A couple of articles I’ve written recently addressed topics important to me. They’re evidence-based, I use citations and I back up my claims. Yes, you do have to back up your claims.

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Growing up in Glasgow I dated violent men and had violence done to me by men. I dated some great men too, for whose safety I was often fearful. My first love, Mark…

Originally published at The Garrulous Glaswegian.

My best friend in Australia completed her nursing degree last year. Certain people in her life weren’t supportive of her gaining that qualification when she started out. What did she need a nursing degree at her age for? She was told, in a condescending tone “A nursing degree? You’ll be fifty when you get it!” To which my comment was “You’ll be fifty whether you get it or not, which would you rather?”

That’s her on her 50th birthday in the video above, with her oldest friend who…

The breeze is helpful in the way toddlers are, shimmying the plastic drop cloths, gently tugging them free to float towards the paint, scattering spatters and wafting insects to their doom.

Minute creatures have been nose-diving into my iced water, drowning with cool relief in search of respite from a lackadaisical Queensland morning. We’ve already beaten the estimated temperature by two degrees, six weeks into Spring.

My skin is greasy with sunblock, factor balaclava, visor clamped to my head. I’ve brushed and hosed the door down, it dried almost instantly in the rising heat, and now I’m patiently applying masking…

This story was originally published here:

Somehow, I avoided the knowledge that a micro-penis was a genuine thing until I was at least 40. I did hear the expression occasionally, but simply assumed it to be another exaggerated form of insult, like when we say any woman over a size 8 is a planet with eyes, but really we mean “normal size range but not slender”. Without examining the issue too closely, pun not intended, I assumed all penises to be within an average range, with some on the smaller side.

I was wrong.

I too love graveyards, but I think if this had happened to me I might still be screaming in a padded cell somewhere. I grew up in Glasgow, there were lots of graveyards there. This has reminded me of a tale I might just write about :) Not nearly as creepy as falling into a grave, mind you!

Originally published here:

Ok, so you’ve found your courage, your voice and your topic, and you’re all ready to jump in to your first PodCast. What now?

As always, fellow traveller, please remember these aren’t instructions, they’re my opinions based on my own experiences. I want to help you get started, but I don’t want the blame if my choices don’t work for you!

I also want to be clear that these opinions are my own, this is not a sponsored post, I don’t make a penny from telling you about these resources, I just know it took me a…

This article was originally published here:

How to make a PodCast from scratch, Part 2, the practicalities, can be found here:

Greetings fellow travellers, I’ve been out in the wide world creating, getting paid for it, and having some fun. I’ve also taught myself how to make a PodCast, from scratch, and I’ve made 3 episodes so far. I’m not an expert, but I’m doing it. If you’re interested in learning how to PodCast too, read on :)

And while I’ve got your attention, if you haven’t seen my wee short fiction story, perhaps you’d care to have a look…

This post was originally published here: The Garrulous Glaswegian

Dear friends, here’s my latest PodCast, and this time it’s all about forgiveness. I strongly believe it’s harmful to try to enforce forgiveness, and despite what the Insta influencers would have you believe, it’s not necessary for you, or anyone, to forgive to “move on”, unless you choose to give that gift. What’s more, by insisting that your feelings and your discomfort takes priority over the person who has been harmed, you are perpetuating their abuse. …