Author: Rachel M
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New furry friends
A friend gave us their old hamster cage on the weekend so we decided to adopt a hamster. We found one looking for a new home and when we went to meet her we ended up leaving with two hamsters so we are now the proud adoptive parents – or Daniel and Elizabeth are –…
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Adventure cat
I put the cat backpack on this morning, crouched down on the floor, and Victoria jumped in! I decided to take her for another wee walk along the bike path. This time I kept the top flap open but because it was not a planned walk I hadn’t put her harness on. She seemed to…
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Cat walk
Victoria jumps into her new carry backpack quite often and yesterday when she did that we decided to take her out for a walk just to give it a try. We did one lap of Duthie Park and she seemed to enjoy it. At least, she didn’t display any objections like meowing or trying to…
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Some courgettes
I didn’t go to the allotment last weekend and this is what happened. The kids were devastated (they hate courgettes). So we kept a small selection and put the rest on the street to giveaway. Daniel made the sign. I felt “Take them” was a bit demanding so added “Free help yourself” to the bottom.…
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Cambus O’May Suspension Bridge
The kids and I went to the Cambus O’May suspension bridge today. Ben is snowed under with work and couldn’t join us unfortunately. The bridge reopened in April this year following major repair works after Storm Frank nearly washed it away back in 2015. It’s a beautiful Edwardian suspension bridge built in 1905 across the…
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Cat in a backpack
This week we got a cat backpack for Victoria. I’ve had a carry case for her since she was a kitten but it’s quite flimsy and difficult to carry any great distance. I always walk when I take her to the vet and so I wanted something more comfortable for both of us. Plus it…
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Gazpacho
I still have lots of tomatoes from the greenhouse as well as cucumbers so tonight for dinner I blitzed them all up into gazpacho. The kids were not impressed when I told them we were having cold soup – I’m obviously a bad parent for not introducing them to it sooner – but they both…
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Blackberry crumble
Wild blackberries are ripe for the picking all over the place right now. Locally they’re known as brambles. Ben went for a walk yesterday along the river and came home with several cups of them. I turned them into blackberry crumble. This crumble was particularly delicious because I did something different. Crumble is just fruit…
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Online schooling
The kids have been attending a 100% online school now for about 18 months and overall it has been great. They go to My Online Schooling which is based in Edinburgh and teaches the English school curriculum. I feel they’ve had a more consistent education than many other pupils in the UK who’ve had a…
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Another year, another birthday
It was my birthday yesterday. I’m 46 and edging ever closer to half a century. But I’m in great health, indeed I feel healthier than I’ve ever been, and happier than I’ve ever been. I just got the results of my annual (although it has been two years now) blood tests this week and everything…
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More wasp mishaps, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, and some good news
I inadvertently disturbed a wasp’s nest in the compost heap at the allotment today. Someone told me a couple of weeks ago there was a wasp’s nest in my compost heap but somehow this information failed to make it to my brain as I hacked into weeds growing around the base. At first I thought…
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Summer bounty
I’ve got a lovely thistle in the garden that’s blooming right now and bees love it. Isn’t this much nicer than featureless paving stones and grass? It’s supporting the bee population too. I’ve discovered another use for the bumper crop of plums we’ve got: plum crumble. This was delicious! We’re also swimming in tomatoes so…
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Plums into jam
We have a Victoria plum tree and this year it has been particularly productive so I’ve been making plum jam.
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Is it fair to blame a charity worker for the government’s bungled Afghan withdrawal?
The rescue of 200 cats and dogs from Afghanistan has produced lots of incorrect media reports. Much reporting has been very good but there have been a few articles I’ve read that have been quite biased. You may ask, well, what would I know? Obviously I wasn’t there but I have listened to the source…
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Sunday diary: good food and wild swimming
Today started at around 2am with the cat meowing at me. She wanted to go outside but we don’t let her out at night and usually she’s very happy with that. I think her bowel movements must have got out of sync and she was desperate to go and crap in the neighbour’s garden. Eventually…
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People who make the world a better place
In his book, Do No Evil, Michael Berumen writes that ethical judgements are universal and apply just as much to business as to any other social venue. He argues that death and suffering are evil or immoral and that this is universal; not subjective. For instance, in his chapter on the environment he says businesses…
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Sunday walk at Crathes Castle
We haven’t been for walk in the country for a while. Saturdays are busy again with Highland Dance and Sundays is allotment day. Late this afternoon we decided to head to Crathes Castle for a walk. How many people who live in cities can decide late on a Sunday afternoon for country walk and then…
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Escaping Afghanistan with 200 dogs and cats
I have been more than a little moved over the past 24 – 48 hours by the plight of Pen Farthing and the Nowzad animal rescue team in Afghanistan. They appeared in the news several weeks ago with Pen Farthing, a former British marine who served in Afghanistan, saying he would not leave the country…
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Vintage 1960s dress
My latest addition to the vintage clothing collection is this gorgeous 1960s velvet dress with organza ruffling and a plunging neckline. It is really long and goes right to the floor on me. I’m quite tall too. The velvet is thick and heavy, very different to the fabric you’d get in modern clothes. The organza…
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The wasp and the sticky bun
I had an encounter with the local wildlife on the weekend: a wasp stung me on my lip. It was not a particularly nice experience. I blame the cinnamon bun. I had gone to Bandit Bakery to get some bread. Bandit Bakery is the best artisan bakery on the planet and they make the best…
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