Category Archives: lifestyle

Celebrating the Launch of ‘The Palliative Horse’ by A.S. Williams

Posted on November 10, 2025 by ASWilliams

It did boost my spirit to sell all my book copies and have such engaged visitors. The morning after I awoke to a house full of flowers and warm memories. So much so that I remarked to Frank that I felt happy. Waking up in a positive mood is not always easy after a terminal diagnosis so the distraction of writing the book, publishing and celebrating it has done me a world of good. Weekly chemotherapy keeps me on my feet for now, as do enjoyable and nourishing activities. Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Art, cancer journey, Creative writing, lifestyle, poetry, short fiction, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

How cool is Nijmegen? – Article from BBC Travel website

Posted on March 24, 2023 by ASWilliams

If you’re wondering where to spend a few days in the Netherlands then instead of the over touristy Amsterdam, why not choose my hometown Nijmegen? It has loads to offer in terms of culture and open countryside. I am not the author of this article but wanted to share it here with you. Hope to see you IRL in my neighbourhood soon! Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, lifestyle, travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Posted on December 21, 2022 by ASWilliams

Dear Readers, Thank you for your patience! I have let my blog posts slide a bit this year for reasons better known to themselves. But just to update you a little I am posting a list of shiny things in … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative writing, house-sitting, lifestyle, travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

She is most definitely worth many Tuppences…

Posted on March 6, 2022 by ASWilliams

Here it is then, the long-awaited news about our new family addition, puppy named Tuppence. She is six-months old now. Sire, pictured below, the fabled blue mini JRT, Louie, of Much Wenlock; dam the even-more-fabled patterjack, Faith, of Herefordshire. Late … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, lifestyle, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Friends who Never Judge You

Posted on April 22, 2021 by ASWilliams

Loving and losing four-legged friends. The unique gift that animals bestow. Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, lifestyle, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Give us this Day our Daily Exercise

Posted on April 9, 2020 by ASWilliams

In these troubled times when the Corona virus is dominating our lives and restricting our freedom, it can be a challenge to find a secluded place to exercise if you live in a city like Amsterdam. Finding quiet places is … Continue reading →

Posted in health & diet, lifestyle, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

First House-sit of the Year

Posted on March 24, 2020 by ASWilliams

Unless you are a Buddha living under a tree you will have noticed we are in the grip of a pandemic which has severely restricted our freedom of movement. It now seems like some distant dream when we could move … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, lifestyle, travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Central Library, Oosterdok – The Jewel in Amsterdam’s Crown

Posted on February 4, 2020 by ASWilliams

OBA which stands for Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam boasts in total 26 branch libraries, 177,000 members and has 1.3 million books, CDs and DVDs in its collection. Amsterdam Central Library, Oosterdok is one of my favourite places in the city. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative writing, lifestyle, poetry, travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Balloon Flight over the Chateau

Posted on October 2, 2019 by ASWilliams

Frank and I celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary in September. On our ninth house-sit of this year we decided to book a balloon flight. Paying for our accommodation in kind (offering pet care) means we free up cash which can … Continue reading →

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All Good Things…

Posted on July 23, 2019 by ASWilliams

After two months of house-sitting it is sadly almost time to go home again. We’ve travelled through Hertfordshire, Nottinghamshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Leicestershire and spent the last two weeks in the smallest county in England, Rutland. … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, lifestyle, travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments