insignificant ramblings of a 50-something woman
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If you want to eat less soya, then you should eat soya
There’s a great quote from George Monbiot in the Guardian this week. Part of the reason [why a plant-based diet is better for the environment] is the extreme inefficiency of feeding livestock on grain: most of its nutritional value is lost in conversion from plant protein to animal protein. This reinforces my contention that if…
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Sustainability
I’ve been thinking a lot about sustainability recently both through my work at Award Force and also on a more personal level. It has become fashionable for corporations to talk about sustainability and I think, when done sincerely, it represents the best of humanity. I know there’s a certain level of green-washing where corporations will…
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Bikes and mikes
I gave a talk at the monthly climate cafe last night about my petition for a bike path on Union St. It started badly. The microphone was too short and in my attempt to adjust it I dropped the clicker to advance my slides. When it hit the floor the back came off and the…
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A pear tree in a whisky barrel
The local school was selling fruit trees for fund-raising and I bought a pear tree. They were meant to be dwarf/patio varieties which appealed to me because although I have a large garden, it’s full of established shrubs and trees already and I don’t have space for another large tree. I already have two plum…
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Blue poppy
The Himalayan blue poppy is flowering in my garden again. I always love watching the garden spring into life after winter. The changes are so pronounced and so quick. Every week there’s something new.
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GDPR aftermath
May 25th has now come and gone and I’m hoping this will bring an end to all the emails I’ve been receiving on a daily basis. I’m a little shocked by how many mailing lists I’m subscribed to and have taken the opportunity to unsubscribe from lots of them. For many businesses it’s the culmination…
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A bit of wind at Loch Muick
My father is visiting and as a day trip today we decided to check out Loch Muick. It’s a large fresh water loch bordering the Balmoral estate, just south of Ballater. We have never been there before despite making countless trips to Ballater. The loch is surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs with lots…
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How to add images to the comment box on WordPress.com
It is possible to add comments to the comment box on WordPress.com but not through drag-and-drop and the image needs to be hosted elsewhere. If you have your own WordPress.com site you can upload the image to your Media Library by clicking the Add button next to Media. Upload your image, then select it, and…
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Throwback Thursday
Me after eating chocolate cake: Share your own photo from the past to the comments. It doesn’t have to be a baby photo. It just has to be before today. Update I posted some instructions on how to upload images to the comment box on WordPress.com Or you can post the image to your own…
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Akashinga – the female anti-poaching unit
I love this short BBC video about the all-women anti-poaching unit in Zimbabwe. It brings tears to my eyes to watch, not just for the elephants they’re protecting, but for the women and how the job has transformed their lives. They are the Akashinga – the brave ones. It’s part of the International Anti-poaching Foundation,…
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The loo awards
Before I started working for Award Force I never knew how many award programs there were in the world and for things you never expected like the The Loo of the Year Awards and The National Fish and Chip Awards. It’s also heart-warming to see how much an award means to the people who receive them like…
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Vegan junk food
It’s easy to be an unhealthy vegan with more and more vegan junk food options to choose from at the supermarket. Recently Sainsbury’s added Goodfella’s vegan pizza and vegan Cornetto. The vegan pizza is so good. Even the very discerning Daniel likes it. It’s probably reasonably healthy for a frozen pizza. The Cornetto was also…
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Keith Brewery and mystery beer
Someone sent me a box of beers from Keith Brewery. I have no idea who sent it but the one I’m drinking right now is delicious. Thank you! The Keith Brewery website was designed by someone with a sense of humour. Hello, we’re Keith. And we spend more time brewing beer than designing websites. Too…
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Is HS2 coming to Aberdeen?
We received a funny letter yesterday, addressed to The Occupier and with our full address in Aberdeen on the front. Inside was a notice about impending archaeology works in our local area in preparation for HS2. HS2 is a new high speed train being built in England to connect London with the north. You can…
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Eating stinging nettles
Spring is here and the nettles are growing again so I decided it was time to make a meal out of them. Most people know that stinging nettles are pesky green plants that irritate the skin when you touch them. What you probably don’t know is that they’re a nutritious source of iron, calcium, potassium,…
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Pedal on Parliament 2018, Aberdeen
It was the Aberdeen Pedal on Parliament today. The Pedal on Parliament is a demonstration for safe cycling infrastructure throughout Scotland. The main event was in Edinburgh on Saturday but there were two smaller events, one in Aberdeen and the other in Inverness. It’s the fourth year running for Aberdeen and we had 80-100 people…
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Aberdeen City Council to report on the bike path for Union St petition
Yesterday I got to speak at the Operational Delivery Committee at the Aberdeen City Council to argue the case for a bike path for Union Street. This is following on from the petition I submitted in February. It was initially meant to be discussed by the Petition’s Committee in March but this meeting was cancelled.…
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Rewarding excellence
I’m excited to announce that I have a new job! This week I started working for an Australian company that makes software for managing awards programs. It’s called Award Force. Humans are extraordinary creatures. We are always pushing the boundaries of knowledge and innovation and an important part of this is recognising achievement and excellence.…
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Pedal on Parliament 2018
It’s just over two weeks until Pedal on Parliament in Aberdeen. If you want a more cycle-friendly Scotland then join us as we cycle, walk, scooter, and march to The Town House on Broad St. Starting from Rubislaw Terrace Gardens on Albyn Place at 11am or Hazelhead Park at 10:45am. Come in fancy dress, decorate…
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My son told me off for being sexist
My 11-year-old son told me off for being sexist this week. We were watching TV and one of the characters threw something poorly and I said, “That’s a girly throw”. I know, I know, I’m ashamed to admit I said that but at the same time I’m proud to say my son told me off…
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