We’re back to default grey and miserable today, so I’m not jinxing anything by mentioning out loud: the last two weeks were… sunny. It started with the Edinburgh Marathon Festival weekend. I’d warned my visiting Up & Running pals to expect hypothermia, windburn and/or bad hair for the race, but the blue skies made a fool Read More
Do you remember about two and a half years ago I started Authors on Authoring, a “series” talking to authors talk about the minutiae of their writing lives? The rituals, the quirks; the paralysing self-doubt? Well, in timely fashion, I now bring you the second instalment! Today’s kind volunteer is Jen Larsen from Ogden, Utah. Her Read More
- Georgia‘s round-the-world romp would include Spain, Germany, Holland, France, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, Vanuatu, and New York.
- Sarah‘s tour would start in Denmark so she and her similarly Lego obsessed child can get their fix.
- Emmaline would do “an international (mostly European) tour de la famille”.
- Nicole is going country downhill skiing with friends and family in British Columbia with and evenings in a cosy lodge with Jamie Oliver as her personal chef and cooking teacher.
- Beth would head home to Australia and do all the wonderful Aussie things she’s never done – Uluru, Broome, Margaret River…
Thanks everyone who entered and congratulations to the winners – I’ve emailed you with the details. Please get in touch ASAP to claim your prize!
Comrades! It’s that time again when I clumsily pimp my wares and see if I can tempt you to try out what one of our members has wonderfully dubbed, an “international running club”, better known as Up & Running. Would you like to have a summer of run? Or a winter, if you’re on the Read More
“Hey. HEY! I THINK A BIRD SHAT ON YOU!” I received this news in the science lab, during the first term of my first year of high school. I’d come from a tiny country primary school with just five people in my grade. Now I was in the scary high school with all the kids Read More
When Julia picked me up at Bologna airport she asked, “Do you want to get straight to work, or would you like a surprise?” Umm… We hit the autostrade and she whisked us away for… an afternoon in Venice. Venice! I know it’s been ten years and I should be over the novelty of countries with Read More
I’m just back from the Up & Running retreat in Bologna. Good times, great gelato! One of the highlights was the Julia Jones Running Festival 6K race on the last day… I confess I’d been too obsessed with the chatting, the goodie bags and the pre-race banana supply for our runners to really think about the Read More
Day 49 I’d really meant to write those words! But first… … I had to catch the bus to Edinburgh. Rhiannon and I were the only ones on board without silver hair. But we’ve always thought like silver-haired people: get to town early and beat the crowds. … then we needed breakfast. We went to Read More
Mothershipism of the Day: “I really need to read that book, Let’s Talk About Lionel.” I’ve just returned from a brief trip to Australia and I’m nutty with jetlag, so this is your Warning: Excess Emotion Ahead! Because of the time constraints this visit was about small country towns and family. I have a bad Read More
Ten years ago today my sister and and I arrived in Edinburgh. My first week was spent whinging about the £1 = $2.60 exchange rate*, drooling over men in kilts on Princes Street (sadly not a regular occurrence; just rugby fans), grumbling about the snoring dude in the youth hostel, searching for work and accommodation, swooning at the Read More