Category Archives: Health

Persevere

Posted on October 12, 2026 by lesleyjonesberry

I went to a writing retreat day recently, the first time I have attended any such event. I was a mix of excitement and nerves. Determination and fear of self-aggrandisement. Imposter syndrome, ah oui, c’est moi. The day went well. … Continue reading →

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August

Posted on September 1, 2026 by lesleyjonesberry

I’m glad to see the end of August. As we’re all well aware, it’s been too hot and dry, a tedious stretch of discomfort and worry, ending with a washout Bank Holiday weekend. This month has not been august – … Continue reading →

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That is the question

Posted on August 21, 2026 by lesleyjonesberry

Reading The Heat of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen, I was stopped short by this sentence: “As against that, Cousin Francis was safely dead, so could not be asked – or rather, could be asked, as often as Stella chose, … 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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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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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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Vectors

Posted on June 14, 2024 by lesleyjonesberry

We were at the wonderful How the Light Gets In (a Festival of Philosophy and Ideas) last month. I love this event, so I’m more than happy to put up with its minor discomforts. The campsite, I admit, is a … Continue reading →

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Flight

Posted on May 19, 2024 by lesleyjonesberry

I returned to the UK recently on an overnight flight.   For most of the journey we crossed an invisible globe which lay beneath a solid cloudbase.  Due to the time of year and our flight path,  the rich red hues … Continue reading →

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