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Red Writing
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To any loyal readers: There may be few postings for a while. Many things are happening in my life at the moment and to post publicly somehow doesn't seem quite right. If I mention nothing then it may seem to those who know me that I am ignoring things but equally I do not like posting really personal feelings. I have thought a lot about this and perhaps I will change my mind, but if there is nothing for a while, please bear with me. If you have been reading the blog and wish to remain in contact, then please email me as it would be nice to keep in touch with all the new friends who have dropped by. But for the meantime, thank you all for reading. My garden now has an arch with sweet-peas climbing up it - well skulking around the bottom of it at the moment but I have high hopes for them. At the moment I'm sitting at the pc listening to the birds outside singing in the evening sunshine after a weekend of travelling. I've also had a great idea for an area at the top of the garden (through the arch and up some stone steps). It's going to be a small Japanese style area where it will be lovely and peaceful to sit at the end of the day, sipping wine until the sun sinks behind the trees and houses. I also found a great photo in a magazine of some brilliant garden plants which has inspired me to paint it. The subject will lend itself to a really big canvas, with lots of vibrant colours and texture so I'm going to attempt it. I'm really excited but a bit nervous as I haven't done anything much bigger than A1 size before, but my creativity seems to be in full working mode and I'm going to go big for a change. It will possibly take a little time but if it works out, watch this space. If only I didn't have to work, if there is one sure thing to kill the creativity again, that's it! It's amazing how a couple of days away from the city make me feel almost human again. Do you remember the 90's craze of the magic eye?. I love these things, which is probably why I have a splitting headache and extremely sore eyes. I was reminded of them at the weekend and spent lots of time working out what all the little images were. Sad really, but it gives me great pleasure to know I can see them. I sort of understand the explanations of how your eyes/brain works it all out but I still think it is one of those really amazing things which makes me think the human brain has much more ability than anyone has currently worked out. Like the inner eye what is that really? Or ghosts, can some people see them and others not? According to research published today, ghosts do not exist! Research on Hampton Court Palace from May 2000 and Edinburgh Castle from April 2001 concluded that ghosts were all in the mind. The full report is published in the British Journal of Psychology but you can read the abstract online. I find dialect and regional variations of language fascinating. One of the most abundant ways these variations are found is in the names for childhood games. What does everyone out there remember hopscotch being called? In Fife it was "peevers". I've remembered why I have to work. Long weekend's are expensive! By the time you've done the garden centre bit, (plants, mental arch way thingy for them to climb up, netting) the endless coffee's, frappacinos, ice-creams and muffins, catching the closing down sale for new bedding, getting time to buy all the things you've promised yourself you would buy the next time you were near a certain shop, not to mention the several hundred pounds worth of outdoor and indoor clothes for school trips and generally spoiling the kids in the effort to make up for the guilt and time you can't spend with them because you are either working or too tired because of working, you have no money left! Now I am bemused. For the first time in all my living in Edinburgh years (which are now more numerous than I would like to admit), some kids have just rung my door bell and run away. A feat in itself, since they had to get off their bikes to squeeze past the car in the drive, ring the bell, squeeze back again, pick up their bikes (by which time I was at the door) and race away, supposedly into the sunset of impish humour land. I have to admit to standing laughing at the door because it just seemed so ridiculous that kids these days don't know how to play "chap'n run". Eeeeehhhhh, when I were a lass - that's meant to be a Yorkshire accent (not sure why as I was brought up in Fife!) - the whole object of the game was to hide and not be seen. Even SYD laughed at the sight of two little boys trying to cycle away as fast as they could, hoods over their heads and laughing as they went. Perhaps I should be more worried that, that ring on the door bell might have finally put me into the "old lady" category? The other object of the game being you only rang bells at the houses you knew the people couldn't catch you. (Oh dear - my mum'll kill me if she ever reads this!). Perhaps I need to explain to them how to play the game properly. They did look a little worried when I jumped in the car and chased them to the end of the road though (joke! honest!)Ah well, I don't know. City kids! Next time they pass the house, think I'll try a stick in the spokes *wicked witch like cackling*. Whilst shopping for numerous "must have" items for SED for her two week school trip, I was really taken aback when one high street retail outlet asked for my thumbprint. The poor young girl behind the counter, whom I realise was only doing her job, must have thought I was mad as I scowled at her and said "pardon?". She explained I was to put my thumb in an ink pad and put the print on the slip of paper I had just signed. I looked at her and fairly succinctly declined. Slightly flumoxed, she then asked for further id, to which I flashed my driving licence at her and she seemed satisfied. But what bothered me, and is still bothering me (and this is now well over a week ago), is that I really don't think they are entitled to do that? I am sure if it is not illegal, then it is at least an infringement of civil liberties. I am vaguely familiar with the concept of biometrics identification, but the application of that seems more in reverse of what I was being asked for. So I tried to check out the consumer rights page on the web but found nothing there. I had several questions, apart from a basic uneasiness about this practice. - What do they do with the fingerprints? Under the data protection legislation they need to be stored securely and I should have access to my fingerprint if I requested it but how many people know that? - How many children are asked for fingerprints and naively give them? (I know not many children have credit cards, but some do - mine don't!). There was a huge scandal in England last July when school children were fingerprinted without their parent's consent and privacy international were alerted. The whole thing felt very distasteful and in being asked for further identification, it made me feel like I was trying to defraud the shop with a stolen credit card. Needless to say that shop is now on my banned list and the children will be encouraged not to buy anything from it until I take it further and try to get the legality of it sorted out. I will however, give the shop a chance. Now that I have a minute and have climbed off my soap box, I'm off to phone to speak/interview the manager for what I hope will be a good explanation.....otherwise watch this space. The template seems to be fixed again! Still not sure what happened to it in the first place but many thanks to everyone who helped. Have lost the order of some of the postings and some comments but perhaps now that it looks a bit better, I'll feel like posting again. The thought of hundreds of Iraqis looking for human remains of their loved ones is too sad and horrific for words. Sunday, May 11th David Poe, support act for the Jayhawks at the Renfrew Ferry last night. Excellent concert, (enhanced by the gleaming smile hiding beneath that sultry mouth, definite eye contact and the peck on the cheek after the concert, while he signed a copy of his new cd "The Late Album"). The Jays were fantastic too. For a longer, if slightly over critical review in parts, see here. Thank you David for making a sad old woman happy for a moment.    Today in 1999 the first Scottish parliament since 1707 was elected. State of the parties: Labour, 56; SNP, 35; Conservatives, 18; Liberal Democrats, 16; Greens, 1; Scottish Socialist Party, 1; Independent, 1. You would think that being so young, the Scottish people would be interested in ensuring they had a say in how their country was run. Sadly less than 50% are interested. I despair. Let's hope none of them complain about the Scottish Parliament for the next four years. I feel so sorry for Olive the female osprey who has been visiting the Loch Garten nest for the last ten years. Her latest toy-boy is just not up to it! Let's hope another, more suitable, mature, male comes along soon. Keep up to date with the latest news and watch the webcam here.
There is one thing I cannot abide when it comes to registering your vote. Apathy. Yesterday's turn-out for the election to the Scottish Parliament was only 40-50% in some areas. Democracy is something no-one should take for granted. Hard battles have been fought in order to win democracy so a turn-out of under 50% is really quite sickening. However, it turned out to be a very mixed night. Labour still hold a majority but did lose quite a few seats. Full live election results can be found on most media sites. I am pleased that even though I had to stay up to 5am to wait for the re-count in my area, my vote did make a difference and despite all the speculation about why voters changed their opinion in my area this time, I maintain that the war in Iraq was the single biggest cause. I was going to write a more detailed posting about it all but having just missed being ploughed into by a van driver pulling out of a junction almost into me, I am sitting here shaking and trying to compose myself. It is the second time something has pulled out at me, from exactly the same junction, in exactly the same manor. This time I managed to stay on the road and didn't get as far as the pavement. However, I am left wondering whether I did something wrong, although I am positive I did not. But perhaps the 2hrs sleep and occassional doze in front of the tv last night has left me more tired than I feel? I keep thinking, perhaps I should not have been driving? Perhaps I do something when I am coming down that hill? And why is it always in the rain? Perhaps my lights are doing something strange? All I know is, I hate the sound of screetching brakes and the smell of burning rubber. And I am convinced I did nothing to appear totally invisible to the van driver. Judging from the look on his face as I sounded my horn at him, I really believe he just didn't see me! |
