Monologues
St Tim for the next Pope?
I have done two things in the past week which have been significant. I’ve signed an on-line petition and I’ve fallen in love with Tim Berners- Lee – and yes, the two are connected! Firstly, the on-line petition - and I quote the organisers “It's hard to believe,...
No, I’m NOT recruiting for the Boy Scouts!
It never ceases to amaze me how quickly I can talk myself out of doing the chores and into a trip to the seaside! The amount of time does vary slightly, but on Saturday, it took all of 2 minutes to dispel any guilt involved and start the preparations for the short...
The King found his voice. Have you?
It’s a bit of a standing joke in our family. Take me to the cinema and within five minutes of the film starting, I’m asleep. Well, I mean, comfortable, warm and dark = sleep as far as I’m concerned! So if I tell you that I’ve been to see the King’s Speech, not once...
Are you Doomed to Mediocrity or Destined to be a Genius?
When you’ve finished reading this article, I suggest you go off and read a book, and I’m going to do the same. Not just any old book, but a book called ‘The Genius in All of Us’ by David Shenk. Now I don’t normally recommend books which I haven’t read, but I’ve just...
Humble Pie or Pig Cheeks for you?
There’s one thing about having children which is indisputable; they push you out of your comfort zone and usually when you least expect it. Let me explain. Most of the time I love being the mother of a daughter who is studying A level food technology at school. She...
Are you a Rottweiler or a Poodle?
Just been out for a walk with ‘our’ dog – we don’t possess a dog but we look after the lovely Susy from time to time when her owner’s away on holiday – see photo on the newsletter . She’s a beautiful roan cocker spaniel and a really sweet-natured dog to have around....
Do you leap out of bed in the morning?
What is it about getting up early? Do you find it really hard when there’s work to do, or are you excited by the day ahead? If my mum were still alive she’d be AMAZED at the change in my getting-up behaviour – let’s just say I used to leave it to the very last...
Self Improvement : Find your Roots… Go to Oz
G’day mate! How ya doin? I want you to imagine that I said that with an Aussie accent; I need to practice mine as I have a feeling I’ll be travelling to and from Australia a lot more in the future. This year I went to Australia (twice) for the first time in my 50...
Self Improvement : How do you live your life? Are you an average amateur or a passionate professional?
They say ‘a change is as good as a rest’. Last weekend I hopped on a train and went down to Torquay in Devon for a brief but busy visit - I came back feeling refreshed and inspired for a number of reasons. First of all, we stayed in a lovely hotel where the service...
Self Improvement : Dear Sir Ken…
The format of this blog is different from usual - variety is the spice of life and all that, so 'spice up your life' as 'those'girls say! It's still intended to be thought-provoking though, and if it's to be of real use to you, first you need to watch the video clip...
Self Improvement : Spend,Spend,Spend!
I was invited to go to the theatre by one of my daughters the other evening. She offered to pay so I said yes very quickly, even before I knew what we were going to see! However, I would have gone in any case, because apart from the theatre’s beautiful setting (The...
Self Improvement : To buy or not to buy?
What does gift-giving mean to you? Does it fill you with joy at the thought of making someone else happy, or does the whole performance fill you with anxiety? Did you know that HM the Queen has circumnavigated the globe over 7 times and that there’s a 6,000 word...
Self Improvement : Did Derek Redmond read Rudyard Kipling?
The thing I LOVE about YouTube is the fact that you can re-visit and share experiences with people who weren’t with you first time round. A couple of days ago I was talking to a friend about Derek Redmond, the British athlete - the name might not mean anything to you...
Self Improvement : What’s your legacy?
Last Tuesday evening I was doing something rather unusual. I was in Scotland, queuing to get into a Brechin City football match (you know Brechin, that well-known mecca of British Football!). Now for those of you who do know about British football, you’ll understand...
Self Improvement : I’m Coming Clean
I like to keep up with the times, but this year the house ‘springclean’ has been delayed into a house ‘summerclean’. Why? I need to clear the clutter first. I’ve never been known for my tidiness – in fact quite the opposite. I adopted the untidy habit when I was a...
Self Improvement: Birds of a Feather….
When I was little, I used to think my mum spoiled all the fun. Why? She used to be quite disapproving when I wanted to hang out with the naughtiest kids in the class. When I was 10 years old, being naughty was much more fun AND it got me some attention! Double...
Self Improvement : The Football Association, Money and the Beatles
England are out of the World Cup ( just in case you didn’t know!). Part of me is glad – couldn’t stand the tension of watching the schoolboy football – part of me is very disappointed cos I can remember jumping on the sofa with my dad back in 1966 when we won....
Self Improvement : Do it for my sake, Cappello
Isn’t it fascinating what’s going on at the World Cup? For a start there’s the match results – they’re completely unpredictable, which is keeping the tournament result wide open and exciting. European teams are realising that they no longer reign supreme in the...