Last Day of Term

It's the Easter holidays and Ally, Davie and I celebrated it in our different ways. I enjoyed a curry from Shimla Pinks and watched an episode of Dirk Gently with James. A quiet but pleasant evening which suited us because we were both quite tired. Ally went to the Rangers "Legends" game which he thoroughly enjoyed; it was played by retired players who are all well known. The only goal was scored by Ally McCoist who, Ally tells me, put on a brief burst of speed that took all the other players by surprise. It was sold out; Gavin had predicted correctly that there would be a last minute rush for tickets because of the fine weather. Ally and his friend Callum were sitting beside my colleagues because Gavin had very kindly got them the tickets. David was also out for the evening; it was his last day at Belmont and he went over to Springfield Quay with his good friends Assad, Joshua and Stuart. They went bowling and then to the cinema to see "The Hunger Games" which he said was quite good. Then they had something to eat; he came home very happy with his evening. Both boys came into our room to tell us all about their evenings; I thought was really nice that they wanted to do that. 

Happy Birthday Alasdair!

Alasdair is 18 years old today! We had a birthday tea for him including Grandma and Cat, and it was good fun. Cat had made a birthday cake for him; it was a delicious chocolate cake and it was beautifully decorated too - white icing with Happy Birthday Alasdair piped onto it in blue and a little golden saxophone made out of icing. Cat had also brought indoor fireworks for the cake which were excellent - the smoke alarm went off! We all sang Happy Birthday. Cat is definitely Ally's girlfriend again.
Later I went to my EK book club which was, as ever, a really good laugh. When we discussed the book - American Wife - I mentioned how I had enjoyed the short stories. It was only when everyone else looked puzzled that I realised that I had downloaded the wrong book onto my kindle! There are evidently two books with the same title and the one I should have read is by Curtis Sittenfeld, about the life of a (fictional) American President's wife. The hazards of a kindle! I checked later and the Curtis Sittenfeld book is not yet available on kindle, so that's why only one novel appeared when I searched for the title, and I didn't notice that it was not the correct author! A very pleasant evening. 

Back in my hammock

Today I felt quite tired and found it hard to summon up my usual enthusiasm at work. So I was glad to head home and since the weather is still glorious I dived straight into my hammock as soon as I arrived. I got my hammock from John Lewis for about £70 in 2006 and I have certainly had my money's worth out of it. It has its own metal frame so it's easy to set up, and it's made of a nice dark green canvas. In our Scottish climate it is not a year round pleasure, but it is wonderful when I do use it, so comfy and relaxing. I love to lie in it and read while glancing up at the blue sky, with or without white clouds. Half an hour in my hammock restored my spirits.
A further treat was in store for us after tea thanks to Ally, who downloaded - guess what - the first (double) episode of Mad Men Series 5! It did not disappoint! 

I notice that Alasdair is very tall

Ally, who will be eighteen on Wednesday, has suddenly become very tall. James and I always used to refer to Ally and Davie as "the wee guys" because they were so tiny compared to Jamie (who is four years older than Ally and five and a half years older then Davie). But this evening I noticed that Ally is now slightly taller than James, who is six feet tall. I can't believe it - Ally has always been this wee skinny boy with curly red hair; I used to carry him around in my arms, and now he is a young man, still slim but quite muscly, and way taller than me. I also think that he is becoming more tolerant of me.
Today was another absolutely beautiful day, unseasonably warm with record temperatures for Scotland in March: 22.9C in Aberdeenshire and about 19.5C in the Glasgow area. It was a very busy day and I didn't manage to get outside apart from a short time at lunch time, but I think the good weather is cheering everyone up. I gave Caroline a lift home after parents' night and the sky was a beautiful gold colour around the setting sun.
This evening we watched the last two episodes of Mad Men Series 4, and it was tremendously good! Watching Mad Men has been great fun over the last three months and I can't wait to see the new series, which is just about to be shown on Sky Atlantic. Unfortunately we don't have that channel but I may try to subscribe to it online if that's possible. 

Basking in the Spring sunshine

Today was warm and sunny all day and I'm glad to say that we totally made the most of it. James and I had intended to walk another part of the Ayrshire Coastal Path but we ended up sleeping in a bit, partly because of the clocks going forward and partly because we were at a party last night at Lesley and Jonathan's. We had a great time at the party, however with the time change we ended up going to sleep at about two in the morning so no wonder we didn't get up early! So we went for a walk round Strathclyde Park instead and it was a very pleasant hour, although almost too warm. We picked up some herbs at a garden centre on the way home and James did some gardening while I rested in my hammock. I did hold the ladder while he put the trellis back up for my honeysuckle. David went to the Old Firm game with Gavin and to his delight Rangers won 3-2, he was full of the joys! Ally arrived home from his party (he had slept over) and washed the outside of all the windows with the long poles. We all had a barbecue later with Grandma, the first of the season! It was amazing to sit out in the garden in the warm evening sunshine. Let's hope that we have lots more warm days this year. 

Timber!

The weather was just lovely today; starting off cool and crisp and then becoming warm and sunny by lunch time. James and I had some errands to do in town, and I got him the watch that I have been wanting to get him for his 50th birthday, which he likes very much. We then had a pleasant lunch in Cranachan in Princes Square. When we got home Ally and Davie were sitting in the extension with the doors wide open to the garden. I was delighted, it's the first day this year that it has been mild enough to do that. James got my much loved hammock out of the garage for me and I had a coffee and read my current book for a while in it (Ramshackle by Elizabeth Reeder, who I saw at Aye Write). Meanwhile James, Ally and Davie decided to fell the conifer outside the kitchen window. It has become far too big and was blocking views of the garden from the house. The three of them worked away and finally there was a cry of "Timber!" and the tree fell - partly on top of my hammock, which luckily I wasn't in at the time. Then they cut it all up and took it down to the dump. Amazingly one of our forks was found under the roots. It must have been there a long time because the tree roots had twisted it round into a strange shape. Ally said he remembers digging in the earth with forks when he was a tiny boy! A useful and pleasant day. I love being around the house. 

Fate rapping at the door

That's how Beethoven allegedly described the famous first four notes of his Fifth Symphony, three Gs and an E flat. James and I went to hear Beethoven's 5th at the City Halls tonight. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra were absolutely excellent and we really enjoyed the strong, exultant music. I thought that the symphony was very varied and it was good all the way through. James persuaded me to go for a drink in Metropolitan before heading home, which was a pleasant way to end the evening. 

The Music Competition

This evening James, Grandma and I went to Ally's school music competition. The standard was very high; there were three categories - solo performance grades four to five, and six to eight, and open ensemble class. Ally's jazz quartet were in the ensemble category. Last year the quartet gave a rather lacklustre performance of "Pirates of the Caribbean" in the contest, which they had the good grace to laugh about. However this year they really shone with "Lassus Saxophone" and they came first in their category! We were all delighted and when Ally and his friends looked round to see where I was I gave them a big victory salute from the balcony! I felt I should do this because last year I jokingly made a cut throat gesture to indicate that I didn't think it had gone well, which they all found amusing. All of the performances were really good and my personal favourite was a young violinist playing "Millionaire's Hoedown" by Clebanoff which was amazing. However the overall winner was clearly the best; a girl who played Prelude Op 23 No 4 by Rachmaninov; I don't know much about music but I don't think a professional musician could have played it better. So it was a fantastic evening. Alasdair said that he is so pleased at winning in his 6th year, he was all smiles and let me hug and kiss him. 

Grade 8 boy

After work I went over to visit Philippa at her gorgeous flat, which is her Glasgow residence when she is in Scotland. I loved it; it is modern, beautifully decorated and even has a balcony. It's handy for everything and is the ideal urban pad, always ready for the family when they need it. Philippa had prepared a delicious afternoon tea and we had a great time chatting. It has been so good to be able to see her twice during this visit. I also met Blair for the first time in years, he is a very pleasant and handsome young man. Alasdair texted to tell me some excellent news; he has passed his Grade 8 saxophone exam with merit, I was delighted and so was James (who was in London today, and bought Ally some Union Jack cuff links from his favourite shop Charles Tyrwhitt to celebrate!). In his text Ally said "I'm so happy I got it :D" I am very proud of Ally; achieving Grade 8 in a musical instrument is no mean feat and to do so with merit is a brilliant culmination of his school musical career. Playing the saxophone well is a skill he can now take forward and enjoy in his adult life. Ally's ex girlfriend Cat came over to bake a cake with him in the evening. I'm not sure what is the significance of this - is the romance back on? No doubt time will tell. 

Nearly Spring

This morning when I opened the back door the ground was wet but there was a warm wind blowing. The season is on the change. Jack cat hesitated at the door but headed outside for his morning routine; on very cold and wet days he stares out through the cat flap for ages trying to decide whether or not to brave the elements. Alasdair's Grade 8 saxophone exam was today, when he got home he said that he wasn't too happy about how it went; he made mistakes that he hadn't made while practising and the examiner had been very stern, breathing in sharply whenever Ally made an error!
I heard a terrible news item this evening about an unarmed black teenager in Florida, who was followed, confronted and shot to death as he screamed for help, by a "neighbourhood watch volunteer". And the man who did it has not even been charged, because he claims that it was self defence. Residents made phone calls to the emergency services because of the noise of the fight, and in the background can be heard the sound of the boy screaming, followed by the gunshots. It made me feel really angry. 

A Lovely Mothers Day

Oh what a lovely day I have had! A pleasant long lie in my bed was followed by breakfast in bed made by David. I received cards from James and the boys, a beautiful arrangement of Spring flowers including my favourites - freesias. And James phoned from Strontian to tell me that there was an extra present hidden in my bedside table drawer...it was a gorgeous Aubade slip which I had seen in the Galeries Lafayette in Paris, and which James had tracked down on the Internet! I was delighted. David and I collected Grandma and we went to Forrest and Marjory's for Mother's Day lunch. Grandma was very sleepy - perhaps her medication? But she enjoyed the occasion and we had really nice afternoon chatting with the family, and looking at all the children's pets. When we took her home she was exhausted and fell asleep in her chair straight away. James arrived home at about four o'clock; his face was sunburned from his weekend of hill-walking and he showed us his photos. Ally arrived home from his Duke of Edinburgh Practice weekend just as tea was ready, he was telling us that it was very windy and they had to change route. His group have planned their qualifying expedition which will be at the end of June; they are going to paddle round the west side of Mull, camping on remote beaches. James, Ally and Davie were all delighted that Kilmarnock beat Celtic in the League Cup, which means that Celtic won't win the treble. I think this is some comfort to the boys after Rangers' recent financial trouble. In the evening Jamie phoned to wish me a happy Mother's Day, we had a nice chat, he is nearly finished his big project and it is hard going. I should also mention that my furry boy has been very loving to me all day, rubbing against my legs and sitting on my lap. So all of my boys have been good to me. 

An evening out with my son

I went into work to get some admin done in the morning - peace perfect peace without staff or pupils and I got loads done. Then after lunch Davie and I took Grandma for a short shopping trip; her first outing since she came out of hospital. James is hill-walking and Ally is on a Duke of Edinburgh practice weekend. We went to a small Marks and Spencer and took it slowly; she did really well but was not steady on her feet, she has lost confidence I think. We got all of her shopping and had a cup of tea and a quick visit to Boots before heading home. Hopefully she will gradually build up her strength again. David is lovely to her, he is such a kind person. Later David and I went into town, intending to go to our usual restaurant - TGIF. However to our disappointment there was an hour and a half waiting time, so we went to Prezzo instead and had a nice meal there. David had an "Italian Burger" and he said it was good but "lacked something" - obviously not up to the standard of TGIF! There was a mirrored pillar beside our table so we had fun creating optical illusions (in the style of Harry Worth but just with our faces). We then made our way up to Cineworld in Renfrew Street to see a film chosen by David - 21 Jump Street. I accidentally bought 3D glasses in the mistaken belief that it was a 3D film, which David thought was very funny! The film was absolutely hilarious and also quite rude! There was an unexpected cameo by Johnny Depp, and we both really enjoyed it. Like many of the teenagey films that I have watched with my sons, the outrageous comedy was underpinned by quite a strong moral message! On the way home in the car David played me a selection of his favourite music and told me where and when he first heard it. I love Davie's company. 

Meeting future celebrities

A pleasant Friday. This evening Jackie and I went to Aye Write to see two newly published writers; Wayne Price and Elizabeth Reader. They each read excerpts from their books and answered questions. It was a very good hour and it was interesting to see people right at the start of their writing careers in contrast to the already very successful William Boyd. We got our books signed by the authors at the end and they were both very charming, perhaps they will be famous writers soon. Then we had a lovely meal of Tapas in Black Sparrow and a good chat.
Earlier in the day I met someone else who may soon be famous; Danny Shah, who played a gig at my school today (we are so cool where I work!). Despite not yet being signed by a label, he has become an internet sensation after making a video for his new song "We are Connected", that features clips of Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Katy Perry. I hope that he has lots of success in the future. 

The Marquetry Kit

James left the house at five o'clock this morning to travel to London, but unfortunately his flight was cancelled due to fog in London so he came back home briefly and then headed in to work. Poor James, this meant it took him three and a half hours in total to get to work only three miles away! I had a great day at work, busy but rewarding, and I even remembered to buy superglue for Davie on the way home (something to do with a games controller broken during a brotherly fight). Then James and I watched two excellent episodes of Mad Men; we are now into Series 4 and it just gets better and better! James was saying, "Are you glad I got you that for Christmas?" and I said "Oh yes it's much better than the marquetry kit!" Ally asked what I meant and I explained to him that once, about twenty-five years ago, James got me a marquetry kit as part of my Christmas present. This would have been a good present for someone more dexterous and less clumsy than myself, but despite my stalwart efforts the wood was soon soaked with my blood and was declared James' least successful present ever! Ally loved this story and laughed uproariously. As I write this James is round visiting Grandma, and Alasdair is watching a football match between Manchester City and Sporting Lisbon. I asked him why the team is called "Sporting" Lisbon and he said it is to distinguish them from a neighbouring team called "Less Sporting Lisbon" which I thought was very funny! 

Night time blog

I was the victim of a good wind up at work on Wednesday when I was told that the football coach I was going to be working with was both well known in the football world and extremely good-looking. I bounded in to the sports centre to meet him only to find that he was a nice older gentleman, not at all famous, who was kind and pleasant rather than the eye candy I was expecting! Serves me right for being so shallow! Much amusement from my colleagues who were all in on the joke!
David and I popped round to see Grandma later with some tasty morsels from Marks and Spencer and she is still a bit unsteady but looking better.
Grandma wasn't feeling up to going to the theatre with Forrest in the evening so he very kindly took Ally instead to see "Spamalot". Ally had a great time. Today was Ally's last Founders' Day at school which he found very moving; he said that one of the girls in the class sang "The Lord is my Shepherd" and it was really excellent. Then he and his friends went to the cinema in the afternoon, so he has had a great day!
In the evening I went out for a meal with Sharon to Fratelli's, it was quite busy for a Wednesday. We had a lovely evening of catching up and chatting, and the meal was good too. I am blogging in the middle of the night because it was such a lively day that my mind is still wide awake. I had better go to sleep now. 

Sunflowers

After reading my blog of 6th February about the photos of sunflowers that i took in Tuscany in 2003, James decided that my best sunflower photograph should be displayed in our kitchen. We dug out the negative and took it to a photo shop on Byres Road where we had it printed in A3 size. Then James ordered a frame and my sunflower is now in pride of place on the kitchen wall. I love it! I feel as if I have a piece of Tuscan sunshine on my wall.
Good news about Grandma; she was allowed home yesterday and is very glad to be back in her own house. James feels that she is not quite well yet, she seems a bit restless, but we will all be keeping a close eye on her. 

I love William Boyd

Last night James, Heather, Ewan and I went to hear William Boyd speaking at Aye Write; what a treat! For a start he is absolutely gorgeous; he looks like a cross between the actors Bill Nighy and Bill Pullman, and his lovely voice is very like Colin Firth's. And he is a great speaker; so relaxed and interesting and humorous and informative. And he is so cultured and well-read and well-travelled and has written so many great novels! Tired out from the worry over his Mum's illness, James slept through most of the talk; he has not read any William Boyd novels and joked that he would put his hand up during the question and answer session and ask "Who the hell are you?" James however perked up for our curry in Mother India, it's years since we have been there and it was a very special meal, absolutely delicious. Later we went for a pleasant drink and a good chat, it was an excellent evening! This morning I had a lovely long lie then pottered around the house while James and the boys did some gardening. More good news; Grandma is so recovered that she may be allowed home tomorrow! We won't find out until after ward rounds tomorrow morning. So a weekend that started rather badly has turned out very well! 

What a difference a day makes

James tells me that Grandma is now sitting up in her hospital bed, talking and wondering when she is going home. Tests continue to find out what caused her seizures yesterday; she has no recollection of yesterday at all, which is just as well because it was a confusing and painful day for her. I haven't seen her today because I was on a training course all day; not my favourite way to spend a Saturday although it was a useful course. James visited in the afternoon and Forrest will visit in the evening. I have come directly from Carluke to the Mitchell Library in Glasgow where I will be meeting James, Heather and Ewan shortly to go to one of the Aye Write events. We will be hearing William Boyd speaking about his latest book "Waiting for Sunrise". I am a huge Boyd fan and I have heard that he is rather dishy so I'm looking forward to it very much. I mentioned two days ago that Jennifer had good news for me, but this was rather overshadowed by yesteday's events. The news is that Mum's house is sold, which is a big relief, not so much financially but in the sense of not having to be responsible for it and its ongoing expenses. Well when I say "sold" I actually mean "under offer" so I'm hoping that nothing goes wrong with the transaction. I'm told that the purchasers absolutely love it, which they should because it is a lovely house which suited my Mum very well for a number of years. So Grandma seems to be recovering well, Mum's house is sold, my training course is over, I'm about to have a literary episode followed by a curry - let the weekend commence! 

Hoping for the best

Ten hours after we saw her into her house after our cinema outing, Grandma was found unconscious in her bed by her cleaning lady. An ambulance was called; Marjory contacted me; I contacted James (with some difficulty, because his phone was still on silent since the film last night). We all met up at the hospital, and Forrest joined us as soon as he could get away from work. A very worrying day ensued. Tests and scans were carried out. We all chatted and talked to Grandma (hoping that she could hear us) and drank vile coffee. I was able to pop back to work from time to time to check that everything was ok. Gradually it seems that Grandma has started to improve, however the next few days will be crucial. Jamie came to see her and so did Ally and Davie, they were so upset to see her so ill. We are all hoping for the best. 

Jack and the wood pigeon

Ally told me that he saw Jack rushing up to the windows in the back room this morning (safely behind the glass!) to scare away a large wood pigeon that was walking about outside. Our hero! Jack was so excited by this triumph that he became very skittish and ran around the back room like a kitten, pausing only to give his scratching post a good ripping. A good day at work, my job may be tiring but I do enjoy it! In the evening James and I took Grandma to a film that she has been wanting to see; The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The cast comprised a bunch of top old luvvies playing retired people who end up in a dubious retirement hotel in India. It was very good - not surprising given the calibre of the actors - and Dame Judi Dench and Maggie Smith totally stole the show. We all enjoyed it. Jennifer had some exciting news for me, of which more tomorrow. 

End of the World Weather

That's how David described the strange and wild weather we had today! It was so strange! At lunch time, suddenly the sky went dark and there was a brief but heavy snow storm, then throughout the afternoon we had alternately heavy rain, sleet, and brilliant sunshine! Refreshed after eleven hours sleep last night I had a good busy day; I worked on a bit at the end of the day, then after the boys had their music lessons we all had dinner together, it was a lovely evening. 

Tired Susan

This evening I came home from work at about quarter past six and went straight to bed. The reason for this was because I was very, very tired. I could hardly concentrate in the afternoon and I wondered if I was coming down with something. There are certainly plenty of sickness bugs and colds going around at school, but I'm usually quite good at resisting them, I must have a tremendous immune system! It is a source if pride to me that I haven't been off sick from work for more than five years. I shouldn't feel tired because I got plenty of sleep at the weekend. We had a lovely time on Sunday at Snozone, where to my surprise James has never been. I have skied there with the children and more recently with Jackie. Alison took a lesson because she has never skied before; she made very good progress and was doing snow plough turns by the end of her lesson. Then we all had a pleasant lunch and chat in Bella Italia. James seemed rather annoyed when he found that I had taken to my bed but I was too sleepy to care and in fact I slept from half past six until ten thirty. So as Mum would have said "I must have needed it!" James was out with his hill-walking club to the pub and arrived in just as I got up so we had a cup of tea together. And now I am back in bed, still tired so let's hope I get my energy back by the morning! 

I saw a meteorite!

On Saturday night I took Ally over to a party on the south side and when I got home it was about nine o'clock. We decided to watch the film "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" (James' choice - it turned out to be a bit dreary in my opinion). Not long after we started watching it something outside the French windows caught my eye and I looked up to see a bright light in the sky, in fact it looked like flames. I said to James "Look outside, are those flames?" but the light had disappeared by then and he didn't see anything. I forgot about it until just now when I saw this on the BBC news website:

"Meteorite prompts police calls
Police forces say have they received a number of calls reporting what is believed to have been a meteorite.
Reports of a "bright light" and an "orange glow" came in across the north of England and Scotland at about 21:40 GMT amid fears a plane had crashed."
The Met Office tweeted: "Hi All, for anyone seeing something in the night sky, we believe it was a meteorite.""

I am so excited, that must have been what I saw! 

All by myself

After my busy week I firmly declined James' offer to go hill-walking; today was Willie's last Corbett, Ben Donich. Ally and Davie went with James, and as a result I have had a day by myself, which almost never happens. Now I don't mean to sound ungrateful for the lively company of my family, and I certainly wouldn't want always to be alone, however I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my day so far. This is what I have done:
1. Had a very long lie in - I won't say when I got up in case James reads this.
2. Spent some quality time with Jack the cat doing some patting and head scratching.
3. Did a washing and hung it up.
4. Set off the dishwasher and unloaded it.
5. Had a very interesting phone conversation with a friend (without anyone shouting "Are you still on the phone?" or "Where are you?")
6. Went out and bought some food for the next few days.
7. Ordered a scout shirt for Ally.
8. Had a coffee and a raspberry jelly from Marks and Spencer's.
9. Read my book (Caitlin Moran).
10. Watched an episode of "One Born Every Minute" (a programme about giving birth which is universally hated by the Anderson boys).
Update at 6 p.m. - well they are all back and the house is a lot noisier. It's great to see them - but I had a great day. James asked what I have done today and I said "I have had a day off!" 

A fitting tribute

It was my Uncle Dougie's funeral today. James and I travelled by plane to Gatwick with Janie and Bill; Jennifer and Russell met us at the airport and we all went for a coffee before going to the crematorium which was nearby. The funeral service and the subsequent lunch at Doug's golf club were a very good send off for a fine man who I will remember with great affection. I was glad that I went to pay my respects to him. All of his five children and eleven of his twelve grandchildren were there (one of them, Thomas, is currently serving in the army in Afghanistan). It was well attended by Doug's extended family and friends and he would have loved it, I always think it's a pity that people miss their own funeral lunches because all their friends and family are there. I felt that about my own parents' funerals too. Later Jennifer and Russell gave us a lift back to the airport where we had a bit of a shock when we went to board the plane because it turned out that Janie and Bill should actually have been on the previous flight! Luckily there were two seats left on the plane and Janie was escorted back to the sales desk at speed to change the tickets; we made it on to the plane just in time! Considering that I have done so little today, I am absolutely exhausted! 

Davie

Today is St David's day, which made me think of my own lovely David and how he got his name. We already had two boys when David was born so we had used two of our favourite names and we wanted number three to have a name that was just as meaningful to us. Jamie was a long time favourite name of mine even before I met James, and with James being the name of our baby's Dad and both Grandpas it was always going to be our number one choice. The name Alasdair on the other hand was a Eureka moment; only a couple of weeks before he was born James came up with the idea of naming him after a mountain in Skye, Sgurr Alasdair, and I loved it too. So when Number Three son was born we chose a name that we both loved and which means "beloved" - David. Like Jamie, David was a name that had been a favourite of mine for a long time. When I was six years old my friend Libby became a big sister to a little David. He was a beautiful child (and later grew up to be a very handsome man!) so I was always very fond of the name. And in 1995 I got a little handsome David of my own!