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A Time of Love and Tartan
A Time of Love and Tartan | Alexander McCall Smith
13 posts | 7 read | 3 to read
Catch up with the delightful goings-on in the fictitious 44 Scotland Street from Alexander McCall Smith . . . 'A joyous, charming portrait of city life and human foibles, which moves beyond its setting to deal with deep moral issues and love, desire and friendship' Sunday Express If only Pat Macgregor had an inkling of the embarrassment romantic, professional, even aesthetic that flowed from accepting narcissistic ex-boyfriend Bruce Anderson's invitation for coffee, she would never have said yes. And if only Matthew, her boss at the art gallery, hadn't wandered into his local bookshop and picked up a particular book at a particular time, he would never have knocked over his former English teacher or attracted the attentions of the police. Whether caused by small things such as a cup of coffee and a book, or major events such as Stuart's application for promotion and his wife Irene's decision to go off and study for a PhD in Aberdeen, change is coming to serial fiction's favourite street. But for three seven-year-old boys Bertie Pollock, Ranald Braveheart Macpherson, and Big Lou's foster son Finlay - it also means a getting a glimpse of perfect happiness. Alexander McCall Smith's delightfully witty, wise and sometimes surreal comedy spirals out to include tennis-playing Rwandan Forest People, researches into levitating Celtic saints, bogus headhunters in Papua New Guinea and primary school performances of Beckett. But its heart remains where it has always been true to life, love and laughter in Edinburgh's New Town.
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mrsmarch
A Time of Love and Tartan | Alexander McCall Smith
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My company separated from me yesterday. And I‘m relieved. It was nothing less than soul-sucking. Now to tap into my inner frugal housewife and SAHM! Here is Bunny empathizing with me last night by pinning me down and loving me.

DeeLew Beautiful golden!! 😍😍 6y
britt_brooke 💚 6y
AmyG Hopefully the door just opened for you....for a better employer. 6y
mrsmarch @DeeLew Bahaha, she tricked you!! She‘s a Staffordshire Pit Bull/Chow Chow mix.... 🐶 6y
Dragon Positive energy heading your way 🌈💕🤗 6y
44 likes5 comments
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mrsmarch
A Time of Love and Tartan | Alexander McCall Smith
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This is my silly girl eating at IKEA. #latergram

I fell asleep in her bed with her tonight and I just witnessed a full blown night terror. About five minutes of seeming wakefulness, full body convulsions, and panicked breathing. She looked right at me but wasn‘t seeing me. Whimpering and crying out and looking at something just out of reach. 👇🏻

CouronneDhiver Poor baby... nightmares are awful. A purposefully peaceful night routine can sometimes help. 🙁 6y
mrsmarch It started exactly 90 minutes after she fell asleep. I‘ve never been on the parent‘s side of a child‘s night terror — always the one having the terror. I‘m so sad for her. In my family, night terrors don‘t confine themselves to the years of childhood—we suffer them all the way through our lives. 6y
mrsmarch @CouronneDhiver It wasn‘t even a nightmare. Night terrors are entirely different beasts. She‘s 6 weeks in to kindergarten and not adapting well. Her school is not ready for a girl like her. 6y
See All 7 Comments
Dragon Sounds very scary for you both. Positive energy heading your way 🤗💐🌈 6y
laurieluna Sending love and hugs to you and your daughter. 6y
Reviewsbylola That‘s so sad. My 4 year old has had a few and it‘s terrifying as a parent because even though she wakes up immediately, she cries and is disengaged for 10-15 minutes. It‘s like I‘m not even there. 6y
Reviewsbylola I hope you both find some relief. ❤️❤️ 6y
35 likes7 comments
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mrsmarch
A Time of Love and Tartan | Alexander McCall Smith
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It‘s mah gurl #dogsoflitsy #readwithme

JoScho ❤️❤️❤️ 6y
33 likes1 comment
review
rwmg
A Time of Love and Tartan | Alexander McCall Smith
Pickpick

This is the latest in the series and reads like it might be the last. The sitcom aspects are still very funny but the satire is rather less gentle than usual.

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mrsmarch
A Time of Love and Tartan | Alexander McCall Smith
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These ruby giant crocuses are for @Maggie for her birthday. I recently had a cruddy birthday too. I was sick, and no one in my house was in a good mood. It passes. We survive. I celebrated a week late at the museum with my best friend, lunch, rosé, and art. I came away renewed. I‘m finally shaking my bronchitis and clearing my sinuses. #LittensTogether #35RandomActs

PenguinInFlight Those are so pretty! Spring is coming!! 💜💜 7y
Jess7 🤗🤗🤗 7y
See All 6 Comments
emilyhaldi So pretty ☺️ 7y
Dragon Yay Spring! 💜 7y
Mdargusch Sounds like your birthday celebration turned out to be wonderful! Love this photo! 7y
49 likes6 comments
review
ShariEstaLeando
A Time of Love and Tartan | Alexander McCall Smith
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Pickpick

Always delightful. ❤️☕️

1 stack add
review
Libby1
A Time of Love and Tartan | Alexander McCall Smith
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Pickpick

This photo has NOTHING to do with Scotland. Or tartan. OR this book. It's just pretty.

This series of books is one of my absolute favourites. Most of the time they just jog along and not much really happens, but it is a highly amusing little jog.

This book is the game changer, though. Some BIG plot changes occur. Where on earth are you taking us, Mr. Alexander McCall Smith?

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Libby1
A Time of Love and Tartan | Alexander McCall Smith
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Our sweet Sasha was hit by a car and died tonight.

Kind words would be much appreciated! 💔

LibrarianJen Oh no! I'm so sorry for your loss. 😿 7y
CocoReads I'm so sorry for your loss. Hugs. 7y
bobregina Oh so sorry! Don't know what to say. I love my cat, she's like a daughter, and I can only imagine 😿 7y
See All 67 Comments
Moray_Reads Oh I'm so sorry, that's horrible! 💔 Much love and hugs x 7y
MorbidAi 😔😔😔 I'm so sorry, it's never an easy thing to go through. 💖💖💖 7y
tournevis All the hugs 😿 7y
emily_m_tubb I'm so sorry to hear that 😿 7y
LauraBeth Oh no! I‘m so sorry to hear that about furbaby ❤️🐈🌈 7y
PurpleyPumpkin I'm so sorry for your loss! 😥💜 7y
Beck9lol I'm so sorry!! 7y
quietlycuriouskate Oh, Libby, I am so sorry! 7y
Laalaleighh Oh no! I'm so sad for you! Sending comforting thoughts your way! 7y
Cupofjo 😢 I am so sorry!! 7y
Texreader So sad for you. Thinking of you. 😥💙 7y
rabbitprincess I'm so sorry for your loss. Poor kitty 😭♥️ 7y
MicheleinPhilly ☹️I'm very sorry for your loss. ❤️❤️❤️ 7y
Izai.Amorim Very sorry for your loss. 7y
Ms_T 😔x 7y
Brie I'm so sorry, that's heartbreaking 7y
LeahBergen Oh no! I'm so terribly sorry. Hugs! 💕💕 7y
CoffeeCatsBooks Oh no, I am so sorry! My thoughts are with you. 7y
Bookworm54 I'm so sorry 😔xxx 7y
AlaMich That's so awful!! My heart goes out to you. 7y
Angitron I'm so so sorry. ((((( hug ))))) 7y
DGRachel That's awful. I'm so very sorry for your loss. Heartbreaking. 💔😿 {hugs} 7y
JenP Oh no, I'm so sorry for your loss. 😢 7y
Notafraidofwords I'm so sorry 😐 7y
TrishB Sorry to hear 😢 7y
Kangaj1 So sorry! 7y
AprilMae So sorry to hear! Sending you hugs!! 7y
Lacythebookworm I'm sorry 😔 7y
CareBear I'm so sorry for your loss. 💔 7y
erista Oh no! So sorry for your loss! 7y
MinDea ☹😟😢 7y
Moonpa I'm so sorry❤️ 7y
melrailey 😢😢so sorry 7y
Susannah Oh no! This is terrible. I'm so sorry. 7y
Eggs How awful, so sorr😞 7y
BookNAround Poor sweet kitty and poor you. I'm so sorry. 😢 7y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks So sorry 😪 7y
Jabberwocky 💛 My heart breaks for you 💛 7y
erinreads I'm so so so so sorry. 😿💕💕💕 7y
Aims42 Sending you a hug, I'm so sorry 💞 7y
Mimi28 🌈💔((((( Hugs and sweet memories))))) 7y
Purrfectpages Oh no! So sorry to read this! My thoughts are with you! 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Oh this is tragic. So sorry for your loss. 😘😘 7y
Lcsmcat I'm so sorry! 💔💔 7y
coffeenebula Oh what a shock that must have been! So sorry 💜 7y
Avanders Oh I'm so sorry 😰💖🤗😰 7y
KikiLovesBooks Oh no! I am so very sorry for your loss. ❤️ 7y
Bookboss How terrible! So sorry for your loss. 7y
imabusybee So sorry 😢😢 7y
Lmstraubie So so sorry 😔 7y
jpmcwisemorgan I‘m so sorry! 7y
readordierachel That's awful. So sorry for your loss. 7y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Im so so sorry. All my love to you. 7y
batsy I'm so sorry 😔 7y
LauraBrook Oh, poor girl! I'm so sorry. 😪😪😪😪 7y
CouronneDhiver 😿😿😿😿 7y
Shemac77 So sorry. Heartbreaking. Xo 7y
Bookgirl 😿😞 7y
kspenmoll So so sorry- devastating to lose such a sweet pet! 😿❤️ 7y
JazzFeathers I'm so sorry. Be strong 7y
RohitSawant So sorry for your loss. 7y
Easytiger My condolences losing a pet is never easy. Positive vibes and prayers sent! 7y
stacybmartin I'm so sorry to hear this - hugs and strength to you all! 💜 7y
megt I‘m so sorry for your loss. Sending love and comforting thoughts 💜 7y
56 likes67 comments
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Libby1
A Time of Love and Tartan | Alexander McCall Smith
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"Have you read what Hamish Henderson had to say in one of his poems? ... 'let us not disfigure ourselves with hatred'. Let us not disfigure ourselves... how apt, how resoundingly true. We should not disfigure ourselves with hatred, Matthew, and yet we do, and dear Hamish Henderson, that softly spoken, good man, who believed that we should treat one another with gentleness and love, understood the dangers of that & would be birling in his grave..."

MayJasper Great word - birling ❣ 7y
Libby1 I had not heard it before, @MayJasper , but figured it out based on the context. My Northern Irish husband knew exactly what it meant! 7y
47 likes2 comments
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Libby1
A Time of Love and Tartan | Alexander McCall Smith
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Scottish conversation.

Aye aye.

Tamra 😂 7y
Cathythoughts Love it 7y
Moray_Reads Truth. Except the "aye aye" for good morning, I've never heard that. Maybe I haven't been here long enough ? 7y
See All 7 Comments
Izai.Amorim I love this! Italians also have many meanings for "boh". You need time to understand what is really meant. 7y
Ms_T 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 7y
Bradleygirl Awesome. Sent this to my mom since we're going to be in Edinburgh in 2 weeks 🙌 7y
Libby1 @Tamra, @Cathythoughts , @Moray_Reads , @Izai.Amorim , @Ms_T , @Bradleygirl - little words or phrases can be incredibly expressive. In Northern Ireland they often add an "och" to the "aye". "Och Aye!" can convey so much. 7y
53 likes7 comments
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Libby1
A Time of Love and Tartan | Alexander McCall Smith
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"Pat caught her breath. She wanted to storm out; she wanted to tell this outrageous man that his charms would no longer work on her; that she saw through everything; through the hair gel, through the banter, through every arrogant assumption about female psychology; through the whole, outrageous act - she saw right through it. But instead she asked him whether he took sugar."

Insightful sentence and admirable semi-colon usage.
#SemicolonLove

anneofgreentables Love this series! ❤️ 7y
Libby1 Have you read this one yet, @CrazyLibraryGirl ? 7y
anneofgreentables No, but hopefully I will soon! @Libby1 (edited) 7y
43 likes1 stack add3 comments
blurb
Libby1
A Time of Love and Tartan | Alexander McCall Smith
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Guys! I found it! I found it!

I ADORE this series, and I found the most recently released instalment (volume 12) at a local library.

Bertie, a 7 year-old boy living in Edinburgh with his pushy mother, his push-over father, and his little brother Ulysses is one of my favourite characters in all of literature.

Who are your favourite characters?

#FavouriteCharacters

Cinfhen Yay!!!! 7y
tournevis General Anna from the The Pushcart War. I want to be here when I'm old. 7y
Libby1 @tournevis - that looks like a great book! 7y
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Libby1 Yay is right @Cinfhen ! This author is one of my automatic buys but I usually wait for a gift voucher. 7y
tournevis @Libby1 I read it for a panel years ago, it's great! 7y
Libby1 What kind of panel, @tournevis ? Sounds interesting! 7y
tournevis @Libby1 Literary panel at a con called Farthing Party almost ten years ago now. I end up on a lot of lit panels at conventions and and anthro/hist panels ay conferences 7y
42 likes7 comments
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wanderaven
Time of Love and Tartan | Alexander McCall Smith
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My new 44 Scotland Street is particularly attractive....