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
Don’t tell your child to be careful, or not to fall. Instead, stand ready to catch
I thought about all the lessons I learned in playgrounds. Wherever we went in the world, we ended up in the playground
I’m learning to wear my new glasses, not to be dismayed by what’s now clear
For a week, thrush nestlings, owls thrillingly close, frogs and an otter were all breaking news, urgent, fascinating. But this can’t be real life
Let’s put a real kitchen in every school. We could use some of the Apple taxes
Imagine cooking well from raw ingredients as part of the curriculum in those schools. We could have hens too
Give me wartime food advice over the maddening dietary diktats of today
I’m not advocating rationing, but I wish we could pay more attention to relationships between our bodies, our kitchens and our governments
I don’t need a smartwatch to tell me how rested I am when I wake up
On waking, maybe look at the sky, kiss your partner, say your prayers, think about what to wear or cook today
For seven years, I slept four or five hours a night, rarely for longer than an hour at a time
I’m okay on not much sleep but I was tired. I drove with the windows open and taught my classes standing up