Author Archives: lesleyjonesberry

Apples

Posted on July 21, 2025 by lesleyjonesberry

We spent five days walking with Refugee Tales. It was a rich experience, with the underlying shapes of pilgrimage, of political protest march, of migration and the search for refuge – of the human condition which is forever transient. Here is … Continue reading →

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Failure

Posted on May 2, 2025 by lesleyjonesberry

Yesterday I felt a failure. The feeling is unpleasant, heavy and upsetting. It brought tears and held me immobile and helpless for a while.  I don’t often feel a failure. I realise that I put significant energies into avoiding the feeling. I like … Continue reading →

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Hacked off

Posted on April 9, 2025 by lesleyjonesberry

After a few years of ignoring the flaking paint and a pervasive drop in temperature as one enters our kitchen, we have taken a deep breath, drawn ourselves up to our full height as responsible adults, and are “having the … Continue reading →

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Living

Posted on February 12, 2025 by lesleyjonesberry

Sixteen months ago I stopped working and this has been long enough for people to ask how I am enjoying retirement.  I interpret this as really asking “What on earth do you do with your time?” I feel better if … Continue reading →

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Resolution

Posted on January 11, 2025 by lesleyjonesberry

There was a period of time when I tried to encourage the family to make New Year’s Resolutions. These were modest in ambition, often the usual ideas of eating more healthily or exercising more. I also liked to set a … Continue reading →

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Christmas post

Posted on December 17, 2024 by lesleyjonesberry

I am writing Christmas cards. Every year I resolve to write them early; every year I end up harassed by the last-posting dates. I don’t tend to give cards to people I see in the ‘here and now’. My list … Continue reading →

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Impeccable

Posted on November 17, 2024 by lesleyjonesberry

I love etymologies.  I love the ‘trailing clouds of glory’ words bring with them, discovering associations from their history which enrich them now. Because of my ‘O’ level, Latin echoes often come quite easily: crescent from crescere to grow, the … Continue reading →

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First person singular

Posted on November 17, 2024 by lesleyjonesberry

I think I remember this:  that when I was being taught English at school, my teacher asked us to look at a paragraph, and commended someone’s observation that there were a lot of sentences starting with ‘I’.  From this we … Continue reading →

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Table

Posted on August 25, 2024 by lesleyjonesberry

Yesterday, we moved the table in the kitchen. Kitchens are important rooms. While the whole house provides shelter, the kitchen provides food. It’s a space which is absolutely core to the idea of ‘home’ and our essential needs. It matters that we … Continue reading →

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Confidence

Posted on July 20, 2024 by lesleyjonesberry

I have been thinking about confidence. Last night I met two friends for cocktails and a catchup. I find this a little daunting: I love having friends, but my emotions stutter when navigating the social route – the practical arrangements, conversational … Continue reading →

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