New blog!

Dear friends and faithful readers,

I'm happy to announce that I've started a new blog, which will hopefully have a cleaner feel and also allow me to upload pictures more easily. Follow this link to check it out.

Cheers,

Molly

Some Fears

Some Fears | Emily Berry

Fear of breezes; fear of quarrels at night-time; fear of wreckage; fear of one's reflection in spoons; fear of children's footprints; fear of the theory behind architecture; fear of boldness; fear of catching anxiousness from dogs; fear of ragged-right margins; fear of exposure after pruning back ivy; fear of bridges; fear of pure mathematics; fear of cats expressing devotion; fear of proximity to self-belief; fear of damp tree trunks; fear of unfamiliar elbows (all elbows being unfamiliar, even one's own); fear of colour leaking from vegetables; fear of the mechanics of love affairs; fear of slipping; fear of ill-conceived typography; fear of non-specific impact leading to the vertical ejection of the spine from the body; fear of leaf mulch; fear of the timbre of poetry recitals; fear of balcony furniture; fear of colour leaking from the heart; fear of internal avalanche; fear of the notion of a key engaging with the inside of a lock; fear of psychoanalytical interpretations; fear of dregs; fear of book titles; fear of particular hues of sky glimpsed from aeroplane windows; fear of text stamped into metal; fear of promises; fear of alienation brought on by hospitality; fear of unexplained light; fear of comprehensive write-off; fear of fear; fear of help. Fear of asking for, receiving, refusing, giving, or being denied help.

Edinburgh | July 2017

Fear is something I've been thinking a lot about these past few months, and this poem really made an impression on me. Two other items that relate to this theme: Kendrick Lamar's song FEAR. from his new album. Give it a listen if you're not offended by strong language. Also, 1 John 4:18: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." As Marilynne Robinson puts it in Lila, that's something I want to think about for a while.



[With thanks to my lovely (now former) housemate Beth for an introduction to this poem.]

Delft + tulips

Prepare for plenty of canal shots.

Near the central square in Delft.

Travels with Mom!

Keukenhof with Mom, Julia and Iza.

Sun dial

Those streets.

Delft in the evening light.

Chocolate, obviously.

Cycling in the Netherlands -- felt so right :)

So this weekend in the Netherlands (first visit for both Mom and I) was in late April/early May. You can tell I'm a bit behind with posting -- also getting a bit fed up with how long it takes to upload pictures to Blogger, so may make the change to WordPress soon (about 10 years after everyone else!). Watch this space.

On my bookshelf

There in the darkness they were quiet for a while, and then he said, "I guess I've had my time of suffering. Not so much by Ezekiel's standards. And there might be more to come. At my age, I'm sure there is. But at least I've had enough of it by now to know that this is grace." His arm was across the back of the couch behind her, and he touched her hair.

Marilynne Robinson, Lila

Isle of Skye | July 2017

I've just finished reading Lila, one of three books in Marilynne Robinson's saga about a little town in middle America called Gilead. It's hard to put into words the impression the book has made on me, but it's got me thinking more deeply about a number of things: the importance of names, shame, loneliness, grace, the beauty and mystery in ordinary life, and the many different kinds of love people show to each other -- including the fact that human love can sometimes be what helps us to come to understand divine love. The beauty of Marilynne Robinson as an author is that she can do all this and more while telling a compelling, sometimes difficult, story, and writing glorious, lyrical prose. Stop what you're doing and read it now, if you possibly can.

Lecce | Italy

It's been a shockingly long time since I've posted anything. So here, for your viewing pleasure, are some pictures of a brief but lovely weekend in the very south of Italy with my dear friend Debs.

Central square

Possibly the prettiest tourist information point I've ever seen.

The colour of that stone, though!

Of course we peeked in at the wedding.

On our way to Gallipoli (not the famous one, but lovely!).

Lots of graffiti -- and my finger in the corner of the shot.

Gallipoli

My affection for lighthouses continues.

So glad Debs decided to organise a (for her) post-exam holiday -- and to invite me along!

Such a lovely meal looking out over the sea!

Couldn't decide which was my favourite!

Cutest old men weaving baskets!

Back in Lecce.

Sunday people watching in the park.

A'Roma -- beautiful food!

When in Lecce...