Full of the cold :(

As the title suggests I'm not in the best form today! This is the second time recently that I've had a pretty bad dose of the cold. I've been prone to getting the cold for a while now and I think it's partly due to the fact that I run my body down because I'm always so busy!

Taking care of ourselves is so important, especially when we have lots of stressful things going on in our lives, such as exams. Speaking of exams, I sat my Higher History extended essay on Wednesday which I think went quite well but I am so glad its over! It took a lot of revision and that really drains you. I followed it up with a particularly enjoyable end of year Senior Orchestra concert last night and I am now exhausted!

So I admit that I am very guilty of over-working myself and consequently making myself ill, which is why I won't make this too long so that I can head to bed at a decent hour for some well-needed rest!

I think my aim now is to try and keep myself up-beat! I'm feeling utterly miserable at the moment but the issue is that it is so easy to allow things like the cold to bring your whole mood down. What I need is to keep positive, and I'll hopefully recover soon!

I'd say that to anyone; l aim to keep yourself health. But, when you are ill, just try and not let it bring you down! Easier said than done I know!

On another note, I finished reading 'The Fault In Our Stars' over a week ago (Tuesday of last week) and still haven't done my well over-due review so I'll get on that asap. Please, if you're reading and you fancy making a wannabe writer who isn't feeling her best really satisfied, drop a comment in the box with a suggestion, an opinion or even just a hello! I had a friend tell me that they had read one of my blog posts and something I'd said was something they understood and could relate to and it was good to known that a) someone was reading! and b) the things I say mean something to more than just me.

I'll hopefully have some more time to post again soon. Meanwhile, I'll stock up on Lemsip and tissues while I let this wee horror run it course.

Catriona xx

Book Review: 'Before I Met You' by Lisa Jewell

I actually finished this book a fortnight ago but I'm just getting round to reviewing it now so forgive me if the details are a bit hazy!

I ordered 'Before I Met You' on loan from my library last year as a kind of spur-of-the-moment thing when I saw a friend post a photo of their copy on Instagram.

It took me ages and ages (and several episodes of renewing!) before I decided that enough was enough and I was just going to have to make time to read and therefore eventually got cracking on what was a pretty thick novel. It appealed to me instantly as it was partly set in the past and I particularly like stories with historical links. I also liked that there was more than one story going on at once, with links between them. To sum up VERY briefly, Betty is in London in search of a women named in her Grandmother's will, while in other chapters we are told the story of Betty's Grandmother Arlettte as a young girl in London. However, I did find this to be confusing at times when the start of each chapter didn't make it very clear which story I was now on and I sometimes had to start a chapter again after I figured out which of two stories was being continued!

In my opinion, the novel's not really a romance as such, although there are plenty "sexual references" and storyline's featuring both 'dating' and 'courting'! Haha!  I like that it is a sort of mystery/detective story but also that you can't really pin-point its genre.

One criticism I do have is that some of the incidents which occur are quite unrealistic. Such as Betty just happening to make the acquaintance of a very famous rock star and his wife. (not going any further on that point for fear of spoiling it!)

I also feel that at times the story may have dragged a little, and I perhaps wouldn't have bothered to include a few of the details.

I don't want to say too much more about the book as I really urge anyone reading this to give it a read, it's definitely worth a go. And please don't be put off by the number of pages! One of my favourite characters is called John Brightly... I just feel like Lisa Jewell makes him seem so real :)

So yeah, please give it a read and feel free to let me know what you think in the comments box. I do have a hefty stack of recommendations but if anyone thinks I'd really enjoy a particular book or film then let me know!

Catriona xx

Busy busy bee...

So, I know its been almost 2 and a half weeks since I last posted but I have literally been non-stop busy!! Mostly with homework to be honest! But there has been some fun stuff going on too.. So this is really just going to be a catch-up post!

 

I've recently started driving which is pretty cool! I was soooo nervous when I went out for my first lesson but I've had 2 now and its not that bad!

 

I've also been enjoying lots of work as a waitress in the café, I much prefer working with people than shut away in the B&B cleaning!

 

I went to see the X Factor Live Tour a week past Sunday which a great night! Some amazing talent!

 

Last Friday was my dad's work's Charity Dinner to raise funds for the Aberdeen International Youth Festival, which is a brilliant event which brings young people from around the world to Aberdeen in the summer to sing, dance, act and play music. I'm sure you'll hear loads more about it if I manage to keep blogging until then, but if you're into the arts and  fancy checking out their website then I'll pop the link below :) Anyway, not only was did I get to attend the event, but I also got to play at it as part of the North East Folk Collective! It was a truly great night.

 

Then, on Saturday, was the Aberdeen round of the UK Rock Challenge. If you haven't heard of it before, please check it out at the link below because it would probably take me a whole post to do it justice (which I may do after the finals, which my school qualified for!!). Basically, its and inter-schools performance/dance competition where each school portrays a message to music through dance in 8 minutes.... and it includes wacky themes, awesome hair and make up and wonderful costumes! This year our theme was Mario (as in SuperMario and MarioKart) and conveyed a themes of drug-awareness and appreciation of the one life we have. We came second and picked up loads of special awards and we're off to Dundee in June for the finals! I wasn't dancing this year, but I was involved as a member of the stage crew :)

 

I've also been in a really Spring mood! Haha, hence the bright colours and cute pics! The sun is finally showing an appearance, despite the cold, and I've got loads to look forward to coming up, so I'll try and find time to write about it all in more depth as opposed to a list!! Next wek at Brownies I've been put in charge of overseeing a craft and the leaders want and easter theme so I think I kight go with chicks, so we'll see how my in-no-way-art self copes with that! Please, if you fancy a chat or have any comments at all please get in touch :)

 

Catriona xxxx


AIYF: http://www.aiyf.org/
UK ROCK CHALLENGE: http://www.rockchallenge.co.uk/