The Pentlands
Edinburgh is nestled among the hills, a little oasis on the waterfront. Each peak and each range have their own character – from the imposing volcanic mass of Arthur’s Seat to the sweetly suburban greenery on Blackford Hill. Now we have Ollie, I am spending a good deal more time out south, in the Pentland … Continue reading
Inherit
Inheritance. A funny thing. Did I expect to inherit my Aunt Karen’s laugh? Or my Bonmama’s index finger? Can I lament the kink in my eyebrow, which mirrors my mom’s, even when it’s a mother to tweeze? People write books about inheritance, but they always mean money or titles or yachts. Which is sort of … Continue reading
What We’ve Been Watching
I know people who work from home who listen religiously to Radio 4 or hot desk at some amazing creative hive. Me? I combat spreadsheet psychosis with background television. Only the informative kind, mind. Narrative telly is less conducive to work and more conducive to duvet days and pints of Ben & Jerrys. And here … Continue reading
Letters of Note
Can I just stop a minute on this crazy whirligig we call life? Because there is something about which you should know. It is called Letters of Note. It is full of wonderful transcriptions and facsimiles of real letters sent by real people, but now published out in the digital ether for our enjoyment and … Continue reading
A Minty May Treat
May is one of the very, very best months. There is sunshine and there are flowers and barbeques and a bounty of good, juicy wild foods for foraging. One of the first welcome friends I find in the hedgerow (after the prolific wild garlic) is mint, in all her varieties. Foraging is not a skill … Continue reading
Hello, Monday
It’s a dreary Monday morning. It hasn’t rained for one day out of the last, I don’t know, fifteen? I’ve lost count. A blustery haar is rolling across the city and I am loath to separate myself from my pjs. Haar: an excellent word. Imagine outside looks deeply foggy. Imagine that fog is actually lowlevel … Continue reading
How Can I Keep from Singing?
I have music in my soul. Despite this, I go long, intense bouts without so much as a note. I’ll not play anything, or even sing in the shower, for months. Then some unexpected day I’ll be filled with uncontrollable urges, spreading song into every inch of my daily routine. It’s a wonderful reconciliation, and … Continue reading
Scottish Ballet: A Streetcar Named Desire
Given the choice, dance isn’t top of my theatre-going agenda. I find traditional ballet is usually stuffy, keeping me at arm’s length, while the often abstract nature of modern dance asks me to take large leaps, and I’m not always willing or able to oblige on a tired Tuesday evening. But the burgeoning movement of … Continue reading
New Season Salad
Spring in Britain requires a little bit of flexibility. Some days it’s 70 degrees and sunny. Some days it’s freezing hailstorms. Lots of days it’s both, usually in quick succession. I like all this variety. Keeps things busy and my world feels alive. Plus, I take it as a personal challenge. Can I possibly dress … Continue reading
Originally posted on Morning, and Other Stories.:
Sometimes I think I am a whacking great coward. I haven’t done the scary things – sent poems to be published, read them aloud, re-established a reading group, for ages. In fact the last thing I made I was proud of was a string of bunting made of…
Que Sera Sara? 