insignificant ramblings of a 50-something woman
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Zoe
We have taken a plunge into the dark side and after nearly 7 years of living car-free we are now the owners of an electric Renault Zoe. Yes, I’m almost ashamed to say it: we are now evil car owners. It was not a decision made lightly. We have loved living without a car and…
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Vintage clothing
As my readers of my blog will know I’m a big fan of vintage clothes. I’ve been visiting charity shops for decades; long before it became fashionable. Old and second-hand things have a mystery that appeals to me. Who owned them before? What were they like? How did they use them? Second-hand things have a…
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A self-defence move and a cure for insomnia
Elizabeth shared this YouTube video about a lethal self-defence move with us. Please watch before reading the rest of this post. You’ve just been Rickrolled! Elizabeth likes to Rickroll us. If you don’t know what Rickrolling is it’s what I’ve just done to you: tricked you into watching the 1987 Rick Astley hit, “Never Gonna…
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Bandit Bakery
I discovered recently that the baker who used to make the sourdough for Foodstory Café – Pete Leonard – left to open his own bakery – Bandit Bakery. A few weeks ago I went to check it out. The bakery opened at 10am and I got there at about 11:15am. They were completely sold out…
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I got my first covid vaccination jab
I had my first covid vaccine today after receiving my blue appointment letter last Monday. They’re working very methodically through the population going from oldest to youngest. When your turn comes up you get your letter with the appointment date. I’m 45 and it was my turn today. The whole operation is very slick. You…
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Insect-based food for cats
As a vegan I have found it difficult owning a cat and buying cat food. Cats are obligate carnivores which means, unlike humans, they must eat animals to survive. If you can thrive without harming others then why wouldn’t you? This is why I’m vegan. But it’s not so simple for cats and my plan…
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The Highland road trip past Corgaff Castle
We’re back in Aberdeen and fast wifi again – yay! We loved our weekend away in Aviemore; our first trip away since Christmas last year when the whole of Scotland was put in lockdown that eventually lasted more than 4 months. I think lots of people had the same idea as we did because Aviemore…
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Bridge over the River Feshie, Feshiebridge
About 5 miles south of Aviemore is Feshiebridge, an 18th-century stone bridge spanning the River Feshie. There are a couple of short walks from a carpark near the bridge and just downstream from the bridge is a wonderful wild swimming spot. Here’s the wild swimming spot. It looks about 1-1.5m deep at its deepest point…
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Aviemore, the Green Loch and Ryvoan bothy
We visited the green loch in Aviemore today. The last time we came here was September 2020 and we swam in it. Despite the sunny warm day the loch was freezing back then. Today was even colder and so we decided not to venture in. You really have to be prepared for every weather in…
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Happy birthday to Victoria, open again, and a successful competition
It’s Victoria’s 1st birthday today. At least we think it is. She was born on or around the 26th April 2020. Here’s a little video of her having her fur brushed which she loves. It has been more than a week since I posted anything which is unusual for me. Things are looking up for…
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Through the blue door … River North Esk, Angus
About 50 minutes south of Aberdeen is an outstanding walk along the River North Esk. It starts at the Gannochy Bridge, an 18th-century vaulted arch bridge about a mile north from the village of Edzell. You can park in Edzell and walk from there or there’s parking beside the blue door itself and also around…
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This is why we don’t go to Hazlehead Park
It has been 6.5 years since we moved to Aberdeen and in all that time I’ve only visited Hazlehead Park once. This is because it’s very difficult to get to by bicycle. The single time I visited it was when a friend took me in her car some years ago. Today we had no choice…
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The Balmoral pyramid
Today is the first day we’ve been allowed to leave Aberdeen after almost 4 months of lockdown. It was Boxing Day 2020 when all of Scotland was put into lockdown. Nearly 4 months later restrictions are starting to lift and we’re allowed to leave the city for exercise and mental health but still cannot stay…
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Siliconing the bathroom
I don’t like mould that grows on silicon in baths and showers and doesn’t come off. I’ve tried vinegar, bleach, elbow-grease, baking soda, and regular shower cleaner but it stubbornly remains. In the past we’ve paid a plumber to come and remove it and reapply fresh silicon. But over time the mould returns and we…
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Pastries, broccoli, tartan skirt, and carrot lox
Foodstory Café in Aberdeen have started making sourdough pastry. Their sourdough bread is already well-known in Aberdeen for its deliciousness so we decided to sample the sourdough pastry, strictly for academic purposes. Foodstory is still only open for takeaways but not long now – they’ll be allowed to open fully at the end of this…
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Seal on the banks of the River Dee
On his walk yesterday Ben saw a seal on the banks of the River Dee and took these great photos and video. We sometimes see seals swimming in the Dee but this is the first time we’ve seen one sun-baking on the bank. This part of the river bank is quite busy with people walking…
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Snow in April
I planted sweet peas outside last month and whenever I plant out sweet peas in March it snows in April. Sure enough, the snow came on Monday and each morning we’ve woken to a winter wonderland. Here it is this morning. There’s more today than on Monday or Tuesday but it feels warm so I…
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Easter buns and the AstraZeneca vaccine
Ben had his vaccination appointment today and it was all very smooth. It was at the mass vaccination centre near the airport. There was no queue, he walked in, got the jab, then had to sit and wait for 20 minutes to make sure he didn’t have an allergic reaction. Ben said there were dozens…
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Back pain, rhubarb crumble, and spring dinners in the backyard before the snow comes again
I put my back out on Thursday lifting a box of groceries from outside the front door. It wasn’t a big box but it had squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes and lots of other heavy things in it. On Friday I was hobbling around like an old woman which was very poor timing because I had…
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Milk deliveries, mung beans, and AstraZeneca
We’ve been getting oat milk delivered in glass bottles to our home twice a week for a month now and we love it. The milk is made by Oato, a British business using British-grown oats. This week the glass bottles changed and have a message printed on the side. I find it odd that people…
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