Joan Campbell's Scribblings

08/07/2025

18/08/2017

Wish someone could tell me how to motivate myself. Not to get moving, that's the problem, dashing here and there doing this and that is no problem. It is getting tied down to working on my fifth book that is the problem!! Started, then stopped because I didn't like the title. Got the exact title I wanted, then stopped because Himself says he must be kept out! Now there's a problem so I stopped again. Then I negotiated minimum use of his appearances. But, since then, I find myself so busy doing other things, there's no time to write...I suspect no enthusiasm, so where did it go???

06/06/2017

Don't know when I last used the Scribbles, probably so up to eyes in 'stuff', Chenin now one year old is busy tearing the desk to bits as I try to work at it, because it is raining and I've not taken her out for her walk.

Busy doing food tags for all the home-made goodies to be cooked on Saturday morning for the Cat Protection fund-raising day at Stoneybreas. Rain, sunshine or wind, hope lots of people come and make it another great day.

That is funny! Large calander B&W cat picture on wall. Chenin is pawing it same as she does to her own reflection in glass! Still taking in live mice for us to play with or so she thinks as we frantically try to prevent it hiding behind massive bits of furniture. Great game for her, terror for me, not again annoyance for Hugh!

07/04/2017

Knew I should not have watched the Davis Cup!!! Yet I'll do it again tomorrow because I'm a born optimist. Was certain once I got back from a holiday to Korea Japan China Papua N G and fascinating ports along the Australian east coast I'd settle down to writing my fifth book. As said, I'm such an optimist!!! Are lies told to your publisher excusable because you don't want to worry folks? It's enough for myself to be worried don't you think. Monday. I'll get nose to grindstone on Monday.

17/04/2016

Submitted stories to local publications in Caithness & Sutherland about Smokey, a cat in foster care for two months. Seemed ideal for a quiet life with a quiet person as he was said to be unbelievably lazy, kind but not fussed about people, definitely not a lap cat, and watch out, cause he could take a nip or swipe at you if you approached him the wrong way.

Well, Smokey got his ideal home, has proven to be full of life, never off the go, never given any indication of biting, absolutely loves being on the lap of the man who thinks he is the best thing since sliced bread. Even when he went out his third night there, at 10pm, was called for several times during a long night, but no sign of him. Then, at 7am, there he was, sitting happily on the doorstep...with a pal. Which cat took which home, we are not sure, but Smokey has it all sorted!

24/03/2016

At a conference in Glasgow last week, was looking forward to hearing Ruth Davis. Her delivery was packed with confidence rather than solid policies. But when it came to answering questions I was staggered to hear nothing but over-confident waffle until a member of this very large audience stood up and said, 'You're not answering the questions.' She hand't a clue when it came to unprepared questions and I was quite shocked, whereas Nicola Sturgeon was absolutely on the ball especially when asking awkward questions, most of the audience coming from across the border being hostile and cannot leave the Scottish Referendum alone. John MacDonald represented Labour and actually spoke well. Don't know why there was no Liberal representation.

12/03/2016

Glass of wine before dinner at weekends to look forward to, starting Friday night. So tonight, Himself prefers red, easy to pour a glass from a bottle you can actually see into. Me, I like white, and bubbly on special occasions. And you see, I had a problem, well not a problem, an excess of choices in the fridge, because I thought, through various happenings in the day that last night was Friday night, and so pleased to see the end of the day, opened a bottle of sparkly. Our glasses are small, crystal, nice, but approvingly small. Contemplating a second glass to put a bad day behind me when a friend arrived and I discovered it was still Thursday. Friend joined in a small glass as he too likes bubbly. Fine. Then Himself, having finished his red thought he too would like bubbly, despite it just being Thursday. So we all had a small glass and there was still some left to stow in the fridge for the realS Friday night.

So tonight, being Friday, I said I’d finish the wee drop in the bottle while Himself had the red. The bottle has that deceptive dimple in its bottom. And it is so dark, even when you hold it to the light, which I did, you cannot really see how much is left. My small crystal glass filled, and actually to my great surprise, each time I took a mouthful, there was enough there to keep topping up. By now I was cooking dinner. And Himself, having finished his glass of medicinal red thought he’d have a glass of white, opened because the box of white only had a tiny amount left from last weekend. Just a shake indicated how little. I said I’d just finish the box while cooking, martyr style.

I really was surprised when the box filled the small glass and throughout the cooking of the meal, no matter how often I took a slurp out of the glass, small glass mind you, the box glugged a top up. By the time Himself arrived into the kitchen to ask how the chef was getting on, remembering Himself is deaf, my answer of, ‘Absolutely sozzled because I can’t find the bottom of the box,’ met with a concerned ‘Don’t worry, I’ll help you find it,’ moving pots and pans about as he searched. He wondered why I was laughing.

What I’d like to know is, how far does your box go?

06/10/2015

Hey, what about the rugby? Is Scotland going to make it to the quarter finals? Himself says he cannot possibly stay in the same room as me for another Scottish rugby game. It's some of the commentators that get to me, especially tv ones, whereas the radio commentators are brilliant. Resolution: Put on tv, hit the mute and turn up the radio. Absolutely perfect, except my comments have been ruled out of order completely. I won't be here to watch on Saturday which is just as well.

30/09/2015

From birds to cats! Had cats about me really since birth, and having lived a long time, written a novel about cats, am the Education officer for Caithness Cats Protection and write all the stories that go in the Northern Times, Courier and Groat, read loads of cat books, do talks on the work of Cats Protection, I thought I knew all about them. Attended a seminar last Saturday run by Cats Protection, I could not believe how much I don't know about cats!!!!! And nobody believes me that if you get a kitten you can train it to grow into a cat that will ignore the birds on your bird table. Did that with four cats. What they do out on the croft, I am not responsible for but they never took home dead birds. Weasels, rabbits, mice, moles yes, but thankfully, no birds.

Now I just have one cat left and she is 19, too old to hunt, but not to old to focus her whole life round what I am doing...and she needs to be part of it, always, whatever it is, in a flurry of fur, and a call that makes people on the phone insist there is a baby crying and go and attend to it!!!

24/09/2015

Big fuss this morning on radio that Blackcaps are wintering in Britain recently because we stock up the feeding tables, but I had a pair of Blackcaps at The Sheiling for months many years ago. Then they disappeared and never seen any since. We have a problem with pigeons and collar doves raiding, and have three magpies visiting most days. But not seen the owls for a long time.

10/09/2015

Been neglecting Facebook ever since Shane had his accident, knocked the stuffings out of us all! He's in good enough spirits but still has a week to go before getting that all-important scan when we hope he will get the best news possible, that all is mended.As so many of us know, time drags when waiting results, and flies by when all is well.

Never mind, the sun is shining though Katrina tells me that we in the Highlands have had three official days that can be classed as summer days!!! That used to be a joke, now it's official!

09/07/2015

Spent an evening with my granddaughter last night. After an aborted attempt at getting the oven going when she insisted on a pizza, and wouldn't go for micro oven solution, we tried frying it!!! She sent a picture of the result with a note to her mother, "Please don't leave me alone with Granny again!"

The school holidays are going well!!!!!! But we did have a good laugh!