Nicky Bond's Blog, page 6

The Dying Art of the Photo Chest...

If you caught my TikTok/Insta Reel/YouTube outpouring last week (I KNOW you won't have missed it) you'll remember I've broken up for Christmas. Hurrah! This means, I've put the first draft of book 5/Leeza MacAuliffe book 3 to one side and am forgetting it for a bit. Whoppeee! Apart from being free to fully embrace the season, it means I'll be all the more creative and energised when I pick it back up in January. But I've not downed tools completely. Nope, I've got this blog, silly. Aren't you, a...

Real Deal Nostalgia Over Forced Feelings Any day...

You can't manufacture nostalgia.* It pops up naturally or it's not there at all. Not in any real way. Attempts to force fond feelings of yesteryear can only ever ring hollow no matter how much we want them to emotionally nourish us. 
How do I know this? Because the other day I found myself buying Twiglets. The reason? Because IT'S CHRISTMAS. The problem? Twiglets were never a Bond family staple, in December or any time of year. I've tasted them about ten times in my life whilst visiting other peo...

A Very Selfish Christmas Tree...

It was while I was putting up my Christmas decs that I had the thought. Or, to be specific, it was while I was lovingly adorning my Christmas tree that it hit.
Everyone must have their own system. Their own system for collecting Christmas baubles and trinkets. That's not the thought I had, by the way. We'll get to that in a bit. But it's useful to provide context. So, Christmas bauble collection methods? My sister, for example, has a tradition with her family. They have a yearly garden centre vis...

Metaphoric Gymnastics...

Ready for an opinion that'll split readers down the middle? Snow is brilliant! Yeah, I said it! There's nothing better than going for a walk when the air's biting cold, you're bundled up in layers, and there's a crisp white layer on the ground. Amiright? OK, OK, let's two-side this thing. I can also see that there's nothing worse than going for a walk when underfoot is sludgy, slippery, and treacherous. It's a fine line to balance.  The first flakes 
of the season.
Round my way
anyway.Happily, last ...

Root Out the Nuggets...

The fairy lights along the bannister are on! Sadly, the 2024 switch-on wasn't soundtracked by excited crowds counting down in unison. Nope, it was a much more sedate affair. I simply decided that if the political landscape of the West was now this precarious and scary, I needed nice things in my life. The switch got flicked and the warm white glow of a hundred little lights lit up my home. 
Nuggets of joy?So what else have I been doing to stop my brain working out the logical end game of, for exa...

History Lessons on Holiday...

In hindsight, I'm not sure what would have been better. To have been watching the US election in the middle of a mundane week at home, or have it happen slap bang in the middle of my Berlin holiday - taking out a chunk of tourist time but with enough distractions in the aftermath to keep me busy. I pulled my customary all-nighter regardless. Pre-trip, I'd already planned to write off any activity the following day. Either because I'd be still watching the states declare their votes or because I'...

Ich bin ein Berliner...

Greetings from Berlin! 
I've finally made it to the capital city of the only other country whose language I've attempted to learn. Have I spoken any German since I've been here? Hardly any! At the time of writing, I've been here a couple of days. It's marvellous! And even though I'm doing the horrendous Brit abroad routine and hoping everyone else speaks English, my three years of Duolingo have given me a good grasp of signs, menus, and how to ask where the nearest bibliothek is, should the need ...

A Spooky Rehash...

I'm about to do something I've never done before. Excited? Then brace yourselves. But first up, let me give you the context...
I'm away in a few days for a jaunt. Get me! The thing is, there's so much to do before I go. Obviously packing. That's a given. There there're the personal grooming procedures I personally desire before a holiday - eradicated roots, freshly shaven legs, and topped up lashes. And don't forget work deadlines. I plan to finish to the end of Chapter 6 before I leave. That's k...

Non-Sweaty Activities Only...

'Don't sweat and don't get wet.' 
That's what's written in my diary for today. For the next week and a bit, to be exact. And why? Well, I've just had my eyebrows re-microbladed. Yep, these perfectly arched frames to my face are not a gift from God. They're a gift from Colette, the legend that worked her magic on me last week. (Actually, they're not a gift, they were paid for, obviously, but you get my drift.) So for the foreseeable future I'm showering with a taped piece of plastic over my forehe...

Relax, Conserve Juices...

Well, well, well. Isn't the Tory leadership race exciting! 
What's that? It's not? Not even a little bit? Not even the teeniest, tiniest bit exciting? No? Fair enough, you've convinced me. To be honest, I only brought it up because I was looking for something newsy to riff on for this opening paragraph. Aside from horrific wars, and gossipy sideswipes at the new UK government, that's about it. Of course there's the US election, or the awful hurricanes that seem to be regular fixtures these days. ...