Category: don’t come here to be convinced
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Unparenting
What if they don’t live? Do the safety briefing. Let them go. I wrote those words just there back in 2016. It was the first time myself, friends and my husband were really discussing the questions and logistics around a bigger question; What if I give my kid a freedom/responsibility – because they’re growing up…
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Skip Ad (Nauseam)
My recent free-spree from social media had been going really well right up until yesterday when I tried to pat myself on the back for dealing with my Twitter addiction then realised I couldn’t because my hands were gripping my phone, facilitating my new addiction to YouTube. In my defence, can I bring your attention…
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Picture It
It’s my son’s nineteenth birthday today. We sat on the sofa last night as he opened presents, one of which was a book of routes up Scottish mountains, and he said he’d recently stood in Glasgow bus station and felt the west coast wind rush at him, willing him to get on the waiting bus…
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Truth Hurts
I’ve taken the long way around getting to writing this post. A new job, long-awaited, started back in spring last year. My instincts told me not to take it, that it was too good to be true, but I mistook them for fear and shouted them down. I have calibrated my self-listening skills since and…
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Sharing Territory
When I was on Raasay in October I had a couple of close-ish encounters with a sea eagle. We passed each other crossing the island a few times and I was able to stop right on the road, get out and watch her flight with an entire island lying at my feet and no traffic…
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Pouncing Pressure, Hidden Hijack
I’ve been re-listening to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Magic Lessons Podcasts this week, to ready me for five nights away on my own to catch up on writing my novel a little, with the novelty of no interruptions. The thought of the time away is really a big deal when you’re a woman, a mother and a…
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Good Company
I’m proud to be a Dangerous Woman. The Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh are asking what being a dangerous woman means and providing a myriad of answers, one per day, over the 365 days between International Women’s Day 2016 and International Women’s Day 2017. My piece, entitled The Business of Incantations is here.
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52and40/1 The Importance of Good Lighting
Autumn has arrived and keeps inviting summer back onto the stage for another bow and enthusiastic applause. My thoughts are turning to putting the garden to bed for winter and revving up for draft 2 of my big writing project; editing workshops await (yay!) We moseyed with friends in Glasgow at the weekend,…
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We Need To Talk About Clearing
Well, I do. In this year of turning to salute and wink at my forties as the fresh new chapter, I’ve been telling you about all the metaphysical things I’ve cleared and neglecting to tell you about all the literal stuff that’s been leaving the bodily grasp, too. So, in order of colossal effort to nae…
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comme ci, comme ça
I put filters on photos all the time. Some folk think it’s cheating. Others couldn’t give a flying fuck. Others still say it’s about creating your own reality and that’s an everyday essential (and sometimes radical) act. I’ve realised it’s time to put filters on things I hear, too. I’ve realised there are times I’m…
Wordathlon 