Published August 25th, 2008
in Boys, Communication, East Lothian and Edinburgh.
We went to the Royal Garden Party at Holyrood earlier in the summer and had a very pleasant afternoon in the sun. Yes, the sun shone, a rare event this year. We didn’t chat with the Queen but did pass the time with some friends we bumped into. I didn’t eat the cucumber sandwiches but did procure a plate of gluten free goodies - the organisers have clearly done this sort of thing once or twice before. I didn’t wear a hat and noone seemed to mind. I didn’t take any photographs because GPD made me leave the camera in the car; after all, the invitation firmly forbade cameras. We enjoyed the bands and marvelled at their cunning scheme, involving flags and flag poles, that allowed them to coordinate their playing from opposite sides of the park. There was pageantry and there were spectacular outfits. All in all, a very pleasant, very British afternoon.
And then, towards the end of the school holidays, GP2’s football team went off to Edinburgh to hobnob with royalty. Continue reading ‘Royal connections’
Published August 16th, 2008
in Blogging.
Apologies if you’ve made a comment recently and it hasn’t appeared. There are 12 waiting for moderation that I can’t access for some reason. Of course, all 12 may be offering Viagra and may not be anything intelligent at all. But at least one of them is one of my own comments and, whilst it may not be intelligent, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t selling anything too undesirable. I’m away for another week but I’m sure normal service will be reumed soon.
Published August 14th, 2008
in Highers, SQA, School, Standard Grades and Teachers.
It was the end of June and so the end of term when I found myself reminded of the reason why I adopted Guineapigmum as my nom de blog. Three years ago (was it really that long ago?) the school decided to bring the Standard Grade exams forward a year. The students would choose their 8 subjects at the end of S1 (Year 8 ) rather than S2 and sit their exams at the end of S3 (Year 10) instead of S4. They would choose their 5 subjects for Higher at the end of S3, do a 2 year instead of the more usual 1 year course and sit Highers as normal at the end of S5. Got that? Come on, keep up at the back of the class. If you stopped gossiping you’d know what I said.
GP1 was in the first year group to go through this system and so he sat his Standard Grades a year ago, in 2007. With this first cohort, the teachers had to deal with two entire year groups Continue reading ‘Guineapigs’
Published August 13th, 2008
in Books, Boys, Holidays and Miscellaneous stuff.
I’m sure you’ve all heard of extreme ironing…
What lengths we have to go to to get boys to read.
Published July 4th, 2008
in Communication and Working at home.
My email inbox has been pinging with excitement over the last day or so. And why? The pings trumpeted (can pings trumpet, I wonder?) the arrival of several work-related messages which were sent on the 7th April. So that makes, ummm, approximately 3 months in the ether. They could have been sent by sea in that time. Or by horse and cart. At least one was inviting me to tender for a piece of work I had expressed interest in. A bit late now, methinks.
Is 3 months a record for email delivery? Discuss.
Published June 27th, 2008
in Boys, East Lothian, Edinburgh, SQA and School.
School’s out. It’s the last day of term. Yay!
But there’s a small problem, and I know I’m probably too late to post this. Everyone’s suddenly on holiday but we need to find a tutor for English Higher for next term. Can anyone in the East Lothian/Edinburgh area point me in the direction of anyone? So far I’ve only drawn a blank.
Breaking the habit of a year or two, here’s my email in case anyone has any bright ideas:-
christine at amisfield1 dot fsnet dot co dot uk
Published June 26th, 2008
in Boys, Children, Communication and Family.
When they’re babies
- Yours are perfect and everyone else’s are horrible.
- Childminding is a huge expense, and why isn’t it tax deductible?
- They’re smaller than you. You can pick them up. Just as well, really; you need some sort of head start.
- They generate so much washing. Sick-covered washing. Lots of tiny baby grows.
- Nappies. Yuk. Need I say more?
- There are no secrets. You bath them, you cuddle them, you wipe their bums.
- You have at least some idea
Continue reading ‘When they’re babies…’
Published June 25th, 2008
in Diving and Friends.
A week or so ago I was on the Menai Straits in Wales inspecting the underside of boulders. As you do. More of that another time, I hope. I came home to find, amongst the usual glut of emails, one telling us that Ken Farrow, a fellow diver and long time friend, had died suddenly, probably whilst I was wandering the Zostera beds of Foryd Bay. He had surfaced from a dive with his wife Alison, off the wild and spectacular Noup Head on Orkney, climbed onto the rocks nearby and simply gone to sleep. It may be the way to go, but what a gap he has left behind.
We have known Ken and Alison for over twenty years, our friendship dating from when GPD and I moved to the marine station at Millport on the Clyde. Ken and I were fellow National Instructors, and all the Scottish NIs would converge on the Clyde Continue reading ‘A step back in time’
Published June 11th, 2008
in Blogging, Boys, Communication, Family and School.
“You’re an overprotective mum. ” 
“No I’m not, I’m just interested. Do you know all the people on your contact lists?” 
“Of course I do. Do you think I’m stupid?” 
“Well, anyone can see those pictures you’ve put on.” 
“No they can’t. It’s private. And I haven’t put my surname, or my age, or where I live. Go away.” 
So I did. I went and googled GP1’s name, then GP2, and I couldn’t find either of them. I was mildly reassured but note - mildly. I have done this before but in a fairly desultory sort of way. Tonight, though, I was just back from the school Continue reading ‘Protective? Or overprotective?’
Published May 28th, 2008
in East Lothian, Miscellaneous stuff and Music.
If you look carefully on the State Theta website, you’ll see a picture of Guineapigmum indulging in an arcane Pilates ritual. I’ve been doing Pilates with a local teacher over the winter; just what I’ve needed to get my much abused body back under control. Anyhow, Audicia is planning to hold a series of classes - various activities - in her brand new, very beautiful Ormiston studio over the summer, so do take a look at her brand new, equally beautiful website. The classes aren’t yet on the website by the looks of it, but they are on posters displayed at various locations locally.
And the guitarist Gordon Giltrap is playing in New Winton village hall at the start of June. I think there are tickets still available if you’re interested.
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