Sheep Heid

It has been a busy old week at school so it has been lovely to relax in good company this weekend. We had lunch today with Janet and Peter at the Sheep Heid Inn in Duddingston. We have never been there before and I loved it! It's so quaint and traditional inside - apparently there has been a pub on this spot selling "liquor and victuals" since 1360. We had a lovely table in a corner and lunch was very tasty - I had a "rhubarb fizz" to drink which was gorgeous.

Duddingston Loch is the setting of the famous painting "The Skating Minister" painted in the 1790s of the Reverend Robert Walker skating across the frozen loch. Today the loch was sparkling blue on this sunny but windy spring day. Back at Janet and Peter's for coffee we petted their remaining cat Monty, he has been through the wars but he's a honey.

This evening Cat came round with Gerry and Christine for a curry - James popped over to Danny Singh's in Shawlands to collect it and it was very nice. We chatted away and of course one of the topics of conversation was a birthday boy who is not here today. It's Alasdair's 21st birthday and he is spending it cross - country skiing and partying in Oslo. Andrew is visiting him this weekend and I hope they are having a great time. 

Night Navigation

At about 9.30 p.m. on Monday I was deep in a forest in pitch dark, wondering why on earth I was there.

No, I had not lost my mind, there was of course a good reason - I was on my annual hill-walking navigation assessment so that I am cleared by the council to supervise Duke of Edinburgh groups. And it was at night because I was too busy at school to sign up for one of the day courses so me and my Dukey pals all went on the night time one. So after eight hours at school I got changed into my hill-walking gear and hurried over to Hamilton to meet the group. I was not feeling very energetic because I tripped and fell badly in the playground at lunch time (my second fall in less than a week!) and skinned my knee and my elbow. Our destination was the Carron Valley, which I actually know quite well due to our many family excursions to Meikle Bin - my favourite Campsie! When we set off on our walk at about five thirty it was still daylight but by eight o'clock it was completely dark and we all got out our head torches. Night navigation is very interesting - you can't see nearby landmarks that would help you in the daylight and also your timing is probably slower than you think because you tend not to stride out as fast as in the light. So you have to use compass and map very carefully and think about clues like gradient and crossing burns. It was good fun and we all had a laugh, there were some great people from other schools in the group, some of whom we already knew from previous courses and expeditions. 

We got back to Hamilton at 10.30 p.m. and I was so glad to get home, have a quick bath and jump into my comfy bed after a thirteen and a half hour working day! And that's me validated for another year, hooray! 

Neutered

On Friday Tom and Ruby went to the vet to be sterilised. I felt so sorry for them because it must have been the most upsetting thing that has happened to them in their short and usually carefree lives. However it is an important part of their journey to being allowed to go outside, which I'm sure they will love, probably in mid April when we come back from our holiday.

I dropped them off on the way to work and collected them on my way home. Although James was keen for them to be neutered he wanted nothing to do with organising the deed itself, and winced visibly at the very thought of Tom saying goodbye to his bollocks. Tom was quite lively and cheery when he got home but Ruby (whose op was of course more invasive) was so sleepy that I had to lift her gently out of the cat carrier. She has to wear a plastic cone around her neck for a few days so that she doesn't chew her stitches; at first she was very confused and walked slowly backwards around the room, probably hoping that it would fall off. She has got used to it now and can eat and drink with it on, but she is still very subdued compared to normal, and is spending a lot of time sleeping on David's bed. Tom on the other hand is full of beans and seems to be fully recovered. I'm glad to say that his rugged, masculine personality remains unchanged. 

And everything under the sun is in tune

Staff and pupils from my department all trooped out into the playground at 9.30 a.m. on Friday, armed with pinholed sheets of paper ready for safe eclipse viewing. We weren't the only people who were interested in the eclipse; there were crowds of teachers and pupils all down the side of the school. It was quite exciting, like being a part of something big. It was very cloudy so I wasn't convinced that we would be able to see anything at all, but just in time there was a brief break in the clouds and we could clearly see the sliver of sun peeping out beneath the black disc of the moon. Amazing. A couple of further glimpses and then the clouds rolled over completely. Apparently the eclipse was 93% where we are near Glasgow; it didn't become dark but it turned noticeably gloomier than it had been earlier. 

On Friday evening I went to our school prom and was jolly glad that I did - it was a pleasant evening and my own little group of pupils had a ball. What struck me was the sheer exuberance of all the young folk; I have seen many of them grow up into really lovely young people over the past six years and it was great to see them so full of life and ready to sally forth into the big world. The dancing was amazing and everyone was literally jumping to the last song (Loch Lomond by Runrig) I was absolutely exhausted when I got home!

While sneaking around the bedroom in the dark trying not to wake James I had a bad fall. Basically I went to lean against the wall - except that I wasn't where I thought I was and I crashed to the floor. I hit my head and my left shoulder on the radiator and was alarmed to see a flash of bright light, it was very sore. Needless to say this woke James who was less than amused to be woken at 2 a.m. and was very vocal about it! 

Island morning

We woke to a sunny morning with not a cloud in the sky. After a hearty breakfast I spent a pleasant hour in the jacuzzi while James read the Sunday paper in the conservatory. The bird song was very loud; it was lovely! Then we went for an hour's stroll around the tiny island of Eriska. We quickly reached the highest point via a woodland path, and were rewarded by views of sea, loch, and snow capped mountains. Down to the shore we went, and chatted our way along the shore past the jetty and the golf course. Back at the hotel we ordered coffee and sat outside in the sunshine. It was so peaceful; I feel full of energy ready for the challenging week ahead.

Isle of Eriska

James and I are having a weekend away at the Isle of Eriska Hotel and we are loving the peace and relaxation. It's my Christmas and birthday present to James; it's nice to treat him for a change. It's our first visit and we are in one of the spa suites which means that we have our own private jacuzzi in the little garden outside our rooms! The main building, just a minute's walk along the path, is a Victorian castle, where there is a bar, lounge and the restaurant. The food is excellent with unusual taste combinations e.g. beer soup with caramelised turnip, and the staff are really friendly.

We arrived last night at 7.30 p.m. after a two and a half hour drive; it was still light and we were just in nice time for a relaxing bath before dinner. 

Then today we visited Oban before taking a tiny ferry to the pretty Isle of Kerrera where we went on a lovely three hour walk which had stunning views. We went along the coast to the ruins of Gylen Castle, then over the hills in the middle of the island, ending up back at the ferry slipway. Back at the hotel we leaped into our jacuzzi and it was great! I love swimming (or having a jacuzzi) outside; birds were singing in the surrounding trees and we could feel the cool breeze on our faces as we luxuriated in the warm bubbles. Then it was time for drinks in the bar before another delicious dinner. What a good weekend. 

Steak pie bonanza

Imagine my excitement when a large steak pie was delivered to my office today. It turns out that I won it in the raffle  at the race night on Saturday. We cooked it for dinner this evening and it was absolutely delicious. What a nice postscript to the evening.

I am in an excellent mood despite 

a) very nearly being blown off my feet outside my school by high winds

b) having a large filling replaced with resultant numb mouth (not the one that broke on Friday, another one)

c) finding out that I will need a crown in place of the tooth that broke on Friday

It's funny how moods are not always directly related to events. I feel great. 

I get the dress code wrong!

I went to a fundraiser for Luwero - a race night - last night. James was away for a bothy weekend at Kinlochleven but David promised to accompany me, because I wouldn't know anyone who was going except a few pupils and the head teacher. The event was organised by the pupils' parents and attended by lots if their friends, but of course I wanted to go along to support it. I got all ready in my grey sparkly dress only to find David playing with the kittens with a mutinous look on his face. He had changed his mind. I was horrified and pleaded with him to come - to no avail. So I had to go alone. The first thing that I noticed when I arrived was that nobody else was wearing a short sparkly dress. The dress code was decidedly casual, most of the ladies were wearing black trousers or even jeans. I proceeded into the hall all on my own with a sinking feeling.

From then on however things looked up. The head teacher and his wife and daughter were really lovely and I sat at their table, they all made me feel very welcome. And I was chatting with the pupils and even made myself useful by popping out to buy more cider for the bar when it ran out. I bet on all the races and our table sponsored a horse for the last race although we didn't win. It was a good evening and no one mentioned the sparkly dress! 

More bits of me drop off

2015 continues to be the year when my body starts to fall apart. My tooth had settled down after its root canal treatment a couple of weeks ago, but today it split down the middle and one half wobbled dangerously. It felt really weird, it's so long since my baby teeth came out but the shoogly loose feeling was still familiar after all these years. Sure enough later on the half tooth detached completely and I have put it in my jacket pocket ready to take to the dentist on Monday. When I came home I showed the remains of my tooth to David and he was gratifyingly horrified. He got a mirror so I could look for myself and indeed it is a ruin!

Just yesterday one of my pupils said to me "You should take better care of yourself Mrs Anderson, now that you are getting that bit older." 

How right she was.

Miserly March

I'm joking of course, I promise that I'm not getting obsessed with cutting costs. However Frugal February was a rip roaring success; James did some calculations and he estimates that I halved our usual food bill last month! So I'm continuing to watch the pennies by using more supermarket own brands and planning meals more carefully. I think we are eating better and more healthily too and it's making meal times more efficient because planning ahead means that I remember to defrost items as required, and plan the cooking times better. I have made one concession for James by upgrading the butter back to our usual brand; he loathed the very low cost option! The kittens however are not so privileged and are continuing to tuck into their "Tesco Value" food. 

Wired to the moon

After blogging yesterday that I thought it was nearly Spring, I had to laugh when I got up this morning to find that we were in the midst of a veritable blizzard! It snowed on and off all day but the roads remained clear where we are so there were no transport problems. 

James is out this evening so I did a bit of housework, played with my kitties, and am about to jump into a nice warm bath. I was on the phone to a friend earlier who pointed out that we are approaching the full moon. According to teacher folklore, a full moon adversely affects pupil behaviour. The busy and eventful day that I have had certainly backs up that theory! 

Tom and Ruby want to go outside

It was quite wintery today with snow showers on and off all day, but none of it lying, so maybe we on the verge of spring time. There are lots of snowdrops in the garden and the kittens are desperate to get outside. A couple of weeks ago I carried them outside in my arms and walked round the garden; they were so excited by the birdsong and all the outside smells, and when I took them back in they scratched at the French windows and squeaked (they have still not learned how to miaow properly). I haven't taken them back out because we have decided not to let them roam freely until they have had their operations, so it would be a bit mean to keep showing them what they can't have yet. Yesterday Tom ventured onto the back doorstep when I was taking a bag of rubbish out to the bin; I was keeping a close eye on him in case he made a dash for freedom but a large gust of wind drove him back inside! He's frightened of the hairdryer so maybe he thinks that there's a really big hairdryer in the garden. Ruby is also very interested in the big outdoors and often stares out of the windows both downstairs and upstairs. There was much hissing and raising of hackles one day when they saw another cat passing by! They are getting bigger all the time and are so full of strength and energy, tumbling and play fighting all around the house. When the time comes they are going to love exploring their jungle! 

Reheated lasagne

On Friday evening I hosted Book Club. This came as rather a surprise to me because even though it was written in my diary I had forgotten all about it until the first girls arrived! But I just welcomed them in, turned up the heat in the lounge, James brought through the drinks, and we had a great evening; only the initial look of complete bewilderment on my face may have given me away to my first arrivals! 

Bill and Katy came for lunch today. Bill is my Mum's wee brother and he is a lovely, funny, intelligent man. I think that I have blogged before that I was the flower girl at his wedding to the kind and beautiful Katy many years ago - forty-eight years ago in fact! Oh my goodness! I remember the pale blue satin dress I wore as if it was yesterday.

We had a pleasant lunch (although I was a bit disappointed in my lasagne, the bechamel sauce was a bit runny) and had a relaxing afternoon chatting. When Grandma came round for tea I reheated the lasagne and it was much, much nicer. I often find that with reheated lasagne for some reason, maybe I should always cook it in advance.