It's on things like these that our lives depend

“But a chance tone of colour in a room or a morning sky, a particular perfume that you had once loved and that brings subtle memories with it, a line from a forgotten poem that you had come across again, a cadence from a piece of music that you had ceased to play. I tell you, Dorian, that it is on things like these that our lives depend.”

- Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Do you ever have days (or weeks) where you feel more porous? I always feel it in spring. After all that burrowing in the dark, like a seed in soil, the brightening days and growth and change in energy means that lots more seems to get in. A whiff of someone's aftershave on the bus, the shadow a row of identical suburban houses cast, an old song.

It's at times like this that I also reflect on all I'm taking in. What I'm reading, eating, listening to. I'm trying to get more intentional about what I let in; I think a big part of this shift back to analog is just that – an attempt to more mindfully curate what you allow to inform, influence and inspire you, and not just open the Pandora's Box that is social media.

Here's a little snapshot of what I'm letting in right now.

📖 Reading: Nettle & Bone by T Kingfisher. I had to wait ages for this to become available as a library ebook via Borrowbox but it was worth the wait. A fun, dark and subversive take on the fairytale (the tag line says it all: "This isn't the kind of fairy tale where the princess marries a prince. It's the one where she kills him.")

🎵 Listening to: Qobuz' Female Talents to Watch in 2026 playlist. I'm a divil for getting into a groove on one artist (hello having Olivia Dean on repeat for months now), so really enjoying this mix.

🥖 Eating: Delicious flatbreads, above, courtesy of Ben who recently went to Riot & Rye's Fire & Flatbread's course, learning all about Sourdough flatbreads from Palestine, Greece and India. Pic above of some of his tasty wares.

🚲 Playing with: Getting back on the bike. After weeks of relentless wind and rain we had a few nice cycling days and it was glorious (even though I still wrapped up as it it were -10º 😂)

🍊 Making: Home-made orange cordial, using just three ingredients and this great recipe.