Philip Sidney's blog

I might be alone in this but I'm getting a bit bored with myself. It's been so interesting to live the lives of others in that brief moment of reading. Thanks to all contributers for that wonderful respite. Our two picks this week give coniderable insight into the lives of others - just wonderful to a nosey parker like me. Thank you Hudsonmoon for his sweetly uplifting slice of ordinary life lived well: https://www.abctales.com/story/hudsonmoon/...

We've had some delicious pieces this week but poem of the week goes to Queen Beatle with a bone-crunching morsel: https://www.abctales.com/story/queen-beatle/falcons-regret story of the week is heart-warming take on enduring love from Ice Rivers: https://www.abctales.com/story/ice-rivers/bangers-galway-hooker here's the inspiration point: https://www.abctales.com/inspiration-point-ip

Another week in paradise - oh well, at least we have writing and reading to help us through tough times. Thank you to all of you have contributed this week - you do more good than you know. Poem of the week is a dark one - but anxiety is running high and I think many of us can relate -many thanks to London_Calling for Run: https://www.abctales.com/story/londoncalling79/run We've had a few darkly funny stories this week (big thank you to...

We're having a heatwave - a tropical heatwave and it seems to be doing wonders for your writing if not the garden. Story of the week goes to a wonderfully wry, dry safety warning on modern living - Simon Barget's suitably hot: The Flames, The Flames: https://www.abctales.com/story/simon-barget/flames-flames Poem of the week goes to something more cooling, the gorgeous Departure of Nightjars by Onemorething: https://www.abctales.com/story/...

It's been a happily productive week on the site annd we're fortunate to have a number of new writers joining us - welcome one and all! I don't know about you, but I'm yearning for pastures new. The evocative poem from Coolhermit takes us on some armmchair travel that may satisfy that itch - with a trip back in time and 'in Nepal' - it's our poem of the week: https://www.abctales.com/story/coolhermit/nepal-june-1971 Our story of the week also...

One thing about this glitch in our history is that it's given us tme to reflect. The two picks for this week are excellent aids to our own mullings. Story of the week goes to Error_404's deeply poignant, Memory Lake: https://www.abctales.com/story/error404/memory-lake Poem of the week goes to littleditty's inventive prose poem, This Year's Walk: https://www.abctales.com/story/littleditty/years-walk08 Here's the Inspiration Point: https://www...

Have you been zooming/Teaming and all of those other virtual methods of communicating? Remember those luxurious days of careless touch and wandering? Although our day to day lives are curtailed, there's time to travel to the past and capture moments from memories and share them here. Our two picks of the week are fabulous examples of this. Poem of the week goes to Socialeaf with a blending of love - human or machine? https://www.abctales.com/...

Writing and reading can be a refuge - I'm just settling into this way of thinking - If you've been inspired in these difficult times - well done and thank you so much for your wonderful postings. If you need a distraction - let's get writing! It's no coincidence that my two picks have food at their hearts. Our appreciation of the sensual nature of life seems to have come to the fore. From lime tea and madeleines too to hot, salty chips shared in...

What a wonderful island ABCtales is. Many of us have found respite here this week - thank you so much for posting your writing, it really helps in difficult times. T he standard of writing has been incredibly high so do look back across the week for many brilliant pieces. The lives of others are intrinsically interesting - or perhaps I'm just nosey. Either way Ice Rivers has given us some fabulous snippets, in a sort of Mass Observation style...

I love writing that takes you on multiple journeys - that's just one reason I've chosen these two wonderful pieces from fabulous choices this week. Story of the week goes to Parson Thru and his atmospheric wander across time: https://www.abctales.com/story/parson-thru/buses Poem of the week is full of startling images, ideas and emotions, a woderful piece from Noo: https://www.abctales.com/story/noo/music-binds Here's the inspiration point:...