Author Archives: sarahsouthwest

About sarahsouthwest

I'm now in my early 50s. I started writing again as a way of exploring the world, and feel that over the last 2 years I have really grown as a writer. By day I work with children and young people with mental health difficulties. I juggle my own two children, my work, my writing practice, generally managing to keep all the balls up in the air.

100 things I love 18: orchards

Posted on June 13, 2022 by sarahsouthwest

We had an orchard in the first house I remember. A red-brick suburban house on a red-brick suburban avenue at the edge of a mining town. We had a front garden given over to flowers, and a back garden with … Continue reading →

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100 things I love 17: bread.

Posted on June 6, 2022 by sarahsouthwest

Oh, yes. French bread – those long baguettes that have a mayfly life. German bread that lasts for days, deepening in flavour. Sourdough. White sliced. Big chunks of granary to go with soup. Iranian flatbread cooked on coals. Paratha and … Continue reading →

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New Project.

Posted on June 5, 2022 by sarahsouthwest

I’ve been referred to Palliative Care. Ouch, ouch, ouch. I know my chemotherapy is palliative, we’ve been through that, but actually referred to Palliative Care? It felt like another step up the staircase. It’s a bit weird, because I’m a … Continue reading →

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100 things I love 16: post

Posted on May 30, 2022 by sarahsouthwest

Real post. Analogue. Things touched by human hands. We neglect so many senses. Sight has become primary, but touch, smell, taste – they are much more primal. We can see in the womb, I guess, but there’s nothing to see. … Continue reading →

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100 things I love 15: lying in bed with my husband doing the crossword

Posted on May 23, 2022 by sarahsouthwest

For a start, I love my husband. That helps. And, then again, I love our bed. It’s enormous – wide enough to fit an additional small child (oh, but that’s a long time ago…) – maybe even two. We’ve invested … Continue reading →

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100 things I love 14: Twitter (I know)

Posted on May 16, 2022 by sarahsouthwest

I tried Twitter years ago, but it didn’t really stick. I didn’t get it. This time round, I took to it with a purpose – mainly poetry connections. And then I left work and Covid happened, and Twitter spread to … Continue reading →

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100 things I love 13: tea

Posted on May 9, 2022 by sarahsouthwest

I love tea. I love tea so much that a lot of people probably think I’m a coffee drinker. You see, I never drank tea at work. Hot water from a geyser? No thank you – it never tastes right … Continue reading →

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100 Things I love 12: having my daughter do my make-up

Posted on April 25, 2022 by sarahsouthwest

I used to wear make-up regularly. The first thing I tried was a shimmery, bright blue eye-liner. Very ABBA. I was out with friends, and bumped into my mum in the arcade in town. I was so embarrassed. Make-up seemed … Continue reading →

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100 things I love: 11 – gannets

Posted on April 11, 2022 by sarahsouthwest

When I say I love gannets, I mean I love a memory of standing on a cliff top in the west of Ireland – West Cork, probably – looking out to sea. We could see a flurry of gannets, way … Continue reading →

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100 things I love 10: Christmas pudding.

Posted on April 4, 2022 by sarahsouthwest

I seem to have a lot of food items on my list. I’m not sure why that is. I do love food, and the fking chemo has affected my tastebuds quite significantly – so that I anticipate something will taste … Continue reading →

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