Some people seem to be just small hard peas – 1st December 2019

What books have influenced your life?

The first books I remember reading were the Thomas Covenant Chronicles. Big thick fantasy books. For some reason, they resonated more with me than my attempts at the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.

Later On The Road and Kerouac’s short Alone on a Mountaintop inspired a wonder of wander for me so it was not a difficult decision to make to move to Australia.

Right now I’m reading Anna Karenina whilst learning as much as I can about stoicism. I think the recommendation (to read AK) must have come from Daily Stoic as there is so much stoicism within the writing. This is the first book I’ve really looked at Cliff Notes for too.

He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.

Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to be excited for this coming week at school. I really enjoy teaching with the kids and they give me good energy.


Weight: 81.6kg
Resting heart rate: 50

Belgarion – 16th August 1985

Belgarion smother my painted dreams
Open door into the patient’s screams
Smoke rising from the chimney of your destruction
Running riot through the holocaust of corruption
Belgarion haunts the putrid air
Quietly creaking on the hollow stair
Singing sweetly of the life he gives
No questions asked, Belgarion lives

18th Sept 2023 – My mum must have had copies of the David Eddings books from the Belgariad series around, though I don’t recall ever reading them. I did read her Thomas Covenant books though. I was quite proud of myself to have read through those as there were six super thick books.