Day 22 & 23: Scottish Sunshine

Hello My Friends!

Wow! We're almost at the end of May already, how on earth did that happen!? It's flown in! It's been a very busy weekend with numerous things happening and I've been working a ton of things so sadly, I've had to leave blogging for a couple days or I wouldn't have been able to get anything else done. But back and I'm here I am now to tell you all about my day. So sit back and relax for a short while whilst you read.

Monday 30th May, bank holiday Monday or in other words; an extra day off school or in my instance, tutoring! I knew I would have to get up early as the workmen were coming to fit a new radiator in my room but I thought I'd push it as long as I possibly could and stay cuddled up in the comfort on my own bed. But at around 9am there was a knock at the door; the workmen had arrived. I don't think I've ever got up as quickly in my life before Mum could answer the door. Quickly, I lifted a pile of thing consisting of my laptop, charger and iPod (you know, the necessities!) and made my way through to the living room whilst Mum let the workmen in. I sat there half asleep on the sofa and decided to make use of getting up early and do some work on my laptop and finish editing things on my laptop.

Within a short period of time, the workmen had finished doing what they were doing and no sooner than they arrived, they left. Mum made us a delicious cooked breakfast whilst I continued to work away on my laptop until it was ready. I think I spent a while chatting to my sister at the table which gave me just enough time to get dressed and make my bed before my Grandparents arrived at the house. We all headed out to TK Maxx for my Grandparent's to have some lunch. We'd already eaten a bigger breakfast so Mum, Laurel and I just had a drink, cake and a scone for me!

Due to the weather being exceptionally nice my parents decided we'd make the most of it and have a barbecue using the barbecue my Mum gave my Dad for Christmas at one of our old houses however, we never got round to using it because we moved to our old flat just a little while later. During that time, the BBQ was stored at my Grandparent's house. Now, we have a lovely big garden with more than enough room for the BBQ! So it was great to finally get some use out of it. Let's face it; how many days are we actually able to have a BBQ in Scotland? Once every blue moon! So we all were able to sit outside and enjoy the sun whilst my Dad and Grandad built up the BBQ for the first time.

Soon enough the food was on the grill and my goodness was it delicious! Yeah, things like sausages and chicken are extremely tasty but I must say the highlights for me anyway is corn on the cobb, red peppers and mushrooms cooked on the BBQ. They seriously taste amazing!

I've been working nonstop on various things of late so haven't had much of a chance to just chill out. So for once, I decided to put everything aside for a couple of hours and pull out some of my art supplies and paint. Not for school or anything, just for my own enjoyment. It's nowhere near complete and it'll probably be a while before the opportunity arises to finish it but who cares!

After we'd all eaten, it became cooler so my Dad and Grandad disappeared into the house to no doubt hog the TV. The bold Robyn is always the last one standing. I like to push it for as long as I possibly can so we all sat out for a while longer watching a dark cloud slowly approach in the distance. And yep, you guessed it! The rain soon began to fall so it was a mad rush to clear everything away and head back inside before it got any heavier. Good old Scottish weather at it's best eh!?

And that brings us to today, Tuesday in other words. Today, I've been bursting with excitement all day. Tomorrow is the big day! Yep, tomorrow we see The Boss, Bruce Springsteen in concert and I'm very excited to say the least! It's been three years since I last saw Bruce at Wembley Stadium and funnily enough, this will be my third Bruce gig and my first time seeing him live in Scotland. I've decided that I'm going to attempt to vlog my day and share it with you guys on YouTube so here's hoping I actually manage to do it! But put it this way, I think it'll be a pretty good vlog-trust me!

Anyway, we dropped Laurel off at school this morning when we got a message from my tutor who had to cancel my music session which was due to take place this afternoon as his first grandchild had just been born. So that's pretty exciting news anyway! And to top if off, I get a wee day to myself! We'd planned to head into town anyway but that meant we didn't have to worry too much about time. So we were able to have a proper look in some of the shops and pick up a few bits and pieces.

Next, we zipped in and out of the streets of the town I live in where there seems to be traffic jams wherever you go at the moment and eventually, made it to ASDA. We picked up a few salad items to go with the food we had left over from last night's BBQ as the weather was warmer than yesterday so we thought we might as well have another one. We also popped into the new M&S food hall next to ASDA. We got speaking to a lady and her dog 'Charlie' who were parked next to us, I'm a real sucker for dogs so couldn't help but have a wee hug and stroke-you know how it is!

Back home, Mum was in the kitchen prepping our lunch to take out into the garden and I nipped into my room and just happened to be scrolling through my Facebook when I saw that Richie Sambora and Orianthi are heading back to the UK as a support act for Bad Company later this year. Funnily enough, I'd literally just mentioned them to Mum sitting in Costa a couple of hours earlier saying I bet they're going to head out on tour sometime soon. And then the big announcement came. I was bursting to say the least-I'm such a big fan of theirs!

We spent most of the afternoon chilling out in the garden, only leaving to pick Laurel up and then straight back outside again. Our house seems to be amidst the flightpath of the local airport as there was a constant flow of planes taking off and flying above the house. Seriously, another plane took off everything ten minutes or so-I'd never seen it so busy!

When Dad arrived home from work, he got straight into setting up the BBQ-think he might have been hungry! Again, the BBQ was pretty delicious! Mmmmmm! Here's hoping the sunny weather continues so we can have many more in the coming weeks.

Anyway, I really ought to go folks! It's getting late and I have so much to do before I head to bed! I'll keep you all posted on the Bruce concert tomorrow and like I said earlier, providing all goes well I plan on vlogging the day to take you guys along with me. So keep an eye out for that!

Until next time!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Song of The Month May 2016

Well, it's that time of the month again where I pick a Song of The Month to share with you guys here on my blog. It's always a difficult decision as they are so many amazing songs out there and being a music geek it's a tricky decision narrowing it down to just one. But somehow I have. So I can now reveal that May's Song of The Month is.............................

Waitin' On A Sunny Day by Bruce Springsteen

As I'm sure I've mentioned on at least a few occasions now, I'm off to see Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band live in Glasgow this week (Wednesday 1st June!) and I am so excited! This will be my third Bruce concert and my first time seeing him in my home country of Scotland. Naturally, I've been gearing up for the gig by listening to his music and also throwing a few of his songs in here and there during my weekly radio show.

Bruce has so many amazing songs however, I decided to choose "Waitin' On A Sunny Day". It's a great song and I love hearing it performed live. Usually, Bruce picks a kid in the audience to sing it with him which is beyond cool and the atmosphere is always absolutely amazing! So here's hoping we'll be blessed with a sunny day in Glasgow this Wednesday and that Bruce might perform it live! But I'll keep you posted with everything that happens at the gig in a future blog post so keep an eye out for that!

In the meantime, enjoy listening to this fabulous tune and be sure to let me know if you're catching Bruce live in the next couple of weeks and what your favourite Bruce song is!

Until next month!
Love & Peace,
The Hat Hippie xx

Day 20 & 21: New Radio Slot!

Hello! Hello! Hello!

It's been yet another busy couple of days so without further ado let's get started shall we!?

Yesterday (all my troubles seemed so far away-sorry I just couldn't help it!), was to some degree a non eventful day as we didn't have the normal get up, eat breakfast, get dressed and take Laurel to school routine due to the fact that Laurel has come down with a sore throat. As much as I feel sorry for Laurel who's poorly, it was on the other hand pretty nice to get an extra long lie in my beloved bed until around 10am. It was around then when I slowly dragged myself out of bed and into the living room. I had a little time to spare before my art tutor arrived early in the afternoon so got my artwork out and continued working on it. Like I said in a previous post, I'm currently working on a collage piece so it's not the most natural thing to me. Give me a paint brush and a pen any day and you're on a winner! I decided I didn't feel confident enough to add anything else to the piece until my tutor arrived as I've grown up with the philosophy that "less is more" so instead opted to use my watercolour pencils to add a little colours to some of the black and white images already in the collage. That however, was like second nature to me.

At that point I felt like I was at a dead end and didn't have a clue where to take my work. It was nowhere near complete, that's for sure! However, my tutor arrived and worked her magic and within a short period of time helped me completely transform it using watercolours and a gradient technique in the background. It's amazing how different it now looks!

Afterwards, I made a start on preparation for my radio show the following day. I like to have notes and a list of songs that help give me a rough basis for my show. Although, it normally develops and changes depending upon how I feel, what's happening in the world or sometimes I hear a song on the radio and think 'Oh! I think I might play that this week!'. I love the fact that I've become confident enough on radio to be able to do that. And just like every other night I sit down with my laptop to work on my Blog and edit my a little more of my radio interview.

So Thursday (yesterday); the busiest day of the week came and went. My tutor arrived at the usual time for my bass lesson and again, we revisited the last song I'd been working on 'Ruby Tuesday' by The Rolling Stones. I absolutely love jamming to that song-it's so much fun! I also started learning to play 'Under My Thumb' which was good but for whatever reason there was one note I kept playing a little longer than required. However, I'll persist with it until I get it right so wish me luck!

The mad Thursday rush soon pursued as I got organised to head out the door to make my way to 3TFM in time for my show. So a quick bite of lunch was in order as well as organised the CDs and note required during the show. 

When I arrived at the station, I received the exciting news that from Thursday 9th June onwards, I'll be changing shifts and will instead be hosting an evening show which I'd been hoping to eventually progress to. So next Thursday will be my last one o'clock slot and then it'll be the start of a new chapter! I have lots of ideas for my show that would work best in the evenings so it'll be great to finally put them into action. Ironically, I aired my first ever live radio show almost a exactly a year to date on the 11th of June so it'll be an anniversary show in many respects too. If you're about on the 9th, be sure to tune in and join me!

My show went pretty well which is always a good thing for me, the presenter. There's nothing worse than when a technical issues arises hehe! But that's showbiz for you I suppose! The show had a particularly good playlist if I do say so myself. And of course it was the fabulous Stevie Nicks' birthday so I had to play one of her songs as you all know how much I admire her. So Stevie, if you're reading this (if only!) I wish you the most amazing Birthday!

On route back home, Mum and I did the weekly supermarket shop and stopped for a quick refreshment in the café beforehand as I usually need something cold to clear my throat as I talk too much! Once back home we unpacked the shopping (everybody hates that job!) and put it away. Nothing exciting really!

Laurel has decided to go vegetarian and has been trying various vegetarian foods lately. Somehow, without thinking I've been followed suit to some degree and have eaten very little meat during the past couple of weeks. I am by no manner or means a vegetarian; I know for a fact I'd struggle facing a roast chicken and not being able to eat it. That would be my worst nightmare. Anyway, the long and the short of what I was about to say is; we both tried these amazing Mexican bean burgers from Sainsbury's with homemade sweet potato chips and salad and it was absolutely delicious! The burgers are definitely worth a try folks!

And just like every other night this week I ended the evening watching Britain's Got Talent, I can't quite believe we're almost at the end of this year's series! It's seriously flown in! At the same time I was working away on my laptop attempting to set up my Mum's art blog. I'm going to show how her to upload her posts etc and then she'll be able to start writing so I'll be sure to let you all know when it's live. You're going to love her work, she's an amazing artist!
I also order an exciting parcel, the contents of it will come in handy particularly over the next couples of weeks. I can't wait to try the mystery item out and use it here on the world of the internet. I really should have ordered it earlier but never got round to it, I was a little worried about whether it would arrive on time as it's a bank holiday this weekend and I really need it ASAP. So I decided to pay a little extra for one day delivery so providing all goes well, it should arrive on Saturday-here's hoping!

Anyway, I better go for now folks!
Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Day 19: The Temptations of A Music Geek in HMV

Tuesday, a day further into the week. That's always a good thing! I can't quite believe how quickly the week has flown in! But I guess that means it's a week closer to the Summer holidays!

As I write I'm sitting here listening to the amazing Stevie Nicks up full blast in my headphones because what else do you do at half past twelve in the morning!? The night owl in me strikes again! Anyway, let's talk a bit about what I got up to on this fine day.

We dropped poor Laurel off at school this morning stressed beyond belief as she had part two of a big maths test first thing this morning. I'm absolutely hate maths (I'm completely useless at it!) so my heart really went out to Laurel and the rest of her class. However, Mum got a text from her a little while late to say she had done extremely well in the first part of the test. I'm so pleased for her as she works so hard-so a huge well done to my amazing sister! I'm so proud of her!

Tuesday is an afternoon tutoring session which means we have the morning free to do as we please. Usually, we go out for a bite to eat in order to save cooking lunch when we arrived home as it often entails a bit of a rush due to the times my tutors come at. I decided on going into town this morning and having breakfast at Debenhams as well as a look round the shops before they begin to get busy. I hate shopping when it's busy; it just isn't worth it in my opinion.

We had a wee nosy in Primark where Mum found a couple of lovely tops so decided to try them on in the shop changing rooms. As I waited outside for her I noticed that a chair had been placed in front of the disabled changing rooms (see photo above) and there was no staff on hand to move it. So unfortunately, any disabled customers would be unable to access the changing rooms independently. Normally I'd have given them the benefit of doubt and thought perhaps it had been left there during the night and no one had got round to moving it as it was so early on in the morning. However, there has been previous occasions in the same store where I've waiting on someone from my family in the changing rooms or needed to use it myself and noticed that clothing rails blocking the door or other customers have been encouraged to leave their shopping baskets in front of it. I can't say I'm terribly happy about it hence why I want to make use of my blog and highlight issues such as this one. It will also be something I mention in the next customer survey that they ask you to complete on the shop receipts. Rant over!

I decided to pay HMV a visit as I was well overdue a browse. Within minutes I found myself getting a little carried away. All I'm going to say is never let a music geek loose in a music shop! Trust me; it never ends well! They had an array of Prince CDs and vinyl that I'd only ever seen available online so my eyes were glistening with excitement! Somehow, I managed to muster enough willpower to refrain from buying anything. Although, I think I really have to give my Mum the credit for that; she had me out of there before I could even think about heading to the checkout. I know I'd regret it next week when I hit Bruce Springsteen's merch stall so really, it was a good idea in the long run.

Finally, it had reached opening time for Debenhams café (it always opens half an hour later than the shop itself) where I ordered a cook breakfast (as you do!). And my goodness was it delicious! Although, the highlight for me was the 80s music they were playing in store. The playlist included 'Sweet Little Mystery' by Wet Wet Wet which was quite funny to think that exactly a week ago to the date I interviewed Graeme, WWW's bassist for radio. Needless to say I enjoyed singing along!

Laurel's delicious Malteaser milkshake!

Two o'clock and music tutor arrived for my lesson. Again, carrying on with The Rolling Stones theme we once again went over 'Get Off Of My Cloud' and made a start on 'Ruby Tuesday'. According to my music book the bass parts are mostly played on cello however my tutor show me this technique where you strum the bass at the end of fret board to create a deeper cello/double bass sound. I've since become addicted to jamming along to it and spent most of the evening in my room practicing it. Being able to play an instrument is an absolute privilege and I'm so glad I've persisted with it and never gave up-it's totally worth it!

And that's it really, nothing more to report for today I'm afraid. Well apart from Laurel making the most delicious Malteaser milkshakes-mmmmm!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Day 18: Befriending the Neigbhour's Cat

I'm afraid we're going to skip another day folks and instead just focus solely on today (Monday). It's amazing how whenever you set out with good intentions that everything crops up at the one time and trying to keep on top of it all is never easy. Slowly but surely I'm getting everything ticked off the list one by one and then hopefully it'll make it easier to write each day. Until then I'll just keep dabbling from day to day with a mixture of daily and combo posts. Thankfully, the Summer holidays aren't too far off and I'll have a little more time to myself to spend getting things done!

Monday is never a favourite day of the week for me I'm afraid; the weekend has come to an end and Friday seems so far off in the horizon. Although, today wasn't all that bad. For a Monday it was surprisingly pleasant. Don't worry! I promise I'm not coming down with something!

Today was my longest tutoring session of the week which is mainly set aside for the John Muir Award however, with my health playing up as much I haven't always been able to use the sessions for that specific reason and instead had a longer music lesson. So today's music session was rather taxing I'm not gonna lie. I played non stop for a couple of hours and needless to say my hand was ready to fall off by the end of it.

Working our way through some of my music books, we focused on 'The Rolling Stones' section and revisited 'I Can't Get No Satisfaction' which I worked on the other day. This was then followed by 'Get Off Of My Cloud', a particular favourite Rolling Stones song of mine which I remembering enjoying when I was little. The Rolling Stones are actually high up on my bucket list of bands I'd like to see in concert and I hope that one day it'll actually happen. The closest I've ever got to seeing them was at their Crossfire Hurricane premiere in London back in 2012 where I heard them being interviewed on the red carpet and saw a glimpse of Mick Jagger's head. What a claim to fame eh!? Anyway, what a great band and being able to actually play long to their music is amazing!

My tutor also suggested that we work on a Bruce Springsteen song of my choice as I'm off to see him in concert in just over a weeks time. I had a scroll through the list of Bruce songs on YouTube and decided on a more unusual track 'Spirit In The Night'. It was the first time my tutor had heard it and I think he seemed to really like it. For those of you who only really know Bruce's biggest hits as well as the 'Born In The USA'/'Born To Run' albums; it's a completely different sound for Bruce. It has more of jazz feel to it, or at least that's how I think it's best to describe it. Seriously though, if you haven't heard it before go give it a listen and let me know your thoughts!

Enough of talking about music for now. After tutoring my Grandparents joined Mum and I for lunch at TK Maxx café (the usual haunt) after bringing some more garden stuff we'd been storing at their house for quite a while now. Again, it was great to take full advantage of my new wheelchair and push myself around in TK Maxx. It's great to browse at my own free will and take myself wherever I want to go. Honestly, words cannot begin to describe just how much of a difference that makes to me and I've only had it less than week.

Following lunch, a trip to the supermarket followed suit to pick up food for tonight's dinner or we'd otherwise starve not to be too drastic or anything! My Grandad wanted to purchase a new SD card for his camera so I took him to the techy isle and helped him decide on what one to buy. I'm a bit of a camera fanatic I must admit!

The afternoon always flies by and before you know, you're sitting outside my sister's school in the car picking her up. Where does the day go?! It's always nice to get back home and have the rest of the day free to do what you like. Although, I'm usually working on something because I don't think it's physically possibly for me to sit still with nothing to do these days.

The weather has been particularly kind to us of late and today was exceptionally nice so I did manage to spend some time chilling out in the garden. It's not every day you get to eat alfresco style in Scotland so why not make the most out of it? One of our neighbour's cats has decided to adopt us for whatever reason and won't leave us alone. Seriously, wherever we live there's always a cat who wants to befriend us and this house is no exception. My Mum isn't keen on encouraging it as it'll scare the birds however, it sneaked up behind me and I couldn't help but befriend it (guilty face). Its so cute though! I just couldn't help it!

After a frantic search around the house for the missing garden hut keys we eventually came across them-phew! And I spent the rest of the evening trying to help set up a blog for my Mum. It's taking a while as we purchased a cute template from Etsy and I'm 'attempting' to install for her. I don't whether it's just me or not but it's all rather technical-we'll get there in the end! I know for a fact that Mum's blog will look fab and she'll have some really amazing pieces of artwork to share with you guys. I promise I'll let you know when it's live and ready to read!
Love & Peace,
The Hat Hippie xx

Day 16 & 17: It's The Weekend!

It's the weekend again! I've decided I'm going to combine Friday and Saturday's posts again due to the fact that I'm still catching up on things. Yes I know; excuses, excuses! Honestly, May and June are always the busiest months in the year for me or at least it's been that way during the past couple of years.

Yesterday (Friday) was a rather ordinary day to be honest, nothing very exciting to report I'm afraid. Well apart from a visit into town in the morning and a coffee in Costa before heading back home and passing time that I really couldn't afford to loose pottering around in my room. I suppose you could say I was making my bed and putting on a little makeup to cover up my ghost like face. But if the truth be known I was tired from staying up late to watch Bruce Springsteen's live stream at Rock in Rio Lisbon the previous night. Before I knew it, it was almost twelve o'clock and had around half a hour to spare before my tutor was due to arrive. By this point Mum had put lunch in the oven so I quickly ate that and got my art stuff out and continued working on it until my tutor came.

We're working on a collage type thing as a final piece although, I wouldn't exactly say collages are my forte. I'm much better with a paint brush and pencils, it feels a lot more natural to me. Then again when you're doing a Nat 4 in art I suppose you have to show examples of varies types of media which I've done and like everyone else there's definitely some materials I prefer to use than others.

As I sit here writing this, I'm actually attempting to wrack my brains and remember what else happened yesterday yet nothing seems to spring to mind. It really was one of those boring days to be completely honest. To be honest, I spent most of the evening working away on my laptop trying to catch up and actually get things done.

Saturday, is one of the best day of the week in my opinion! I managed to actually have a long lie for once until around mid day. I hate being so lazy but the extra sleep seriously did me the world of good! That's what's great about weekends; you can catch up on sleep, leisurely get up and just take things slowly-bliss!

Mum, Laurel and I enjoyed a leisurely lunch before Dad arrived home from work in the afternoon to watch the football which everyone seemed to be watching. Well at least that's what it seemed like according to my Facebook page-I don't have a clue about it to be honest!

Us girls decided to head out into town for a coffee and to do some birthday present shopping for my sister's friends who all seem to be born in June. I'm not much of a shopper unless it involves music or vintage shops but it was still nice to have a wee look round. My sister picked up some lovely things for her friends which I they'll absolutely love! I'd tell you more but seeing as the internet is a very public place, I better not! I don't think my Sister would be too chuffed at me if I gave it away and one of her friends saw it.

We were pretty disappointed to see that Store 21, one of the shops we often pop into as we like the home wear department is closing down. Didn't see that one coming! It was a little strange going inside to see what was on sale an area filled with Christmas decorations as well as Christmas jumpers that they're trying to sell off. The reductions were pretty good but honestly, there's nothing more bizarre than going into a shop near the end of May and seeing Christmas things everywhere. And to top it all off a kid had found one of those musical ornaments and all I could hear was Christmas carols-don't quite know how to feel about that! It was definitely a weird experience.

Dinner time was drawing near as we left the town centre and I think we were all becoming rather hungry so paid our favourite Chinese Takeaway a visit to order a Saturday night treat. Again, I had my favourite Singapore chow mein which was rather delicious! And of course to top it all off, sitting down to watch Britain's Got Talent is always the highlight of my Saturday night! Oh, what a sad life I have! But let's face it; it's all a bit of good old fashioned fun!

Day 14 & 15: New Wheelchair!

Angie and I at the wheelchair clinic

In order to catch up with my daily blog posts I thought I'd combine both yesterday and Wednesday's posts so that from today onwards I'll hopefully get back into the swing of things.

Wednesday morning, a very tried Robyn dragged herself out of bed after the excitement of the day before. Normally, I'd of had a lie in as my tutor wasn't due to come out until the afternoon however I had an appointment to pick up my new wheelchair at something like quarter to ten in the morning. So no lie in for me I'm afraid!

After dropping Laurel off at school we stopped on route to pick up a bouquet of flowers for Angie, who I met at the wheelchair clinic who unlike most professionals I've met in my time wanted to make a difference to my life and I wanted to say 'Thank-You' for her help. She really thought out of the box and wanted to give me as much independence as possible. It's rare that happens nowadays usually because it often means putting more thought and effort into something.

Due to almost being eighteen I've now been referred to the wheelchair clinics for adults so I attended my first appointment a few weeks ago because my old chair was in need of replacing. Angie was very enthusiastic and wanted to find something much more sleek and modern compared to what I'm used to. So on Wednesday we attended the clinic to pick it up and I'm absolutely delighted with the result! The difference is incredible! It's so much lighter and much easier on the eyes. I've taken full advantage of it since we got it and enjoyed pushing myself around without any assistance from my family. My name is now on a waiting list for wheelchair training so I can learn how to bump it up onto pavements and go over unsteady surfaces such as gravel which will make a huge difference and allow me more independence! So the sooner that happens, the better!

I called my Grandparents on route home to let them know we were heading  home as they had plants to give us for the garden. We also needed something from the supermarket so by the time we took a detour to Sainsbury's they'd arrived at the house. Grandad unloaded their car before the four us went to get a bite to eat at TK Maxx before my tutor was due to arrive later that afternoon. I must admit I had a great time looking round the shop at my own free reign with no difficulty pushing myself!

My art tutor arrived a little while later, this week has just been a continuation of what I've been working on of late in art. But what really made my day was a very cool email that Mum received. I'm not going to say what exactly it's about just yet. What I can say is that it'll entail another exciting day and blog post to follow in the not so distant future-so stay tuned!

Yesterday, (Thursday to be exact) is always the busiest day of the week for us. A Thursday usually consists of music tuition in the morning and my weekly radio show in the early afternoon. Thursday's music session consisted of learning 'I Can't Get No Satisfaction' by The Rolling Stones-great song by the way! And the very famous 'Smoke On The Water' by Deep Purple. 'Smoke On The Water' was the first riff I ever learned to play on guitar when I must was around ten years old just like every other guitar player however, the bass parts are completely different to the guitar riff which changed things up a little.

The usual Thursday rush soon pursued; organise music for my radio show, put makeup on and eat an early lunch before setting off to 3TFM. As always my show went in extremely quickly and was great fun! And of course it's always great to catch up with my fellow presenters at the station. It's seriously an absolute privilege being able to do something I love so much and I'll be forever grateful for the opportunity!

After picking up Laurel up from school it was time for the weekly shop. I know it's got to be done otherwise we'd starve but none of us are particularly big fans of doing it. Again, I had a great time using the new wheelchair in the supermarket though; it was like a scene out of Christmas With The Kranks where Mrs Krank and another woman were racing to get the last ham on Christmas eve except this time it was Laurel trying to keep up with me. All good fun!

Mum, Laurel and I enjoyed a soft drink in the café where we bumped into a friend of ours who came and chatted for a while. We hadn't seen him for a while so it was nice to catch up and get a hug from his lovely dog Toto in the carpark. I'd really love a dog of my own one day, they make such amazing friends!

Back home we ate dinner (as you do!) and I pretty much spent the evening on my laptop working away like always. Although, I enjoyed watching my sister Laurel's reaction to some of the 1980s music videos my Dad happened to be watching on TV. By this point I was on the verge of nodding off again (this seems to be becoming a bit of a habit these days) but someone how woke up a little just in time to watch a livestream of Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band performing at Rock In Rio, Lisbon. It was a brilliant show as always (not that you'd expect anything less from Bruce and the gang) and was a great build up for the Bruce gig I'm going to in less than two weeks-so so so excited!

Anyway, that's about as interesting as my life has been these past two days so I suppose I'll bring this post to an end.

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Day 13: My First Radio Interview

Borrowed this pic from Graeme

You may have noticed an absence on my blog the past couple as I didn't get round to posting anything because I was up to something. I just so happened to be preparing for my first ever radio interview which took place yesterday (Tuesday). I'm a night owl anyway but I was up until silly o'clock making sure I had everything needed so that in the morning I could just pick it up and go. 

I physically don't know how I managed to leave the house yesterday morning without forgetting something. Yet, somehow I did. We dropped Laurel off at school and made our way to my Grandparent's where I popped in to see the live video stream from inside my Grandad's birdhouse as all the baby birds had hatched. Oh my goodness! They're so cute!

From there we headed up to Glasgow for the second time this week (hmm! I think I was there already this week!) and parked at Kelvingrove Art gallery. We popped inside for a little while in order to pass some time before I had to be somewhere. I felt a little bit nostalgic visiting there as I'm pretty sure the last time I stepped foot in the building was back during my last week of P7 which feels like a lifetime ago now. I miss my primary school days a lot so it's strange going back there and reliving my old memories.

My Grandparents and Mum wanted a cake and coffee so we nipped into the café whilst I nervously sipped on a bottle of juice admiring the building. I don't think I fully appreciated just how beautiful a building it was up until then. Above the lobby area (pictured in the photograph) is the most beautiful organ which as far as I know is played at least once a day but unfortunately, I was there too early in the day to hear it. 

A little while we left the art gallery and headed in direction of Kelvingrove Park which is just over the road really. It's a really quaint and peacful park which is reminiscent of the parks I enjoyed visiting during my many hospital stays in London when I was younger. We took a leisurely stroll through the park to a familiar place that I visited last year for a certain gig. It was a little café called 'An Clachan' hidden in the park where I saw Graeme Clark from the Scottish band Wet Wet Wet perform live last June. And funnily enough, that just so happened to be who I was meeting up with.

Graeme kindly agreed to sit down with me for my first ever radio interview which was pretty exciting and a little nerve-wracking all at the same time. I'm not going to give too much away because it was an interview after all and obviously, it's still to be aired on live radio (more details to come). However, it was great to sit down and chat with Graeme about music and his career. It was also great to chat a bit about bass as we both play the instrument. For me, it was pretty inspiring to talk someone who's had an amazing career thanks to playing the same instrument as me and ask him about it. He even signed some of my Wet Wet Wet vinyl for me addressing it to 'The Hat Hippie'!

I'd been wanting to do my first radio interview for a while now and in true Robyn style had to start big so I'm ever so grateful to Graeme for firstly agreeing to it in the first place and being so supportive and sweet during the interview itself. I'm not going to lie, I was rather nervous and probably sound it during the recording but you know what? I'm proud of it and can't wait to go out there and do more interviews in future! And I'll always have a great story to tell about my very first one!

On route back home following the interview we stopped in Dalry to pay a visit to The Factory Shop which I've not been to in ages and can't believe how much it had changed! They have ALOT of cute knickknacks which was right up my Mum's street in particular. The décor is really quite quirky and colourful now; I seriously can't get over how different it is now!

We dropped Gran and Grandad off at their house and popped in for a little while so I could use their internet to show them the selfie Graeme had posted online of us both. My Mum and Gran ended up watching something on TV (couldn't tell you what as I wasn't paying much attention) whilst I nodded off on the sofa due to being absolutely exhausted from the exciting events of the day. Mum woke me up a short while later so we could head home and I could get some much needed rest.

Back home I managed to keep myself awake long enough to eat dinner and tell my Dad about how everything went before settling down in my room to update my blog. As you can see, I never quite got that far! I think I must have typed a couple of words before nodding off in mid sentence-oops! I stirred a couple of times thanks to my hamster creating havoc in her cage before waking up later on to find that it was dark outside and that everyone besides Mum had headed off to bed-I must have been asleep for a while!

So that's the story of my first ever interview in as short and as brief a description as possible and what a cool interview it was! Again, I owe a huge thanks to Graeme for putting up with me and being so enthusiastic about everything! It really was a pleasure to chat to him! Really, looking forward to his gig at Siempre Café in a couple of weeks time, I think it'll be a great evening!

Anyway, I'll go for now. Thanks for stopping by, I really hope you enjoyed reading about my day! I'll be back soon with the next post!
Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Day 12: A Shopping Trip to Glasgow

It's late and I've been glued to my laptop for hours on end working on various things so I'm guessing this'll be a fairly short post as I ought to get to bed and get some rest as I have tutoring in the morning. Sadly, that's the weekend over for another week but at the same time it's one less week until the Summer holidays which are drawing near so I'll hold onto that in the meantime.

Well today saw a last minute visit to Glasgow this afternoon although it was verging on a little too busy for me I'm not gonna lie! Our first stop (well for Mum and I anyway) was into TK Maxx (surprise! surprise!) and I treated myself to a new top and bag as I'd been looking for a new one for quite a while now. I'm trying to remember exactly where we went and in which order but my tired brain is taking it's time on the minor details. Then again I suppose the order doesn't really matter too much. I do remember we took a short detour to avoid the biz through the Argyle Arcade which reminds me of something you'd see in a movie. The entire arcade is filled with upmarket jewellery shops with window displays filled with glistening jewellery.

As we came to the other end of the arcade we made our way a little further up Buchanan Street and into Princes Square, another arcade style shopping centre. It's here where one of my favourite jewellery shops called Argento is. We used to visit one of its sister branches situated in the Brunswick Centre which was just a short walk away from the hospital I attended in London. You can find some really beautiful jewellery in there which would make lovely gifts at such reasonable prices. I could easily have left the shop with a couple of purchases but decided to refrain and save my money for going away during the Summer. It was a difficult decision though!

Laurel and Mum popped into Lush for a visit whilst Dad and I waited outside. Normally, I'd have joined them but considering how busy it was I decided I was safer outside and wouldn't be able to see very much from my wheelchair with all the other customers in the shop. Heading further up the street we dodged the hundreds of other shoppers that had also decided to flock to Glasgow this afternoon. Seriously, it's a nerve-wracking experience from a wheelchair users point of view when everyone looks straight ahead and not down below.

We decided to pop into the Hard Rock Café as I haven't got round to paying it a visit since it opened and wanted a nosy in the merch shop. However, I was very disappointed in the disabled access. The main entrance can only be access via a flight of steps and the accessible entrance is through an alleyway if you like to the side of the building where all the bins are kept (get the picture I'm trying to build up?).

We took the small lift to the next floor up where we worked the merch shop was situated. As far as I could see there was no signage to direct customers to what was on each floor. There could have been but as far as I could see it wasn't very clear. We arrived on the shop floor (or at least that's what we thought) and were immediately met by yet another stumbling block; the shop was situated down a flight of steps with no way of access for wheelchair users or those with mobility issues. Considering it is a new restaurant and was only opened just a couple of years ago you'd think it would have to accessible under all the strict rules and regulations nowadays! I am very disappointed about this and will be writing to the Hard Rock franchise regarding this issues. Not acceptable! 

Next, we popped into Paperchase which is a firm favourite with us. I love all the cute stationary and bits and bobs they sell in there. They also have a brilliant arts and craft department which is so exciting for someone like me who is studying art in school and would to some degree like to pursue this at some point down the line. There is so much to look at! But again, I managed to refrain from spending any money.

On the way back down Buchanan Street we were planning to pop into Starbucks but everyone else seemed to have the same idea so we ended up getting a takeaway and sitting on a bench and watching one of the moving statues dressed as the Duke of Wellington statue with the traffic cone on his head pulling faces in people's photographs when they weren't looking. Children's reactions to it are also pretty hilarious! Although, I know how I felt about those sort of things when I was little. To be honest, they still freak me out a little so I always tend to keep my distance. Watching from afar is fun though!

Mum and Laurel appeared with our orders; I had a chocolate Frappuccino minus the cream today; a change from the strawberries and cream one that I always opt for. I don't really know why I bother getting one though because every time without fail my body ends up uncontrollably shaking. I think the ice in it shocks my nervous system which is already sensitive enough because of my condition. So I'm guessing that's why I shiver as much. Ah well, as long as I enjoy the drink; that's all that matters!

Returning to the car, we made our way to SeeWoo the oriental supermarket to stock up on ingredients that my Dad uses when cooking. I love SeeWoo because I find it interesting to look at all the different foods you can buy. They sell some pretty delicious snacks too I must add! I always enjoy the seasoned peanuts particularly the coconut cream ones which I happily munched on during the car ride home. Mmmm!

So that's the most interesting part of my day. I've spent the rest of the evening working away so there's not much else to report I'm afraid. Tomorrow's the start of what looks like a busy week so stayed tuned to read about it hear on my blog. Have a great week folks!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Day 11: Happy Saturday

What on earth am I doing? The Eurovision is currently on and I'm not going to lie it is a bit cheesy but it is what it is. Although, it get's worse! Jaws 4: The Revenge was on earlier and I'd never seen it before; I can't understand why they even bothered to make it! The ending was so quick and awful, no offence!

It's Saturday! Woop! Woop! A much needed lie in was in order this morning although I did get up at a fairly reasonably time just in case the post man arrived with a parcel Mum had been waiting to allow her to do a few bits and bobs.

Sadly, it's become a lot cooler here in Scotland although the sun still shines so I won't complain too much. However, the weather was still nice enough to sit outside in the garden even if I did wear a jacket, Dr Martens boots, a hat (Surprise! Surprise!) and eventually wrapped an old towel round me as I was cold. What a sight!

Like I said yesterday, I've got plenty to do this weekend so my notebook accompanied me into the garden as I worked on ideas for something that cannot yet be revealed. My Dad found it quite amusing that I was using an Audrey Hepburn notebook, tormenting me that I was only 50 per cent posh. Firstly, it was the first notebook I came across and secondly, I am a big fan of Audrey Hepburn! I have a fascination with old Hollywood actresses and actors; I love the glamour and sophistication. There's something very special about it!

At some point every weekend we usually have takeaway for dinner; tonight we decided on Chinese. We're extremely lucky to have a brilliant Chinese takeaway just a few minutes drive from our house, although it's almost too close. I'm not as adventurous with food as I once was so ordered my favourite: Singapore chow mien which always tastes amazing! Mum and Laurel had vegetable spring rolls and Dad made something from scratch (I'm not even going to attempt trying to spell or describe it so I'll let your imagination do the talking!)

My Mum and Grandad had popped out to our local Dobbie's Garden Centre the other day and purchased an array of gorgeous new plants for our garden. Mum created a display of the flowers around our new garden hut with a cute lantern to bring it all together. My sister Laurel and I were sitting chatting whilst my Mum was on the phone and Laurel came up with the idea of using it as a background for photographs. So Laurel took a few photos of me with a vintage boho theme and in turn, I took a few for Laurel. I'm quite pleased with the results even though they were taken on my iPod.

Laurel and Dad headed off into the house as they were too cold leaving Mum and I as the last ones standing. I like to try and hold out for as long as I possibly can despite the fact that my hands were like ice. Eventually, I decided to give in and go back inside for a hot water bottle to heat myself up whilst forcing Dad to watch Britain's Got Talent. I can't believe it's almost time for the live finals! It feels like not long ago since I was excited about Saturday Night Takeaway beginning back in February! The year is seriously flying by!

And that brings us to the present moment; The Eurovision winner has been announced, congratulations to Ukraine! It's after midnight so I'm going to bid you farewell and try and get a few things done before I head to bed. Like I said before for whatever reason, I feel most inspired at night. Perhaps it's because it's so peaceful? What I do know is I get things done and that's all that really matters.

Speak soon my friends!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx 

Day 10

Hello from me! How are you all doing today?

My goodness has it been another busy day; I have a list of things I need to do logged deep inside my head. I don't know why but as soon as it comes into the Summer season, I always find myself absolutely run off my feet; there's always something happening!

I spent some time with my Grandparents this morning who brought down a few bits and bobs for our garden which had been stored at their house until we moved. We went out for a bite to eat at TK Maxx's café before my tutor was due to arrive this afternoon. It had been a while since I'd been in; I used to shop in TK Maxx and pay the café a visit a couple of times a week but with my tutoring schedule this year I'm not able to pop in as often so it was lovely to catch up with Kirsty, a friend of mine who works there-what a fabulous lady she never fails to make me smile! Fortunately, we were in early enough to order a cooked breakfast which was pretty delicious!

This was followed by a look round the shop. I left with two skirts which have a bit of bohemian vibe too them. After the heatwave we've had this week I realised I really ought to get some new Summer clothes so that's a good start.

Time was ticking on by and time for tutoring was soon approaching so back to the car it was with around twenty minutes to spare as we hit the house. At one o'clock my tutor arrived and it was straight to work for me. I have just over a couple of weeks to get all of my work finished and ready to hand into school-not long to go at all. My tutor had photocopied recent pieces of artwork I created of apples (the ones I got frustrated about painting the other day) and enlarged a few and shrunk a few and I have to say they look fab in different sizes. We'll use the photocopies of the artwork in various other pieces that I'm yet to create. I'm very lucky to have such amazing tutors who I can easily chat away to whilst working, today my art tutor even started playing some of The Waterboys songs as we were planning to using poems or song lyrics in my artwork and were looking for ones that were relevant to the portfolio I've created this past year. It's such a great idea, something a little bit different!

Anyway, I spent most of the afternoon after my art session and into the early evening working away. Last year we focused on creating masks for a period of a few weeks using natural materials such as leaves due to the fact that it was Autumn and they were so easy to come by. As I sat at the kitchen table earlier painting/creating collages inspired by the mask designs, my Mum walked into the room to prepare dinner and looked over my shoulder for a peek. She immediately turned to me and said 'Oh that one looks a bit like David Bowie' and on second thoughts it actually did, through no intention of my own might I add. The only problem now is I can't look at it without a vision of David Bowie and the temptation of painting a lighting bolt on the face.

I'm pleased to say that it's finally the weekend. It's always a relief when it approaches. Although, for me it's going to be working one. I have so much to prepare and get done so I'll be spending a lot of time doing just that-wish me luck!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Day 9: Thursdays at 3TFM

Good Evening Everyone! This post is a little earlier than the usual upload time that I've become accustomed to during the past few days so I'm pretty delighted that I managed to sit down and get it written a little earlier. The sun continues to shine here in Scotland although I do believe it's to get a little cooler, I can't say I'm too chuffed about that but what can we do?

Thursdays are by far the busiest day in the week for us; I usually have music tuition in the morning, followed by an early lunch, then heading straight up to 3TFM for my weekly show and then back home to pick Laurel up from school. It's crazy normally!

In today's music lesson my tutor and I decided to use sheet music from some of the music books I own as it's important to not only be able to play by ear but to actually be able to read music. Flicking through the books we took note of all the songs I'd already learned to play and eventually decided upon playing 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' by The Police. I've been listening to their music a lot of late-they got some great songs! We also did some work on ukulele which I've been learning as a side instrument. Fortunately, I've got the gist of it fairly quickly probably due to the fact that I used to play guitar when I was younger. It's great when we bring out the uke and my tutor plays along on bass so it becomes like a mini jam session which is always fun!

Like I said earlier on, a quick lunch was in order accompanied by a rush around the house as I threw on some makeup, (I'm getting pretty good at applying it quickly these days!) and organised CDs that I needed for today's show. I had a rough idea of which songs I planned on playing but that usually changes throughout the show. Each show is surprisingly unpredictable when you think about it; you never know what might happen.

When arrived at 3TFM, Chris was live on air and Kevin was manning the studio phone lines; it's always a good laugh behind the scenes in the studio. Today's discussion was about Kevin's rather large DVD collection, my answer was 'well I don't have a huge DVD collection but my CD/Vinyl collection is certainly getting there!'

Today's show went pretty well; I received a good few text requests which are always greatly appreciated! The time seriously flies in when I'm on air because I love it so much! It was also great to see Frank, a fellow presenter back in the studio today and hear how he was doing. I'm still so grateful for this amazing opportunity and can't get over the fact that I'm only seventeen and have my own radio show!

Fast forward to picking Laurel up from school where we immediately went to Sainbury's to get the weekly shop. The radio was on in the background as always and I think I may have gave my Mum a fright as shrieked when I heard a familiar tune begin to play. Yes, that would Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain'-love that song! Fleetwood Mac songs keep playing wherever I go these days, it's the fifth time that's happened in two weeks! I can't believe it's almost a year since I saw them, the time has flown in!

I don't know about you but on warms days like today my family and I enjoy particular types of food; things that aren't too heavy usually. So tonight mini baked potatoes were on the menu with prawn cocktail and salad-I've not had that in ages so it made a nice change! Mmmm!

Although it's been a busy day, it's been a pretty good day too! I have something exciting in the pipeline that I can't wait to share with you guys so I've also been a little excited about that today! It won't be too long until I tell you more about it but until then I'll keep you guessing! Oh, I'm so mean aren't I?

Well, it's already half eleven so I guess this post will be up just as late as every other day-oops! I thought I might have it finished and uploaded early for once but who am I kidding?! I come alive at this time of night and feel so much more inspired. Anyway, I really ought to go!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Day 8: Busy Busy Busy!

Well, this time last week I decided to write my first ever daily blog and somehow I've managed to write a post every single day since then! Woop! Woop! I'm definitely going to stick to it and keep writing each day for as long as I possibly can. Yeah, each post might not be uploaded at the same time every day due to the craziness life and how unpredictable it can be, but there will be a post nevertheless and that's all that really matters!

I'm sitting here in the usual writing spot (not my desk!) a little bit excited about something I have coming up very soon. Unfortunately for you guys I can't tell you what it is just yet but it's pretty exciting! Promise! Keep an eye out for more details in future posts!

So what has the day had in store for 'The Hat Hippie'? Well, it's been a busy one that's for sure! It all started with the usual wake up routine-I'll not go into too much details to avoid sounding boring, I highly doubt you want to read every detail about what was on the morning news. But why is it that on a school morning that my bed suddenly becomes a cosy cocoon and getting up is a serious inconvenience? On weekends getting up is fairly easy-why can't it be the other way round!?

After dropping Laurel off like we do every other morning we popped into Morrison's on route home for a few bits and pieces. Before long I found myself back home and seated at the kitchen table with sketch books, paints, paint brushes and pencils scattered around me. I had artwork to complete before my tutor came this afternoon. To be honest, I don't think I ever want to see an apple ever again! I have never been so frustrated when painting/drawing in my life; I just wasn't happy with it. The end result looks pretty good but that's all thanks to my Mum with her support and encouragement telling me to keep going. But seriously, if I'm ever asked to draw an apple again I think I might flip-I much prefer painting flowers and leaves! But in the end it got completed and that's the main thing! Good riddance!

My tutor arrived around half past one for my art session, she was very pleased with my completed work and we spent the session working on a few pieces we'd been planning to do as part of the coursework for Nat 4 art. It's all coming together pretty well and the sketch book looks absolutely amazing if I do say so myself! I'll enjoy flicking through it when I'm older and looking back at everything I've done. I'll make it my mission to take a few photos when I get all of my work out again at some point in the next couple of days.

In the car on the way to pick up Laurel, BBC Radio 2 were playing 'Under Pressure' by Queen and David Bowie which was brilliant. Love that song! It's a favourite of mine to jam along to on bass-it's one of those addictive bass lines that I could quite happily play over and over again.

An ice lolly was in order for each of us on arrival back home as it was still boiling hot.It's been a while since Scotland was this warm for as long-I think it might be a record by now! Poor Laurel had studying to do for an upcoming maths test at school so had to head upstairs to her room to study. I began clearing away all of my art supplies and somehow managed to drop a ton of art paperwork behind the radiator next to our table. I couldn't exactly stick my hand down it as it's such a tight space so I dug around the kitchen looking for something long enough to do the job. Eventually, I found a rubber spatula and with that managed to pull everything! Thankfully, the heating was off! I remember sticking my hand down a radiator when I was little (I must have dropped something) and burned my skin and still to this day, I have a small scar from the burn on my left hand. An incident not to be repeated!

We enjoyed sitting out in the garden watching the world go by and were also joined by Dad once he finished up from work. There was a bit of a breeze in the air today so it was a bit cold for me and I ended up digging out a black sparkly poncho from my wardrobe to keep me warm. The slightest hint of cold alway seems to affect me, I think it might be to do with my medical condition and how it affects the nervous system. Anyway, I managed to get most of radio prep finished for tomorrow's show as we sat outside so once I finish typing this I'm going to quickly check over it and add the final few songs to the playlist. If you're about tomorrow be sure to tune into 103.1 3TFM or listen via the TuneIn Radio app between 1-2pm UK time to hear my show!

I really ought to go now as it's getting late, have a good evening folks!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Day 7: It's Still Sunny!?

Good Evening!
Here we go again, another late night post. That will probably change in a few days time when the weather decides to return to its usual state of grey skies and rain. Until then I'm doing my absolute best to make the most of the sunshine whilst lasts. I sound like a typical British person, constantly talking about the weather don't I? Oh well!

We dropped Laurel off at school this morning and headed straight into town as I had the morning free; tutoring on Tuesdays always take place in the afternoon. Popping into town first thing in the morning is great as it's like a ghost town; the shops are always empty and extremely quiet which is perfect for someone like myself in a wheelchair. I normally hate shopping as people bump into you, stare at you or make you feel like an inconvenience for even being in the same isle as them. That's the day in a life of a wheelchair user I'm afraid. I think everyone should be given the opportunity to use a wheelchair for at least a day and go out and about and see what lifes like from a wheelchair users perspective. Trust me, I think you'd be surprised at obstacles we face each and every day hence why I prefer to visit the town when it's quiet.

We had a browse in Primark where I picked up a couple of new tops to wear in the Summer as well as some new pyjamas as all the pairs I currently own are suited to Winter and it's far too warm to wear them in this heat! This was followed by a visit to Debenhams for a bite to eat, we always try to have something substantial in the morning as making time for lunch can be rather tight when I have tuition in the afternoons. And the breakfasts in Debenhams are always pretty good which is a bonus!

Back home I worked on a painting of apples that I started the other day for part of my Nat 4 in art. I'm not going to lie, I did get a little frustrated with it as I tried to get the right shades and colours-who knew just how many colours you'd need to paint an apple? It's pretty surprising! Thankfully, Mum was able to give me a bit of advice and it's definitely looking on the right track as a result so I'll be sure to finish that off in the morning.

Before long 2pm had arrived and my tutor pulled up into the driveway for my music sessions. Today's lessons was a continuation of ELO's 'All Over The World' which I pretty much completed. The bass parts vary so much throughout the song so it took a while to work it out but we got there in the end! My tutor and I are both big Prince fans so we ended up listening to some of Prince's extensive catalogue and worked out the bass line to a song called 'Jam Of The Year' that my tutor had previously told me about. I really enjoyed jamming along to it; it's such an addictive bassline to play along to! I've got it stuck in my head right this very second as I type.

We picked Laurel up from school and returned to Primark as she'd been invited to her friend's house for a water fight and to use the swimming pool and needed a swimsuit, new shorts, flip-flops etc. Let's face it, we don't get weather like this often so none us have any close to suit the occasion. The shop was so much busier compared to earlier that morning and unfortunately, I experienced staff members rudely walk out in front of me in my wheelchair on three occasions within a short period of time-not impressed! Eventually, Laurel found what she was looking for and we dropped her off at her friend's house.

Whilst she was out I continued to paint whilst Mum prepared dinner for the three of us (Dad, Mum & I). After dinner we sat out in the garden for a little while although it was a little windy so we didn't stay outside for too long. And before we knew it, it was time to pick up Laurel who had a pretty fun time by the sounds of it enjoying the pool, getting soaked during their water fight and eating some delicious homemade Thai food; I can't help but feel a little jealous hehe!

So that brings us to now, I'm currently fighting with my eyes trying to avoid nodding off. Could you imagine me falling asleep with my laptop on my knee? What a laugh!

Speak soon!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Day 6: Meetings

Good evening my friends!

Yes, it's another late upload from me tonight-I'm a night owl at heart! I wish I had a more interesting day to tell you about but let's face it, it's Monday and it's only the beginning of the week. But let's be positive about it; the countdown to Friday begins!

I am very delighted to report that Scotland was blessed with another day of much needed warmth and sunshine! We all deserve it after such a long and cold winter. It's hard to believe it was only just a couple of weeks ago that the weather forecast predicted snow! How things change eh?

Sadly, we couldn't take full advantage of the sunny spell due to the commitments of everyday life such as school for my sister and in my case, tutoring. Tutoring is always enjoyable but let's face it, I'd rather have been outside chilling in the garden. During today's music session I was learning to play 'All Over The World' by ELO on bass. We started working on it last week but soon discovered the bassline varies throughout the song so decided to only learn half and begin learning the second half today otherwise there'd be a lot for me to remember all at once. So that's what we did. It's amazing to think how much progress I've made when learning songs by ear. I used to find it extremely daunting and now it's like second nature! I love the fact that I can pick up my bass, pick any random song, work out the bass lines and jam along-words can't describe just how good it feels!

This afternoon we had a meeting with my guidance teacher from school to discuss and complete paperwork to do with my health. This for me is a little bit of a milestone in many respects as I used to get extremely worked up about talking to professionals and as you can imagine I've had to meet with so many over the years. I find it quite stressful at times. But as time's gone by I've decided to stop worrying about situations as much as I possibly can and just be completely calm and honest. And you know what? It definitely works for me! I've become more and more confident as time went on and I feel very proud of it.

Believe it or not I actually found it quite interesting going through the paperwork today and reading my history both medically and educationally. I'd forgotten so much about what I've been through and it makes me all the more determined to work hard and use what I've been through as motivation to fight and campaign for change. I also found reading all the information very useful as I really want to sit down and write a book about my life one day so all of the details are vital when putting that together. I don't know when I'll get round to it with life being so crazy these days but it's definitely a plan for the future.

Again, we spent most of the evening chilling in the garden; you really don't appreciate outdoor space until you no longer have it. We're all so grateful to finally have such a lovely house with such expanse outdoor space. It makes such a difference!

Well, it looks like that time again where I draw the post to a close. It's actually a lot loner than I thought it would be but once I start I find it hard to stop! Make sure to return tomorrow for my next post.

Goodnight world!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xxx

Day 5: The Garden

Good Evening Everyone!

Today's post is a bit later than anticipated. Why might you ask? Well, for once we actually had some sunshine in Scotland and to top it all off it was very warm! What a difference compared to yesterday's weather! So I spent the latter part of the afternoon and evening sitting out in the garden making the most of the sunshine whilst it lasts hence why I haven't got round to writing until now.

It's after 11pm so I think today's post will consist mostly of photographs as I took quite a few whilst pottering around the garden and that means I might actually have the post completed before midnight which would be a bonus!
So what did I get up to today? Well, we took a short trip to Matalan this afternoon for a wee nosy around. If you're ever looking for new home accessories, Matalan is the place to go! They have some many cute bits n' bobs to choose from so you're bound to find something that'll suit the theme/colour scheme. Mum even picked up a couple of mason jars filled with solar power fairy lights for the garden. I've posted a pic of them all lit up down below to let you have a peek-they're so pretty!

We then nipped into town for a rather brief visit, picking up a few necessities before heading back home. As soon as we returned home Mum and Dad attempted to set up the new lawnmower as our grass was in need of a good cut after all the rain we've had. During this time I spent some time jamming along to some cool blues and funk tracks that my tutor had shown me on YouTube to play along to on my bass guitar. Somehow I always manage to get a little carried away with my bass which results in a blister on my finger-ouch! Eventually, I decided to put it down and head out to the garden with my camera in hand to enjoy the sunshine for a while.

It's so lovely to have our own garden at long last! Prior to moving house we lived in a flat without a garden, needless to say we missed the outdoor space very much. I cannot wait until the Summer holidays to take full advantage of it! But for the time being it was nice to get a taster of what's to come and enjoy laying down in the grass and watching the fluffy clouds float by in the sky up above me. I can't think of a better way to pass time to be honest! Pure bliss if you ask me! 
After dinner we decided to sit out in the garden for a little while longer. The sunset tonight was absolutely breath-taking; the sky was covered in an array colours such as shade of pink, red and orange. The photograph really doesn't do it justice. As the sky began to gradually darken a crescent moon shone bright in the sky-for those of you who don't know; I have a slight fascination with the moon. Again, it is very beautiful!

Anyway, it's looking like it's going to be after midnight before this post goes live so I'm going to leave you now with a selection of photos to illustrate an unusually warm day in Scotland! Enjoy!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xxx

Cloud Watching

Cloud Watching

This little fella landed on the chair beside me

The beautiful sunset!

Gorgeous little mason jars with fairy lights