Well, it’s happened. Despite a campaign of emails, newsletters, social media, and site notices letting our EU customers know they could continue to buy from us without hassle through 2020, their orders have all but stopped. As of this morning, I’ve received about 1/5 of the orders I’d usually get from the EU by the…
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Well, Leavers, it’s here: the day you’ve been waiting for. Exit Day! From 11pm tonight the UK will no longer be a member of the European Union. Celebrate and enjoy. Have some cake. Ring a bell. You’ve won. But remember this – today is the easy bit. And perhaps some of you still believe, despite…
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For as long as I live, I will never understand how it was possible that half a population were allowed and encouraged to vote to strip everyone of the rights and privileges they’ve enjoyed for over forty years. I’ve only enjoyed mine since becoming a UK citizen in 2012, but that doesn’t take away the…
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A few things I miss, in no particular order: Being able to trust the media. Not liking the current administration, but not feeling their tenure is the end of the world. A functioning opposition.A willingness to cooperate with international neighbours. Living in a normal country, happy with its place in the world. Not having to…
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I’ve mentioned before that I don’t do New Year resolutions. Instead, I like to reflect back on the year I’ve had and see where I’ve made improvements. Despite the spectre of Brexit hanging over my head like a perverse sword, 2019 has been a productive year. I’ve accomplished quite a bit. My proudest achievement was…
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I’m taking a little time off from writing for the holiday, but wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2020. Thank you so much for taking time to read my little blog. It means the world to me. x
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It’s taken me the better part of a week to get my head around the events of last Thursday. I’ve read a few post-mortem hot takes of the situation, but I’ve come away with just one hard fact – Scotland and England are travelling in different directions, and the chasm is vast. I had a…
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Every year I assure my family that I won’t go crazy with gifts at Christmas, and every year they end up staring at me from behind a mountain of things they need to find space for. At the risk of sounding weird, I can see now that I was being a bit unmannerly. Saddling people…
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One oft-quoted definition of insanity is ‘repeating the same action again and again while expecting a different outcome’. For over three years, I have spent every day trawling news sites and scrolling through Twitter in search of that one magical fact, that single bit of enlightenment, that would convince a small majority of voters in…
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I am grateful to have played a small part in this podcast about Scottish Independence. It’s coming. https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2019/nov/14/election-2019-is-scotland-moving-towards-independence-podcast
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I’ll begin with a disclaimer: This does not taste exactly like a popular name-brand ranch salad dressing. I’ve come across so many disappointing recipes for plant-based alternatives that promise to be ‘just like’ their meat or dairy-based counterparts, but are nothing of the sort. That said, this is a really delicious, creamy, tangy, herby salad…
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It’s difficult to believe my mom’s been gone for over five years. In some ways, it feels like it’s only been days, and in others, a lifetime ago. I think about her every day. Her dear friend Drucie Brown remembers her fondly this obituary, and it’s an absolute joy. With space limited in the local…
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No one speaks about the benefits any more, which makes sense. There weren’t any. Brexit is the project of the morally-corrupt 1% who managed to trick a small part of the population into thinking they were all on the same page, yet those on the bottom tier either don’t know or don’t care that every…
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I missed the fireworks in Parliament last night as I was too exhausted to watch. I’m mourning the loss of a family pet, and thought it best not to add to my grief. This morning’s press is no surprise – the ramping up and inflaming of rage, prejudice, and discord. But death tends snap everything…
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This post will go up a few of weeks after the event, so it might not be news to my friends on Twitter, but today was a good day. My husband and I paid off the mortgage on our house eight years early. I am relieved and happy to know that if the worst happens…
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Fig and Pen 