I would have liked to have known my father when he was alive the way I’m getting to know him now, six years after he passed away. When I set out to write his life story in late 2013, I started without doing any research and the stories just flowed out of me and onto … Continue reading Three things I’ve learned while writing about a loved one
Do you know that feeling you get when you don’t really want to leave somewhere? When you’re comfortable, happy and there’s a strong pull to stay? I had that feeling again over the past couple of days as I started to turn my mind toward leaving Scotland, just as I had it when I was … Continue reading Farewell Scotland, Hola Spain
Standing at the start of the Edinburgh Half Marathon this morning, I was struck by what may be one of the profound questions of life. Can you run 21 kilometres (or 13.1 miles in local terms) in a rabbit suit? Not me, but as I was contemplating whether or not I could make the distance, … Continue reading A fresh perspective on the hare and the tortoise
There’s a sign just across the road from my 84-year-old Scottish cousin’s house that says “Elderly People” and it features two stooped figures walking. When I drew my cousin’s attention to the sign, mostly because I was surprised at the way the senior citizens were being depicted, she told me, laughing: “That’s not there for … Continue reading I will have what she’s having, please
There’s something about the bagpipes that just gets me, every time. I don’t mean just a little bit misty-eyed – I mean chest-tightening, tears flowing, crying. It’s pride, it’s love and yes, in recent years it’s undoubtedly mixed with grief over the loss of my Dad. But it’s been like this for as long as … Continue reading Bagpipes make me cry
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