Why I Love Twitter

When I tell people that I use Twitter, most people snort derisively, tell me I have too much time on my hands or say "oh that's for geeks! who wants to know what people are saying about their sad little lives? Tweeting? it's a waste of time".

Actually, I often find it's quite difficult to tell people what Twitter is all about. I wind up saying stuff like " oh well ya know you let people know what you are doing in 140 characters or less, and you er like, follow people and they ermm, well, they can follow what you are doing" and so it goes on. This fails to impress most people and in some ways I can understand. I really believe you have to use and experience Twitter before you really "get it".

For me, moving up to Edinburgh has been a perfect excuse to use Twitter. Edinburgh is a fabulous place to live, 16 months after moving here I still feel very privileged to live here and experience all the city has to offer. A vibrant, but relatively small city, Edinburgh attracts a lot of interesting, creative people and Twitter has given me the chance to meet some of them.

I moved here already knowing several people, I've made friends with other mothers from school and I have some fab neighbours too. Working from home, has meant that I don't have an office to go to and people to socialise and chew the fat with on a day to day basis. Twitter has changed that for me.

Every Friday morning a fairly sizeable group of people gather at Centotre in George St for coffee, bacon sarnies and chat. The group have been meeting for about 3 years, long before Twitter. I stumbled across it via Twitter, it took me a few months to summon up courage to go along and I did so whilst I was going through my cancer treatment. I was made to feel very welcome, I've met some fabulous friends who I tweet with on a daily basis, I've been to a "tweet up" and met more, and I am due to attend another in September which will raise money for charity.

I've met a great group of Tweeps , Amy, Juliet, Darcie, Bettina, Jackie and Kate and Andy. They have all been so very supportive of me during my treatment (which is now well behind me), both online and in person. They've made me feel good about myself at a time where the old confidence has taken a hell of a bashing. On a recent night out, Darcie took this picture of me, I do not photograph well, but I love, love love this one.

You tweeps are fab and I love you all.................. x

Highland Fling

Well here we are again in the Highlands visiting family. This is such a place of outstanding beauty and if you have never visited here DON'T (you'll spoil it for the rest of us hee hee!)

Earlier this year the BBC had a series on TV called Monty Halls Great Escape - Beachcomber Cottage. It was fantastic and featured a lot of the places we visit every year. His bothy was in Applecross in Sand Bay and this year we got to visit it. He was here for 6 months last year and whilst I have been here I have read his book based on the series. The bothy has been left open and we were able to go inside, it's amazing how abandoned and overgrown the place looks after a year.

Sand Bay
The inside of the bothy
Alan strolling about the (abandoned) vegetable patch at the back of the bothy.
To get to Applecross we crossed over the Pass of the Cattle (Bealach Na Ba) although the scenery is breathtaking the road is single track and sometimes the areas by the side of the road plunge downwards hundreds of feet - don't look down, it's a white knuckle ride! We stopped to look over to Skye and take photos of cairns.
The left hand "dip" in this picture is the pass (gulp!) This is the view from the other side of the Loch in Kishorn where we are staying.
A rare sight, me on a bike, taking by my snickering hubby.
We've been for a couple of long walks with me whining like a teenager all the way. Loved these old tractors, so stopped to take a pic.
On Wednesday we walked up "The Old Man of Storr" in Skye. This is the only photo taken where I don't look like I am being tortured, the climb was very hard, here I am am at the top. Look at the background view, it was incredible. NEVER AGAIN though, it was very very steep and the descent was a killer on the hamstrings.

Back Home

Well we are back home from Florida and now we are in Kishorn in the Highlands. We come here every year to stay with family and I started my blog 3 years ago whilst holidaying here.

I thought I would share some pics of our time in Orlando. We stayed at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, here is the lobby, breathtaking!

A view of the pool from the room

This is Epcot at night (obviously) the iconic Geosphere

Me in front of the big golfball

We went to the "Hoop De Doo Revue" a dinner show at the Fort Wilderness campground and it was absolutely brilliant and hilarious

Alex loved the Lego store at Downtown Disney it is HUGE!

The choice in the USA is vast, check out this sweetie shop in Magic Kingdom, every colour of M&M you can imagine!

Dancers on the Main St of Magic Kingdom

Pirate of the Carribbean ride

Just a few highlights of a fabulous holiday, hopefully a few more pics tomorrow. Weather is not great here so lets hope it improves soon.