Life in the slow lane…
Hound Dogs
People often mistake a basset's doleful looks as a sign of low intelligence. But no, bassets are deeply thoughtful dogs who act almost entirely in service of themselves. Asking a basset hound to co-operate for your benefit is a short cut to insanity. They will rarely...
The Longest Day
Sitting by the little pond in my parents garden last night reading was a near perfect moment until it a touch of solo holiday guilt overwhelmed me knowing that my New Zealand family and friends were down under with the dark and cold. Separation from family and...
Hip-Hip-Hor-Hay
Teetering on the cusp of England and Wales is the bibliophile's playground of Hey-on-Wye, famed for its second hand bookshops and book festival. If you are a book lover, Hay will keep you entertained in the shops' maze-like layouts and millions of books on view. For...
Sign of the Times
These days, trips down memory lane are a frightening experience. I am now that older person who reminisces about how things used to be. Today I had lunch with my Dad and Brother is a tea shop in Newport which was once a bookshop where I had a Saturday job when I was...
Our Green And Pleasant Land
Wandering through the meadows of Hampton Court Castle today there was an overwhelming sense of Englishness about the place. The castellated architecture set in ancient landscape, formal flower and walled kitchen garden speaks of old world history. The kind of...
Being Stuck Amongst Time Zones
Even though the jet lag has passed it still feels like I am living in a parallel universe. Living in the moment, real-time of the northern hemisphere; and one eye and part of my mind across time zones where @m_treanor remains at Domestic Executive HQ. As he gets up...
Rhythms of Writing
Diving headlong into this writing project was a bit of a leap into the unknown. I knew I wanted to build up my writing habit but otherwise didn't set any creative boundaries beyond that. 16 days in and it's been a rollercoaster ride. The writing itself has been...
A World of Your Own
My youngest nephew has a range of nifty tactics to prolong bedtime. This includes pulling out more story books, showing me his latest Lego invention or giving me lessons in Minecraft. Kids of all ages can create a Minecraft world but even with the expert advice of a...
The Lunacy of it All
Admittedly the jet lag can do strange things to your mind and body but riding the London underground from Heathrow into North London was an adventure of lunatic proportions. People spilled into the train at every station and 30 minutes into the hour-long journey some...
Lighting up the @Domesticexec Twittersphere
When you head south to New Zealand airports shrink in size. It takes a few minutes to land and arrive at your gate. Not so in bigger cities of the world. It can take ages to taxi to your appointed parking space. In Los Angeles it took 25 minutes due to airport...
The Age of Connectivity
Being well-connected has different connotations these days. No longer is it about who you know the extent to which you are able to communicate with who you know. Today's smart phones gives you powerful connection in the palm of your hand. Not to mention a camera and...
The power of professional decompressing
Work wise it has been a busy few weeks. The usual pre-vacation rush to tidy up loose ends and pack in as many appointments as possible. As much as I love what I do for a living there is nothing more satisfying than switching on the “out of office†message for any...