insignificant ramblings of a 50-something woman
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Scotland bans smacking
It’s history in the making today with politicians in Holyrood voting to make it a criminal offence for parents to smack their children. We are the 58th country in the world to outlaw smacking and the first country in the UK. Sweden was the first in the world back in 1979. New Zealand did it…
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A nutritious, cheap, and easy vegan meal that kids like and vegan bodybuilders
I made a delicious and disgustingly healthy meal tonight which was a hit with everyone, including the kids. It was also very simple, indeed half of it required no cooking at all. The cooked half was a recipe from Rukmini Iyer’s The Green Roasting Tin which involved bunging orzo and tomatoes in the oven for…
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The Game Changers
I’m really looking forward to seeing The Game Changers, a documentary directed by Louis Psihoyos and produced by James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzeneggar, and Jackie Chan. If you’re in Aberdeen it’s on at the Belmont Filmhouse this evening at 6:30pm. It looks like it will be available on iTunes from early October. The movie challenges the…
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Red sauerkraut
I’m making a batch of sauerkraut with red cabbage and it looks so pretty. I can’t wait to try it.
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BBQ cabins and walks in the woods
Yesterday we went out to Deeside Log Cabins to get a part for our shed (we bought our shed from them) and they have a wonderful BBQ cabin/spa/sauna that I took some photos of. On the inside is a BBQ and very inviting seating area: A spa: And a sauna: The whole thing costs about…
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Aberdeen climate strike
We did our bit and attended the Aberdeen climate strike today. There were about a thousand people there which is pretty good for an oil city. It’s definitely the biggest protest I’ve ever seen in Aberdeen. It was a hot and sunny day. Unusually warm for September but I suppose that’s apt given we were…
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Global climate strikes
The global climate strikes begin tomorrow. The Aberdeen event is at Marischal College tomorrow at 11am. I will be there along with Ben and the kids. You can use the map at https://globalclimatestrike.net to find your local event. I am lucky that my employer is supporting me in attending this event otherwise I’d need to…
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A little bit hyper
I had a great day yesterday and got so much done. My employer gives us all our birthdays off work and I wanted to make the most of it so I baked scones, made another batch of courgette chutney, made the no-bake walnut oatmeal cookies from Dr Gregor’s book, did some crochet, I vacuumed the…
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The Henry
It’s my birthday today and as a present to myself because, well, why not? – I got myself a Henry vacuum cleaner. Henry’s are made in the UK so I passed my test not to purchase something made in China (although I have failed numerous times already this year). We did have a vacuum, a…
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State schooling
Daniel started high school last month and he’s loving it. I was worried about it all summer but I needn’t have been. He’s settled in so well, his best friend is in his class, and he’s enjoying the wide variety of subjects he gets to study now. He especially likes home economics where they get…
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Brexit disaster kit
Before the Christchurch earthquake sequence began I had prepared an earthquake emergency bag. It was a backpack containing batteries, candles, a first aid kit, a radio, a torch, matches, and various other things. I was probably the only person in Christchurch to have one. Then the earthquakes came and now everyone in Christchurch has one.…
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Chernobyl
Ben and I watched the first episode of the TV series Chernobyl last night and it was brilliant! I’m looking forward to watching the rest. One of the protagonists is the same actor who plays the dad in Friday Night Dinner. It’s a very different role for him in this series and because of this,…
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You don’t need to eat fish to get DHA omega-3s
Tell someone you’re vegan and suddenly they become an expert dietitian and will start listing nutrients they think you’re deficient in. Often the suggestions are silly, like protein, but someone who has done their homework will list something valid like B12. Vegans do need to take regular supplements of B12 or eat fortified foods. So…
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What to do with a glut of courgettes?
It has been a day of cooking. It’s that time of year when my allotment is producing way more courgettes (zucchinis) than we can eat so I had to take desperate measures. I took the advice of an old friend from Christchurch and made chutney. This is my first attempt and I didn’t make a…
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Watership Down
I just finished reading Watership Down to the kids. It was wonderful. I’d never read it before and I now find myself talking about elil, frith, and hrududus. The author, Richard Adams, invented a whole language for rabbits called Lapine. Hrududus are motorised vehicles. Ever since Daniel was a tiny baby we have always read…
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Global Climate Strike
Global climate strikes are planned for September 20 – 27th and I’ll be attending the Aberdeen strike on September 20th from 11am – 2pm. There’s a map at https://globalclimatestrike.net where you can find your local event. I urge everyone to attend for the sake of your children and grandchildren or, if you’re young, then for…
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If I ruled the world …
If I ruled the world … everyone would become vegan. Let me explain why. The fires in the Amazon rainforest are tragic but this is the cost of livestock farming. The fires were deliberately lit to clear the land for crops and cattle grazing. Most of the crops grown on the planet are used to…
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Wallpaper on every wall in an attic bedroom
Elizabeth’s bedroom has had a makeover. A couple of months ago we decided she needed a desk but it wasn’t as simple as just buying it. The only spot in her room for the desk was taken up with a built-in bookcase and when I pulled out the bookcase I discovered some hidden pipes. This…
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Lola
This is Lola, a Goldendoodle (Golden Retriever crossed with a Poodle). She’s a BorrowMyDoggy dog and her owner works every day so we give her exercise and company three days per week. We love having her. She’s such a delightful dog; so clever and so calm and gentle. I’d trust her with a newborn. The…
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A walk up Scolty Hill
We went for a walk up Scolty Hill today which is a small hill just south of Banchory. It’s about a 40 minute drive south west of Aberdeen to get to Banchory. The last time we walked up Scolty Hill it was snowing so it was quite different today. Everything was very lush and green…
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