Saturday morning

It's just after eight in the morning and it's starting to get light outside showing us a very different scene from the one we've been seeing for the last couple of weeks!

No more winter wonderland.

Since yesterday, there's been a thaw. All the beautiful icicles have disappeared drip by drip and every so often there's been a loud rumble as sliding snow made its way off somebody's roof!

Johanne and Gill have lost guttering because snow on the roof has brought it down and Amy at the end of our street has discovered a leak!

I need to go and check the car at the front. I tried a wee experiment yesterday. I left Ross' old Mercedes heap alone but I punctured the snow all over my car using the broom handle. I thought it would be interesting to see which snow thawed faster.

Years ago, when we first came up here to live, there was an old woman living in the house in the grounds of the church. Miss Pirie. Our paths crossed every so often when she would be out in the garden.

Anyway, I came across her one day in the winter when it had been snowy and icy but the teperature had risen a wee bit and she was poking the ice with end of her walking stick and she told me it would help melt the ice faster.

I reckon there was method in her madness so I thought why not have a go and see if it actually worked. Hence my little experiment!

I'll let you know what I find out!

So, what have I been up to this week?

Not a lot. The snow prevented me walking and swimming this last couple of weeks. So it's been a very sedentary time.

Ross and I went over to Inverurie on Tuesday and brought wee Luca back here but instead of taking him home at night, we just kept him here and dropped him back at nursery on Wednesday morning.

I think he is beginning to notice differences in coins. Here he is studying his collection!

I've been using my camera a lot since the snow arrived so here's some more. These ones were taken on the journey back from Inverurie on Tuesday.

Look how dark it is. These were taken just after three oclock in the afternoon!

"Did I do anything on Thursday and yesterday?" I've just asked Ian. We are sitting together in the back room. I can hear the sound of voices on the TV accompanied by the clicking sound of fingers tapping away on keyboards.

"Don't ask me!" said Ian.

Reasonable answer, I suppose seeing as he was at work.

Not much is the answer. Bit of food shopping, some cooking - I made shepherds pie for tea last night and I've cooked stew which we'll have with doughballs tonight.

Our diet has changed with the weather - lots of soup and meat to keep us warm.

Apart from shopping and cooking, I've done laundry, ironing and I think that's about it - all exciting and interesting stuff!!

Today is going to be better :)

Sunday night

Our Winter Wonderland

The scene as you leave the main road to come into Arbor Court

Another beautiful sky!

It's actually time I wasn't here.
I should be away down the stairs getting the tea ready. We were supposed to be having boiled ham now that I come to think of it . . . oh dear! Need to come up quick with an alternative. Crumbs!!

To be honest, I'm exhausted - been Christmas shopping all afternoon and the back of my neck is aching!

While on the subject of Christmas shopping - a certain person had better get back to me soon or he'll be for it! You know who you are!!

Enough said. Maybe tomorrow if Ross isn't busy, I'll get him to come into Aberdeen with me to do some hands on.

If you've read Gary's blog you know that Ian and I went to the cinema yesterday to see The Girl who kicked the Hornet's Nest. I thought it was ok . It annoyed me in places where I disagreed with what had been left out from the book. Maybe I had read it too recently. Ian reckoned it was very good and suggested to me that he enjoyed it more because he couldn't remember half of the story!

Maybe he was right.

Anyway we finished the day by going out for tea. A bar supper at the Tor na Coille with Johanne and Colin, and it was very nice.
The butternut squash and leek risotto was very tasty and walnut icecream served with sticky toffee pudding made a yummy dessert even yummier!

Need to go or we'll never get anything to eat tonight. . . wonder if anybody would brave the elements and go to the chippie?!!

Saturday morning

I'm playing around with my blog this morning trying to find an easier way of getting photos into the text.

You see on the laptop, they won't move unless I click Edit Html and then cut and paste the photo recognising it by its code!

I don't find this easy and I can't be bothered struggling with it.

So here goes:

1. Insert the photos in the wrong order - start with the last.

2. Having done that, insert the text.

And the blog proper starts here!

Wednesday 1st December

I'd been looking out for Ian all afternoon. He'd set off for home after his last meeting but we'd had heavy snow showers all day. So I was very relieved when I caught sight of his lights at the end of the street.

So relieved in fact that I ran off and got my camera!!

Can you see his car? Just behind the snowball that is Ross' dead Mercedes.

And there he is. Safely up the drive.

Ok. I've tried it this way and no, it's a pest this way too! Maybe I should try writing the text on the laptop and then go upstairs and put the photos on using the tower.

Maybe.

Some photos I took today. . .

These first three I took on my way back from the supermarket (Ross was driving).

The cemetry

That's the East Church on the right.

Do you recognise this one? It's the fountain beside the dentist at the foot of Arbeadie Road.

Now this next one I took looking out at our back garden. The deer were eating the bramble leaves that were still on the plants. . .

Do you think they'd noticed me?

And this one I added because you can see the lovely job Ross made of the drive! :)

Got to keep my road sweeper sweet!!

Friday 3rd December

The view from my bedroom window at nine o'clock this morning

I'm sitting on the couch with A Place in the Sun chuntering away in the background. It's dark outside and freezing cold!

And it's been really cold all day! Ian said the temperature at Garlogie this morning as he went to work was -18.5c and I could well believe it. When Ross and I hit the road to the supermarket this morning it was still -12c!!

Ross hadn't been to bed last night so he cleared the drive just after Ian left for work this morning and then he and I took a drive along to Tesco.

I had been outside with him for a while so I did know it was cold. You could feel it nipping your face but what a laugh I had when Ross came in to tell me we were all set to go. He couldn't talk properly! He said his face was numb with the cold.

Yeh, I could believe that - he couldn't move the bottom half of his face to make the right sounds!!

. . . and check out the drain pipe at the side of the house!!

This first one I took when I first noticed the ice outside the bedroom window.

And this one I took from the drive. You can't see the drain pipe at all!

I checked all our neighbours and yes, they all have the same problem.

And here's wee Rossi on the job!!

Thursday 25th November

Hello!

Guess where I am?

I'm sitting in the back room watching TV and typing away!!

Yes, I'm on a laptop :)

Ian's old one. . .

And Ross has fixed it up for me so's I can access my tower hard drive and his too!! I can even access all his films while I sit here. Brilliant!!

So what's been happening?

Well, I went to The Potarch for dinner on Friday night with Anne, Johanne and Maura . . . and very nice it was too!

And now I know that halloumi cheese is very salty!

I always wondered what it was like. Every vegetarian who has ever been on "Come Dine with Me" has had halloumi cheese somewhere on their veggie menu and just that day, I'd seen part of a cooking show hosted by 'The Hairy Bikers' and they were making halloumi kebabs.

So what a coincidence that I find halloumi and rocket salad on the starter menu at Potties!

But something I LOVE came home from Bergen with Ian on Monday night.

"Hold them up Ian," I asked pointing the camera at him.

"Aw Ian,try and be a bit more enthusiastic!"

So he did!

They're finished now :(

Ian and I shared the last one just before bedtime last night. He bit the head off and tossed the body over to me. I popped it into my mouth followed by my last mouthful of coffee and savoured my final delight! :(

"Mummy and Daddy's house is a BIG house," said Luca as we were driving home on Tuesday night. He usually chunters away in the back seat when we're driving.

So I replied,". . . And Granny and Granda live in a big house too! "

"Well, Granny,"

I waited for him to go on. . . "You don't live in a big house. . . really." I could sense the head moving from side to side behind me.

"Oh. . . ok then."

So Gary and Carole, your son reckons your house is bigger than mine. . . I live in a wee house obviously, just never realised it.

Here he is. . . showing off one of his bead design on Tuesday.

"These are eggs," he had told me.

"I'll take the next photo. Ok Granny?" said Luca, keen to get in on the action.

So this is Luca's photo of a hump backed whale -

The boy's a genius. Well I always knew that :)

Just before I go, let me tell you what happened when I went to pick up Luca from nursery this week -

As I stepped into the nursery, one of the posse of little people who surrounded me, looking up at me expectantly and pawing my coat and trousers, shared with me the fact that he wasn't going to get a biscuit.

What are you supposed to say?

"Oh dear, that is a pity," I replied but kept moving forward, heading for the shoe rack and Luca.

Having escaped my fan club, I sat on the floor with Luca while he changed his shoes but as we got up to go, one of the girls in charge came over.

"Luca didn't make a biscuit to eat for his afternoon snack," she said and looking directly at Luca, added, "Did you Luca?"

A little soft voice coming from a very serious little face, trying very hard to keep a stiff upper lip replied while looking at a spot somewhere on the opposite wall, "No."

Apparently, he and the little person who would have burst if he hadn't shared his shame with me, had been left for a second, alone, at the baking table.

There were sweeties on the table.

These it had been explained to them were for putting on top of the biscuits before they went into the oven!

When she got back the sweeties had all gone. The boys had scoffed the lot!!

"But he has said he's sorry," the girl went on.

"And he has accepted his punishment. Isn't that right, Luca?" she added looking again at Luca who was still standing - like a little tin soldier, his big brown eyes having never left the spot on the wall.

"Yes," he answered in a very small voice, his little chin raised ever so slightly. Sadness permeating his little being.

"And he has agreed he will never do it again," she finished.

We left under a cloud, shoulders sagging with the shame of it all.

As we stepped out into the carpark, everything changed!!

"C'mon Granny," said little Jollyboots. "Let's go to the supermarket and get the milk. And we could get a Ben 10 chocolate lollipop too?"

Hmm!

Sunday afternoon - 14th November

It's gloomy outside today and for the first time this year, I caught sight of my breath!!

The house was downright chilly when I got back from Mass so the heating's on now and hopefully, I'll soon be able to take off my coat!

Andy is outside just now with his leaf blower. I reckon we maybe have a handful of leaves still to come down but the leaf fall is just about completed.

On a different note, little poxy Luca spent yesterday with Ross and I to let his mum and dad go into town to spend some of their John Lewis vouchers. His body is pretty spotty and there are more coming out on his arms and legs and a beauty under his right eye, but his humour was good so he obviously was feeling fine.

Gary was saying that when he told folk at his work that Luca had chicken pox, they all started rolling up trouser legs and exposing various other body parts to show him their chicken pox scars!

Mine was on my torso just below waist level on the right side. At least it used to be! I checked after Gary left. . . it's gone! Gary reminded me of where his is, but I'll let him have the pleasure of telling.

Question is, do we look on the pock marks as a badge of honour to be shared with comrades? And are those who came through unscathed unable to feel that bond of kinship?
I certainly am feeling the loss of my mark! :(

What d'you think?

He's coming back tomorrow, Luca that is. His daddy is dropping him off before he heads into town - he's on jury duty!

Y'know I've never been called up for jury duty!

Anyway, Luca is staying with us on Monday night and we'll give him back on Tuesday night. Carole has been advised that he should be all crusted by Wednesday and ready to go back to nursery.

Yesterday, we built Willy Wonka's factory out of bricks, crocodiles out of stones and a family of camels from lego.
"Don't break them up, Granny," was the command as he put the lego back in the box."Remember!" he says pointing his little finger,"keep them like that till I come back, ok!"

Ok Luca, but the box lid won't fit on. Daddy camel is too tall :(

Laura and James on their wedding day!

I thought you might like to see a photo of Anne's daugter and her new husband as of last week. They are just back from a few days in Paris and are through at Anne's today. James, whose a very good cook I'm told, is making Sunday lunch for them all as a thank you for all their hard work in organising the wedding.

Tuesday 9th November

Seven fifty four. Sitting here in my jammies. Have just stotted through here from the bedroom.

My first inclination was to head downstairs, put the kettle on for a coffee and then plonk myself down on Ian's chair and switch on the TV but I spent the whole of yesterday on that chair with my blankie staring at the TV because I wasn't feeling very well.

So - no, I thought. Do something else.

I checked everyone else's blogs but nobody's updated since the last time I looked. Amazon and Marks and Spencers had sent me messages on Hotmail and Facebook was equally unintersesting!

I haven't written anything on the blog recently either! Not since everyone arrived from here and there for the wedding.

So here I am.

Not really got any news since you were all with me for the past fortnight and what I experienced so did you!

Did you all have a good time? I did!
Think we got the best of the weather too. It's been a bit stormy and wet since you left!

Althugh, I'm glad to say, it was almost dry for Laura's wedding on Saturday. You know, Anne's daughter.

She and her partner James married in Blair's chapel on Saturday and had their reception at Ardoe House.

I wore my dress from Gary and Carole's wedding, but sadly the pink shoes are now, for ever more, sitting on a shelf, to be admired but never worn again!:(

I woke up the morning after our wedding with a bad pain in the big toe joint of my left foot which got worse everytime I thought about the shoes. It was still a wee bit sore the following Saturday so that's that.

Anybody know of someone who wears size 6 shoes and would like to have a pale pink pair with very high heels?

Just a wee photo from the wedding that caught my eye :)

Wednesday 20th October

It's a beautiful sunny day and the snow that we were greeted by this morning has melted away.

Not a lot, but an omen of things to come?

Meanwhile from the other side of the world. . .
"We only sat out for about an hour at lunchtime, yesterday," said Kelly on skype this morning, "and I've got a touch of sunburn already!"

Well no fear of that here. . .
Boy is she going to suffer when she hits Aberdeen!
Maybe the flip flops aren't such a good idea when you're travelling, pet :)
And have you got winter woollies?

I've been wearing your gilet recently but I've now invested in one of my own, so I'll launder yours and have Ross take it to the airport when he goes in to collect you!! Every layer will count!

The gasman came to call this morning.
Had noticed that two more radiators weren't quite watertight.

Good news? He's fixed them.
Bad news? While he was in the loft, he discovered that the overflow pipes for the tanks don't leave the loft. They shoot off into a distant, dark corner and just stop!

"You need to get those pipes extended," said the very nice man, " or any overflow in the system will just drip onto your wood and rot it!"

Great :(

On a happier note, Ross is up!
We had lunch together - and now he's down cleaning, tidying and re-organising his room. . .
"Best do it before everybody arrives," he said.

See how considerate he is? :)

Tuesday October 19th

Ian has gone up to see Joan - the physio. The appointment was made to check on his knees but Ian is going to ask her advice about his back as well. That boy is determined to get his money's worth!

I mean to say, who else do you know would take the chance of falling off a bike a week after knee surgery . . . :)

The surgeon put him on Ibuprofen double strength for his knees and the doctor at A&E has put him on co-dydramol for the back.

Aberdeen A&E department at dawn

Ian leaving the A&E with badly bruised ribs. Thankfully not cracked or broken!!
I took these photos as we left to come back home

He was so pumped full of painkillers after our visit to A&E, he kept dozing off on his chair . That's when he wasn't sitting there bug eyed with just a little dribble of saliva escaping from the corner of his mouth! - only kidding about the dribbling :)

I found some heat pads from Boots this morning in the back of one of the kitchen cupboards, so Ian's going to ask Joan if he should use them. They were left over from when I had a sore back ages ago.

Remember Lisa, my hairdresser, gave me one of her's to try when I turned up for a hair cut walking like a large plank of cardboard!

On the subject of Lisa. Her computer needs fixed again and when Ross came back from seeing it, he said she had offered to trim his hair for the wedding!!
How much do you think it would cost to bribe her to take her big shears to it!! :)

Saturday 16th October

So you thought I was never going to write again!?
I know, I thought so too.

But then, the other night when I was fast asleep, the computer fairy came and gave me a new keyboard!

It's a joy to use. You can read the letters on every key :) and it doesn't drop a leg every five minutes and have a wobble. Look under your own keyboard, they do have little legs, you know!

So here I am.
What has happened since I last wrote? Let me think. . .

Carole's Hen Night.
The theme being 'Horror', take a look at these three goulish girls !


Centre stage we have the 'vampish' Carole.
"It's a dream come true. I've always wanted to dress up like a vampire," said the unusually blue eyed Carole. "True I'm a vampire with a lisp. It started when I put my teeth in, but I still think I would scare you if we met in a dark alley. And the pvc cat suit will be infinitely useful in the future!"

On the right is Jenny: partner of Kevin (Gary's pal).

You'll meet Jenny at the wedding as herself but for the Hen Night, she had chosen to be a bloodthirsty vampire complete with blood trickling down from the sides of her mouth - very scarey. Unfortunately as the evening wore on, the blood wore off and the teeth, bought especially for the evening, were a disappointment as they kept falling out! I think we can all agree, however, that the hair was a resounding success.

On the left of the photo is Annie: a bridesmaid on the wedding day, a wicked witch for the Hen Night. You can just see the remnants of black lipstick at the corner of her mouth. It lasted, oh probably till . . . after the second or third cocktail had been consumed.


Here's a photo of cocktail number one in the process of being produced. This one - the name of which slips my mind - was probably the most dngerous as it tasted like mango juice but had three shots of alcohol in it.

"The cocktails were scrummy yummy weren't they," Annie commented, "especially the After Eight!" The cocktail Annie is referring to was a mix of Bailleys Cream and a mint liqueur. It tasted like melted mint choc chip icecream!!

The bartender also constructed a Mohito and a Cosmopolitan and having consumed glasses of these too and designed our own trully dreadful coctails, the party relocated to Tapas Joes for something to eat and then onto Soul to sample their wares before I exited stage left and came home, courtesy of little Ross who came into Aberdeen to pick me up.



The award of the night must surely go to Dot - who will be a the wedding, who arrived by bus dressed as the corpse bride.

A vision dressed in black and eerily pale due to white face powder she acquired in a Halloween make up pack, she sported a white nylon, curly wig and clutched a rose with a skull sticking out! The other passengers on the bus had given her a wide berth! I wonder why?

Just home from the hospital

What a day. . . heavy rain and high winds!
The roads are starting to flood in places.

But we made it and I even took the chance and reversed Ian's car up the drive so's he was near the door. Neither of us were dressed for the weather and with his great big bandages round his knees, sprinting to the door was never going to be an option!

He's sitting downstairs with his legs up just now, having a cup of tea and chancing his teeth on the last of Ross's ginger biscuits.

How did he get on?
Very well!

We were in the hospital by seven and he was off down to surgery just after eight, having happily told the nurse he'd had nothing to eat since his dinner last night and only a drink of water this morning!
Crumbs, I thought. He shouldn't have had anything at all. I worried. . .

But it was OK. The nurse asked the doctor and the doctor told her it would be alright and she came back and told us it wouldn't be a problem.

So adorned with thick black felt tipped arrows on his shins, pointing up to his knees and a very fetching identity bracelet round his left ankle, he was whisked away.

My was he grey when he came back.

"Put the golf on," he said when the porters left the room.
"No," I replied,"go back to sleep."
"I can't sleep," he countered and closed his eyes.
Out cold.

Every fifteen minutes, the nurse appeared to take his blood pressure.
"I can't sleep," he would say after she left and promptly fall asleep again.

He still looks grey but the physio who came to explain his exercise regime and walk him along the corridor etc, was very impressed by his mobility so soon after the operation!

"My goodness, you must be very fit!" she exclaimed.
It's the golf, you know :)

No photos I'm afraid. Yes, I did take my camera but the battery was flat.
But watch out for the photo of the fetching leg bracelet and the black felt tip arrow, though. I took it with Ian's phone!

Tuesday September 28th

Hello again!

And how is everyone?
It seems ages since I wrote anything to you - this won't be a long entry because I have a lot to do today, including a big wash and a mountain of ironing, but it's been so long, so here I am!! :)

I've set the browser to download some photos so I'll stay here for as long as it takes to download them and then I'll need to go.

What are they?

Well, there's a set of photos recording the departure of the Jaguar from our drive.

Y'know, Scotty arrived out of the blue with no warning, whatsoever.

Luckily I was in and I could remember where our jump leads were (the jag's battery had gone walk about ages ago)!

Now the fact that I could put my hands on the jump leads, just like that, was definitely serendipitous! My memory not being the most efficient part of my brain :(

So here's the eyewitness evidence you have all beeen waiting for:

Hurrah. We are so happy to have a space at the top of the drive, again!

Now we need to get rid of the other one and I am hopeful. For the first time, the other day, Ross said we couldn't take the car away till he got all the working parts salvaged - now that's progress. Up until now he has maintained that the beast would once again ride the highways. All it needed was 'blah, blah, blah'.

My other thought was to include a couple of photos of my wedding outfit. Not all of it because the dress is with the seamstress being altered. To fit my hips, it was too big for my bust so it's being taken in.

But the outfit has a scarf which is made of the same fabric as the dress and I've included it in one of the photos.

I know it looks black, but it's not - it's very dark blue. And I'll probably take the wee flower off after the wedding so's I can wear the jacket with my jeans.

The dress is a shift with some frills and I think it'll do fine for my summer holidays .

Right! That's it! I need to go.
I got your bumph about compression tights, Lucy. So thanks for that.

Will try not to leave it so long till the next enrty :)

Birthday photos!

OK! We've eaten the sausages and the mashed potatoes and it's now time for cake!
Chocolate cake.
Let's move on! C'mon Uncle Ross get those candles lit. . . spoons at the ready. . .

Excellent, well done. . . and the smile?
Nice one.
Cake's looking good. . .

I'm blowing as hard as I can.
There's still some candles burning?

Now, you want a photo of the boys ready to eat the cake?
We can do this.
Smiles good enough?

The flash didn't go off?
You want to do it again?
Losing it!
Can't hold this smile much longer!!

How much longer before we get to eat this cake!!

Saturday morning

A flower in my garden.
It's here just to cheer the page up!

Two minutes while my towelling dressing gown dries me off.

I've had my shower, and am heading off to the supermarket when I'm dry.

Sitting flicking through 'Stowe of Somewhere in England' - help me out here - I can't remember the name of the company. They sell bedlinen and furniture and bits and bobs.

Anyway, I noticed they had a weather proofed wicker set for the garden. Two basket chairs and a little two seater couch and I just said, in a casual way in the passing as you do, that I quite fancied buying it. We could use it in the back garden in the summer and put it on the porch at the front door in the winter. . . just mentioned it. . . that's all.

The set we had in the back garden gave up the ghost this year when I fell through one of the chairs and discovered the table and two of the chairs were rotten all the way through!

So
. . . now I know the house is a mess! It's cluttered and full of 'stuff'!
And a certain person is not happy about more coming in till a great deal goes out.
This same person reminded me of a comment I made when Mary last came up. . . you know the one about seeing your house through somebody elses eyes and getting the shock of your life.

Hmm. . . Is this a time for action?

Mental note: The Box Room (the local charity second hand furniture shop) has set up a collection point at the tip.

There's a big wicker TV cabinet in the little bedroom .
Then there's that very uncomfortable fouton.
Should I consider letting the old dining room table and chairs go?
There's the kitchen wall units in the garage still.

An initial foray through the house is called for, yes?

That's me dry. I'm off to get dressed and head for Morrisons.

Wednesday 1st September

Well. . . what a disaster yesterday turned out to be!

As I collected Luca from nursery, he asked if he could run to the car. It was safe - or so I mistakenly thought - so I said to go ahead.

Big mistake, he took off, only to trip over his own feet!

And as I watched helplessly, he flew forward, scraping along the ground as he landed, like a plane that had forgotten to put down its landing gear :(

A scraped cheek, forearm and a big stone embedded in the palm of his hand.
Oh poor wee Luca.
At this point, I was occupied with the thought of getting the embedded stone out of his hand without too much distress. . .

It wasn't till we'd been home a while that I began to notice that he wasn't using his right arm and was keeping it close to his body.

So after a bit of humming and hawing, he and Ross and I ended up at ARI Children's A&E, having left voice and text messages for Mum and Dad!

Reassuring, 'just in case' messages!

And so the tragic story unrolled.

Although from the following photos, you wouldn't think so.

I took the photo above first. So then Luca says, "Let's do one this way!"

". . . and this way,"

". . . and now, this way!"

Luca agreed it was a really nice place and apart from when the doctor prodded him and when his mum had to work hard to reassure him that having a bone photo would be good fun, he enjoyed the whole experience.

It was quite obvious when the painkillers started to work!

In fact when it was all over and three emotionally shattered adults were ready to go home, little perky was all ready to play 'tea times' in the little kitchen area at reception !!