A new routine?

James suggested on Monday morning that we start our new routine in the way we mean to go on, with a visit to the gym. I was very pleased to agree because I really would like to get fitter. So we went down to the gym together and it was good fun. Needless to say James ran on the treadmill whereas I only walked, but it’s a start. It was a lovely sunny day and after doing some errands (including taking Tom to the vet for his annual booster jag!) * and housework and visiting Grandma we sat outside in the garden.
Today was a bit different though. We had a day out, just our two selves. This is not unprecedented but it’s exciting to spend the time together. We visited Rosslyn Chapel, which I have been wanting to do for ages. We took the tour and it was fascinating. The carvings and imagery in the Chapel are unique and the guide told us all about its history. We went for a walk in Roslin Glen Country Park, where we saw lots of wild garlic and bluebells. And we treated ourselves to lunch in Leith, which was brilliant.
So what will our routine be? I think that we will have to work it out as we go along, and I think it will take us a while to settle into it. Also, we want to be flexible - if the weather is good, the housework can wait and we will head outdoors.

* Of course Tom was horrified when we produced the cat carrier and miaowed in his wee cracked voice all the way to and from the vet’s in the car. 

Celebrating A Play, a Pie and a Pint

When I went to Play, Pie and a Pint with Fiona a few weeks ago to see The Scurvy Ridden Whale Men, we both filled in application cards to attend today’s celebration of their 500th Play. I then forgot all about it until I got a message from Fiona to say that she had won two tickets to the celebration! And she invited me along! I was delighted to accept.
This afternoon we met at Oran Mor for the party. It was held upstairs and we were welcomed with drinks before the speeches and entertainment began. Since the event was being run by theatrical people, the speeches were very good indeed, telling the story of the fifteen years of Play, Pie and a Pint in an entertaining and witty way. Dave Anderson mentioned that when it was started someone had suggested that it be called “A Pie, a Pint and a Play” but David MacLennan said that the play should have top billing. There were a lot of tributes to founder David MacLennan, most movingly by his widow, the actress Juliet Cadzow. Then there was a short film featuring many of the actors who have appeared in the plays over the years, and lots of music - there was a great wee band and also musical numbers from past shows. And there was plenty of food too; pies (of course), haggis neeps and tatties, vegetable curry, followed by delicious chocolate brownies. I felt very privileged to be part of the celebration of something really good for Glasgow. Long may it continue. 

A Surprisingly Successful Dessert

James and Alasdair rolled in at about half past midnight on Saturday morning after attending James’ leaving do. They were not too much the worse for wear, but were carrying two large donner kebabs which they consumed immediately. I feared for their intestines but they were both quite well in the morning, so maybe the greasy kebabs successfully counteracted the alcohol.
Heather and Ewan came over on Saturday evening for dinner. I had made and frozen lots of lasagnes last week for our Skye weekend but ended up not taking them because a third of our group were staying in the hotel so there wasn’t room for our whole group of 12 to have a communal meal in the hostel on the Friday or Saturday evenings. So it made sense to have lasagne for the main course, and I provided bruschetta with a variety of toppings, and Italians meats and a salad to start. I did feel that these old favourites were only too familiar to our guests, however they seemed very happy and spoke highly of James’ home made bread. For dessert I wanted to make use of our copious crop of rhubarb; I harvested it and stewed it and then consulted Delia Smith for a recipe, using her “Complete Cookery Course” which has stood me in good stead since I got married in 1985. I decided to go for her “rhubarb fool” which is a very simple recipe topped with sliced stem ginger in syrup. I wasn’t sure how it would taste but to my surprise and gratification it turned out to be rather tasty, and Heather declared it “refreshing.” Heather and Ewan both really liked it and so did we, so I will definitely make it again. 

A big day for James

This was James’ last day at work. He messaged me in the morning to tell me that his desk had been decorated for him with farewell messages and balloons. Now he is at his leaving night in town, which Alasdair is also attending because he’s on secondment to Scottish Power just now. Who knows what time they will get home, but then the next chapter of our lives will begin. It’s exciting.
Meanwhile at home the cats and I had a quiet day. In a happy update to Grandma’s ramp request, the lovely social worker found and delivered a really good portable ramp, free of charge. It was so kind of her and I have written a letter of thanks to her manager. However Grandma and I stayed inside her house this afternoon because it was raining on and off, quite heavily at times. It was still warm though, and the rain has washed away the reddish dust which arrived on Tuesday and could be seen on the car and window ledges. According to the news it was blown all the way here by a warm wind from the Sahara! 

Casablanca - the Gin Joint Cut

I went to A Play, a Pie and a Pint today at Oran Mor. It was their 500th play and they had chosen to repeat an old favourite this week - Casablanca. I got myself an excellent seat on the raised bit at the back which had a great view and settled down with my soda water and lime and a sandwich I brought with me * to enjoy the show. Well it was fantastic. Easily the best play that I have ever seen at A Play, a Pie and a Pint, and that’s saying something, because they are all good and the Chic Murray play was great. This was a homage to the film Casablanca, and it was brilliant. It was written by Morag Fullerton in 2011 and is an affectionate and comical tribute, a miniature version of the film. As usual there were only three actors. Kevin Lennon and Clare Waugh were so talented, both playing multiple characters. Gavin Mitchell played the Humphrey Bogart character, Rick. He is the actor who played Boaby the barman in Still Game, and looks quite similar to Bogart in a rubbery featured sort of way. More importantly he has Bogart’s accent and ironic delivery down to a tee. The performance is a parody but still does a great job of telling the story. The audience absolutely loved it and the cast had us all singing the Marseillaise at one point!

* I don’t like the mutton pies provided (although I used to when I was a child) nor do I particularly relish the vegetarian option of quiche, so I have got into the habit of smuggling in something more to my taste. 

Lyra McKee

I was angered and saddened by the death of journalist Lyra McKee last week in Northern Ireland. She was shot by the “New IRA” during riots in Derry when the police were seizing weapons from dissidents before parades to commemorate the Easter Rising. A gunman started shooting at the police and Lyra was killed. Her funeral was today. It reminded me all too much of all the awful killings in Northern Ireland when I was growing up in the 1970s and 1980s and until the peace process started in the 1990s. Although sadly it still rumbles on. The New IRA have apologised, saying that it was an accident because she was standing near “enemy forces” meaning the police, but I feel that if a police officer had been shot it would have been just as terrible.
Lyra was five weeks younger than Jamie and had just turned 29. And like Jamie and many other 29 year olds she was in the first wave of Harry Potter fans. Like Jamie she must have waited excitedly for each book to be published. Her family asked her friends to wear Harry Potter memorabilia to her funeral. At the funeral, as well as criticising the politicians for not working together properly, the priest said that he hoped that Lyra’s death would be a “doorway to a new beginning” for Northern Ireland. I hope so. 

Home from the mountains

After one last visit to Talisker Distillery we set off on the long journey home from Skye this morning. I was interested to hear more details of James’ hill-walking over the previous four days, and in particular the ascent of the In Pin. He told me all about it and it sounded amazing. I was so pleased that all five of the group had managed to ascend the Inaccessible Pinnacle. There was a scary moment when the guide noticed that Gerry had accidentally unclipped himself from the safety rope half way up the In Pin, but it all ended well! No sooner had we arrived home and put on the first of many washings, than I had to leave again to take the train to Anderston to see Ian McEwan speaking at one of the last events of this year’s Aye Write festival. I met up with Susan W and we got good seats near the front. Ian McEwan’s talk was absolutely fascinating, I was glad that I had finished the book he was talking about, Machines Like Us, over the weekend. It is a very thought provoking novel.
Then we had a very tasty dinner at Crabshakk in Finnieston and Susan and I chatted about books and our sons and our plans. When I got home Ally, Cat and James showed me their mountain photos, which were stunning. 

A Birthday to Remember

Today is Catriona’s 25th Birthday and she has spent it in a very special way. Together with her Dad, Ally, James and Cornel, she went climbing in the Cuillins of Skye and scaled the Inaccessible Pinnacle. This is an amazing achievement, not only because of the difficulty of the climb (you have to climb with ropes and then abseil down) but because of how exposed you are at the top with nothing but fresh air and huge drops all around. The intrepid group have already showed us some great photos, and their climbing guides have promised to send them more.
Meanwhile Christine and I took advantage of the fantastic weather (24 degrees) to enjoy ourselves walking and relaxing on Glenbrittle Beach, which is very beautiful and has excellent views of the mountains. We found a great wee café  at the campsite where we had coffee and cakes.
Back at the hostel we finished preparing Christine’s special fish pie (I was in charge of the mashed potatoes for the top of it) and waited for the return of the mountaineers, who arrived tired but triumphant at 9 p.m. We quickly got the tea on the table and opened the champagne which perked them up a bit, and then there were cards and presents and birthday cake for Catriona, and we all sang Happy Birthday. It was a very happy occasion. 

Coffee and Ceilidhs

Today Christine, Gerry and I called in for our usual morning coffee at the amazing Caora Dhubh coffee shop before setting off on a road trip to Dunvegan, following the wee coastal roads. It was cloudy today but still warm, and the views of distant islands and mountains were fantastic. When James had set off for his guided walk earlier he couldn’t find the car keys and I couldn’t remember where I had put them, so he had to go walking without his gaiters, which he had left in the car. When I told Gerry and Christine about it later I said, “So my name is mud!” to which Gerry replied, “And so will be James’ trousers!” which I thought was extremely funny!
We spent the evening in the Old Inn in Carbost, where we had a tasty dinner in this really lovely, traditional pub. The entertainment was The Canny Ceilidh Band, although when we arrived they were having their dinner, and due to resume later. As time passed, we heard that they had disappeared, until an enterprising bar maid went to find them resting in the hostel next door. When they started playing again they were very good; there was a keyboard player, and accordionist and a drummer. It was a great evening.

Westeros Whisky

I’m writing this post in my little bunk bed in the hostel, tired but happy after another excellent day on Skye. It must be all the fresh air that is tiring me out! Gerry joined Christine and me on our island adventures because his next climbing day will be Monday when the group hope to scale the Inaccessible Pinnacle, commonly known as the In Pin.
We had morning coffee in Carbost and strolled through the village before visiting the large, white painted Talisker Distillery. I noticed that they were selling a range of Game of Thrones themed single malt whiskies from their distilleries, a shrewd and topical marketing move by Diageo and HBO. Each one is matched with one of the Houses of Westeros and the Night Watch. I couldn’t resist buying the Talisker “House of Greyjoy” for James in order to give him “an authentic taste of the Seven Kingdoms and beyond!” See how well the advertising is working!
We then visited Portree, only about half an hour’s drive away. I can’t even remember when I was last there - a couple of decades at least - and it was great to be back. We walked around the little fishing village, strolled around the harbour and enjoyed lunch at the friendly Arriba café. The good weather and crowds of Easter holidaymakers enhanced the happy atmosphere.
The Cuillin gang arrived back a bit earlier than yesterday, full of the joys after a challenging but fun day on the mountains, and we ate at the pub again. When asked if he had enjoyed his steak pie, one of the club members declared jokingly that since we come from Glasgow we all eat steak pie every day. To which the waitress replied, without missing a beat, “Is that why you’re all so strong and handsome?” which I thought was very funny. 

Talisker Bay

Our five adventurers set off to meet their guide to the Cuillins at 8 a.m. this morning, and as I write this post at 7 p.m. they have not yet returned. * Christine and I decided that since today was supposed to be the sunniest of the weekend we would head to a beach, but first we stopped in nearby Carbost for coffee and muffins. The day was sunny and warm and Carbost was bustling with Easter tourists. We then headed to beautiful Talisker Bay where we spent the whole afternoon. It’s an easy twenty minute stroll from the road end to the beach, along a pretty path. On the way we heard a cuckoo calling on the hillside. The beach is spectacular; the sand is an unusual mixture of black and white, which is swept by the retreating tide into gorgeous swirls and whorls. We quickly took off our shoes and socks and luxuriated in the feeling of the sand beneath our bare feet as we ran down to the sea for a paddle. However, even though the day was the warmest of the year so far, the sea temperature has not caught up and the water was absolutely freezing! I felt inspired by the blue sky and azure sea to take lots of photos; the first proper outing that the camera that James gave me for Christmas has had. We chatted and paddled and read our books. It was utterly relaxing.

* Update - The intrepid mountaineers rocked up at 8 p.m. exhausted from their long day. A convivial dinner at the pub was swiftly followed by an early night. 

On the Road Again

When James and I got into the car this morning the first song on the radio was On the Road Again by Willie Nelson, which I thought was very appropriate as we set off for our long weekend in Skye. We had a pleasant road trip, listening to the radio and chatting, but oh my goodness I had forgotten how long it takes to get to Skye! James drove about two and a half hours to Fort William, where we stopped for lunch at the Crannog and had a goodly walk about the town to stretch our legs. And then I drove another two and a half hours via Kyle of Lochalsh to reach our destination of Portnalong on Skye. 
Luckily there were only a few roadworks, mainly in Glencoe, and the weather was beautiful so we were treated to many beautiful views of mountains and lochs on our journey.
When we arrived in Portnalong we quickly settled into the hostel. Our room isn’t en suite but the communal bathrooms are very clean I’m glad to say. We soon made our way with Cornel to the nearby pub, Taigh Ailean, which is very cosy and friendly. When Christine, Gerry, Ally and Cat arrived we all had an excellent dinner in the pub, glad that our holiday weekend has got off to a good start. 

Late night lasagnes

I planned to do some batch cooking yesterday and started cooking a rich ragù for some lasagnes in the afternoon. I then made the béchamel sauce but what with one thing and another I ran out of time to assemble the lasagnes before I went out to book club at Fiona’s.  Nothing daunted, I started cooking again at 11.30 pm, by quickly assembling the lasagnes and cooking them in the oven.  I let them cool a little before covering them and this morning I put them in the freezer. I was well pleased with the results.
As a result of my late night activities I was very tired this morning but I had lots to do to prepare for our weekend away. I say weekend, but actually it will be nearly six days because we need to travel up the day before the four day climbing course that Cat has arranged for Ally, James, Gerry, Cornel and herself. And as it won’t finish until Monday afternoon we will travel home on Tuesday. As well as packing I did a grocery shopping to make sure that Grandma will have plenty of food while we’re away, and had a pleasant chat with her before going into town to meet Jennifer B for some shopping. It has been ages since our last shopping trip together and it was great to spend time with her. Then Heather joined us for dinner at Anchor Lane in St Vincent Street, the food was excellent and it was a very enjoyable girls’ outing. 

Notre Dame

I was sorry to see on the news this evening the images of Notre Dame Cathedral in flames. There has been restoration work going on so James suggested that one of the workers has perhaps accidentally left a blowtorch or a heater on, and it has caught fire. The first time I visited Notre Dame was on a trip to Paris in my first year at university with a group of fellow linguists, and I remember being impressed by its beautiful rose window and its flying buttresses and gargoyles. I also remember passing it on a bateau mouche when James and I were on our honeymoon in May 1985. And each time that I have been to Paris since then, on holiday or with school trips, I have either visited Notre Dame or seen it as I passed nearby.
Sad as I feel, I can’t imagine how the people of Paris must feel this evening as their national icon burns. The roof has caved in, the spire has fallen, and many of the stained glass windows have been destroyed, however the walls are still standing so hopefully it can eventually be restored. It’s pretty bad though. 

A blistering pace in Fife

James is organising a coastal walk in Fife for the hill-walking club, which will take place in May. So today we walked the route in order to check on timings and any changes that may have taken place on the route, like diversions, fallen rocks etc. This is good practice and I always did this when planning Duke of Edinburgh routes. We parked the car at attractive Dysart Harbour, and took a bus to Leven and then a second bus to Lundin Links. This may sound complicated but it went like clockwork; there was only fifteen minutes to wait between buses, and soon we were walking along the coast southwards from Lundin Links. It was a warm but breezy day and it stayed dry the whole time, even though we could see sheets of rain coming out of clouds on the other side of the Forth estuary. After a pleasant walk along the beach, we had about an hour of walking through Methil and Buckhaven, which was a bit too much pavement walking, but we were rewarded when we came back to the proper coast at Buckhaven Bay. From then on it was back to beautiful coastal walking all the way, with rocks, beaches, pretty villages and sea views.
As we passed through Buckhaven we saw a little plaque on a wall beside a mature apple orchard; it explained that the orchard had grown from apple cores thrown over the wall by patrons of the local cinema and by railway passengers, during the first half of the 20th century. I thought that it was lovely that the orchard has remained as their legacy.
And as we approached the outskirts of Dysart as we neared the end of our journey, we paused to look at the memorial to those who died at the Frances Colliery. While we were standing there, a man of about our own age joined us, and told us that he had worked in the mine for about five years in the 1970s. He pointed out the name Alan Liston, who had died in 1978, who had been a friend of his. He said that Alan, and another miner whose name was also on the memorial, had been hit by a runaway minecart; one had died instantly and the other when he was being taken back up to the surface. He told us more about the mine and how it went on fire during the miners’ strike in 1984. James and I both come from mining families in Lanarkshire and we both felt moved to think about all the deaths that have taken place in this very dangerous industry.
We made very good speed on our walk; four hours for 17 km including a couple of short stops. Perhaps I was a little too enthusiastic with my speed because I ended up with a large blister on the ball of my right foot. There was nothing wrong with my trail shoes, I think it was just because it was a longer walk than I have undertaken for a while. We celebrated with a flask of coffee and some excellent tablet, and were home in time for a tasty dinner of chicken kebabs, cooked for us by Alasdair. 

Potato Scones

It was another lovely sunny day today, albeit with a slightly cool breeze. I found some leftover mashed potato in the fridge and I decided to make potato scones. James recommended the very simple recipe in the Glasgow Cookbook, given to me about thirty years ago by Grandma. The copy that she gave me originally belonged to James’ Aunt Agnes, who died when James was a young boy. This old fashioned and rather terrifying cook book was published in 1910 for students at the Glasgow and West of Scotland College of Domestic Science, which was always affectionately known as “The Dough School”. However its popularity amongst former students and the general public resulted in the cookbook being revised and published for a wider audience, and my edition was printed in 1958.
There are no modern shortcuts to be found. Every recipe starts from the basics, and there is not much of today’s ubiquitous pasta - only macaroni gets a mention, as a supper dish. Only one curry sauce is mentioned, made with “curry powder” and it’s for using up leftover cold meats. Notable recipes include Sheep’s Head Pie, Brain Cakes, Calf’s Foot Jelly, Invalid Mutton Broth, Hare Soup, Mock Kidney Soup (why?), and of course Boiled Tongue. However as well as these post 2nd World War staples, there are strangely exotic sounding recipes such as Zingara Cutlets, Chicken Kromeskies, and Napoleon fingers. As I read through the book I became more and more fascinated as I came across recipes that I remember my Mum making during my childhood but which I have never made, like Apple Snow or Potted Hough. I think that I will give some of the less scary recipes a try.
Back to the potato scone recipe - I made a start but my first potato scone was so misshapen that James took over and produced a series of neatly shaped and delicious fresh potato scones, using the griddle that my Dad gave me in the 1980s. We all enjoyed them. 

Ramp

It’s quite difficult for me to lower Grandma down her front steps in her wheelchair; Grandma is not heavy but her wheelchair is, and I’m always worried that I will slip or fall just as I’m negotiating the bigger of the two steps. Assisting her to walk down the steps is no longer an option, not by myself anyway. So I contacted Social Work with a view to installing a ramp. The social worker who came round to assess the situation yesterday was absolutely lovely, but our situation is apparently not desperate enough to qualify and even if we were she explained that the council ramps are very substantial and bulky. However she suggested that she might be able to find a different kind of ramp, and Grandma told me that she came back later in the afternoon and Grandma could see her measuring the steps. So I’m hopeful.
Today Davie was studying hard and has decided to head back to Dundee tomorrow so that he can get back to studying at the University library.
This evening Davie and I watched, on BBC Scotland, the episode of Breaking the News that we saw being recorded yesterday. We were fascinated by what parts and where it had been cut and spliced, and we thought they had altered the applause so that it started quicker, whereas we remembered it as taking longer to get started. It was amazing how they had condensed it, and it did make it sharper and funnier. But most excitingly, we hadn’t realised that there had been a camera at the back of the hall as well as the ones at the front, and from time to time we were treated to a clear view of the back of both of our heads! 

Breaking the News in Hamilton

I recently applied for and received free tickets to a recording of the Scottish radio show called Breaking the News. As its name suggests, it is a topical comedy news show, and it’s hosted by Des Clarke. The recording was to take place at Hamilton Town House, so Davie and I got ready and went out to the car half an hour before we were required to arrive there. Except there was no car in the driveway! It was at the airport since James had travelled down to Warwick by plane early this morning. This isn’t the first time that I have been caught out since we have become a one car family! I quickly called a taxi (we were too late by that time to go by train) and we arrived at the venue just as the doors were opened. The recording was very amusing and it was interesting to see how they organised it. There were four guests on the panel; Ray Bradshaw, Athena Kugblenu, Susie McCabe and Christopher Brookmyre, and they recorded an hour and a half of material which will be condensed down to twenty-eight minutes. It was being recorded both for radio and for television - the new BBC Scotland Channel - so we will be able to watch it tomorrow evening. Because it was a comedy programme the floor manager asked us to laugh and clap loudly after each joke, which we did valiantly. At the end they had to re-record a few pieces which hadn’t been quite right, so we were asked to laugh and clap again after each one, which felt strange. And at one point Susie McCabe was asked to remove the water bottle that she had just put on her table because it would cause continuity problems, I presume that if they move segments around they don’t want the water bottle appearing and disappearing! This was a contrast to the much more relaxed atmosphere of the Celtic Connections radio show that I watched being recorded at Cottiers Theatre in January, at which the audience weren’t asked to react in any particular way. However it was an interesting experience and Davie and I discussed it as we walked along to the train station in the fine, sunny evening afterwards.

Nature’s teeth and claws

It’s great having Davie home for a couple of days, and the cats are really excited too. While he was studying this morning, Floof entertained him by jumping up into the air and catching a butterfly which had foolishly fluttered into the back room when the doors were open. She then proceeded to play with it in front of Davie’s horrified eyes; unfortunately he couldn’t get there quickly enough to save it. When it wouldn’t play with her any more (because it was unconscious) she rolled onto her back and lay down beside it companionably. Later Davie and I noticed that it was actually still alive so I carefully carried it outside but it’s wings looked pretty chewed. I don’t hold out much hope for it. I put a wee drop of honey down beside it but I didn’t see it eating it. *
Then we spotted Tom having a face off with a grey cat at the top of the garden beside the shed. Davie sneaked up to film their showdown, and just as he arrived the grey cat felt outnumbered and started trotting off. Emboldened by David’s presence, Tom chased it and skelped its arse as it retreated - it whirled round so indignantly before scarpering through the hedge! It’s like the Serengeti at Casa Anderson!

* update re butterfly at 8.30 pm - before David and I went out in the afternoon we saw the butterfly sooking up some honey through a tube coming out of its head. And I just went out just now and the butterfly has gone. I’m very much hoping that, restored by the honey, it has fluttered away to enjoy a carefree life. I realise that there are other less happy possibilities but I’m going to hope for the best. 

Davie brings the sunshine with him

Oh what lovely weather we have had today! There was not a cloud in the sky and it was really quite warm. I spent as much time outside as possible. Grandma’s hearing aids have been fixed and I got them back to her in time for her to have afternoon tea with her friend Gillian, so that they were able to chat with each other. David arrived home at lunch time, it was fantastic to see him and he will be here for a couple of days. We had a nice chat over lunch but then he got straight on with his studying, I was very impressed. I don’t know how he will get on in his final exams but there’s no doubt that he really loves Biochemistry; he is so enthusiastic when he talks about it. In the evening Ally and Davie decided on the spur of the moment to go to the Clydebank vs Auchinleck Football match (one of Ally’s colleagues is involved with the Clydebank club). They had a great time. I really love how close my boys are - even though Jamie is in New Zealand, all three of them are in touch with each other all the time. James and I walked to Dino’s and back to buy sweets (just like when we were teenagers) and then sat in the garden together for a while on one of the newly teak oiled benches. 

Shopping for trousers

Grandma has been talking about buying herself some new trousers, so I gave it some thought and decided that a visit to Marks and Spencer’s “Classic” section should do the trick. We arranged to go shopping this afternoon and when Andy the wheelchair taxi diver arrived, he suggested that the Fort Shopping Centre in Easterhouse would be ideal, because he could drop us off right at the door, and the journey would take only twenty minutes. Off we set, but there was a slight hitch; Grandma had broken one of her hearing aids and the other one wasn’t working properly. The hearing aids do break from time to time, I think it may be because of how often the batteries need to be changed, eventually they kind of come apart. Today Grandma couldn’t hear a thing. I arranged to take them for an emergency repair tomorrow, but in the meantime I had to communicate with her by miming. I was like Marcel Marceau in Marks and Spencer’s as we perused the racks of trousers, but luckily Grandma didn’t have to mime back to me because I could hear her responses. Grandma chose two smart pairs of trousers and a cream coloured top, and then we went to the food section and picked up a few groceries. At one point Grandma said “Corned beef!” and I thought that she was referring to her hearing problems in Glaswegian rhyming slang! But in fact she was gesturing towards some corned beef in the cooked meats section that she wanted to purchase. She was very pleased with her shopping and hopefully tomorrow normal hearing will be restored. 

Gardening plans

A wee late night blog post from my comfy bed. I am loving my new duvet cover which is mainly white with the lower half decorated with colourful spring flowers. It cheers me up just to look at it. It has been a really good weekend despite the dubious weather, and we have got lots done. James has continued his project to teak oil the garden benches, and James and Ally cleaned and re-proofed and sorted out all their climbing gear after their walk yesterday. We had home made soup (made by me) and freshly made bread (made by James) for lunch. I walked down to Morrisons and did a grocery shopping including Grandma’s and we all visited her this afternoon and had a jolly time, she was on good form. James has also planted out his new primroses to replace the ones that have been eaten by squirrels. The cats absolutely love us being out in the garden so they were flitting in and out of the house keeping an eye on us. I’m planning to start gardening soon and I have asked James to teach me how, because I have no idea where to start. However I’m keen to try it because Heather assures me that it is a very pleasurable activity. I have so far purchased my own trowel, fork, knee pads and cute gardening gloves, and a gorgeous green gardening bag to keep them in. When I showed them to James today he was speechless.
This evening I was talking to Ally and he paid me the most lovely compliment, kind of back-handedly and by accident, but I was thrilled. He said that he only criticises me because he has high expectations of me. When he saw how moved I was, he quickly said “Don’t take that as a compliment!” but it was too late. I had already taken it! A good weekend indeed. 

Weekend Films

We watched two films with Alasdair on Friday and Saturday evenings. It’s not always easy to choose a film which suits all three of us. James and Alasdair are not keen on “chick flicks” although I don’t mind them from time to time as they provide light relief. I’m not keen on war films and documentaries (although there have been exceptions to this over the years.) James will watch a French film with me from time to time but not usually on a Saturday night, when he finds them too much like hard work. And literary or historical dramas don’t elicit much enthusiasm from either James or Ally. James has a strange dislike of murder mysteries which has ruled out a lot of television programmes over the years such as Inspector Morse. Although he has made exceptions and has often been pleasantly surprised. And also, we like to watch a film that none of us has already seen, which rules out films that Ally has already watched online.
On the other hand, we all like a comedy (although these can be very hit or miss), and we all like action adventure films and thrillers, and we are always willing to try something that has been recommended to us.
So on Friday evening I flicked through some films that I have recorded recently and came across World War Z. This film, starring Brad Pitt, was released in 2013 and for some reason we have never got round to watching it. Its opening scenes were filmed in Glasgow in the summer of 2011, blocking off George Square and causing great excitement among the populace. It was actually quite good; a fairly typical zombie film but we loved the all too brief Glasgow scenes (it was meant to be Philadelphia) and it was suitably entertaining.
On Saturday evening Ally and I set off to pick up our curry from East Kilbride, and when we came back James smugly told us that he had already chosen a film for us to watch; The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, released in 2018. This had been recommended to him by Ewan. I had never heard of it but when I realised that it was a Coen Brothers film I felt apprehensive. I tend to either love or hate Coen brothers films and they can be a bit too off the wall for me. For example I loved Fargo, but I hated No Country for Old Men. Well, I’m glad to say that we all enjoyed The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. It consisted of six vignettes about life in the Wild West, and they varied from slightly strange to very strange. But they were all fascinating, almost too intensely so, and their humour was very dark. The first one, about musical Buster Scruggs himself, was really bizarre, but my favourite was All Gold Canyon, which was the most upbeat of the stories. I do like at least some note of hope at the end of a tale.

Out Of Date

The weather has turned a bit dreich over the last couple of days, and sometimes very gusty and rainy too. James and Ally were hill-walking in Glenshee today so I thought that I had better get some fresh air and go out for a wee walk of my own. So on went the waterproof jacket, in went the earphones, and I went for a brisk stroll on my usual route around the neighbourhood while listening to the Fortunately podcast. They were talking to DJ Annie Mac and when they asked her what was the latest music she had “downloaded” she had to explain to them that one doesn’t do that any more, one “streams” the music. To be fair to Fi and Jane, who are only a few years younger than me, I am confused by the ever changing technical terminology too. I wonder if that’s how my parents felt in the 1970s when Jennifer and I used up to date words and phrases? I remember at school that the phrase used when you were embarrassed was “What a brass!” * and my parents were confused when I said it to them. I also clearly remember them laughing at the music we liked on Top of the Pops, which we watched slavishly every week, and my Mum saying, “Well, is that what you call music nowadays?”

* I presume that it was shortened from “What a brass neck” which refers to someone being cheeky, although the usage doesn’t quite match. 

A thank you dinner

This evening I took Ally, Andrew and Sandy out for a thank you dinner. This was to thank them for all their help at our party in November. They cheerfully took people’s coats upstairs when they arrived, poured drinks, laid out food and organised the fireworks. I hasten to add that Jennifer and Chanel also did a huge amount to help, as I mentioned in my blog at the time. But tonight’s dinner was for the boys, and I was very glad that I had finally got round to organising it. I booked a rather good mid week deal at October, on the top floor of Prince’s Square, and we all met up there. I invited James at the last minute; he knows and likes Andrew and Sandy just as much as I do, so it made sense for him to come along. We were given a really nice round table on the balcony and the food was hearty if rather unremarkable. We chatted and laughed about all sorts of subjects and after dinner James and I headed home, leaving the boys to continue their evening without us oldies. On the way home James and I agreed that Alasdair has extremely pleasant friends. 

A trip to Biggar

I had a pleasant drive to Biggar today, where I collected Bill and Katy and we had lunch at the Laurel Bank Tea Room in nearby Broughton. As ever, it was great to see them both. I have good memories of visiting that tea room (albeit with a different name I think), with my Mum and the boys and Bill and Katy, with James, and one time with a group of Duke of Edinburgh leaders after one of our validation days. I remember that the cosy tea room was a welcome contrast to the chilly walk in the Broughton hills that we had just finished. Bill, Katy and I had a really nice leisurely lunch and chat. On the way back to Biggar there was a sudden shower of hail and we saw some children dancing around in their garden as the hailstones bounced around them! 
I listened to an episode of the Fi and Jane Fortunately podcast as I drove home; Jennifer introduced me to this and I enjoy their weekly broadcast. I know that there are hundreds of podcasts to listen to, but I don’t know when I would listen to them except in the car, and I don’t do many long enough journeys these days. When I’m in the house I’m usually pottering about and I don’t think that I could concentrate enough on a podcast. Sometime I do listen to Fi and Jane when I’m out walking.
James and I have seen a couple of excellent television programmes over the last couple of days. Yesterday we watched the last ever episode of Still Game, of which we are both very fond. It was a good episode but the closing scenes were really outstanding; apt, understated, moving, and just right. I was in tears at the end. And today we watched the final of this year’s Great British Sewing Bee. It was a very good final and Juliet was a worthy winner. The programme has such a happy atmosphere, with the contestants all supporting each other, it's very watchable. 

Mothers, a baby and a temporarily missing cat

Sunday was Mother’s Day and we went for lunch to Mitchell’s in Carmunnock with Grandma, Forrest, Marjory and Lucy. Lucy was the only one of her generation of Andersons present, because for various perfectly good reasons the other young ones were otherwise occupied, either abroad, away for the weekend, or in Davie’s case, studying. Davie’s term doesn’t finish until later this week and he is still in the process of finishing assignments. However I didn’t feel neglected because I did get a lovely card and flowers from the boys. The card was excellent; the front had a picture of two cats who looked very like Jack and Jill and the caption “Happy Mother’s Day to someone who made it look so easy ...”and then inside it says “from the ones who made it nearly impossible!” I love it!
The meal at Mitchell’s was very good and the only hitch was that the background noise made it impossible for Grandma to hear anything. I think that we should have our next family celebration in the house. However she said that she enjoyed the outing and she looked lovely with her hair done.
Today I went round to visit Harris, the newest addition to Suzy and Brian’s family. Oh my goodness he is a beautiful baby with a gorgeous wee face and I was lucky enough to get a wee cuddle with him. He put me in a very good mood for the rest of the day.
I was a bit concerned later on when I realised that I hadn’t seen Tom around all day. I looked for him all around the house and whistled for him in the garden to no avail. When James arrived home from work he looked for him too, with no luck. I asked Flora where Tom was and she glanced towards the window, so I think she knew what I was asking her. Then James remembered that he had been carrying the garden benches in and out of the garage last night. I opened the back door of the garage and Tom appeared from one of the shelves where he had been resting, stretching all his limbs as he exited. He must have been trapped in there for about twenty hours! He didn’t seem too upset but he was a bit unsettled during the evening, constantly entering and exiting the house via the cat flap as if to reassure himself that he was still a free agent.