I wonder why we say ‘drama queen’? Why not ‘dramaholic’, or ‘drama-addict’, or ‘drama-fanatic’? After all, Elizabeth Windsor (as my good friend likes to call her) is probably the least dramatic person I can think of. Not that I claim to know anything about E.W.’s character, other than what history tells of her 65 years … Continue reading Drop The Drama
I had agreed to it, and happily so. It sounded like a great idea. Right up until 7am on Tuesday morning when I thought: the water is about 12 degrees and this bed is really warm and cosy. I knew swimming outdoors would either boost my energy for the day, or finish me off and … Continue reading Messing About In The River
I love living in a flat where I’m tucked in like the flaps of an envelope by those who live around me: on either side, above and below, I feel as though I am bubble-wrapped by my neighbours. “And what about noise?” one friend asked me, “can’t you hear everything that goes on?” Yes and … Continue reading Music and Fairies
The haar was in when we left Edinburgh at 9am; that maddening fog that’s apt to hug the east cost at this time of year when the warm air passes over the cold North Sea. “Either it will burn off or we’ll drive out of it when we get inland,” J. said to me, optimistically. … Continue reading Birdwatching in Balerno
How I love, and hate, that double-edged sword that is the certitude of change. When life is all swamp and drudgery there is comfort and more than a dash of sustenance to be found in the truthful wisdom that, ‘this too will pass’. But when the sun is high in the sky and you’re basking … Continue reading This Too Will Pass
People watching: the daydreaming it gives birth to is a great pastime, as one comes up with imaginary back-stories for him in the mustard trews with a Harris tweed waistcoat, or the older lady in a belted kimono with chunky amber clipped round her neck. The older I get, though, the more I realise that … Continue reading Invisible Load
‘What do you want to do when you grow up?’ Were you ever asked that as a child? Have you ever asked it to a child? And, I suppose we expect a one-sentence answer about what they want to be, rather that what they want to do: I want to be a footballer; I want … Continue reading When I Grow Up
Edinburgh is filling up. It never really empties out, but the pavements, all of a sudden, are bursting with people. The tourists have arrived, alongside the profusion of spring blooms, all of them having magically appeared since the start of the month, like a white rabbit plucked out of a top hat. I love the … Continue reading Life Is Not Hurrying
I crossed the new road bridge over the Firth of Forth - the Queensferry Crossing - earlier this month. It is now one of three bridges strung from West Lothian across to Fife. It joins the famous rail bridge and the older (requiring attention) road bridge. I know, I’m a little late - it opened … Continue reading Build A Bridge And Get Over It
For about a year after my husband died, maybe more, I could not read. My concentration wouldn't hold. It is a common side effect of bereavement: that inability to focus - on work, on conversation, on words on a page - without your mind wandering off into the past or spooling off into an unknown … Continue reading The Abstract Voice
