Thrifty 100 Word Challenge #88: Celebration — A New Year’s eve tradition in London involves gathering on the Thames’ southbank and seeing in the new year with fireworks. I hadn’t done this since 1999 — tickets are hard to get — so I was excited despite health challenges.

Thrifty 100 Word Challenge #88 & Fifty Words #109: Celebration — It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so the saying goes. I have to say, it’s not feeling particularly wonderful at the moment. One of our team has received a positive biopsy, and has no idea what lies ahead now. Plus I have lost three friends this year —…

Thrifty 100 Word Challenge #86: Gratitude — Gratitude. I’m overflowing with it right now. Though things have been hard through the lockdown — and I’ve faced challenges I would rather not have — the fact remains that I feel blessed with what remains. And what is that? It’s a stronger than ever support group of family and…

Thrifty Words Roundup 100 Words #88 and 50 Words #109: Celebration — The turkey and the mince pies have all been eaten. The Christmas tree is stripped and decorations put away. No more twinkling lights or red-cheeked Santas. We’re already almost at the end of the first week of the new year. For those of us in northern Europe, all we have…

Fifty Word Challenge #106: Liar — Attending the life celebration of a friend’s mother last weekend, it emerged the lady was modest and secretive. Her children discovered she once rode a Vespa scooter from Europe to Israel. And published a children’s book which she never told them about or read to them. Mysterious to the end!

Thrifty Words 100 Challenge #85 and Fifty Words #106: Liar — This fortnight’s thrifty word challenge is partly inspired by Melissa R. Mendelson’s latest story on lie telling. And also by a question from a friend seeking an update on the latest sagas in my life — how are things? For one desperate moment I felt the urge to splurge-vomit all…

Thrifty Words 100 Challenge #83: ‘Alive’ — While none of us knows when the jig is up, being ill can make death feel closer. Since being diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, the steroids used to control the condition has caused more problems — including diabetes and glaucoma — and mobility issues. Yet I refuse to lie in my…