About Me

I live in an ancient town in Devon, England with my husband, S, and 2 daughters, H & Z.

H is my wild princess; strong, confident and lover of all thing pink and glittery. Z is quick to suss things out, a button-presser (in many ways!), fearless, bold, kind-hearted and generous. They amaze me daily just how different 2 girls can be, and how alike at the same time. S has an older daughter, R, who is all grown-up now and finding her own way in the world. The last member of our family is Moriarty, our huge, black and white, soppy and occasionally bitey cat. He came to us as a 2 year-old rescue, highly stressed and poorly socialised. He’s chilled out now he’s a middle-aged puss.

My husband is highly creative, which in this age of austerity translates as underpaid; art and culture aren’t valued when people are made to feel afraid. I changed my job before Christmas, and being treated like a human being has made a big difference to my mental health, even if it’s made little difference to my bank balance.

I like to be creative too, and enjoy trying my hand at different crafts. I like experimenting in the kitchen, knitting, crochet & sewing. Computers also fascinate me and I am learning to write my own programs, in-between all my other projects. If we are ever in a position to afford it, I would love to study this at university, I suspect though that that ship is taking the long route home.

We live on the breadline, but in general, I think we do it quite well. We are concerned about the state of the planet, the amount of plastic and unsustainable consumerism that seems to be forced upon us. Luckily living more simply can save some money too.

We both have depression and anxiety which has seen us hit rock bottom at times. Being optimistic doesn’t come naturally to either of us. S encouraged me to start this blog as a record, a guide, inspiration and motivation. He has made me all the lovely illustrations, and helps me write when I can’t. He also cleans up the kitchen when I make a huge mess (I’m not a tidy cook) and reminds me to consider the backgrounds and composition when I take photos. I am always grateful for his love, help and inspiration.

Our current major projects are converting a cob linhay barn to our new home, home educating our girls, and reducing our impact on our beautiful planet. If I can quote Death from the wonderful Terry Pratchett’s novel The Shepherd’s Crown: “AND YOU HAVE LEFT THE WORLD MUCH BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT” – I would be happy if someone could say the same about us.