Books and Swimming in Scottish Meanderings

This nifty little thing has changed one of my 'projects' quite dramatically.


As I've mentioned before, I'm trying to type up old diary entries (both private and Prosebox ones) so that I can print them out and put them into a folder. It's also a good way of actually doing something with some of the 4,700 photos I have on my phone (I insert an appropriate pic at the top of each entry)!! But whenever I laid the book I write my private diary entries in flat out on my desk, I was finding it hard to see both pages and type from them properly and it was also causing a good bit of tension in my neck. I remembered when I was working I had a handy little document holder attached to my monitor which was brilliant for saving that same neck tension so I had a look around and came up with the above. It was only £7, is exactly what I needed and holds the book in place beautifully.


I've just finished a book on Anne Frank called 'Treasures From The Attic' which was really good. I've actually read it before but it was worth a re-read. A lot of it is about Anne's extended family - great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins - how their lives evolved and intertwined and therefore how Anne fitted into the story and then how that story turned out and how it affected everyone close to her. And also how her father, Otto, came to publish the diary. Just a slightly different take on the much-loved diarist's life.

Speaking of books, I don't think I will have endeared myself to one of our local crime writers here, Stuart MacBride. Boyd (my ex husband)'s sister, Beryl, tagged me in a post in Facebook a while back saying she thought I'd be interested in this - 'this' turned out to be the fact that his latest book had just come out. Not realising I was posting on Stuart's (professional) Facebook page, I replied 'Weirdly Beryl I've never got on board with Stuart's work. I've tried a couple of times but they just don't hold me. I DO have the honour of being kissed by him though!'

It was only after I'd posted it that I realised where I was posting! Oops! So just in case I got him into trouble (assuming he reads the hundreds of comments on his page) I rectified it by explaining that it was all very innocent and took place at an Adult Literacies Awards event where everyone receiving an award got a kiss from him .

But the whole thing reminded me of a previous encounter years ago when I was off to a writing workshop at a small hotel in a local village just outside Aberdeen. I arrived slightly late and because it wasn't clear which room the workshop was being held in, I stood at Reception to ask somebody. I was joined by a bespectacled man and we smiled politely at each other. I noticed he was carrying some books and saw the name 'Stuart MacBride' on the cover of one of them. I was literally about to point to the book and say "Do you enjoy him? I've personally never got into him myself" just to make conversation when someone finally appeared at the desk and directed both of us into a nearby room.

In the carfuffle of finding a seat and getting my jacket off I didn't notice where the man went so imagine my horror when the organiser of the event welcomed all of us and 'especially our guest writer of the day - Stuart MacBride - who will be giving a workshop on crime characters later this afternoon'. And there was my bespectacled man smiling broadly at all of us. At which moment I realised that the books he was carrying were some copies of his latest book which he was hoping to flog after the workshop. I came out in a cold sweat thinking of the faux pas I could have made had I been given a few more seconds with him!


I had quite a sporty weekend last weekend which was unusual for me. My brother, Mike, was up from London to compete in the British Masters and Senior Age Group Swimming Championships. He's always been a keen swimmer and I have fond memories of him teaching me to swim at our local baths in Inverness on a Sunday morning. He trains regularly - sometimes over in Lanzarote - and occasionally coaches over there as well - swimming has been a very constant thing in his life and I think has been something he's often used to destress.

We met for a meal on the Thursday night when he arrived then I hoped to go and watch him swim as much as I could on the following couple of days. My other brother, Ian, and his wife, Margaret, were travelling over from Fort William to support him too but commitments prevented them from coming until Saturday. None of the younger members of the family were interested in coming along to watch so I was a bit panicked at the pressure of getting to the pool each afternoon and evening but I almost managed it.

On Friday afternoon I had arranged to meet my friend, Andrea, for a coffee so texted to see if we could rearrange for the following week. I was glad I explained why as it turned out she had planned to go and watch some of the races herself - I knew she enjoyed swimming but had completely forgotten she used to be quite a serious swimmer when younger. We found each other easily in the Spectators' area and once we'd worked out that the names of those swimming were posted up on the electronic board at one end of the pool, we just watched out for Mike's name 's at the start of each race and caught up in between!

She went off around 4 and then half an hour later all my horrible symptoms started kicking in and I was then in the distressing position of knowing I had to get home pronto but not wanting to miss Mike's race. Thankfully he swam 10 minutes later and I quickly took a video then raced home as fast as I could and lay down, hoping I could stave off the worst before I had to go back again.

The evening session began at 6 but there was no way I was able to have a rest, eat tea and get back there for then so I just crossed my fingers that he was swimming later rather than earlier. Made it for 7 but felt dreadful and was seriously contemplating going home when he appeared! (The swimmers were all downstairs in a completely separate area right underneath the spectators' bit so I couldn't go and speak to him unless he came up). Thankfully he was swimming in the next 10 minutes so I hung on knowing it wouldn't be long and took off right afterwards. He seemed really chuffed I'd gone along to cheer him on so I'm really glad I saw him.

Friday wasn't so successful. I made it there for 2.30 but had to leave 10 minutes later and had a very white knuckle drive home! Ian & Margaret arrived around 3.30 going straight to the pool and unfortunately we worked out Mike swam at around 3 so that was a real shame. Not that Mike would have been aware of it so at least there was that. They met up with him later and took him to Cat & Mike's house to see the latest addition to the family then dropped him back at the pool and stayed there and I caught up with them around 7, loaded up with all the medication I could find! I still felt pretty iffy but stuck it out and we saw him do his last race then he came up to speak to us just afterwards as he was leaving early next morning.

He did very well - got 2 Golds and a Bronze although I think one of the Golds was for the age category and he admitted he was the only one in that category competing in that particular race!! I told him I would keep Mum about that. Oops. The Bronze was a 'proper' win though - he came in 3rd overall against 9 others although was annoyed his time wasn't better. Seconds mean sooooo much in that sport - we were sitting there all impressed with his time of 1.18 minutes and he was just really disappointed it wasn't quicker. Never mind the fact he's 70 and has been fighting a chest infection since March!!

Two brothers not realising their younger sister is trying to take a selfie.


Two brothers finally realising their younger sister is trying to take a selfie!


They're not bad for 70 and 71 respectively. Mike's still in his swimming cozzie - which - I'm very glad to see - is a vast improvement on the one he wore several years ago when he was up here at another competition and was a rather startling all in one affair - kind of reminiscent of swimming costumes in the 1920s - and which revealed rather too much for family eyes. My niece was with me that time and she still hasn't got over it! :D

And now I'm off to yet another swimming pool or at least I'm hoping to make it. Cat & I have been trying to find a regular time to meet up and we've been trying to do it after Matt's massage class on a Tuesday late morning. But it almost killed me the one week I tried to be up, dressed and presentable by 11 so when I discovered he had a swimming class at 4.30 that afternoon I asked to switch it. However Lily also has a swimming class in the same pool at 5 on a Monday night and I usually go. It's ideal for me because it's a short time (there's not enough time to come to mine for tea and get the girls home to bed so Nikki gives them a MacDonalds in the car on the way home) and it doesn't matter if I'm not well enough to make it - it doesn't affect anyone. (We don't tell the girls now if I'm going anywhere they're going to be to avoid disappointment).

Last night after they went off, I felt like a walk so took myself off along the beach for half an hour. Then I went to ASDA and didn't really think about the fact that what I was buying was fairly heavy - 2 bags of compost, toilet rolls and 2 bags of cat litter. I managed fine though and didn't think anything of it and because it was still dry when I got home, I decided to get one of the bags of compost spread onto the garden. So more humping :)

Today I'm struggling a bit. And cursing myself for doing all that last night when I might have felt well enough to go for a walk with Cat after swimming today. But when you feel okay it goes against every natural grain in your body to pace yourself - especially when you see a thousand things needing done all around you!!