The Reward is the Journey

I can't remember the last time I went to a zoo.  I think I've avoided them, put off by overcrowded and unfitting enclosures that felt all too enclosing for the inhabitants, with too much emphasis on their exposure as revenue generators by expectant onlookers.    So this weekend's expedition was somewhat unexpected.  And wildly different to my preconceptions which were all exceeded, by a mile.    Edinburgh's zoo is simply splendid.  Spanning an 82 acre park and boasting an impressive tree collection, it lives its mission statement: "to excite and inspire our visitors with the wonder of living animals, and so to promote the conservation of threatened species and habitats."   Perfectly situated upon a hill above the city, the views are spectacular and, together with the resident attractions, have been exciting visitors for just over a century.    Currently Scotland's second most popular paid-for tourist attraction (aft...

It was a refreshingly real piece of theatre which I enjoyed from start to finish.  I wanted to applaud louder, and for longer.  The young actors did a superb job, and spoke to their parts and to the audience as though from their hearts.    The Traverse Theatre was packed.  I was not displeased with a front row seat.  Pronoun is a piece of theatre whose awkward accuracy was somehow comfortable.  Dialogue involving and exploding the constructs assigned to gender is something I cannot get too close to.   Pronoun is an utterly brilliantly articulation of the sometimes terrifying journey of Dean, a young person navigating the early stages of transition - internally and externally; at home, at school, and in the big wide world.       A love story about transition, testosterone, and James Dean. Josh and Isabella are childhood sweethearts. They were meant to spend their gap year together, they were meant to be togeth...

Nathan Coley's outdoor work in the grounds of the Dean Gallery, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art   We stumbled across the exhibition.  I had intended to visit the two imposing galleries standing opposite one another, both dedicated to Modern Art, but had not anticipated encountering such a moving retrospective of Louise Bourgeois' productive career that spanned most of her life (25.12.1911 - 20.05.2010).    The Art Collection Rooms were as spacious as they were welcoming.  We were privileged to enter and occupy each of the connected galleries with only each other for company.  Left to enjoy and absorb the works of art mostly from the later stages of Bourgeois' life spoke to us in different ways, touching us and our individual stories.              Bourgeois' talent was hidden from the public eye until her seventieth year, when the Museum of Modern Art (Moma) un...

Palliative care does not happen by itself.  I know this to be true, from a very personal perspective.  I am, among other things, a care coordinator.  I do not claim responsibility for the care itself.  That is now, quite simply, way beyond my capabilities.  This is a role for which my only recompense is being able to sleep at night knowing that my dear mother is in a safe pair (or usually several pairs) of hands.    My sleep is easily compromised.  Watching someone you care about decline beyond recognition will push most people to the edge.  Chronic health conditions are no fun for anyone.  They take their toll.  Progressive illnesses progressively drain all those whose lives come into contact with them, and that  usually includes a network of people around the patient themselves.    I feel so fortunate.  I am not doing this alone.  The support we receive from the hospice is unquantifiable and ...