What brings us happiness? There are so many things that money will buy – a foreign cruise, a new car with all mod cons or lots of bling. You can have all that. I recently had two moments of pure joy, which cost not a cent. Each made me a very happy woman…

It was a very ordinary night. I was undertaking a very ordinary activity. I had gone into the bathroom to get my pyjamas, which were hanging on the back of the door. My mind was completely elsewhere, as minds can be when you’re doing a routine task…

In the modern world – and probably the ancient world for that matter – a lot of weight is given to worldly achievements. We want to become rich, important and famous and we want our children to accomplish these things, too…

My very friendly next-door neighbours moved back to the US. In many ways, it was not a surprise, as they were always going to be visitors in London – here because of the husband’s job. Yet it came as both a shock and a loss…

My husband had been in hospital for three days, having had a partial knee replacement operation on the morning of the first day. Everything had gone as planned, he was very happy with the surgery not to mention the kindliness and competence…

Are you one of the many people who are looking after someone who is very ill? Perhaps a spouse, sibling, parent or friend? As you well know, it is a highly tiring and difficult task, however much it is undertaken with love. You may be overloaded with advice…

It was the middle of the night, and I had gotten up to pee. I noticed a light coming from downstairs. That’s strange, I thought. No one else here but my sleeping husband. Oh dear, I will need to go down and turn it off. That was the immediate plan…

There are many happy grandmothers about. I know; I am one of them. We play with the kids, we bore our friends by talking about how wonderful they are and we generally feel very pleased with the way grandchildren have enhanced our lives…

If the infamous ‘man from Mars’ were to suddenly arrive on this earth, what would he think that people were all about? From scanning traditional media, not to mention social media, I would surmise that he would see a search for wealth…

We do not usually identify ourselves by what we are not. We do not say I am not blonde or not good at knitting or I do not come from a large family. Nor do other people think about these things when they think of us…