I prickle at being categorised as ‘the kind of person who...’ I don’t believe in kinds of person
I feel vulnerable or uncomfortable but I’m not alone. Other people are like me, even if none of them is here
I’m on a career break from teaching. Will I still have the seasonal anxiety dreams?
It’s good for all of us to have people in the habit of thinking critically and evaluating primary and secondary sources
Let’s not leave it until we’re old to wear purple
A lot of us women, after years of wearing ‘neutral’ shades, discover a midlife passion for strong colour
I was raised to be independent, but find it hard letting others take charge
Growing up in a household that prized independence brought lifelong advantages and disadvantages
My son is clearing out his childhood things – but these items he knew I’d want to keep
I saved my favourite wax crayon colours for special occasions that never came. Now they bring me back to my own childhood
Drugs like Ozempic aren’t changing negative narratives around diet and weight
Getting thin to succeed in a fat-phobic society is still an understandable individual solution to a structural problem
Let’s inconvenience some oligarchs before we come for exhausted mothers
What’s sustainable for the planet is unsustainable for individuals trying to survive capitalism, or so it feels
There’s a feminist argument against a writer spending time cooking and sewing, but it pleases me
My make-do-and-mend habit is not about saving money, the planet or achieving independence from consumerism
National histories are always something of a stitch-up - English identities in particular
National histories are always something of a stitch-up ... the history of these islands is layered, interwoven, visibly and invisibly mended
I enjoy Ireland’s weather, take pleasure in rain and whinge on hot days
Why do we continue to think of cool water falling from the sky as bad news rather than something worth celebrating?
Choosing a nice mug, bowl or spoon is not a trivial matter
I continue to resist a model of humanity in which it’s normal and correct that everyone is always barely surviving
Irish and English funerals are very different – it would be strange to go to a colleague’s family funeral in England
At nearly 50, I have attended four funerals, which is probably fewer than average but not remarkable
To normalise invective against cyclists is to miss the point spectacularly
Playing divide-and-conquer between driving, cycling and walking is a distraction from the real problem
I was put off organised sports for life by what we girls had to wear
It matters that women, and especially girls, have agency over what they wear
Is it okay to think about restaurants or art while children are bombed?
When I was younger my instincts about war and suffering were adolescent, which is not to say they were wrong