For the people of Glasgow

Ethics in the work place

Tuesday nights, I go over to the pub with a couple of friends for a pint  and a couple of hours knitting and catching up. This has now come to an end, and I won't step foot in there again. The older I get , the easier I find it is to stick to my principles and what my heart tells me. Last night I happened to be in there when there was a meeting at the other end of the pub involving local farmers and the NFU on the subject of bovine TB.  General chatter with the landlord and his wife, while waiting for my friend, resulted in him saying all the badgers should be killed, and his wife agreeing with him as they 'don't add anything' - meaning there would be no loss if they were all exterminated/killed/culled whatever., who then went on to loudly profess she was an animal lover but.............  I raised my hand and told her to stop right there. I was actually shocked to hear this.  The chef in the pub recently asked me to knit him an Aran jumper; I agreed, purchased the wool and began knitting; it's going well so far, then the landlady asked if she could buy it secretly and give it to the chef as a Christmas present. Fine by me, she offered a good rate and I enjoy knitting Aran. However, after last night, I am not knitting this jumper. I cannot accept business and money from a person who has such  scant regard for life. I have written a note to her to tell her I am unable to complete the commission; if she bothers to ask why, then I shall tell her. I am now on the lookout for an alternative venue for knitting night.  I will stick to my principles on this one. Saddened, but with a lighter heart in some respects, it's been weighing on my mind all day. The substantial amount of money is irrelevant to me.

Sometimes..................

...................  only toast will do

Medlars, mince and other goings on

It's been a busy few days here, since I returned home on Saturday from my house-sitting duties. Have got a big good crop of medlars to deal with, I think will make medlar cheese for the store room. Work on the outside of the house is now completed. I remain steadfast in my hatred of plastic windows (even though I'm not staying here), so they have been repaired and painted for now, and the house has been re-pinked in quite a dramatic way! Gutters cleaned and repainted too, and TV ariel down, loose tiles on roof replaced. The house looks much better for it all too. One of my favourite meals makes a regular appearance at this time of year - mince and tatties; I keep it very simple, just with carrot and onion, and favourite accompaniments are buttery mash and savoy cabbage. Can't be beaten really :) Decluttering and downsizing continue apace; I have done the sitting room except for the computer cupboard inside, and my main bookcase; I will go through that today or tomorrow and thin out the books again. A lot of the books have duplicate things in them, so to lose a few would be good.  I'm sharing a sales table at the Guild meeting on Saturday, so will take the craft and similar ones then. Those that don't sell can be kept for the ordinary sales table there.  I just like things to go to a good home.  Small lights and candles, warmth from the stove and my rocking chair :) I feel as though I'm getting somewhere at last :)