I’m writing this on my couch, a couch now covered in baby food thanks to Horatio (my poorly pet rat), who has just stuck his paws in the baby food I am feeding him. On the plus side, the couch covers are washable, so while I wait for him to finish his meal I thought I’d share my pick of this weeks web wonders with you, the lovely Scottish Roundup reader.

First off lets get the football out of the way. Even I ended up watching some of the Scottish Cup Final match between Hibs and Hearts and The Scottish Football blog nicely summed up the pre-match nerves for Hibs. The hype over this match made a nice change from hearing about the continuing saga that is Rangers attempt to stay in the SPL. Chris Graham reflects on the latest SFA decision regarding the club and how this might affect it’s future.

If the football news is affecting your mental health you are not alone, 1 in 4 of us will have mental health problems every year. Beauty from Pain shares her reflections on what she’d have missed if she had committed suicide and Touch&Tickle is running a Mental Health Carnival and is inviting us all to share our mental health experiences and stories.

Speaking of stories, for your reading pleasure Dorky Mum shares the first stories from her son. Loons and Quines, meanwhile, has been busy making props for her moose loose aboot this hoose themed storytelling session at her library. Felicity Martin shares a story from her dog who climbed her first Corbett (it’s the photos that make this one fab). Though if you fancy something more adult then have a read of View from the Pier’s interview with Donald Smith who is the director of the Scottish Storytelling Centre. Then head over to Tobar au Dualchais, an online collection of recording from across Scotland of things like stories, traditions, poems and songs.

Speaking of songs did you see episode 7 of Horrible Histories season 4? No? You should totally go and watch it right now. I’ll wait…. Back? Genius right. I just adore that Blue Blooded Blues song for the Scottish Stewart Kings and Queen. I’m also pro host Rattus Rattus.

From historical heroes to pop culture heroes. How many Super-heroines can you think of from comic books? Now how many of them aren’t wearing a sexy, but almost certainly, gravity defying impractical outfit? The only one I thought of was Supergran. The reason for this pondering? My recent quest to make three different mini super-heroines. I am not the only one struggling with the world’s gender stereotyping,  Transatlantic Blonde has been having a hard time finding stickers that don’t get her back up.

Finally, I want to dedicate this post to Jane Watson, who passed away on Thursday. She is the mother of Kids,Crafts and Chaos writer Clair and I can’t think of a better tribute than the one Clair wrote for her at the start of the month for her birthday. Warning folks you might need a hankie for this one.

 

I was going to start today’s offering with some fluffery and chocolate cakes, yet when I read a post by Juliet Swan on Better Nation I knew that more domestic things would have to wait. Juliet makes the outstandingly obvious observation that surely politics must promote equality.

This led me to find out more about Juliet and she blogs in her own right. She asks if gravitas is a euphemism for male. I often wonder if the same thing happens in the blogosphere and I’ve no reason to think it doesn’t as blogs reflect “real life”. Perhaps when women blog – particularly when they have also blogged about domestic matters – it has less clout than a blokey blog. Notable exceptions including Caron and Nic. If this bewilders you, as luck would have it, Is There A Plan B has some advice on how to be a feminist.

Right, now, gravitas out of the way, here’s how you might fill your Easter break.

First to the cakes. (I was going to make some comment about it being possible to be a feminist and still make wonderful cakes, but I thought better of it.)

The Scottish Mum Blog has a sweetie cake and Susan K Mann has a gingerbread house.

For many it’s a weekend off and what could be better than messing about on a boat. Scottishboating tells of a trip to Germany, but also hints at a juicy tale of arresting a ship “The whole episode involved time spent in the faculty library studying precedents and working out how one should nail the writ to a vessel with no masts.” I do hope a future post tells this tale.

If you fancy a spot of culture, Scottish Art Blog reviews the RSA New Contemporaries Exhibition.

Lower brow, after some hemming and hawing I took the kids to see The Hunger Games. See how we got on.

And the weather? Crazy isn’t it. Hawth discusses fluffy rain and howling winds.

Before we crack on with 2012, it’s time for a little look back at the past year on the Scottish Roundup.

And while we browse, here’s a video made by our chum Misssy M

January 2011
Do you remember the resolutions from way back then? How did you get on? Caron’s daughter forced her to resolve to swear less. How did you get on Caron?

February 2011
A change of pace one Sunday as the Roundup had a poetic feel. Then there was the reaction to Jim Devine. And Burdz Eye View took us around the world.

March 2011
March began overseas again, but this time it was the situation in Libya that was causing concern. And then being Scotland it was four seasons in one day. Ending much more locally with a Granite City special.

April 2011
A toe-tapping month with Misssy M looking at what the music bloggers were up to. As there was an election looming the manifestos deserved a mention.

May 2011
So the election came and went, what did the bloggers think of the New Scotland?

June 2011
This month brought news of the tragic death of popular blogger and friend to many Andrew Reeves. The new year can’t have been easy for those who mourn him.

July 2011
The sun was shining, holidays weren’t far away and so music was playing … and perhaps a little time to read the red tops. And still with papers, the hacking scandal was just around the corner.

August 2011
The nation should have still had its shorts and sunhats on, but, instead, there were riots. And later in the month the unsettled feeling wouldn’t go as The View From The Hills had it.

September 2011
Before you knew it the holidays were a dim memory and it was the tenth anniversary of 9/11. So perhaps it was appropriate that bloggers considered liberty the following week.

October 2011
Business as usual with zombies, flowers and other matters. There were more female voices that month too. And the nights began drawing in with talk of beavers, obviously.

November 2011
We took a pause to remember this month, but then wrote about it. And one of our number appeared on telly.

December 2011
Before anyone got their decorations out of the attic there was a strike. And then the wind blew before Santa brought his sack of goodies.

I hope you enjoy a little reflection – the Scottish blogosphere never fails to impress me with its variety and quality. Let’s make 2012 even better.

Please have a look at Caron’s post from September about how you can help the Roundup. The more volunteers, the better.

On Friday I found myself turning on the radio in order to listen to silence. It was the best thing I could do, sitting at home where I work – in silence, to join the rest of the country’s act of remembrance.

It was strange, because quiet contemplation is essentially a solitary act, but somehow it works better when others are doing it too. So, perhaps unsurprisingly, bloggers have been in contemplation this week or so.

Lavender and Lovage reminds us of the touching poems by Rupert Brooke and John McCrae.

Black Stallion Photography has pictures of Edinburgh’s new Field of Remembrance. Scroll down for heartbreaking messages on some of the crosses.

Caron’s Musings is delighted with Tower Bridge opening.

Wot’s News? takes the occasion to consider Scotland’s position in future conflict and some more poetry, Wilfred Owen this time.

Fitbathatba brings a take on the entirely unnecessary FIFA/FA/poppy fuss.

On my blog, the poetry theme continued with Laurence Binyon and my memory of when Remembrance stated to mean something.

Yoga Blog considers the nature of silence.

In other news

Keith Easton learns a little about radio.

In Scots, Wulf Kurtoglu is books – with a review of Scotland in Science Fiction and a sneaky plug for his own book.

Lallands Peat Worrier considers Devo Max.

Sumptuous interiors from Yeah… Ok… Bye.

Science Has The Answer actually has a paradox – wine makes you thin but gives you cancer.

While it’s the day after chemo for Guinea Pig mum.

Blur of Woodsmoke really doesn’t like hardback books.

And if you had to pick one read to settle down with your cup of tea for then, Westcoasting’s wander round a ghost village is the one.

The photo is from Ros Gasson.

We’re looking for guest editors who fancy having a bash at putting together the roundup the occasional time. The real beauty of the ScottishRoundup is what other people bring to it, in terms of their blogging voice and internet finds. It takes about an hour and is actually quite fun… honest.

Every week, what gets rounded up depends on who has said what and who is doing the rounding up. This week’s offering is a harmonious medley of female voices.

If you’re feeling peckish or nostalgic, or both, Stephanie at Is It Just Me takes us back to her granny’s kitchen.

Then Fiona MacInnes writing at Bella Caledonia revisits Orkney in the 1970s in her piece Ghost Fishing.

Having a look at her girlhood is Kirsty from A Safe Mooring. She addresses the issue of her disinclination to practice her cello and other matters.

On the Plesirblog, the author reflects on the lessons learned in life and how to acquire resilience in the face of crocodiles.

And a woman’s life from childhood is where the girl effect takes place Sara at Saja Ltd is product of it.

Caron at her musings has a measured look at the case of one women accused, convicted and cleared of killing another and how the media treated it.

Waiting politely, but not in a chauvinistic way, for the women to finish, Mike Ritchie from Comes A Time has plenty to say about Theresa May, The Simpsons and Primal Scream.

For a little levity, Lena the Hyena has a collection of painted buses - much more fun than they sound.

At the Thumbcast, Iain Hepburn reviews Ewan McGregor’s new film Perfect Sense parts of which he saw being filmed in Glasgow.

Here’s a new section I’ve decided to call Blogs People Write For Their Jobs But Are Nonetheless A Good Read Anyway.

On Oxfam’s Scottish blog is a look at the Welfare Reform Bill

On the Archibald Photography blog there’s a look at taking pictures of kids.

Michael Hayes on Rookie Oven looks at the Twitter people new business start-ups should follow.

If you think the roundup should have looked different or missed something out, then let us know. Better still, get involved we’re always looking for guest editors.

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