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Fragments of an ordinary life

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Category: Essay

Days of uncertain sunshine

January 5, 2021January 5, 2021 ~ beverleystevens ~ 1 Comment

Beneath the self-congratulations and thankfulness that we can hug family and friends and relax these summer holidays without the worry of catching Covid, anxiety rocks and tumbles in my mind like the towels in my front-loading dryer.

No more tears

October 11, 2020October 11, 2020 ~ beverleystevens ~ 1 Comment

It’s been a long time since I really cried. I used to be in tears regularly, every three-and-a half weeks like clockwork, but not since my monthly cycles stopped, not since my husband started taking antidepressants. If someone close to me dies or I’m at a funeral there’ll be tears. And if, God forbid, something … Continue reading No more tears

Of poppies and passionfruit

July 20, 2020January 5, 2021 ~ beverleystevens ~ Leave a comment

The poppies that grew in my grandfather’s quarter-acre garden were bedraggled specimens. Each individual plant sat apart, marooned in its own patch of dull brown soil. Similarly the lemon trees dotted around the grassy lawn were like respectable neighbours who preferred to keep at arm's length. The lemon trees had the attraction of glossy leaves … Continue reading Of poppies and passionfruit

Playing Bach

Featured ~ beverleystevens ~ 2 Comments

But, I sometimes ask myself, what’s the point of practicing a Bach prelude on the piano for hours if no one else ever hears it? Why not just listen to it instead?

You are here, here you are

April 18, 2020September 2, 2020 ~ beverleystevens ~ 1 Comment

"Everywhere you go, there you are." (Attributed to Confucius)

No ordinary quiet

April 10, 2020January 5, 2021 ~ beverleystevens ~ 1 Comment

I'd intended to write a daily journal of an ordinary life through this uncharted time but it hasn't happened. Instead, two weeks into lockdown, the prevailing impression is of the quiet.

The loveliness of lists

March 14, 2020May 18, 2020 ~ beverleystevens ~ 6 Comments

Lists are not the bane of my life, far from it. Without lists, my life would be as bereft as a day without music, as soulless as a world with books, and as empty as a fridge without cheese.

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