Will Dig Life

I had this idea last night - in the early hours, after Cody the dog got me out of bed to let him out for a wee - and it seemed like a good thing to do at the time. Keeping in mind that this blog is, first and foremost, for my children to read when they are grown so they can get to know me better, I thought they would enjoy reading about my professional failures and successes... where I've been, where I got to, and why. So it's mostly for them, but if you're interested enough, grab a cuppa! Summer Jobs The summer after my mother died, I didn't work even though I legally could have - I was about to turn 16, but life was stressful and I was recovering not only from my mother's death but also from a gallstone operation. The summer after that, there was a very short lived stint at Toys-R-Us . Two days, I think - maybe it was just one day, a morning and an afternoon. This job taught me that it's the lowest jobs that are often the hardest, both physically and in terms ...

This blog post is because it's been on my mind lately - how we try to live simply. There was a Q&A on Youtube with a Franciscan nun, and she said: We try to live simply, use what we have, and use it up. She has two habits (outfits), both over 20 years old, and that's all she needs. I've always been attracted to the idea of living simply. That's not to say I'm against my mod cons - I'm certainly no 'trad wife' who plants vegetables and thrives on cleaning the house with homemade vinegar! - but spending my 20's moving around, I always liked the ability to pack up my life into two suitcases and be off. Now, that is definitely no longer possible these days, with two kids who like to hoard toys and books, but I absolutely do keep on top of what we own and get rid of anything that is surplus to requirements - that's just for my own sanity and peace of mind.  Simple kids clothing Luckily, my kids (now 9 and 8) have never had strong opinions on what ...

I've always been full on. My sister asked me recently: can't you relax about things a bit? My friend in college once said to me: there's nothing humble about your opinions. My housemates in Winchester had a saying: don't ask S for her opinion, because you'll get it! Always intense. I won't write that I'm ' too ' opinionated... because I really don't think I ought to apologise for who I am. But anyone who knows me, knows: I'm not ambivalent about many things. As Captain Kathryn Janeway once said when asked for her thoughts - you've come to the right place, I always have an opinion!  Frankly I do think I'm getting mellower than I used to be, certainly more humble about the fact that I may not have all the information there is - but yeah, I'm still largely either all in or all out. Either hot or cold.  As readers of this blog know, that doesn't mean I can't change my thinking...  I went vegan at 18 for the animals, was a ver...

Note: The “Get to know me” tags are mainly intended for my kids to read when they’re older, a way of getting to know me better, answering questions they may not think to ask. Everyone’s welcome to read, of course, but it may not be terribly interesting to you!  My family or origin was dysfunctional, there’s no doubt about it. But looking back, I’ve been incredibly blessed with mentors coming into my life at just the right times to support, teach, and form me – I owe them an awful lot. Here are a few of them.  My first real job: Siemens / Martin Fischer  I had a summer job at Siemens in Vienna, in the office. Martin Fischer, the department head, really saw me and appreciated my work (this was in a sometimes rather uncomfortable environment, all middle aged males apart from myself who was barely out of my teens, and I distinctly recall one co-worker having a very explicit pornographic image of a woman’s private parts as his screensaver) and he offered me a project managemen...