insignificant ramblings of a 50-something woman
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A new piano!
Yesterday I took possession of a brand new, second-hand piano. No, it’s not a Steinway but it’s still the best piano I’ve ever, ever had and I’m so happy. I did try to convince Ben that if we sold the house we could buy the Steinway but sadly, he was not to be persuaded. He’s…
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We must guard even our enemies from oppression
He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself. Thomas Paine 1795
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Pennan
Our day didn’t start so well today. The power went out overnight in the place we were staying which meant I didn’t get a cup of tea at breakfast. NO TEA! The horror! What’s the point of getting out of bed if there’s no tea? Consequently we left fairly early and went to Pennan. I was…
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I swam in the North Sea in winter
A couple of years ago I swam at Balmedie Beach. It was March and so I just missed out on being able to say I swam in the North Sea in winter. We’re currently staying at a secluded spot up on the Fraserburgh coast an hour or so north of Aberdeen and so I decided to…
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I played a £26,000 Steinway
I went into Gordon Bell Pianos in Aberdeen today to look into getting a decent piano. They have a £26,000 Steinway which they let me play. It was amazing. I can see why Steinways are so famous and expensive. I played several different pianos in the shop and this one was on a completely different…
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Robert Burns Night and Donald Trump
It’s Burns night in Scotland today. January 25th is an annual celebration of the Scottish poet, Robert Burns. In school the children tasted some Scottish foods and learnt one of his poems off by heart. Daniel has come such a long way since we first moved here. In our first year he protested vehemently about having to learn a…
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The Man from Snowy River: a film, a poem, and piano music
We watched another 1980s classic film today, The Man From Snowy River. This is an Australian film made in 1982 and based on a poem by Banjo Paterson. It’s an Australian classic which I can remember watching as a child. All Australians are familiar with Paterson’s poem and anyone who has had piano lessons in…
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The view from the cycle path today
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$5 million up for grabs!
I thought I’d share this. It appeared in my Twitter feed yesterday and even if you have no intention of participating there are some interesting questions there. How are we to solve the problems of today? Humans are good at solving problems but so far we’ve failed to address the problem of climate change despite…
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A taste for whisky
I feel like I need to embrace my new home country a bit more and learn to enjoy pure malt whisky. Ben likes the peaty stuff and so that’s what we mostly have in the house. I decided to give some of this a try, watered down with soda water. I’ve got my armchair, pajamas,…
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Newburgh seal colony, Scotland
About 16 miles north of Aberdeen is a little village called Newburgh. We went there for lunch today, to the Newburgh Inn. The food was terrific. I highly recommend it. They put on a typical Sunday roast pub lunch but there were a couple of options for vegetarians. I had a chick pea and sweet potato…
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Film review: Local Hero
We watched a 1983 movie called Local Hero this afternoon because we’re planning to go up to Pennan, where it was filmed, in a couple of weeks. I can’t wait. I find myself longing for the natural world and for peace and tranquility and so we decided to plan a weekend away to a remote…
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The view from the cycle path
The other week I wrote about how the view on my ride to Newton Dee is different all the time. Today it looks like this. The cycle path had a thin coating of snow which made a nice crunching sound as I cycled along it. What do you think of my hat? I got it…
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Never put cyclists between parked cars and traffic
I was nearly doored this morning by a motorist opening her car door on us as I cycled passed. Fortunately I always take a wide berth around parked cars – for this very reason – and as it was the door missed the three of us by mere centimetres. It was a mother dropping her children…
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What to tell the man at the post office when posting Mooncups?
Yesterday I posted a couple of Mooncups to a friend who wanted to try them. For those who have no idea what a Mooncup is it’s a reusable, silicon cup which women can use when they have their periods instead of having to purchase disposable pads and tampons every month. The man at the post…
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Goodbye, Derek Parfit
Imagine you’re in a car crash and the only part of you that survives is your brain. Suppose your brain is transplanted into the body of a brain-dead patient. Does the person become you? Are you still alive? What if instead your brain is cut in half and transplanted into the bodies of two people. Are…
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Appreciating weather
I took this photo on my ride to Newton Dee today. I go to Newton Dee at least once a week, sometimes twice, if I’m lucky. The view is never the same. Sometimes it’s rainy, sometimes sunny, sometimes dark and gloomy, sometimes sparkly white with snow, sometimes frosty, sometimes clear blue skies, sometimes a mix…
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Bobbin bikes
Elizabeth took her new wheels for a spin today. She let me have a turn. Her new bike is a Bobbin bike and is exactly how a bike should be with mud- and chain guards, a step-through frame, and a basket on the front for carrying things. Without the mud guards she would end up…
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Happy Hogmanay!
Hogmanay is the Scottish word for the last day of the year which is today and it also happens to be Elizabeth’s birthday. This year we went to the Pantomime. I’ve never been before but I’d heard good things about it. It was superb and exceeded all my expectations. We saw Dick McWhittington, the Scottish…
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The photographer’s muse
One of my Aussie friends is a photographer and many years ago I was a muse of sorts for his art. Last week he was sorting through some photos and found some of these old ones. Here they are, photos taken of me in my home about 15 years ago. Stewart is very talented and…
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