Author Archives: susancarey

About susancarey

Writer and teacher living in Amsterdam. Trying to be mindful and occasionally succeeding!

In Praise of #Amsterdam Parks

Posted on September 27, 2018

Well designed and well-kept parks are good for people’s mental and physical health. In Amsterdam we have parks and green spaces in abundance. My favourite park, because it’s less than 100 metres walk away, is the Erasmuspark. When I moved … Continue reading →

Posted in travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Living the Dream Inside a Chocolate Box

Posted on August 16, 2018

Those of you who follow my blog will know that Frank and I enjoy house-sitting and caring for animals. Looking after pets is a big part of the reciprocal agreement between house-sitter and owner. Often feeding the garden birds is … Continue reading →

Posted in travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Nostalgia and Spitfires in Bewdley

Posted on July 2, 2018

GIs, Tommies, civilians, landgirls and glamorous ladies were out in their glad rags strutting their stuff up and down the platform at a 1940s-themed event. How wonderful to be transported back to a simpler time when we didn’t have omnipresent, tyrannical technology at our heels. Continue reading →

Posted in travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Celebrate National Flash Fiction Day!

Posted on June 16, 2018

16 June is National Flash Fiction day! Founded by writer, Calum Kerr in 2012, this relatively ‘new’ genre of micro-stories is growing in popularity and there are more and more opportunities for writers to submit and see their work published … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative writing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sing for your supper, or is it dinner, or perhaps even tea?

Posted on June 7, 2018

A Dutch student learning English once asked me when British people have their supper. A deceptively-simple sounding question, isn’t it? One which I could have answered simply enough by telling him that supper is a simple snack of a sandwich … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Creative writing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Hair, it’s our Crowning Glory

Posted on May 14, 2018

Get a glimpse into the global human hair trade and ponder how the type and colour of hair defines or subverts our expectations of fictional characters. Continue reading →

Posted in Creative writing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tulips, skunk cabbage and the BFG meet in Yorkshire

Posted on April 19, 2018

On our second house-sit of the year looking after a cat and Koi fish in Yorkshire, the sun came out and because we probably won’t visit the Keukenhof this year (my husband isn’t a fan of the regimental neatness and … Continue reading →

Posted in travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

First House-sit of 2018!

Posted on March 13, 2018

Our first house-sit of the year looking after dogs; Lilly and Bertie; cats; Thomasina and Purdey, in Walmer, Kent. A few highlights; ‘Beast from the east’ weather meant hunkering down against the elements inside a very cosy house. Warming up … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, poetry, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Magical Objects and Hidden Shoes

Posted on February 5, 2018

During a visit to Yorkshire Sculpture Park last year a print by illustrator, Alice Pattullo caught my eye. The picture was entitled, ‘Apotropaic Devices For the Home.’ I wasn’t sure what apotropaic meant, but the mirror-image china dogs triggered a … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Love-lock Bridges in Amsterdam

Posted on January 9, 2018

Amsterdam is a romantic city, full of canals and pretty bridges isn’t it? So you would expect to see many, many more of those love-lock bridges around town. But no, we have only two, de Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge) and … Continue reading →

Posted in travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments