The Library
Wonder, nature, folklore, culture, creativity.
I write about all sorts.
This is a selection of my writing.
More recent work is on Substack.
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How to be a good ancestor
Life moves so fast. We can’t believe how quick our children grow. Or how soon Christmas comes around. We’re glued to our screens, racing through tasks, always onto the next thing. In all that noise, it’s easy to lose sight of what grounds us. We forget what truly connects us to something bigger. I’ve been…
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Discovering the Magic of Awe
This week, all wrapped up in the garden, I was captivated by the Northern Lights. They lit up our skies for only the second time this year. The vibrant colours stretching across the sky felt like a gift from nature. As social media filled up with photos and reactions, I couldn’t help but reflect. These…
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Art, Lions, and One-Eyed Heroes: My Recent Reads
I often get asked, “What are you reading at the moment?” My answer is always something completely random. My husband doesn’t really read, but he’s always curious about what I’ve got my nose in. This last batch has blown his mind by how far I stretch my reading tastes. I pick many books from the…
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Lost and Found
This year has been full ofchange for me. After 14 years of running Baba+Boo, I closed the doors to a community that meant so much to me. It would have been our 15th birthday next week and I still desperately miss the connection we shared. The laughter, the stories, the feeling of being part of…
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Hold Onto Your Hugs
I love motivational quotes. I know they are marmite but I am big fan. One I came across this week by Paolo Coelho really resonated: “The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.” During covid, I became a news addict with an affliction to Twitter. I couldn’t stop refreshing it, looking for…
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Embracing Ubuntu
I came across this concept a while ago and it has stuck in my mind. It is African philosophy that translates to ‘I am because we are’. It stopped me in my tracks. It’s about how our personal wellbeing is deeply connected with the wellbeing of others. It’s a way of living that encourages living…
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Decluttering
I’m a huge fan of less. I read Stuffocation many years ago and it is a seminal book that completely changed my outlook. Upon completion of the book, I went into overdrive with clearing out stuff. If it wasn’t stuck down, it went on eBay. Less is definitely more in my life. I ask myself…
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A list for March
I actually stuck to my list for February and didn’t just do the chores. A busy month but time carved out for me allayed the burn out I usually feel at this time of year. So this is something I intend to keep up throughout the year. As I slow come out of my wintering…
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Proper Post
On my alternative to do list for February was a task to write a love letter. This is an ode to a friend that I wanted to share online because that is where our friendship lives. I’ve always loved writing. Especially letters. I had so many pen pals when I was younger before communication was…
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Sixteen
Milestones and birthdays were my weak link as a mum when my children were young. I remember crying when my son went up a size of babygrow. When he lost his first tooth, it nearly broke my tear ducts. I know now that came from a place of fear. A fear of missing the boy…
By Eve Bell 