Too many skeletons in the cupboard

I think it might almost be Spring. It has not arrived with a fanfare but there is a subtle change in temperature and the last of the snow has gone. Yesterday we waved David off to study camp. As his bus left from Buchanan bus station I re-enacted a hilarious scene from a film (Billy Elliot I think) where I pretended to get something out of my pocket and as David watched from the bus I produced a V sign! James was standing beside me with his hankie out pretending to cry. After all that David looked really glad to be leaving! We then took Ally to the Outdoor Experience and got him trail shoes for his birthday; he wants them for his South East Asia holiday in the summer. With Jamie being home there has been the usual gathering of his Glasgow friends - last night there were about a dozen of them partying downstairs after we had gone to bed. I liked hearing their laughter and chatting as I drifted off to sleep.
Today Bill, Katy and Abigail came for lunch bringing a visitor for Jamie - the family skeleton! This skeleton, known in the family as Jimmy Smith, belonged to Katy's grandfather and is more than a hundred years old. It has been borrowed by various medics in Katy's family but has been stored in its box for many years. After lunch Jamie opened the old wooden box to find the constituent parts of not one but two skeletons! This was a surprise and prompted much speculation about a possible murder in the family! We wondered if we should contact Crimewatch! It would be very interesting to do DNA testing on the skeletons to find out their dates and origins. Jamie sat playing with the bones the way he used to play with Lego! He was showing us how all the joints work. After a very pleasant and convivial afternoon our guests left and we went for a slightly chilly but refreshing walk round the Heritage Park with Ally and Cat. 

Cookies

A lovely day. In the morning James and I went into town and did a bit of shopping, then we had a really delicious lunch in The Grill on the Corner. In the afternoon I was around the house; batch cooking ragu and making cookies under Cat's expert supervision. Cat gave me a cookie making kit for my birthday and I have been looking forward to making them for ages, it was great fun. And in the evening Jamie came home for the weekend and we all had dinner together then we watched the film Cloud Atlas. The boys all warned me to concentrate and not ask to pause the film or ask questions during it. This was quite cheeky of them because as it happens I am the only person here who has read the book! It's a while since I read it so I had forgotten some of the quite complicated plot with its multitude of story lines, but it all came back to me and I really enjoyed it. Everyone else enjoyed it too. What a great Friday. 

Fire and ice birthday cake

I am slightly disappointed that an amazing unsinkable jobby did not follow my Barium Swallow yesterday. Lots of people had promised me that this would happen so I was expecting something truly remarkable. But no. All was normal. My sturdy digestive system must have made short work of that radioactive drink!
So no excitement there, but it has been a lively twenty-four hours. Yesterday evening I hosted book club and we had a pleasant evening. The book was "Being Emily" by Anne Donovan. It got mixed reviews which reflects my own opinion of it. We had a good old chat and a laugh. Then today just flew by; I had a meeting at another school in the morning, then when I got back the end of term rock concert was under way, then it was a big rush to finish what needed to be done by the end of term. And now it is the Easter holidays, hooray! Although I will be running a study day in school on Wednesday. James, Davie, Ally, Cat and I have just had a curry and we are relaxing. Cat has made a beautiful birthday cake for Ally and soon we will be singing Happy Birthday to Ally!

One Barium Swallow does not make a summer

I went over to the Southern General Hospital this morning for a Barium Swallow. It's the first time that I have ever had one of these and the purpose was to find out if I have a hiatus hernia I think. I arrived at the hospital in whirling snow and couldn't get parked, so I parked up on a kerb and inevitably got a parking ticket. I had to wait for ages but luckily I had my Kindle with me so I read my current book "Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel. It's so good. I was called through to the X ray at the same time as a wee old lady in a wheelchair and she was taken in first. I didn't say anything but it did occur to me that since she clearly wasn't going on to work it might have been helpful to take me first. Never mind. While I waited two men were wheeled into the waiting area on trolleys. Both started groaning dreadfully, along the lines of "For Christ's sake help me! Nurse, nurse!" I then happened to have a coughing fit and when I managed to stop coughing I noticed that both men had stopped whimpering and were watching me, no doubt wondering if I was going to cheer up their morning by expiring before their eyes. The X ray went fine and the drink that you have to swallow down during it was not as unpleasant as I had been told; it was chalky and tasteless. However I have been told that I can now look forward to producing an unflushable jobby. Oh dear! Although strangely I really am quite fascinated by the prospect! 

Still snowing

Yes it was still snowing today where I work! Just flurries of snowflakes which were not lying, but there was a cold wind which was not at all spring like! Contrast this with my blog entry of exactly a year ago; 26th March 2012; "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". A year ago spring had arrived with a flourish but today we are still waiting and wishing! To look on the bright side, last year's early promise did not lead to a hot summer in the UK, so perhaps this year's slow start will result in better weather later on.
This evening I watched a film "Sylvia" starring Gwyneth Paltrow (one of my favourite actresses) about Sylvia Plath (one of my favourite poets). It was a good film but of course very sad. It was during the long cold winter that I was born, when it all got too much for Sylvia. She died when I was one month old. James had been very good-natured about me watching it but he absolutely hated it and couldn't wait to switch on the football when it was over. 

Sugar gliders

I have been very much looking forward to meeting Jenny and Lucy's sugar gliders (Joey and Ziggy) but they are nocturnal creatures and are usually asleep when we are round at their house. However last night we were round there for dinner and just before we left we went to have a look and they were just waking up. Great excitement! Joey was the liveliest and he was soon clambering up the bars of the cage and eating snacks by holding them in his wee front paws. They are so cute; wee with stripey fur and enormous liquid black eyes. Because they were just waking up we didn't see them gliding about, which is how they travel from tree to tree in their native Australia. They are marsupials; tiny possums. I would love to have some sugar gliders in our house and so, I am certain, would my furry boy Jack the cat! However I suspect that the sugar gliders would prefer the freedom of the tropical forests.

A trip down memory valley

We have been for a run up the Clyde Valley this afternoon with Grandma, a favourite and somewhat nostalgic trip for us Lanarkshire folk. The valley consists mainly of a river, a road and numerous garden centres. There are more now than ever and it is amazing to me that there is enough business for all of them. However they all seem to be thriving and the two that we visited this afternoon were doing a brisk trade in plants, shrubs and gifts such as plant pots, candles, cards, even clothes. Each garden centre has a coffee shop / restaurant attached and I noticed today how much nicer they are than in "the olden days" of the 70s and 80s, both in decor and in the variety and taste of the food. We came home without the raspberry plants that James was looking for because he couldn't find the particular variety that he wants, however he did get some very pretty anemones for the front garden and Grandma got some begonia bulbs that she was pleased with. All the colourful plants looked very cheery and spring like - although the weather is still very cold and there were some thin flurries of snow while we were there. A pleasant trip. 

Chilly Friday

It snowed quite heavily all day, although the roads remained clear. It has occurred to me that when this cold snap is over it will properly be Spring, which is a nice thought. And there is only a week to go until the Easter holidays! We have had a Friday evening curry while watching Madness perform outside the BBC television centre which will close at the end of this month.
Alasdair and I were very lucky to be given a tour of the BBC television centre a few years ago by Russell, Jennifer and the boys. We saw all the big studios, the weather centre, the news desk and of course the Blue Peter garden, complete with pet graves of Patch and Petra and the rest. It was really great and I'm hoping that Russell will give us a tour of his new offices in the centre of London some time.
Now James is watching the final episode of a series that he has recorded called "A Chopper is Born" He has watched 15 - yes 15 - episodes about a man building a helicopter from a kit and he is loving it!
Update at 11 p.m. I have just collected Ally from work and it is snowing even more heavily, beginning to lie on the roads! Ally was working at Hampden at the Scotland - Wales football match and he was absolutely freezing. To make matters worse he was trackside so he had to face the crowd and couldn't even watch the game! 

Spring postponed

On the way to work David and I heard on the radio that today is the vernal equinox; officially the first day of Spring. But Spring is very late this year - no crocuses are out in the garden yet, and there are still lots of snowdrops. Tiny snowflakes whirled in the air all day and there was a cold, damp wind. No, it's not quite Spring yet.
At the shops today I met several people that I knew from sports projects or my previous workplace. It made me reflect that I have been working in the same area for twelve years and I have got to know parts of the community quite well over the years. It is a nice feeling.
I was also thinking that I am not good at letting go of sad events in my life. I think of sad things every day prompted by the least reminder of the past, and I find that these reminders are everywhere, all the time. It's difficult to move forward. And anyway, if I think of moving forward it seems wrong to me, because after all my Mum can't move forward, her life is done. I also tend to find things less scary if I keep them in my mind, so that they can't creep up on me. That's why I liked the way that Juliette doesn't try to kid herself about what happened to her in "Il y a longtemps que je t'aime" which I watched on Monday. This may sound bleak but that's the way it is. Oh dear, I think that I need it to be Spring! 

Dis quand reviendras tu?

Winter is not quite finished with us yet - showers of fine, powdery snow this afternoon, and a forecast of snow for tomorrow. I was on my way to speak to someone in another department when i happened to catch sight of someone familiar walking across a classroom that I was passing - it was my Davie in his Biology class! I paused to watch and there he was, happy and smiling, chatting to the teacher as they looked at some plants on the window ledge. It was lovely to see him looking so settled and confident. Luckily he didn't see me or he would have thought I was spying on him, which was not really my intention.
This evening James was in London and I worked on Duke of Edinburgh paperwork. I also watched a French film which I have been wanting to see for several years; Il y a longtemps que je t'aime. I recorded it the other night and as I didn't think it would really be James' tasse de thé, this was a good opportunity to watch it by myself. I loved it - so French! And not as downbeat as I expected either. One (huge) plot flaw still didn't spoil the film for me and I enjoyed it very much. I loved the Jean Louis Aubert song at the end and have downloaded it to my iPhone. So I have had a rather pleasant evening. When I came upstairs Ally was working away on a Law essay and Davie was pumping away with his weights! They are so sweet. 

Hair, lunch and film

I had my hair cut this morning at my usual place, the Rainbow Room in town. I was looking at the fashionable young hairstylists as they bustled about the salon. As with many species the males are a lot more flamboyant than the females. One young man was wearing a bunnet just like the one my Grandpa used to wear, although unlike my Grandpa he had long and apparently uncombed hair sprouting thickly in all directions from under it. Another young man was wearing a bright yellow skip cap worn forwards and high on the head with hair short at the back but with an abundance of thick curls at the front along the lines of an eighties pop star. As for their clothing, skinny jeans, denim jackets and brightly coloured trainers seem to be de rigueur. The girls were much more muted both in hairstyles and clothing.
James and David were going to meet me for lunch after my haircut but I received a horrified text from David when he arrived in town and found that TGIF - his favourite restaurant in the world - is closed! Fear not, it is not closed forever, just for refurbishment. When I told my hairdresser and her colleagues about this unexpected problem, they recommended instead the new Zizzi's, which has been open for a couple of months in what was the back of Borders bookshop. Our table was upstairs and James pointed out that we were sitting in what used to be Borders cafe where we spent some pleasant coffee times over the years. It has all been refurbished but the basic layout with its balcony is still the same and it was strange to realise it! I got up to look around and one of the staff asked me if I was all right - I must have looked bewildered!
After lunch we did some useful and necessary shopping and then we decided to continue our Oscars weekend by seeing Lincoln, which was on at ten past five at Springfield Quay. When I say "we", David came along under duress; I thought it would be a better experience for him to come with us rather than play rubbish computer games at home so I bribed him with Ben & Jerry's ice cream which did the trick! The audience seemed quite elderly - I wonder if this was because of the subject matter or the early showing! I thoroughly enjoyed the film and Daniel Day Lewis was excellent as the weary but twinkly eyed Lincoln. I liked that he was portrayed as a very good man but that he was reluctantly prepared to bend the rules in order to get the right outcome. I also liked his anecdotes which reminded me of my Dad! James on the other hand thought that it was too reverential and a bit pompous. David thought it was "a wee bit boring" and that it confirmed his opinion that a lot of Americans are racist, but that he was glad that he had seen it.
After banging on in my post yesterday about film makers messing about with history, and because I am not knowledgable about the events leading up to the abolition of slavery in 1865, I have checked up on critics' views of Lincoln's historical accuracy. Some critics have felt that some points have been exaggerated or over-simplified, but have not contested its general accuracy so I am satisfied that it passes the Susan "spirit of the truth" test! 

Messing with History

At the end of the day Alasdair phoned me from Dunlop especially to tell me that his Moot went very well today. I believe that a Moot is some sort of mock trial, and I know he has been working hard on his speech. I thought that it was very sweet that he phoned to let me know how he got on. He and Cat are going to a party in Mallaig this weekend. Meanwhile David and I stopped at Sainsburys on the way home to buy some yeast and sugar that he wanted. I don't know what he wants it for because he was very evasive when I asked him, but now he has filled a row of plastic bottles in his bedroom with some sort of mixture and it smells really vile. In fact it is making the whole of the upstairs of the house smell bad so I think I will ask him to put it in the shed overnight.
James and I have been watching bits and bobs of Comic Relief on television and we also watched the film Argo, about the rescue of American hostages in the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979, which recently won the Oscar for best picture. Well it was ok but I didn't find it to be outstanding and I really had to suspend my disbelief because I know from reading about it that although it is based on real events, the drama of the rescue has been very much spiced up for the film. It annoys me when filmmakers mess around with the truth too much; I don't mind if they put in conversations and even events that didn't actually happen as long as they don't contradict historical facts. In this way Shadowlands was a great film because although fictionalised it stuck to the truth of C. S. Lewis' life. His stepson even said that he was amazed at how much it captured the atmosphere of what life in their household had been like. In contrast I hated Inglourious Basterds because it was just ridiculous - it was a wishful alternative to history rather than any sort of interpretation of it. I don't mind films that are completely fictional but if you are going to make a film that is about real events you should keep to the truth - it makes for a better film. And that is my opinion! 

The end of the road

I had a funny old sleep last night - I woke several times feeling relaxed and peaceful and drifted back off to sleep happily. I mention this because I am an extremely good sleeper (one of my few talents, but a good one!) and it's unusual for me to wake up during the night. I didn't suffer any ill effects from this and went off to work feeling quite chipper. Maybe I was wakeful because today was Davie's last chance at an English NAB and I worried about him all morning. By the afternoon it was all over - he has failed both NABs so no English Higher this year for him. It just doesn't make sense, he's so clever. I was really disappointed for him but in a way it's almost a relief, because he can now concentrate on his Maths and Science. David is genuinely pleased and relieved, and has already declared that he does not intend to repeat the course next year; he has checked all the university websites and assures me that the courses he is interested in do not require an English Higher; that his Int 2 will be sufficient. I have had a look this evening and I think he may be right. I am in two minds - I want him to have an English Higher because he is so literate that he deserves one, but if he hates it and doesn't need it then it might be pointless to insist. And his option form for 6th year needs to be signed tomorrow! Let's hope that all this thinking does not result in another wakeful night! 

Habemus Papam

It has been a busy, long but very productive day. James got up very early to head to London and I woke feeling rested in good time for work. I had so much to do that after I took Davie home in time for his Maths tutorial I headed back to work to get some vital paperwork done. Now I don't mind this because it gives me peace and quiet, and it's great to get ahead with things, and above all I choose to do it. However as I drove up the road on this sunny pre-Spring evening I saw lots of people out walking or running, and I reflected that I am as far away as ever from balancing my work with fitness.
Back at work I made myself a bite to eat and switched on the BBC news on my computer just in time to see the new pope being announced in Latin by one of the cardinals "Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum... habemus papam!" The new pope is cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio henceforth to be known as Pope Francis I. I got the impression that the BBC commentators were quite surprised at this, I'm not sure why because I know nothing of Vatican politics. Francis I then appeared on the balcony all dressed in white. I found it quite exciting for some reason. He seemed a pleasant elderly gent and cracked a wee joke about the cardinals having to go to the "ends of the Earth" to find him (Argentina). Anyway once his short speech was over I got on with my work and was soon producing numerous risk assessments and other D of E forms. When I got home I found that Davie had made a fair attempt at the English past paper I had asked him to do. We spent a good hour going over it and he gave some good responses. I think it will be touch and go for his final attempt at his NAB tomorrow. 

Snow and sunshine

The snow continued on and off all day yesterday but was interspersed with sun and blue skies; I got the impression it would disappear soon and so it did. This morning there were only a few lonely piles of snow left here and there in the car park. It was a pleasant day; busy but with lots of variety - meetings, teaching, swimming and interviewing! And a Duke of Edinburgh meeting at the end of the day. In the evening we watched yet more of Game of Thrones and Davie did yet more English past papers. James has decided not to go away hill-walking this weekend because his cough is so bad; he has had it for three weeks and it rattles his whole chest. I think he should go to the doctor but he says that the doctor wouldn't be able to help so he doesn't see the point in going. So at the weekend we are going to try to move forward on decorating (boo!) and maybe holiday planning (hooray!) And perhaps a trip to the cinema too. 

James has a Photography Day with Colin Prior

Today James went to Glencoe with Colin Prior, on a photography course which was his birthday present from me. He had to get up at 4.30 a.m. so that they could get to the mountains in time for sunrise. When I woke up mid morning after a lovely long lie, I was amazed to look out of the window to see fairly heavy snow falling! I ran through to tell the boys! And of course I wondered how James would be getting on up north; today had the best weather forecast of the last few days but would his photography day be snowed off? I need not have worried; dawn in Glencoe had been absolutely beautiful with blue skies and wispy clouds behind the mountains, as I saw in James' photos later. Colin taught James techniques like new ways to use filters, and given him ideas for framing shots. The results were amazing; James took about 150 photos during the day and some of them are the best he has ever taken. They went to some of Colin's favourite vantage points and photographed mountains, lakes, streams and waterfalls. They got on well and James found Colin to be pleasant company. James texted me to say that he was having a great time. James and I had assumed that with such an early start they would head home some time after lunch, but Colin just kept on going - he clearly loves his job! James knew that he was going out for Mother's Day dinner so at about three o'clock he suggested that they set off home. As 5 o'clock approached I started to wonder where on earth James was! In the end we had to set off without him; we were meeting the rest of the Anderson crew at a restaurant called "No. 10". James phoned when we were on the way and arrived not long after us. We had a pleasant and convivial meal and I think Grandma really enjoyed it. The food was very good and nicely presented and I would definitely eat there again. It was snowing again when we came out of the restaurant and quite slippery underfoot so we had to be careful with Grandma on the way back to the cars! When we got home James was absolutely exhausted after his long day and fell asleep on the couch so I sent him off to bed early! David and I had been working on English past papers during the afternoon so we did a bit more work in the evening. Oh, and I should mention the lovely card and flowers that I got from my boys! It has been a lovely Mother's day.

Luxurious Spa Day

Today Heather took me for a "Lazy Afternoon" spa day to Stobo Castle and we had a fantastic time. This was my 50th birthday present from her and Ewan. Heather collected me in the morning and drove me there and back, she made me feel really special and pampered all day. We had lunch in a café in Biggar (Heather had a panini which she knows my opinions on - panini looks like a toastie that has been run over by a car!)) When we arrived at Stobo Castle we were given a tour then went for a swim in the pool, which is a good size with beautiful views over the woods and the hills beyond. We then went into the steam rooms and jacuzzi and of course we braved the cold to get into the outdoor hot tub. It was nice and hot  once we got in. However getting back out was rather daunting! My heroine Heather got out first and even got the towels! Soon it was time for afternoon tea which was very substantial - sandwiches, scones with jam and cream AND cakes. Later we both had facials - I loved the face mask which smelled of peaches and raspberries. What a lovely and luxurious day! 

Box Set of Game of Thrones

Such was our familial enjoyment of the first series of Game of Thrones that James pre-ordered the second series from Amazon so that we could start watching it as soon as possible. It arrived a few days ago and we have watched three episodes already. It's certainly maintaining the high standards of the first series and also the rather explicit sex scenes which are rather awkward to watch with one's teenage sons! During those parts I usually exclaim "My goodness! Not again! Is that really necessary?" to acknowledge its unsuitability, and the boys rightly ignore me. James has read all the Game of Thrones books which is quite useful because I haven't and he keeps me right about the large array of characters if I get confused. I am still reeling from the shock of the sudden death of my favourite character at the end of Series 1, especially surprising because he was one of the main characters - life is cheap in Game of Thrones! However the many intrigues and plots continue at an exciting pace and we are all thoroughly enjoying the second series. 

Mr Grey has breakfast

This morning as I was eating my porridge I noticed a lot of activity going on outside the French windows. James had put a pile of torn up bread on the bird table and one of our squirrels (David tells me that it was Mr Grey*) was sitting on the table picking up piece after piece with his wee front paws and munching them. He must have been very hungry. But he was being stalked by both magpies and the big pigeon, which he was doing his best to ignore. However when a couple of cheeky blackbirds also turned up it all got too much for Mr Grey and he scarpered up the plum tree. Jack was watching all of this intently from his basket but was too warm and comfy to do anything to sort these cheeky creatures out!
Later on after a busy day I had a very nice meal! Jackie and I went to a meeting after school and then she very kindly treated me to tea at Mitchell's in Carmunnock, she insisted. It was absolutely delicious and we had a lovely chat and a laugh. What a pleasant way to end the day. 

* David has named our most regular squirrel visitors Mr Grey, Mrs Brown, and Mr Thin! 

Feeling a bit yucky

I pride myself on my usually robust good health so of course it is a blow to my pride when I feel unwell. I have had a sore head and throat for the last two days and today I actually left work early (I didn't have a class last period) because I felt so bad. I slept from 2 until 8 and then got up to have a bite to eat. Ally and Davie were watching a football match on television and didn't pay me any attention or give me any sympathy. Davie did make me a cup of tea in return for me helping him with the redraft of his reflective essay. Ally was also feeling unwell today and when I said that I hope I'll be better tomorrow like him, he replied darkly that he is not better and only got up to watch the football!
So now I'm on my way back to bed via a warm bath; I will take my night time lemsip capsules and gargle with oraldene which one of my colleagues recommended to me today. I will beat this dreaded lurgy! By the way "lurgy" is apparently a term originating from the Goon show in the 1950s which refers to an infectious but undefined illness! Quite appropriate I think! 

Silly Susan

Well I did something very silly last night. I was reading and enjoying a book that Davie had read, called "The Knife of Never Letting Go". It was actually recommended to him by Zoey last summer in Greece and I was quite nosy to see what it was like. It's quite teenage and science fictiony but it's well written with a good, fast-paced plot. By coincidence Jennifer has also read it and thought it was good. Anyway, James had long gone to bed because he was getting up early this morning to fly to London. The boys all went to bed too, and I stayed up reading and reading. Before I knew it I had finished the book and it was 2.30 a.m. Oh dear. I hurried to bed (as quietly as possible so as not to wake James) and I knew that I would be tired this morning. But oh boy I had no idea how tired I would be! I was so exhausted that I wondered if I was ill instead of tired. I could barely get out of bed and the whole day I felt as if I was ready to drop. I did get some useful stuff done but I was annoyed with myself that I was not functioning at full strength. I perked up a bit at the end of the afternoon and when we got home we had an early tea. I am now heading to bed to catch up on my sleep; I have nobody but myself to blame for my foolish late night. By the way the book is part of a trilogy and I have downloaded the next one to my Kindle already! 

Lunch at The Chip

I had a magnificent long lie in bed this morning, which I had requested, nay, insisted upon. Then James brought me breakfast in bed and, as we often do on a Sunday morning, we started to sort out the problems of the world; today we happened to discuss the conflict in Syria. David joined in the conversation from his bedroom! He made some very good points.
To celebrate all of our three boys being home for the weekend we had lunch in the Ubiquitous Chip, one of our haunts over the years. I like the food and the service but mainly I love the ambience in the courtyard restaurant with its cobbles and greenery. It's bright and lively but also relaxing. We had such a lovely time; we talked and talked and had a great laugh. We also belatedly toasted Jamie's birthday.
Later on we all chilled out at home and when Cat arrived she and Ally made some delicious chocolate fondants. What a pleasant day and indeed a pleasant weekend. 

In Omnia Paratus

On Tuesdays after shopping with the pupils we usually go for snack time to a nearby coffee shop. Recently while purchasing the coffees for my colleagues I couldn't help noticing that the waitress had an unusual tattoo on her arm; in fact it was a Latin inscription "In Omnia Paratus". Naturally I asked her to explain it to me and she told me that it means "Prepared for all things". Now that is an intention that I applaud, even though I don't always live up to it myself.
This week however I did try to be prepared, because I realised that as well as going for a coastal walk today I would be preparing dinner for Heather and Ewan. I wanted to make a nice dinner without feeling too rushed so I planned my menu early in the week, bought the ingredients, and prepared and froze two dishes (boeuf bourguignon and lime & mango ice cream) on Wednesday and Thursday. This meant that today I could relax after our walk and look forward to our guests arriving.
The walk was from Ayr to Barassie with the hill-walking club, and it was very pleasant. The weather wasn't as sunny as it has been earlier this week but it was fine and dry. There were seven of us plus Graz's dog Misty and we all chatted as we walked along, stopping for a coffee at Troon. The walk flew past and my legs didn't begin to feel tired until we were nearly back at the car. After a quick drink at The Wheatsheaf we headed home to set the table for our guests. With a bit of help from Jamie (home for the weekend) and Ally, who made the first course (bruschetta) the meal went smoothly. I was a bit disappointed in the boeuf bourguignon - I am never fully satisfied with my stews. It was great to see Heather and Ewan and we talked about all sorts of things as usual, and Heather and me were planning our spa day next Saturday, to which I am looking forward tremendously. So it has been a good day with both walking and entertaining. In Omnia Paratus - that's me! 

Proposal

Jackie brought Noah in to school this morning and everyone was delighted to see him. I was on break duty and when I came indoors afterwards he looked up and saw me and gave me a huge smile of surprise and pointed me out to Jackie - I realised that of course he usually sees me at his house so he didn't realise that I work in the same place as his mummy! Then later he told Jackie that when he's older he is going to ask me to be his girlfriend! Isn't that the sweetest thing ever? He is so gorgeous!
This reminded me that about twenty years ago on holiday, at the age of three, Jamie asked our friend Heather to marry him! He had even thought out the timescales and said, "Not right now, maybe in twenty years." Well that twenty years is up, however Heather continues to be very happily married to Ewan so Jamie's ambition will have to remain unrealised!