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

(Warning: flashing lights) Unexpected perks of having a horribly chaotic sleep schedule: being awake to witness an amazing #thunderstorm in the small hours. So much lightning! ⛈️ (Slow-mo video to capture more details)

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