New Beginnings
In some ways I will be sad to leave my cottage as it was my first time living alone as an adult, apart from a brief period when I was in my mid-forties; this time I enjoyed it so much especially as I was close to that hub of creativity called Woodbridge, Suffolk. I found myself able to meet so many new, encouraging people when I set out on this change in my life and found several nearby events that allowed me to read my poetry. I admit I just threw myself into this as writing and getting no feedback seemed a bit pointless, unless I planned to stay silent.
Although I am not a lyrical writer the surrounding natural landscape was a balm for all the other stresses and concerns that daily life in 2026 brought me. I could see the meadows from my rocking chair in the garden room, and from the window in my eyrie (though not really that high as the cottage is circa 1700 and tractor drivers can see into the first-floor window). A low roof was a benefit for viewing the moon however and I have several good photos of various lunar phases during the year, including a halo effect which looked very alien – and possibly world ending prescient!
But life throws new opportunities our way and age should not be a deterrent, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, as Susan Jeffers says, so I am preparing myself to up sticks and move, and almost feel I can look forward to it. I have lived in my vibrant village for twenty years, the majority of my time in Suffolk, and any move will be very different to the life I leave behind here having initially moved from America to Bury St Edmunds. Coming to the Suffolk coast was an amazing decision and although I do not sail spending time by the water is essential for me, even when I lived overseas a river was nearby. A river is also totally needed when you have a Labrador that hates the hose and dislikes rain but will jump in every stinky pool he can find. Thankfully winter is soon ending, and the smell of damp dog, mud (or worse) and balsam will be over for another year, he can sit his old bones in the garden and sunbathe, hopefully if his new puppy will let him.
Moving is giving me time, around the constant cleaning and prep for viewings, to complete my memoir which will be about my first 10 years or so in the financial market and how it was for a woman in a male dominated sector. The reflection is not one of woe, or how badly women in general were treated but my own experience as one of the first women to work in Lloyd’s of London (yes, we did all think that was the bank, it isn’t). I loved the challenges and growing up in a fairly bohemian household I didn’t have any expectations regarding treatment, but I did have very strong views on fairness. My opinion now is that we have pushed the pendulum too far the opposite way following fast eradication of the patriarchal society rather than into an equitable and reasoned period, where we recognise the gender strengths. I am relieved that my own life long financial stringency means that I no longer have to work – to live - in this environment but can chose the amount of interaction I make.
I hope that my life reflections and new experiences will appeal to some of you. I will be using this website and Substack to preview my poetry writing and stories, so please do sign up.