This post consists of two book reviews: The Genius of Trees by Harriet Rix and Moonlight Express by Monisha Rajesh Book review: The Genius of Trees: How Trees Mastered the Elements and Shaped the W…

This week’s theme from Dan Antion for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC) is about work. Like Dan I have retired from paid work, but I still find plenty of different things to work at. The one I have c…

The deliberations of Isabella M Smugge is the fifth book in this delightful series. Isabella Smugge (whose name rhymes with Bruges) is a high profile influencer, who has moved from London to a vill…

This week’s theme for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC) hosted by Dan Antion the them is vacation (or here in the UK holiday). I started this blog to write about places I had visited either for a day…

This post consists of an introduction, a review of The Place of Tides by James Rebanks and Mudlarking by Lara Maiklen. Introduction I recently read two non-fiction e-books while I was suffering fro…

This week’s topic for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC) is about shopping. I have started regularly visiting charity shops (thrift shops) to buy and donate jigsaw puzzles. One of the charity shops al…

Some time ago I wrote a blog post about knowing what to write. Recently one of my online friends asked how I narrow down what I write from all the possibilities. Observations of things around me, l…

This week’s theme from Dan Antion for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC) was an idea from Dawn M. Miller. He has phrased it Where/What We/They worship and has included many pictures of churches in his…

This week Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge from Dan Antion is for Where/when/what we watch. His post includes places such as cinemas and his workshop. I very rarely go to the cinema and I don’t watch TV. I…

I first became aware of the nature writing of John Lewis-Stempel when he was one of the curators of an exhibition at Wordsworth House in Cockermouth. Since then I have read and enjoyed a number of …

This is the start of a new series of Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC) from Dan Antion. Readers of my main blog, Sue’s Trifles will be aware that I read a lot (but not as much as some people I know).…

Summer Soliloquy Summer is the time for a holiday(Or vacation in the USA).Who’s around to read a blog?Although it’s too hot for a jog. I missed my self-imposed deadline,But relaxing my rules is als…

On Twitter I noticed a video about the damage that carbon dioxide is doing to the seabed. I have been interested in the effects of industry on the environment for a long time. The awareness of thes…

Nao Santa Maria in Whitehaven Harbour The final CFFC challenge in Dan Antion’s series on (Crayola) colours is for monochrome. I checked the settings on my digital camera and found that monochrome w…

It’s All About the Light is Joanna Watson’s second book, which I preordered from her website. It was published by Malcolm Down Publishing in May 2026. I reviewed her first book Light through the Cr…

For this week’s CFFC (Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge) Dan Antion is asking for a Crayola colour paired with white. I have chosen a photo taken in our garden in June. There are white astilbe flowers and g…

For the August poetry challenge Rebecca Cuningham is asking for a haiku about a surprise in nature. The challenge ends on 2nd August. Despite a heatwavea large damp amphibianappeared by my feet A l…

Following the challenges using colours from the Crayola box of 8, Dan Antion is asking for pairs of these colours for this week’s CFFC (Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge). I have interpreted the theme sligh…

Buddleia in flower The last topic in the series of crayon colours from Dan Antion for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC) is purple. Buddleia is flowering in time for the challenge. With two buddleias …

This week the CFFC challenge from Dan Antion is for Orange. Sometimes cameras see colours differently from the naked eye. The first photo I am posting is an example of this. I saw a rather pink sky…

Farewell Fifteen: Growing up is weird is a stand-alone YA novel, which is also the third in the Mullins Family Saga. The intended readership of the first two books is adults, particularly women who…

For this challenge from Dan Antion for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC), my original thought was black steam engines (locomotives). Dan has posted photos of locos in his post. Piano keys Then I thou…

This week Dan Antion has chosen Brown for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC). My photo is of a bench and noticeboard with red sandstone walls looking brownish in the shade. Noticeboard and bench

My tenor recorder has a case which allows it to be stored fully assembled. I have never found this convenient as it doesn’t fit conveniently into a small rucksack or shopping bag. As I have recentl…

This week Dan Antion has chosen the colour blue for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC). After green, blue is the most predominant colour locally – at least when the sun is shining! My photo is of sea …

For several years I have taken part in a social media challenge about wildflowers in bloom. The challenge is supported by the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Initially I posted my finds o…

When I decided to start blogging almost 14 years ago, [...]

Rebecca Cuningham writes:- As May slips away, let’s set a date in June to turn in our next poems. Your challenge is to write a haibun about a mistake or an imperfect moment. Rated G, please. The pr…

This week Dave Antion begins a new series of challenges for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC). Don’t forget to look at his post! The first colour is red. My photo is of the wildflower Red Valer…

A sign with a view After the two earlier CFFC challenges for photos of signs, Dan Antion suggests we uses any signs we have leftover for this week’s Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge. I searched my media li…

Awakening the Light: A Young Adult Coming of Age Epic Fantasy Adventure by Natasha WoodcraftMy rating: 5 of 5 starsAwakening the Light is Natasha Woodcraft’s first YA novel. I have read and enjoyed…

This week for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge Dan Antion is asking for signs giving information. Two road signs My photo is of two traffic signs. One directs drivers to a car park or parking lot (but does…

This week Dan Antion has started a new series for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – signs. This week it is Traffic or caution signs. I am posting two pictures. There is no shortage of warning signs at pre…

This year I prepared my posts for the Blogging from A to Z in April Challenge early in the year. I did make a few additions to them before they went live. I am very grateful to everyone, who visite…