Marieke, I stumbled on your blog in cyberspace some time ago and have been meaning to write that you must have the original pickle-- smooth totally defeats the purpose.
Anyway, I stumbled back upon your blog and thought that I must at least make your cyberacquanitance. I too am a gardener/sometimes writer/reader who ended up in Scotland for a while. I spent 1994-95 gadening at Threave Gardens in Castle Douglas (with a wonderful stint at Inverewe Gardens in Poolewe) and the summer of 1997 in Glencoe (I had fallen in love with the ranger who is now on Arran-- you should go if you haven't). While drawn to your descriptions of a place I love, and intrigued by your book reviews, the sense of kinship came with your search for a job. I spent my last year of graduate school looking for work and creating (with a wonderful husband) full fantasies of life at each of these jobs-- what he would do, where we would live, how we would get to work. We did eventually find jobs at the same small college (I'm a plant ecology professor) and we walk to work together and life is delightful, but the application process was an enourmous emotional roller coaster. In any case, I've enjoyed reading your thoughts and wish you well.
Very pleased to meet you, Sparkling Squirrel. It's always wonderful to hear something from my reading audience--since I can never tell for sure if there's anyone "out there"!
I've heard lovely things about Arran so I hope to make it down there sometime. Thank you for the encouraging words also. I'm glad to know that true love and employment can go together.
Oh, and I finally did get a jar of original pickle (small chunk) and my feeling about it is so-so. Thanks for writing! -Marieke
Marieke,
ReplyDeleteI stumbled on your blog in cyberspace some time ago and have been meaning to write that you must have the original pickle-- smooth totally defeats the purpose.
Anyway, I stumbled back upon your blog and thought that I must at least make your cyberacquanitance. I too am a gardener/sometimes writer/reader who ended up in Scotland for a while. I spent 1994-95 gadening at Threave Gardens in Castle Douglas (with a wonderful stint at Inverewe Gardens in Poolewe) and the summer of 1997 in Glencoe (I had fallen in love with the ranger who is now on Arran-- you should go if you haven't).
While drawn to your descriptions of a place I love, and intrigued by your book reviews, the sense of kinship came with your search for a job. I spent my last year of graduate school looking for work and creating (with a wonderful husband) full fantasies of life at each of these jobs-- what he would do, where we would live, how we would get to work.
We did eventually find jobs at the same small college (I'm a plant ecology professor) and we walk to work together and life is delightful, but the application process was an enourmous emotional roller coaster.
In any case, I've enjoyed reading your thoughts and wish you well.
Very pleased to meet you, Sparkling Squirrel. It's always wonderful to hear something from my reading audience--since I can never tell for sure if there's anyone "out there"!
ReplyDeleteI've heard lovely things about Arran so I hope to make it down there sometime. Thank you for the encouraging words also. I'm glad to know that true love and employment can go together.
Oh, and I finally did get a jar of original pickle (small chunk) and my feeling about it is so-so.
Thanks for writing!
-Marieke