Hobbies

With the unseasonal warm weather for mid-March in the west of England, I was excited to be out in the garden. Due to a recent operation there were so many tasks left undone, and I was keen to get moving. Spring wasn’t going to wait for anyone!

I tried for years to get Tristan Gooley on my podcast Your Outside Mindset where I speak with guests about how spending time outside and noticing new things makes you feel better about yourself and the world around you. Gooley is in great demand…

I’ve heard it many times in my classes: Your family and friends want you to write your memoir. They say you’ve had an interesting life, and you have such great stories to tell. They want it all in writing for their kids, your grandkids. But who has the time? And really, is your life all that interesting?

Research shows that houseplants can improve concentration and productivity. They can also reduce stress and anxiety and have a mood-boosting effect. So, it’s perhaps unsurprising that many people who start off by caring for a single houseplant, often…

There is something almost defiant about weaving a basket in a world addicted to plastic. Some call it a “lost art,” as if it vanished quietly into the attic with butter churns and hand-sewn quilts. But basket weaving never disappeared. It simply slipped out of the spotlight…

The way we listen to music has seen significant changes over the decades. Most of us over 60 have witnessed nearly every format come and go, from vinyl to Spotify, and everything in between. Remember 8-tacks and cassettes? We have certainly come a long way.

Are you a movie buff? Is watching movies your favorite pastime? If you’re like us, you anticipate the films that will be released every year and can’t wait to watch them.  2026 brings some pretty interesting movies. From revisited old classics like Sense and Sensibility, literary adaptations like Wuthering Heights, and adult-focused thrillers like The […]

Gardening is good for the mind, body and spirit. But you don’t need a large garden, strong back or 365 days of beautiful weather to add some fresh greenery and color to your life. All you need is a bit of time, some spring flowering bulbs like daffodils, hyacinths and crocuses…

I spent much of last year in a reading rut, and I couldn’t understand why. It seems like book recommendations are everywhere; podcasts, Facebook posts, and the viral ‘bookstgrammers’ I like to follow have no shortage of suggestions for me. At first I thought…

Do you enjoy reading a book and discovering that a movie was adapted from it? There is something about watching a film and knowing the plot in advance, but discovering how a movie crew of producers, directors, and actors adapted it from the book for the screen…