Happy little things

Summer treats that make me smile

Hi, and thank you for reading Looking to the Horizon. I write on many different topics because life is too interesting to be niche. However, travel, creative writing, faith and nature are likely to crop up fairly often.

Today, after a week of dark news in the UK, I feel the need to focus on the lighter side of life.

---

I’m not a fan of shopping. However, in the past few days I’ve made four purchases that have given me joy.

The first was a pair of bright green canvas shoes. I’ve worn out two other pairs of canvas shoes, including my much loved white pair decorated with vibrant slices of orange. I was disappointed with my brief forays to various outlets that only offered me dull shades of navy blue or slate grey. So imagine my joy on spotting these (see photo) in a branch of Sainsburys in Leven, Fife while visiting my sister. There was a time when I would get excited about high-heeled boots and stiletto sandals but those days seem to be gone. My shoe collection is all about functionality rather than style these days. But hey, the bright green makes a statement and they definitely make me smile.

The second purchase is this beautiful RSPB T-shirt featuring a murmuration (see photo). I’d admired it online for several weeks, then attempted but failed to buy one in an RSPB shop. So back online I went and placed an order. I’m thrilled with it. Lovely material and a good fit. It is almost certainly my new favourite T-shirt. I’m very much a jeans and T-shirt kind of girl when it comes to fashion so it is likely to feature a lot in photographs of this summer. Also I recently wrote a short story called Murmuration so it seemed appropriate to have this in my wardrobe.

My third purchase was more of a necessity. I renewed my passport because I was running out of pages despite it still being valid for another two years. Since the UK departed from the EU my passport has been stamped going in and out of countries where this was not previously a requirement. I was surprised how bereft I felt being without a passport for the three or so weeks of the application process. However, I am now very happy to have a brand new passport in my possession with extra pages. Let’s gloss over the fact that I look like a startled ferret in the photograph. Apparently ‘startled ferret’ is a passport-approved look, and hey, I only have to live with it for another ten years. And no, I’m not going to share that photo on here.

Authors that make me happy

Finally I spotted the novels of three authors that I admire were on special offer on Kindle. Having recently given up on a poorly told story by a new-to-me author I succumbed to the lure of the tried-and-tested. And besides, special offers! Here’s what I purchased.

Payback in Death by JD Robb is book 57 of the Eve Dallas series. I’m somewhat surprised to have read the previous 56 books without losing interest. I’m not sure I’ve stuck with any other series for more than four or five books. There’s been one or two disappointments but overall I adore this long-running tale of Eve, her husband Roarke, her friends and work colleagues, and the various homicide cases set in the not-so distant future.

The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page. I thoroughly enjoyed her debut novel The Keeper of Stories, so I am very much looking forward to reading this. It will probably be my August bank holiday read.

Homecoming by Kate Morton. I’m not sure I’ve read all her other novels but I have read several of them. I’m looking forward to discovering what she has come up with this time. According to the blurb it is a murder mystery that spans continents and generations. Intriguing, or what?

So what has given you joy this week? Also do share what you are reading. I’m always on the look-out for new authors to follow. My tastes are varied - historical fiction, crime (although not too dark please), fantasy, family drama. Let me know your favourites.