Category: Journal
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Cross-country skiing in Scotland
It’s school holidays this week and so I took the day off work to take the kids on a family learn-to-cross-country-ski day at the Nordic Ski Centre in Huntly. I have been skiing a few times but never cross-country skiing and the children have never been on skis at all. Cross-country skiing appealed to me because it’s…
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Another earthquake for Christchurch
Christchurch had another earthquake yesterday; the biggest in quite a while and just another in the earthquake sequence which began on the 4th September 2010. I remember that first one well. It’s the reason we now live in Scotland. It was the middle of the night and we were all asleep. The sound is more terrifying…
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More snow in Aberdeen
Most of the snow melted yesterday but then it snowed again overnight so there are beautiful scenes outside again today. I wish we had more days like this each winter but I guess Aberdeen is too close to the sea and the mercury mostly hovers above 0°C over the winter. Still, I really love the…
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Snow in Aberdeen!
Last night I decided we were going to book a car today and drive in search of some snow. But when I woke up and looked out our bedroom window this is what I saw: Finally the snow has come to Aberdeen. Yay! The summer house in our backyard: I think the gnome in our…
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Vegan Cheese
Elizabeth has been begging to go to Newton Dee for the past few days. She even drew this picture of it this morning. Can you see Busby? We go about once per month, maybe more, and I guess she enjoys the ride there in Busby and also the promise of vegan chocolate or some other yummy treat. I…
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Petri dish meat balls
Food technology company Memphis Meats has produced a meat ball with lab-grown meat rather than farm-raised animals. I don’t eat meat but I am cautiously optimistic of this development because there are so many negatives associated with raising animals for slaughter for human consumption – climate change, health, and ethics. Two of these problems can potentially be addressed through lab-grown…
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What is commuter cycling?
People in English-speaking countries don’t understand commuter cycling. I went into one of those outdoor sports shops this morning looking for waterproof tights. When I cycle in the rain my raincoat keeps my upper body dry and my boots keep my feet and calves dry. But the bit from my knees to the bottom of…
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The sun came out
Daniel said to me yesterday as we were cycling home, “Why is it sunny? It’s not usually like this”. I laughed so much I nearly crashed into a parked car. It has been a particularly dark winter this year with lots and lots of rain and even flooding. However I don’t mind the dark at all.…
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“You can’t carry big loads on a bicycle”, Really?
Originally posted on Edinburgh Cycle Chic: “You can’t carry big loads on a bicycle”, Really? This box wouldn’t easily if in back of a medium sized car, you certainly could get it on a bus, yet here it is on the back of a bicycle. The humble bicycle has all the advantages of car as…
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Have you tried turning it off and on again?
This is so funny partly because turning it off and on again does quite often fix the problem 🙂
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Time to say goodbye to the tracky dacks
I always feel a bit sad after a fun weekend away somewhere and immediately start thinking about the next trip. Where should we go next? I want to see more snow. When we arrived home yesterday there was a present waiting for me from my sister which was very exciting. It’s some very trendy-looking exercise gear…
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William Wallace Monument
We’re in the train on our way back to Aberdeen. Here’s what we can see out the window: Before leaving Stirling we walked to the William Wallace Monument. Is there anyone who hasn’t heard of William Wallace? Think Mel Gibson, Braveheart. Some famous battles were fought in Stirling because at one time it was thought…
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Stirling
9 years ago today I became a mother. Daniel’s birth was very quick and hideously painful. I did not get any pain relief for his birth because although I asked for an epidural, there was no anaesthetist available at the hospital in Christchurch to administer one. It was ghastly. But now he has grown into a…
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The God Delusion
I’m currently reading Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion. I’m already an atheist but have become somewhat interested in religion lately, perhaps because of the rise of ISIS and the violence they encourage in the name of God. What makes someone believe in the supernatural? The existence of a supernatural being is no more likely than the…
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Cycling in the rain: BRING IT ON!
I got completely drenched cycling the kids to school this morning. But as I was peddling along and struggling to see through the curtain of rain battering my face the glass half full part of me was happy about one thing: the fresh, clean air. I, and all the other people in the city, have to inhale the…
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Scamming the spammers
One of my coworkers shared this TED talk which is so funny I want to share it as well. James Veitch, a British comedian-director-writer-producer, decided to reply to a spam email one day and his talk is about the resulting correspondence.
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Ben
In case it isn’t obvious on my blog, Ben is a genius, so I’m going to dedicate this next post to him. After all, who knows all the poems in Lord of the Rings off by heart? Something I haven’t mentioned before is that Ben is an International Chess Master. He’s been playing chess, and…
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Busby: an inside perspective
The kids had my iPhone in the bike on the way home from school today and unbeknownst to me were taking photos with it and even a little movie.
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Robert Burns
It’s that time of year again when Scotland celebrates Robert Burns with a Burns night or Burns supper, as they call it. These are typically held on the 25th January, the poet’s birthday, and each year school children are required to learn one of his poems as part of their education. Last year we had to…
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Baby photos
My father sent me some old family photos. Here are some early ones of me. I think, though I’m not 100% sure, that the first one was taken at my 1st birthday and that’s my chocolate cake all over my face. I’m pretty sure it’s my birthday again in this next one and that’s more…
