This week I was – at least briefly – to be found strutting around in a rather fetching gown and feeling like queen for the day. It was my graduation – MLitt in creative writing at the University of Glasgow. While feeling an appropriate level of chuffed, there was a slight hint of sadness that […]
Cold comfort: Ten ways I know it really is winter
It’s winter again. I love winter. A quick glance at the calendar tells me that it’s mid November and the fact we are at 55 degrees north mean that it’s winter. Autumn is over and spring is a very, very long way off. But if you need other clues, here are my top ten hints […]
Tick tock – have we got time for another ride at the fairground
Written three years ago and – whoosh – that time has gone in a flash. How many years did you spend watching the clock? Tick tock. Waiting for school to finish… today, this week, forever. When I’m older I can… drive, stay out all night, eat as much chocolate as I like, all at once, […]
Things I’ve learned from my children – the party version
It’s party time. Another rite of passage lately – the teenage party. The campaign began months before, a subtle and effective manoeuvring of the notion from a slight suggestion to an in-the-calendar fact. I tried to think of a reason to say no, but there really wasn’t one. The teen in question and his friends […]
Things I’ve learned since spring sprung
Months and months of cold and damp (and snow too), then all of a sudden, there’s bird on the wing and grass riz. My favourite season because, just for a while, I can persuade myself that there’s going to be an endless period of wearing shorts and loafing about during long balmy evenings. Balmy, I said. […]