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thoughts and dreams

lifestyle Scotland thoughts and dreams

Snowmen and Season’s Greetings

December 20, 2017

It snowed. And snowed and snowed some more. I hadn’t seen so much since skiing three years ago. I woke up one Thursday morning a week ago to a world of white. The kids in school watched it fall all day, wishing they could be outside throwing snowballs at each other, stuck inside making snowmen out of socks and rice instead. Personally, I was happy where I was, watching the fat flakes fall as the winter skies darkened and the street lights reflected their amber glow into the classroom. Later, ‘Sleigh-bells ring, are you listening?’ rang out as I hurried past the High Street’s shops on the way home, bundled up in two scarves. Never had that line been more accurate. Continue Reading

thoughts and dreams

For you, mum

November 30, 2017

Mums are so difficult. Hard to buy presents for, hard to write about. Maybe because there are no words or things in the world that can make up for all the sacrifices, the selflessness. But anyway, here is a jumble of thoughts and feelings, which you’ll hopefully be able to make sense of. Continue Reading

Dogs thoughts and dreams

Prune, my star

October 18, 2017

A few days ago I arrived home, the first homecoming since I left, and as sweet as they come. Driving through the dark country lanes, stars tiny pinpricks in the indigo sky, I couldn’t wait to see my dog. And I guess she was just a little bit pleased to see me too. We all know the Prune way of welcoming you home, and standing there in the doorway, I’ve never been more grateful that my Prune girl was there for me too. Continue Reading

thoughts and dreams

Big sister, little sister

September 24, 2017

First birthday apart. Took us 19 years, which says it all. How do I condense 19 years into 500 words? All the memories? All the laugher, the pain? The tears, the screaming, the fighting? The inside jokes, the special understanding? The shared sunrises and sunsets, the rain, the storms. The places and people that have come and gone. I’ve never known anyone as well as you. Continue Reading

Dogs lifestyle thoughts and dreams

The Norfolk years

July 3, 2017

You know that familiar three-year tingle? Its a Kuijper thing… we just can’t seem to live in one place for more than three years. So I guess its time to move on, but this time I’m going solo. I have an apartment sorted in Aberdeen… and in a month I’ll be there. Continue Reading

thoughts and dreams

Just like dad

June 18, 2017

Birthdays, Christmas, now Father’s Day. The dates don’t matter anymore. We are all rarely ever in one place at the same time, so we make do and celebrate when we can. I learned at a young age that Christmas on the 26th or 18th of December, or even the 10th of January was just as special as celebrating on the 25th. What’s Christmas without dad anyway? Continue Reading

destinations thoughts and dreams

Why I love France

May 12, 2017

I doubt I was the only one who was relieved after the results of the French election. France has got to be one of my favourite countries. There’s the acres of rolling countryside, miles of winding roads, almost empty. Forests where wild boar roam, rivers and lakes framed by fields of sunflowers. There’s the long stretches of caramel coloured sand, washed by waves reflecting the blindingly-blue sky. There’s the food; wine flows like water, crispy baguettes are eaten copiously, fresh produce is found in every village square. There’s the weather; mild springs and falls, golden summers, cosy winters. Not to forget the unexpected chateaux one stumbles upon, in all their architectural grandeur. Continue Reading

lifestyle thoughts and dreams

Late Spring

May 5, 2017

The first baby pink petals started to emerge a few weeks ago. Tentatively at first, drawn out by the sun and warmer days, until each tree was covered in a shock of feather-soft pastel petals. Bubblegum, flamingo, candy floss. You’d exhaust your adjectives to describe the hues of rose that fill every garden, every drive. Continue Reading

Dogs lifestyle thoughts and dreams

Prune and Suzi

April 28, 2017

“This is Prune. She’s no good for me”. A scraggly dog with a scar under her eye and jet black fur bounded over to us, tail wagging, brown eyes friendly. Minutes before, we’d pulled up outside a suburban bungalow in the middle of a quiet Belgian neighbourhood. This surely couldn’t be the place, we thought. But it was, and that little house was to see a lot of us over the years.  Continue Reading