'I gave my partner the job of ‘de-fluffing’ me using parcel tape this morning'

Bookish September letter & monthly favourites (including the ultimate autumnal vegan soup recipe) ✒️

These monthly slow letters, that include all my monthly favourites (e.g., media, recipes, clothing etc) are written exclusively for my members. If you would like to read on, then feel free to click subscribe. I’d love to welcome you as part of our quiet community 💚

24th September 2025

from Tiso café, Aviemore (Scottish Highlands)

Dear you,

My car wouldn’t start this morning. I suspect the overnight cold snap was too much for the aging battery to handle.

I’ve had this car since 2018, a perky red VW Up (named Tess), that I’ve loved but is definitely on her last legs. The only reason she’s gotten this far is that I happen to have, conveniently, fallen in love with a trained mechanic, who I’m convinced can fixed absolutely anything, even with limited tools or correct parts. On one occasion, he managed to fix a worrying noise emitting from Tess by using parts from an old hoover. It was very much a temporary fix (a caveat he always stresses I add), but I was still impressed by this ‘make do and mend’ attitude.

As he is busy remodelling our Tiny Home (more on this in Sunday’s vlog!), I decided not to bother him with Tess troubles today and opted to take the van to Aviemore instead.