In the UK there are rules of etiquette in parliament that forbid members from using language that is inappropriate. These include words like liar, stupid cow, hypocrite, idiot, rat etc. If a member of parliament breaks the rules the speaker will step in and request the language be withdrawn. If the member fails to comply… Continue reading Unparliamentary language
Author: Rachel M
Potato planting and wallpapering
We planted some potatoes at the allotment today. Lately Elizabeth has become interested in gardening because she has idyllic visions of being self-sufficient. I can remember going through a phase like this when I was about her age. At the time it motivated me to try making my own soap which I did with a… Continue reading Potato planting and wallpapering
Pizza on a zero salt diet
It has been about a year since I gave up salt and with it all fast food and yummy things like pizza and burgers. Pizza is something I have missed but it's surprisingly full of salt so it is definitely a no-go. Have a look at the nutritional content next time you buy a pizza… Continue reading Pizza on a zero salt diet
Wallpapering and ants
I spent the day wallpapering our entranceway. Whenever I wallpaper I tell myself I'm never doing it again. But then a year or two later I'm back at it. I really struggled with this one. It seemed an easy wall but the end result is bubbly. I've never had wallpaper bubble before and the only… Continue reading Wallpapering and ants
Snow day
It's a winter wonderland in Aberdeen today. School was cancelled so the kids made excellent use of their free time and created a snowman.
A gas leak
We had a gas leak. It was found by accident and thankfully there was no explosion and we're all fine. In hindsight Ben and I have both realised that we felt dizzy a few times over the past weeks but we just put it down to a virus. The kids had also both complained of… Continue reading A gas leak
Daniel won a prize
Daniel won a Divoom Pixoo for his snake game which he entered into the Dresscode Halloween coding competition last year. They've only just announced the winners because they had so many entries from students throughout the UK and it took a long time to judge them all. You can play his game on a desktop… Continue reading Daniel won a prize
A knitted jumper
I knitted myself a jumper. I've crocheted for years and years but never really tried knitting until this year. I made myself the same jumper I knitted for Elizabeth but in a different colour. She said she wouldn't mind if we had matching jumpers. It's very satisfying to make something with your own hands. Machinery… Continue reading A knitted jumper
30 plants a week
The latest healthy eating advice doing the rounds is to eat 30 different species of plants per week. I say it's the latest advice but I only mean it's new in terms of gaining a critical mass following. Eating lots of different species has been good diet advice for a long time so this is… Continue reading 30 plants a week
Rocket with his broccoli
Isn't Rocket just the cutest thing even with his 1.5 ears? We love him!
Torry Battery and the Greyhope Bay café
Yesterday we went for a walk to Torry Battery because I wanted to check out a relatively new café there that's entirely vegan/vegetarian and off-grid. It's about a 45-minute walk and not long after we started I remembered why we hardly ever do it - much of the way is very industrial and ugly. If… Continue reading Torry Battery and the Greyhope Bay café
Spectra 2023
We tried to go to Spectra last night, a light festival in central Aberdeen, but the queue was so long we had to console ourselves with a view from Union Terrace only. It looked fantastic. This is our first year ever going to Spectra and it's also the first year they've been held in the… Continue reading Spectra 2023
My first ever knitted garment
I finished my first ever knitted garment last night. I started it at the beginning of the new year and have been working on it everyday since then. I usually knit in the evenings after dinner while watching TV. I rewatched the entire collection of Downton Abbey plus the two movies which is apparently 56… Continue reading My first ever knitted garment
Knitting, baking, and ants
I'm turning into an old woman as I spent last weekend knitting, baking, and gardening. I took up knitting in the new year and have barely put the needles down. Oh knitting, where have you been all my life? I always thought knitting was too hard and so stuck with what I knew which is… Continue reading Knitting, baking, and ants
The mysterious case of the missing reference
This week my father asked me to get ChatGPT to write a two-page report on the efficacy of green leucaena seeds for controlling gastro-intestinal parasites (worms) in children. He could have done it himself but you how oldies are with new technology so I duly obliged. ChatGPT spat out a report that was very good… Continue reading The mysterious case of the missing reference
More skiing and a 16th birthday
It's Daniel's 16th birthday tomorrow - I can't believe how big he is now. He is turning into a wonderful young man. Yesterday he asked if he could vacuum his room. Although he's the first 16-year-old I've had I can't imagine this is a common request. He's kind, polite, considerate, has a wonderful sense of… Continue reading More skiing and a 16th birthday
The icy Deeside Way and an ant drowns in honey
Last weekend when I took Elizabeth to highland dance I decided to cycle her in Hoss, our cargo bike, because the bike path was looking icy and I thought it would be safer. Big mistake. The bike path near our house wasn't too bad but the further we got from the city centre the icier… Continue reading The icy Deeside Way and an ant drowns in honey
“This is for Granddad!”
There was much excitement in the house this morning because the ants in Elizabeth's ant colony took the moth she had given them over a week ago. She put a dead moth by the entrance to their test tube and it had been sitting there for over a week. This morning it disappeared and we… Continue reading “This is for Granddad!”
The Lecht
I took the kids to the Lecht today which is another ski field close to Aberdeen. After our successful day at Glenshee last weekend I thought I'd try to keep the momentum going with skiing and get another half day in for the kids. We chose the Lecht this time for several reasons. It's better… Continue reading The Lecht
Skiing at Glenshee
We were not deterred by our failed attempt to ski yesterday and went back again today with high hopes. Most of the snow disappeared overnight but Glenshee has snow machines so the beginner slopes were open and we got to ski! One advantage of not much snow is it was quieter. I have been there… Continue reading Skiing at Glenshee
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