On hiatus

The astute amongst you will have seen that I haven’t posted anything in sometime. Actually, you don’t need to be astute or particularly observant to realize that there has been nothing new for 18 months. Have I given up on this endeavor? Have I lost interest? No, neither. Back in the summer of 2024 I undertook something significant. It was planned, expected and it wasn’t an illness or any sort of medical procedure. One of the rules here is no personal details, so no sp

Nov 18, 20252 min read

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A THOUGHTFUL ANTHOLOGY

I stood tip-toe upon a little hill

I STOOD tip-toe upon a little hill, The air was cooling, and so very still, That the sweet buds which with a modest pride Pull droopingly, in slanting curve aside, Their scantly leaved, and finely tapering stems, Had not yet lost those starry diadems Caught from the early sobbing of the morn. The clouds were pure and white as flocks new shorn, And fresh from the clear brook; sweetly they slept On the blue fields of heaven, and then there crept A little noiseless noise among t

9 hours ago7 min read

On Pastoral Scenes

I’ve recently come into possession of a first edition of the book “Highways and Byways in Dorset” by Sir Frederick Treves. Sir Treves was a leading anatomist and surgeon in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Indeed, he is most famous for his care of Joseph Merrick, unfairly dubbed the Elephant Man, after being forced into a tragic existence in travelling freak shows. Ultimately, Treves treated Merrick with palliative care and enabled him to reside in the London Hospit

3 days ago5 min read

Fog

I sleep fitfully. Each night a fog descends. Not a gentle fog with romantic mystique. A polluted smog that obscures reality, gets caught in one’s throat, and feels like walking under a canopy of oiled brown paper. It’s dense, humid, oppressive. Somewhere in the distance a fox screams, or was it a human? If it were shown on an antiquated map, the text “here be monsters” would be included, prompting the viewer to stay away. I don’t have that luxury. Each night I am forc

Mar 192 min read

Beef Wellington with Bordelaise sauce

I recently had occasion to genuinely push the boat out. Be extravagant with a meal; purchasing quality ingredients and allowing myself the time to prepare them properly. These recipes are based on a mixture of traditional recipes, tweaked slightly, but still retaining their complexities and traditions. I didn’t cut any corners with this dish. A beef wellington is made up of a filet of beef, wrapped in a mushroom mixture, a duxelles, which is wrapped in a cured meat, tradi

Feb 208 min read

Winter month

January is a lazy month. It’s a relaxed sleep-in. It isn’t a time for ‘resolutions’ or life decisions trying to drive change. It’s a time for reflection. A time spent indoors, warm, with loved ones, while the world catches its breath. It’s for cooking, enjoying good food, good wine, good company. To appreciate the non-material aspects of life. Nothing should be rushed. The earth has slowed. Everything should be savoured. Find comfort in blankets and books. Share i

Jan 261 min read

Guardians of first light

I was up before the sun again today. Don’t be surprised, I’m frequently awake before dawn after fitful nights of broken sleep. This particular dawn was beautiful. Cold, crisp, clear, still. The sky appeared as a mirror reflecting nothing but the inky blackness of the receding night. Sparse clouds were a subtle ultramarine against the fire on the horizon. Brilliant dark oranges were giving way to smooth pinks and yellows. No one else in the world appeared to be active

Jan 202 min read

Friends Beyond

WILLIAM Dewy, Tranter Reuben, Farmer Ledlow late at plough, Robert's kin, and John's, and Ned's, And the Squire, and Lady Susan, lie in Mellstock churchyard now! "Gone," I call them, gone for good, that group of local hearts and heads; Yet at mothy curfew-tide, And at midnight when the noon-heat breathes it back from walls and leads, They've a way of whispering to me—fellow-wight who yet abide— In the muted, measured note Of a

Jan 72 min read

ABOUT

An expat living on the wrong side of The Pond.

This is a glass jar to keep thoughts, daydreams, anecdotes and casual observations on life.

Rambling it may be, but all ramblings ultimately lead somewhere.

MY PICK
OF THE MONTH

Set, and published during the Cold War, this is one of the more accurate portrayals of both the Intelligence Services and the officers in the Field. The story line is complex, but precise. Allowing readers to see both sides of the same coin, spanning the East and West. It acts as a sequel to two of Le Carré's earlier works. Arguably, it has one of the best lines in modern literature. A fact that Hugh Laurie agrees to.

If you want the amoral grit, grime, and down-and-out realities of Field work during the Cold War, this book is a must. Easily one of my favorite La Carré novels, which seems to improve each time I read it.

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