Author Archives: Linda Barnes

It’s predicted to be the hottest week this year. I’ve doing things the Mediterranean way this morning, keeping window blinds down to shut out the sun, watering the new plants first thing, and waking Hettie to walk her round the park. She’s like a grumpy teenager at first but then with the early fresh startContinue reading “Tuesday heat”

Father’s Day, I’m accustomed now but for the kids their first without a father. My daughter comes up with a good solution to celebrate Dad, a pancake breakfast – once his culinary specialty. Ken always said it stemmed from his Saturday job at the ‘Little Chef’ in his teens. Jubilee Pancakes were all the rageContinue reading “Father’s Day”

Okay I know I sound a bit like I’m a Merry Widow, I rarely have had so many social engagements in my calendar all at once. Last night it was the Charity Summer Social event to acknowledge the hard work the staff do every day and three Trustees including me joined them. The Trustees haveContinue reading “Saturday morning”

A neighbour popped round this morning while I’m admiring my garden, the sun is shining the birds are singing and I’m feeling pretty proud of my labours. One of those moments I rarely allow myself, typically I’m caught out. I’m interested on his thoughts on my new blog and he tells me something surprising. HeContinue reading “Morning thought”

A wise widowed woman told me recently, ‘Hold onto every ounce of joy that comes your way, don’t let guilt try to dilute it, because it and grief will try to’. There has been a lot of joy this week. First the annual bedrace spectacle in the town brought locals and visitors together, raising thousandsContinue reading “Weekly roundup”

Isn’t it funny how everything seems to breakdown at once? So far this week my kettle has blown up, my outside lights refuse to turn off, and this morning my back wheel got a puncture five miles from home. I’ve deliberated for ages on the subject of kettles, should I replace it with another designerContinue reading “The guide on my side.”

Starting a new site has definitely confused WordPress, but I think the new link is working now after a frustrating age with a very polite online helpline. So where are we now? Being a widow has certainly brought me clarity in the eyes of others.  I’ve been a wife, then definitely more a carer, thenContinue reading “Beginning again”

Some busy days followed, a heat wave that a gave false hope of summer. I made one rookie mistake though, One night I eventually fell asleep reading in bed, but wearing my contact lenses I’m afraid. The left one I realised had hermitically sealed itself to my eye when I woke at 3 am. IContinue reading “First steps”

So everyone I’m back. A new journey, a new focus, filling in the huge hole Ken left in my life. This blog is I hope going to be a bit different, sharing my experiences of grief but also I hope showing that there is a life after death. Please hold my hand, there are challengesContinue reading “First new chapter”