Carbis Bay, Cornwall Perhaps if I woke up each morning to a view of Carbis Bay in Cornwall, I would not be looking for ways to increase the joy in my life. Who knows? Although it is very small, I do have a beautiful backyard garden. All of the labor I put into maintaining it … Continue reading 10 ways to find joy
Magic, Fairies, and the River Foss
There is a popular shop on the Shambles in York that sells little ceramic ghosts. You can’t walk far in that ancient neighborhood without realizing that ghosts are a big business with the tourists. But I didn’t know about the fairies in York, until I stumbled upon them one summer morning while walking along the … Continue reading Magic, Fairies, and the River Foss
London, Again
It was exciting to be back in the amazing city of London. The last time I had been there was in the winter, mere days before the lockdowns went into effect. Never having been there in summer, I didn’t know if the large crowds I was seeing at my usual haunts were normal for this … Continue reading London, Again
June 22, 1785: A wedding in Gretna Green
In my novel A Moon Garden, there were two lovers who could not marry legally in England in 1785. This was because of the Marriage Act, passed by Parliament in 1753. For a marriage to be legally binding, the ceremony had to be conducted by a minister in a church or chapel of the Church … Continue reading June 22, 1785: A wedding in Gretna Green
Remembering the Fallen
For the past two years I have been researching and writing about a career soldier who died on foreign soil. Every day I marvel at his dedication to his King and country, and the sacrifices that he made through his service. And almost every day, I cry a little bit to think that he never … Continue reading Remembering the Fallen
Crying time
London bound One year ago today, on February 27, 2020, I was on a plane bound for London. There were a few more documents I wanted to review at the National Archives and one book I particularly had to see at the British Library. Two weeks after I got home, travel was restricted. As much … Continue reading Crying time
An odd old book
Buying books is one of the pleasures of doing research. Of course I use digital resources, and visit libraries and archives, but sometimes there is a book that I want to hold in my hands and refer to over and over again. As I delved into the history of colonial America and Georgian England for … Continue reading An odd old book
The way forward
Here in my garden are symbols of the past, the future, and the way forward. We may be uncertain, but the path is not. The challenge is to find it, then to take the first step.Our fear is no greater and our courage is no less than that of those who came before us.#AMoonGarden https://amzn.to/2wHjS5u
Under the clouds
It’s raining in California. Perhaps we need it, but if I had a say there would be a mix of warm sun and scattered layers of bright white clouds, with a cool breeze. My garden requires care, to check the rapid spring growth of weeds and new shoots on trees and shrubs. Even so, there … Continue reading Under the clouds
Those quiet spaces
As much as I love the energy and bustle of New York, at some point in my visits to that great city, I inevitably seek the quiet spaces. In this time of forced isolation due to the pandemic, many of us are looking for ways to safely connect with one another. Yet perhaps because so … Continue reading Those quiet spaces
Roxane Gilbert 