It will soon be difficult to put up a shelf without a degree in shelf putting up.

The terrible thing about the internet and Amazon is that they take the magic and happy chaos out of book shopping. The internet might give you what you want, but it won't give you what you need.

The art of living is the art of bringing dreams and reality together.

When you go for a walk, take seeds with you, poppies, rainbow chard, rocket. Plant them among the weeds in patches of wasteland. See what happens.

In a world where you are constantly asked to be 'committed,' it is liberating to give yourself the license to be a dilettante. Commit to nothing. Try everything.

There is nothing so perfect as pinball and a pint at 11 a.m.

My idea of childcare at festivals is to sit at a trestle table with an ale while the kids run around and make up their own games.

I count it as a certainty that in paradise, everyone naps.

When the going gets tough, the tough take a nap.

Pain will never leave us. Instead of putting energy into destroying pain, we need to put energy into creating pleasure.

Beauty, pleasure, freedom and plenty of sleep: these are the hallmarks of a successful idler's break. Travel should not be hard work.

What is the scent of water?""Renewal. The goodness of God coming down like dew.

Lose an hour in the morning and you'll be looking for it all day.

I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.

I have this weird obsession with kids and old people falling. Like, funny falls. It is awful, but it's the thing that makes me laugh the most.

The shape of your character is the shape of your future.

A stair not worn hollow by footsteps is, regarded from its own point of view, only a boring something made of wood.

I was broke until I was 40. Really broke. I could get by, but I had nothing.

There's times you want to give up and times you want to move on ... you get so much satisfaction out of staying and sticking with it, and seeing things turn around.

I have definitely had experiences where I can feel the shift from simply living my life to being slightly outside of my life and taking notes.

Great men have been among us; hands that penn'd And tongues that utter'd wisdom--better none