Thursday evening

Been a while, I know, but I've been so busy lately and I'm not stopping long...there's a programme on the TV at nine o'clock tonight that I want to watch so I've got about twenty minutes :)

I read everyone else's blogs before I started writing - Kelly will I come down and kick you or have you already done that yourself. I make mistakes like that all the time so I know how frustrating it feels (I'm talking about overlooking dates) when you muck things up :(

Ian and I are going to the Milton on Valentine's Night for dinner!
"Well," you might say, "they've never done anything like that before..."

Nor would we have this time either if Ian hadn't sent me an email of the forthcoming attractions at the Woodend Barn.

I saw that they were putting on a production called, 'The Tailor of Inverness' by a company called Dogstar whom I have vaguely heard of, and so I emailed back and said that I would like to go and see it.

Back came an email from Ian. he was very sorry but he had organised a 'Headbang' for that night (13th February) and it was really very difficult to fit the schedules of the various members of the Headbang Gang into any one evening...so it couldn't be changed :(

Realising, I think, how I would be gutted he offered the Milton instead - the following night. There you go!
And here is the menu for the night:

Valentine's Menu - Friday 13th and Saturday 14th February

Champagne on arrival

***

Amuse Bouche

***

Baked Crottin of Goats Cheese
rolled in Almonds with Pawpaw and Avocado Salad & Orange Reduction

Presse of Homecured Smoked & Fresh Salmon

Sauce Maltese & Caper Berries

Warm Filo Tartlet of Confit Duck

Black Pudding and Caramelised Apple with Pear Conserve

***

Fillet of Angus Beef and Braised Brisket

with Herb Crusted Potatoes, Glazed Shallots and a Red Wine Jus

Poached Loin of Monkfish wrapped in Spinach Mousseline

Beetroot and Potato Rosti with Horseradish Cream

Mozzarella, Aubergine and Beef Tomato Schnitzel

with Cassoulet of Haricot Blanc

***

Assiette of Chocolate (for two)

Passion Fruit crème Brulee

Selection of Ice Cream and Sorbet

Selection of Cheeses

I had to look up a few things in the dictionary.
An assiette is a dish with several little dishes on it, an Amuse Bouche translates literally to an amused mouth - it's a little mouthful of food on a plate to tickle your tastebuds and a crottin is a small cylindical cheese!

Saturday teatime

Ross is fast asleep on the couch in the back room with one of my Christmas blankies over him and I've come upstairs to get organised to go out.

Luca and Carole left here at the back of two to go to 'Molly's birthday party' and I went up to have my shower and wash my hair for tonight.

What a cosy afternoon I've spent since the shower, catching up with my recordings of 'Waking the Dead' and 'X Files'. Great stuff.

Luca was an angel as usual while he was here.
I have never known a child who actually looked forward to going to bed.
You carry him upstairs saying, "Time for a wee sleep," and he agrees!
"Sleep," he nods with a smile on his little face.
You put him face down in his cot and he takes hold of 'Ted Ted' and closes his eyes!
Remarkable.

When he and I were going downstairs this morning, he caught site of the phot frame I have which is divided into three parts.
"Luca, Cade, Braeden!" he said as he pointed to each photo.

I think I'd better replace the photos with more up to date ones. The photos of Cade and Braeden were taken when Braeden was just a toddler!

Braeden doesn't look much older than this and this is August '05!

Friday morning

Well, the man from 'Homeserve' has been out to see our droopy cushion and has diagnosed 'television seat'.

He inspected the springs and checked the density of the foam and said, "Technically there is nothing wrong!"

I think he felt bad, because he cleaned the chewing gum stain off the cushion which hadn't been registered yet as a problem due to... do we all remember? - the fact that only Ian's name was on the warranty and so only he could organise for someone to come out.

He also alerted me to the fact that the cushion nearer the window on the other setee was beginning to show signs of 'television seat' too!

You know, I'm just thinking - that mean that a chair will definitely have a droopy cushion within a year. That can't be right, can it?

Managed to go for a walk yesterday afternoon. Just a wee one with Anne and Kujo, around the Burnett Park. Little is better than not at all, yes?

When you are over, Lucy, we will take a trip out to the Finzean farm shop for a coffee if we get the chance.

I was there yesterday for a coffee with Anne. I've been before a couple of times.

It's just a small place but the cakes are lovely and they have a huge picture window with a lovely view of the valley and the hills beyond.

Johanne and Anne are coming round for a coffee this morning so that will be nice! I better go and hoover. I think I will open the chocolate and cherry biscuits out of the Christmas hamper you sent, Lucy.

Anne won't have one. She said she was going to Weight Watchers last night. That's why she had a slice of 'orange and almond' cake at the Finzean farm shop yesterday. The condemned woman's last treat!

Thursday afternoon

Busy day yesterday!
I drove down to Glasgow to pick up Ian and pop in to Granda's for a wee visit to give him his belated Christmas present - pyjamas, socks and toffees.

Ian had said to meet him at three so I decided to go down a bit earlier and drop in on Mary.

I had sent her a text message but since she had left her phone in the car when she had arrived at Julie's, she got a bit of a shock when she opened the door.

I, on the other hand, having failed to get a reply from her the whole way down the road was seriously worried about whether she would be in or not, especially since I had decided not to stop on the way down and was now in desperate need of a toilet.

Believe me, had she been out, one of her neighbours would've had a visit from a strange woman asking to use their loo!

Mary told me if it ever happens in the future to go to Winnie, the neighbour on their right who would take it in her stride! :)

Leo is really into The Night Garden. Check the toys in his tray - Iggle Piggle and Upsy Daisy! :)

He had forgotten me when I came in but we rebonded thanks to our mutual appreciation of the programme.

You should try and catch it on CBeebies. It's great. It's made by the company that made The Teletubbies!

Mary thinks it's great too and so does Luca. I can't upload the video of Luca watching it (still got a problem with uploading them) but have a look the next time you're here.

Which won't be long now, Lucy! :)

I caught Mary in the middle of clearing up the kitchen. What a girl she is, she never stops working. No comments please about how two sisters can be so different!

Ian and I met outside Granda's home. He had taken a taxi from the city centre. I was sure I could find the home but I got a bit lost and had to phone Ian from a pub carpark. I was actually only one street away from where I should have been so I was quite pleased with myself.

"Your car is filthy!" was the greeting from Ian when I finally arrived. Not clean, I'll grant you but make up your own minds - is the car filthy?

Granda was on good form and for once did not usher us out of the door. He was happy to spend time with us. We had a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit and sang a couple of songs.
At one point, Granda referred to me as Ian's daughter. Ian laughed his head off...I'm not sure how I feel about that :)

I don't have any photos but Ian has.

Tuesday morning part 2

Just looked at your blog, Gary. Loved the fuzzy photos.
Fuzz is better than nothing :)

You see the second one of Isis and Sima? Is Sima chewing Isis' ear?

Tuesday morning

I have just read the misinformation reported by 'daughter 2' (seen in the photo above when we were down in Cornwall in April 2007) and I am not going to let this slur go unchallenged! :)
I have never said, "Ross has a narrow throat and that's why he can't swallow pills!"

I did say that he was like his Granny Lottie who also had trouble all her life swallowing pills and I did say that he has narrow canals in his ears which is probably why he has discomfort taking off and landing when travelling on planes and why when he gets a cold he tends to get deaf but I have never said that he has a narrow throat!

The information about his ears came from a doctor during an examination, years ago when he was a wee boy, so there! :)
Get your facts right Tootie Annie!

Monday lunchtime

I have just finished making the bed and now know for sure that I am no princess!

Luca found Ian's change sitting on the bedside table last night and decided it would be fun to fling the coins onto the bed (which I hadn't made yesterday - shame on me!).

I have just discovered that I slept on top of one 5p piece and two pennies all night and never knew a thing about it!

Talk about a hundred mattresses, I don't even need one!