I wrote that with the voice of a news anchor. Top headline…. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤔🤣

I had plans today. Have to go to the bank as Post Office in Johnstone. Need to wash my hair before I do that as the Post Office will take a new photo for my driving licence which needs renewing. Can’t just turn up looking like I usually do. This requires some effort and planning. So it hasn’t happened!!

So despite Mr Sporty Spice waking me at 4.45am…. he had the gym at 6am 😳😱…. on my day off….. I managed to fall back to sleep until he came back in about 7.30am.

I got up just after 8am and had coffee. It was a lovely morning but the weather isn’t meant to be great for the rest of the weekend. Erm….. what’s wrong with this picture?!?!?

I broke one of the fancy mugs he bought before Christmas….. there are two… one is white bottomed. That one is mine. 😬

You should never spend money on anything breakable in a house with 3 Border Collies…. obviously. I could have blamed them but it was me…. hanging up the washing to dry and thought “ooh, should move that mug while I’m hanging the washing right next to it, I might knock it off…..”

Ta dah…….. 🤦🏻‍♀️😳😬

Moving on…… Craig decided to make up the new shutters for the bedroom today! He has to paint the surrounds first so it’s a big job.

What a difference just like the living room, it’s so much brighter. I could not get my curtains to hang on the curtain poles that were in the house when we bought it. They drove me insane clattering metal rings across the wooden floors every time you opened or shut a curtain. The fleur-de-lis type ends were not removable so there’s a limit to the kind of curtains you could fit. Anyway. No more!!

So while this was all going on…. I snuck up on some housework. Genuinely had no plan to do anything although it badly needed done. I was like a wummin possessed. Did the whole house AND made a lovely salad for lunch…..

Days like today are so lovely. I’ve enjoyed my day, I feel accomplished, I feel decluttered. That’s great for the mind.

I am calm, relaxed and awfy chuffed with myself. I even wonder who I actually am. What planets aligned to allow this smooth and plain sailing day?!

Is it that simple…. I actually stop worrying, stressing and being anxious and just get on with things? I’m not feeling like I wasted a day…. it feels good!

So we also completely changed around the bedroom. We had an old disused fireplace in our bedroom and we’ve taken that away and covered it with the bed instead.

It feels like a new room. I’m lying on the bed after having a lovely chat with mum and my view is so different. Be interesting to get up for the loo in the middle of the night…. where will I end up?!?!?

And finally my new awning has arrived!! We ordered it back in at the end of February and knew it would be the end of April but it’s here finally. Far too tired to do anything with it today after housework-fest so will put it up tomorrow.

A very good day. I’m still in jammies and it’s after 5 but that’s ok. The world is back up and running and Craig and I still haven’t been out anywhere yet but that will come.

Right now I’m happy lying on the bed admiring my room from a new angle. Simple things in life.

Oh and just to add to it all…. Tartan sent a message to say take the day off on Monday as no one else will be in. Oh, ok then, if you’re sure?!? 🤔😬😆

Don’t have to tell me that twice…. woo hoo!!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

I want to start with this as it’s a lovely meme. I see so many but this one really touched me today. A message for us all.

The second point is that Primark cosy leggings are now a different formulation or whatever the word is!! The did not fit quite the same this morning and they feel a wee bit shiny….. was not impressed but still wore them and they are now covered in dog hair!!

Didn’t sleep well last night but feel surprisingly spritely today. It’s got to come crashing down at some point! 🤦🏻‍♀️😆🤔🤣Think I’m running on adrenaline.

Keep forgetting to mention that Mr Sporty Spice had been waking me up EVERY morning with his gym obsession…. if only I could get the bug too. He woke at the back of 5 this morning and I hadn’t got to sleep until 1.45am so it was a short night.

So Tartan went well again and got loads done and I’m all set for another long weekend.

I did a very strange thing when I left work today. I was talking to Craig on the phone and I thought I’d head to Home Bargains. As I got close to the car park I changed my mind as I felt that it was a bit too busy. I drove down to the Irvine seafront towards Gro Coffee…. I sussed there was no queue outside. Good thing. Could park up and get a coffee?!? Hmmmm bit of a waste when I could drive home and have a coffee, I was here at the coast yesterday. only then remembered that there was no queue in Gro as everyone would be inside it now! Doh….

Set the sat nav for home to try and find the quickest route and it took me EXACTLY the same way I’d just driven?!? Back almost past work…. 25 mins for nothing 🤦🏻‍♀️😳😬🤔😆🤣

I think because my week finished at Thursday lunchtime, I feel I should make the most of my Thursday afternoons.

Can’t imagine why else I’d drive around for no reason. Other than I finally flipped.

So I’ve spent the afternoon catching up with people on the phone then Claire suggested a walk.

Our friends Dave and Angela who are Polaris Overland posted this today which I didn’t know….

Hope you all enjoy your Friday!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

What more do you need in a day?!? I’ve been humming the Pet Shop Boys….. “ we’re S H O P P I NG….. we’re shopping” all day. 🎶🎵🛍

I went to Primark and got two, yes two whole pairs of black cosy leggings. My life is complete. I also bought lots of other stuff which doesn’t fit. Sadly. Horrifyingly.

So let’s get back to the beginning…. a switched on Julie turned up today. Smiling, happy, bright, breezy, confident, cheeky. I mean seriously, how does that actually happen. My anxiety is silent.

Mum laughed and said I’d picked a better version of myself off the shelf this morning. Sometimes it really feels like that…. and I’m so glad I did. It’s such a relief after the last few days.

I’m still tired but the brain fog and panic surrounding it, has gone.

So after work today I decided to attempt the shops for the first time in just over 4 months. It was busy but it wasn’t unbearably busy.

I managed a selfie in the homeware section as it was the only area that was quiet!

So yeah, nothing much I picked up fits me. I really need to motivate myself to get fit again and shed some pounds. I’m a completely stuffing my face these days and it’s just comfort eating. I don’t need half of it.

One day my healthy mojo might come back…. having stir fry for dinner tonight…. that’s a a start?!?

I got my monobrow threaded and had forgotten just how painful it was. The girl told me I was very brave which made me laugh but I was secretly very proud.

I then decided I’d take a wee drive past the beach as I was only a few minutes away. The tide was in which I’ve not seen in Irvine before!

Back home and had a quick cuppa in the garden with Claire. She’s been to the hairdresser and her hair is purple again!! Looks amazing and I forgot to get a selfie of us… dammit.

So off to make the stir fry now. Here’s hoping that’s all I manage to scoff for the night. Might clean my teeth after it as that always stops me eating!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Auch ye gotta love Scotland. The rain today felt like ice needles hitting my skin. Only 3 days ago I was sunning it up the the Costa de la Garden and today I’ve got the ski jacket on!?!

It didn’t seem that wet when I headed out with the dogs. With the rain and wind behind me I was loving life. Appreciating all the greenery coming through, the smell of rain in the air. I met one man (who I have seen before but can’t remember for the life of me…. ) and shouted over the rain and wind…”lovely to walk in the rain for a change”…. his reply “eh… naw…” he looked at me like I had two heads!! His response was totally understandable when I turned to go back and was walking into the wind…. Hood wouldn’t stay up, jeans got soaked through and I couldn’t see a thing out my steamed up, rain soaked varifocals…. the only negative to these glasses is rain!

So I did have work this morning. Didn’t sleep well last night…. I’m fairly certain I got a kick or a nudge at some point and I found myself wide awake. I can only assume he will tell me that this was because I was snoring but I find that very hard to believe…. moi?!?!

It was still dark out and no traffic passing so it was the middle of the night. Wide awake thinking of campervan customers…. randomly.

So off into work and felt rising waves of anxiety throughout the morning. I kept telling myself I couldn’t remember things, my head was empty, how useless am I?!?!?

My perception of myself is still pretty dreadful. I made a point of deliberately thinking the opposite. “You have got this under control, your fully capable of handling all this, just be calm and breathe”

I love this above. I think I’m starting to cut myself some slack but I need to learn to bring myself back down from the anxiety. All to often I need other people to tell me my worth before I can breathe freely. we need to believe in ourselves.

I need to have that faith in myself. We all do. I still get frustrated with myself in a bad day but only looking back can see how much worse I made it for myself.

So I had some dog behavioural calls to make when I got home and then out with the puppers.

The house stinks of wet dog. Not missed they in the first 25 dry days of April.

But on a positive note the house is also full of sleeping dogs. Whoever coined the phrase “let sleeping dogs lie” was onto something!! I’m gonna join them.

Feet up and wee nana nap before Craig gets home!

Now don’t forget to bring me home that KFC Craigie… or else 😬😆

Stay safe everyone ☔️☔️☔️

Today is the first day I’ve taken some low mood feelings to work. I really tried not to but the lethargy of these last few days is still hanging around. I didn’t sleep that well and woke up with a thumping headache. I did my my deep breathing and read motivational stuff AND did some boxercise exercises ALL before I left for work.

The drive to work felt a bit woolly. I had to shake my head to concentrate. By the time I got there my head was just empty. I couldn’t remember anything that I had done the week before. Questions asked of me were met with a blank look. Frantically searching the tiny memory bank that’s left….. nope… nothing. Empty!

Even looking stuff up and then not remembering the question. Woah.

So instead of winging about this I’m going to focus on the positives.

Here’s a sunset pic from last night. I actually watched one of my videos of the sea from yesterday to help clear my head.

I love how this beam of light shoots up from the sun as it sets.

Despite my lethargy I took Calaidh and Bhruic out for a walk and actually felt myself striding out and it actually rained!!!!

You know that’s got me thinking we haven’t had April Showers this year at all. Strange as it usually rains lots on and off in April.

So I’m home with my feet up and just read and article my friend Tracey sent me…. very interesting. It describes the time between depression and full flourishing, as languishing. The New York Times reported that it’s when you feel joyless and aimless.

Now that hits the nail on the head!! 🔨💅🏼 nope not that kind of nail…. hammer on the link below, it’s a short read but feels so true to me.

Covid mental health – languishing

Stay safe everyone 🔨🔨🔨

My head is not good this morning. I can string a sentence together. We’ve had a laugh as I’ve started to say something that’s completely rubbish and Craig tries to dig for what I’m actually talking about.

I have rested up all weekend. I expected to wake up today full of energy and I am back in bed at 10.37am to try to make some sense of it and get more sleep. Otherwise I’d will be a rotten day for the dogs and Craig as I’ll take my grouchiness on them.

Grouchiness is an actual word. I love when I type something that I want to say and WordPress agrees it’s a word. Simple pleasures.

I’m going to utter the key words now that will make you all roll your eyes and realise what I have fallen victim to…… Facebook is full of everyone getting back out there enjoying themselves. Climbing mountains with all their friends in multicoloured workout gear looking ultra thin and sexy. Folk are away in their camper and with amazing sunsets and sunrises. Folk are on the islands with freedom to roam and the tranquility of no tourists (my idea of heaven). Folk are having friends round in the sunshine and living their best FB life.

I on the other hand am tired. Again.

And here come the tears.

I know it’s ok to be tired. I know it’s ok to need to rest. I’m living my best life just now and it doesn’t have to be climbing mountains or swimming oceans or travelling the world.

I just need my head to actually realise that and process it.

I also feel the pressure of the 9-5 again. That Sunday feeling when you are “working tomorrow” so you need to make the most of days off….. now that’s the biggest joke. I work 8-1 so plenty of time for other stuff.

Is anyone else nervous of the world getting back to normal? I want to go to Primark but that’s about it. I really need new cosy leggings that only they do best.

I like my life at home. I like this wee bubble we’ve created for ourselves.

I can’t change any of this I can only change the way I react to it.

I finally got out of bed at 1pm. That’s unheard of for me especially when he’s SCORCHIO outside. I’ve also realised that I don’t have to be in the sun 24/7…. yeah I know how ridiculous that statement is. 🤦🏻‍♀️😬🤣

It’s 3.41pm and I’ve just read all of that back and thought jeezo girl stop moaning. I obviously feel a bit better.

I did some axe work. Not much but it felt good hacking the branches that Craig had cut down.

I got bored 😐

I did some wedding. I got bored 😐

I got bored 😐

I swept the grass. I really did.

I now have some alcohol free Tanquery gin with lemonade and I’m enjoying the sun.

Since I wrote this we had a flurry of visitors to the garden enjoying the sun.

Craigs watching Rangers play St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup so I brought myself back to where the weekend began.

I’ve been watching for ages and thought it was amazing how the sun setting was highlighting a wee house on the end of an island. It was the perfect silhouette.

The wee house seemed to move every time I looked up…. it’s a submarine!!!

It’s so lovely down here. Just the sound of the sea, the smell of the sea and the warmth of the sun. This is what life’s all about.

I also think the tide is coming in…. I might just stop rambling and scoot back up the rocks!

Stay safe everyone ☀️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿☀️

This is it…. it’s here…. we are getting 15C today it’s positively tropical 🌴🍍🐠🏝🏖🍹🌺

It’s a beautiful day and the flip flops are out. The stomach muscles aren’t up to much as it wasn’t easy to hold my feet up for this photo🤦🏻‍♀️😬🤣

We’ve been to B&Q today to get more wood for the bedroom shutters. It’s too nice a day to be stuck indoors working on them though.

We came home via the car wash, then Calaidh and I went for a walk with Claire and her neice pup Connie.

I’m going to spend the rest of my day with my feet up and crocheting I think? We don’t get enough decent weather to stay in the house on a day like this.

Our wee garden incinerator thingy is on its last legs…. thought we’d give it a good burn to see if it breaks it down altogether.

I’ve been a bit better today in that I know I’m very tired and need to rest so I’m accepting that I’m going to do nothing. I don’t really have the energy for anything much. Those days are the best when I can quieten the thoughts and just be.

I’ve had factor 15 on all day today but I think I’m going to have to up that to a higher factor. She who turns brown when she looks at the sun is pretty red today. Wonder why I talk about myself in the third person?!?

I am a bit hot and bothered. I’m not fully relaxed. Time has dragged a bit. I did almost have a nap but think I was only asleep a few minutes.

Wee having early dinner tonight so I might take a wee nap after that. Cheer my greeting face up.

All things social media point to much busy-ness up north in beauty spots. Erratic parking, people having to change their plans as car parks were full. The Scottish staycation seems to be back in full fling. Just hope they all remember to take their rubbish home with them. That might be tomorrow’s news?!?

Stay safe everyone ☀️☀️☀️

There is not a single wave here today (typing this on the West Coast of Scotland!) except the waves in my head and boy am I good at making them. 🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

As usual on a day off I seem put myself under huge pressure to try to make the best of the day. First of all I want to get lots of things done but the sun is shining so I also want to get loads of photos for the blog.

This results in a grumpy and stressed out Rambling Sloth which poor Craigie found to his detriment when he asked me a question…. about milk in my coffee 😬😘😘

He escaped to work and I took the pups down to Kilbirnie Loch for a big run around with a new tennis ball!

Back up the road and saw a sign that life is getting back to normal…. the Tennents lorry is delivering to the village pub.

I wanted to do something different today and had big plans to go somewhere….. just not sure where……. so I’ve spent the rest of the day down at Portencross. I took the van obviously…. and the kettle and it’s been beautiful.

Should say here that a varifocal lens doesn’t make for the best rock scrambling companion. Ended up having to take them off to get a secure footing. 🤦🏻‍♀️🙄😂

I did try to book the ferry to Arran today but it was full. Have to be content with watching it from the beach instead!

Now I need there to be a career in sea and island photography. I love love love love love taking these photos and could have been there all day. It’s so peaceful. I actually love the solitude too.

Now this is where the silence ended but I had a very interesting day people watching and chatting to random people.

There was a guy working on one of the benches, playing music. I was a bit annoyed at first that he was ruining the peace but it was actually lovely Gaelic music. It was actually quite a good mood setting for the environment.

It turns out the singer was Julie Fowlis who sang on the soundtrack to the film Brave.

I’ve put in a link to one of the songs he was playing this afternoon.

Julie Fowlis

He was speaking to everyone that walked past. He had a bowl for water for dogs…. but no dog. He had wee dog biscuits. He said to me that he hoped the music wasn’t too loud and I should let him know if it bothered me.

He got chatting to one couple for ages and when he turned back to his car to get something they said, bloody typical, always happens to us……I’d been thinking the same thing as I sat crocheting.

I couldn’t help but hear everything that he said to everyone…. he was super chatty, super positive but didn’t really know when to step away…. eventually a couple of ladies with a puppy dragged me into their chat as they asked about my crochet. They were trying to get away but they also kept instigating chat with him too. One of them had just retired and one was profoundly deaf. The deaf lady had a 13 week old Shitzu pup….. cue chat about puppy stuff.

For the rest of the afternoon I watched him from behind my crochet…… he ran over to some folk with an Australian Shepherd because it looks like the dog that he walks for his friend. He wanted to show them a photo. I watched them be uncomfortable at first and then he dropped to the ground and got a very reactive rescue dog to give a paw, a cuddle and the owners thanked him so profusely for allowing them to socialise their new dog. (The dog behaviourist-wife in me was a wee bit horrified but it all came good).

He talked to a man in a wheelchair about his disability. He told him about his own metal leg after an accident climbing. He offered the dog water in his dog bowl.

He talked to a couple about their wee Westie/Jack Russell cross. They ended up talking about cancer and how many close family they’d lost this last year as a result. Sad to hear.

He played his guitar from the back of his car. He asked everyone if it was ok first.

The whole afternoon has been strangely fascinating. This guy who could be perceived as a pain by some is just so interested in other people. He said that everyone has their own life and struggles and he just wants to listen. (He did an awful lot of talking too!) if he can learn from other people then he thinks that’s a blessing.

He got most of that car park of folk talking today and despite initial discomfort at his forwardness….. they all seemed to leave a bit brighter after his chat.

My suggestion to him this afternoon was that he try some meditation to bring him some peace after he said his head was buzzing with so many things. I kinda meant he should try it now. There and then. It would help….. 🤔🤦🏻‍♀️🙄🤣 me…. it would help me.

Anyway I’m rambling now 🙄😬😂 which I guess is how I roll. I just do it all in my head. Silently.

Then this appears in the sky. I took this photo!

Wow. I saw an actual sun halo.

A lovely day but I may need complete silence for the rest of the weekend. 😬

Stay safe everyone ☀️☀️☀️

The last few days have been a bit crazy with all this decision making and work and meeting family for the first time in what feels like forever… so I’ve had a lot of day to day stuff to write about.

However, I’ve been wanting to share a podcast I listened to by Fearne Cotton with Dr Rangan Chatterjee. They discuss how we make these big life changing decisions and then fail by setting our goals too big or unachievable.

They say it’s the wrong time to make decisions of this nature when you are in a motivated state as we cannot continue in an unmotivated state.

He suggests we try to change with only 5 minutes in a day. That’s achievable for us all.

Two minutes of meditation or deep breathing, followed by a minute of movement followed but two minutes of reading something motivational.

I’ve been lying in bed doing my deep breathing. In for 3, hold for 4 and breathe out for 5. I then look at my Rambling Sloth News feed on FB as that’s always motivational. Then when I’m boiling the kettle to make my coffee I literally dance about the kitchen like a mad thing! Now it’s only been two days….. but two days of consistency in my life is pretty good going. Click the link below for the podcast.

Happy Place podcast

I found the whole chat really interesting. He’s a doctor that believes in resolving the issues that a person presents him. Not to just describe pills. He said that years ago you’d go to the doctor and get a pill to fix something. Modern medicine now needs to be more all encompassing than that. Kinda wish he was my doctor…. 🤔😬

Dr Chatterjee also says about unfollowing anything that puts pressure on us on social media. That’s just as toxic as setting goals and not achieving them. Have done already and will do more now.

So I had another busy morning at Tartan. The time flies when I’m there.

I had 2 dog behavioural calls to make so got them booked in. I’m going to keep doing calls 3 days a week until Friday 21st May to help out.

Sitting outside with a wee alcohol free Pilsner. It’s actually really nice. The sun is out. The shorts are on. 🩳

Let my weekend begin.

Stay safe everyone ☀️☀️☀️

Had a rotten sleep last night and woke with a thumping headache at some point when it was still dark. Got up and took tablets and felt much better after they kicked in.

When the alarm went off at 6.30am I felt rotten…… yet after a few minutes of being up and about I was ready for action. Remembered that Shelagh said that some of the kinesiology we did yesterday might make me feel a bit yucky. Clearing some cell blockages. Good to know it’s working.

All good at Tartan again today although I sustained my second workplace injury. Scraped my arm on a metal pole and drew blood 🤦🏻‍♀️😆 Forgot that my first injury was yesterday when I walloped my head off a protruding bit of wood! Now that was a proper head in hands moment though not even to a mark to show for it…..

It’s been a beautiful day today though still fairly cool and breezy. Pure blue sky most of the day.

I met Auntie Jac for the first time today since before Christmas. We met at Gro Coffee in Irvine and got a takeaway to eat outside. The queue was very slow moving and we reckon we queued for about an hour…. in the shade!!! It didn’t seem that slow at the time but they are serving out of the same window as taking orders so another open window would have done the trick! So easy for us to redesign their temporary COVID takeaway situation!!

We drove down to the Irvine Beach car park before tucking into our Lotus Brownie!!

The shimmer on the water was beautiful. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen that at Irvine beach as it’s been cloudy every other time we’ve been down this year. It looked positively tropical. 🌴🏝

It was not so tropical. It was pretty cold!!

Back up the road as Auntie Jac started the trek home and I went a walk with Claire down into Beith.

So I’m now sitting in the garden in my jammies enjoying the rays of the much warmer sun than we had at the beach earlier. I love being outdoors.

Think we have more of this weather to come which is lovely and hoping for just a few degrees more. Only one more day of work for me and then it’s my weekend again! Yay!

Life feels good.

Stay safe everyone ☀️☀️☀️

So I’ve been beavering away in the background working out some issues with my new work life balance. The new balance was becoming more work than life unfortunately.

I’ve made the very difficult decision to take a step back from Pawsitive Solutions where I was making dog behavioural enquiry calls and training to work with puppies.

This was not a decision I reached lightly. Not at all. Craig and Lorna have been an amazing support through my healing journey and helped me get back into work. I will always be grateful for the opportunity they gave me.

It’s been a very difficult weekend for me as I wrestled with my decision. My post bus building life was always going to be a lot less stressfuland I thought I knew the direction in which I was heading…..

Then along comes Tartan Campers. A few conversations with the guys that did Abbie’s camper van conversion…… way back last year…. and I land a job out of it. No interview, no real idea of my work experience. Boom. Job.

I thought I could handle both but luckily a very wise woman pushed me as she knew that I couldn’t.

I have realised that my mind prefers the getting up to a morning alarm, job and done. I don’t do my best work in the afternoons and evenings. I like to get it out the way so that I can give myself time to rest as a reward. I get stressed when I have to wait for work.

Those of you who know me or have followed the blog for a while, will know I’m a people pleaser. I do what makes other people happy as that by default made me happy.

Not any more. I have learned the gift of speaking my truth. “If I speak my truth I will be calm”. My new rule to live by. Way better than “I am worthless” which it used to be.

So a huge decision, a difficult decision, made as calmly as I could with only mini-wobbles, fully supported by Craig.

He even said if Tartan doesn’t work out we will still be ok. Now that is something that means the world to me…….

I was lucky enough to have a very high salaried job in the past but it broke me. It was hard for us both to understand how we might live without that money.

But we have…. and we do…. and will continue to and we are so much happier.

Despite all this going on in the background I’ve had a busy wee day today. I had some dog behaviour to cover when I got back from Tartan and I went into the beer garden next door to try to help understand the new COVID rules for when the pub opens. Back in for Kinesiology at 3pm.

This week was all about my relationship with the dogs. I feel very out of control when I’m with them. I’m always worried something might happen on a walk and I get very stressed out by the whole event. We worked through all of this and cleared these fears and beliefs.

To test myself I decided to go a walk and instead of going by myself I took all 3 dogs (and Claire, who helped with one!). It wasn’t all plain sailing but I felt no stress and handled the doggy situations that presented themselves…. ♥️

I look forward to seeing how that works out for me.

I feel I have turned a corner this week. I’ve made some big decisions, I haven’t fallen apart, I’ve just worked through them methodically. I think I’ve handled it pretty well. I’m going to tidy the kitchen and sit with my feet up until Craig comes home and I’ll get the boy his dinner. Check me.

Stay safe everyone 🐾🐾🐾

Oooooh I am tired today…. moan, moan.

Up at 6.30 and into Tartan this morning. It was a lovely morning, turned pretty warm at one point and I was in the workshop setting up bin locations for material. I had my dustpan and brush out….. note to self, should do this in the house more often 🤔😬🤣

This made me laugh…….

This is me today…. just hanging on in there but hugging ma tree 🌲

The fuel light came on today….. why is going for fuel such a pain?! I’m one of these people that can’t just drive to the nearest petrol station but have to drive a distance to the cheapest or at least one of the cheaper ones. Probably costs me more in the long run!!

So I was about 20 mins late home, which is not the end of the world but I still had to make dog behavioural calls this afternoon. Spoke to loads of lovely people and booked three jobs which is great.

Then Claire asked if I wanted to go a walk. I was almost too tired but so glad I did.

Took some lovely primrose pics….

Another quick one tonight but the hours run away from me these working days!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

It was raining this morning….. it’s hasn’t rained in weeks…. cries of “be good for the garden” all round. That said…. it will be as things were looking awfy dry.

I got some lovely flowers yesterday that I didn’t have time to talk about!

Lovely to have flowers in the house!

So we were up at 5.30am…. on a Sunday…. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️😬🤔 we were planning to drive to pick up a tent that we were buying and wanted to do it super early before the roads got busy.

Just as we were about to walk out the door, showered and picnic at the ready…. we decided we didn’t need to spend the money and wouldn’t be using it. Wow. Check us, that’s a first but we both knew it.

So instead we went for a dog walk!

As I was taking these photos there was a loud bellow from the other side of the rugby pitches…. we heard the voice but didn’t realise he was shouting at us until he screamed “get your f’in dogs on a lead”. 😳

Wow. Bit harsh considering we were at least 300 yards away from him and playing with the frisbee and he was walking towards us. We gathered the pups and got the leads on and as the guy got closer he said he had a “reactive German rescue”. Well bully for you mate.

He proceeded to walk right towards us AND right past us and then let his dog off the lead as he walked away. We were astounded. You don’t say anything until you think it all through. I’d you have a dog that is THAT reactive, you don’t take it to a public place to walk. You certainly don’t own the rights to that public place and why should ours be on lead while yours gets off?!? All very strange. Grumpy auld git.

So there endth the dog walk…. nice…. as long as your “reactive German rescue” got a good walk we’re all happy.

I am not in the best frame of mind this weekend. A fair bit of negativity sloshing about in this old brain of mine. I need to learn to keep up the good mood when the sun doesn’t shine too!

I have already had a nap! To be fair it’s no wonder given the early rise.

So I’m going to do a meditation now. See if that helps but also knowing I’ll probably sleep again!

So yeah that was good, I’ve been lying in the bed upstairs reading while Craig watching the football. I’m having a lovely lazy day but I needed it.

This is your Sunday evening reminder that we make our own path in life. We do what we choose to make us happy. Here’s to the week ahead and may it be a good one for you all and may I eat a little bit less. 😳🤔😆

Stay safe everyone 🐳🐳🐳

Today’s the day we’ve been waiting for. We can finally travel in Scotland and mum and dad came over for lunch!!

Dad had not seen the decking at the bottom of the garden so he’s not been here since before lockdown 2020.

So I’m not gonna lie…. there were hugs and a few tears and I didn’t let them go until that but it became awkward….. and the tears were mine (surprise!!)

We sat outside the whole time and it was beautiful in the sun but the minute a cloud came over it was pretty freezing cold. The wind is awfy fresh today!

I’d bought packs of sandwiches and wraps for lunch so I wasn’t giving them food I’d prepared but Craig said they looked like sandwiches you’d buy in a petrol station….. he proceeded to order Subway for delivery at 12.30pm.

We had steak and cheese, pepperoni, chicken and bacon and ham salad foot long subs delivered from Just Eat.

We went out to show them Abbie the camper van as they’d only ever seen inside her on Christmas Eve trying to stay socially distanced and there was an office desk in the back!!

I also opened the scenic canvas for the first time ever.

We so wished we were going away somewhere!

Reminds me we did hear from my mother in law today who’s cousin lives up on the banks of Loch Lomond. She took a photo of the card parked near her house….

Hundreds of people out today.

Now in a slight negative there are a lot of horrific photos of me today so I’ve chosen carefully. I have no concept of the size I’ve become until I see myself in photos…. it’s a slight negative but I also accept it is what it is and it will come.

Mum and dad left about 3 ish and I managed an hour and a half nap… hence the reason the blog is so late out tonight.

Claire came round for a fire pit and a takeaway!

It’s being a lovely day seeing people and socialising which has been a long time coming. It’s been so normal and something we’ll never take for granted again.

In other news check the wooden shutters Craigie made for our living room….. love them!

It’s now 10.04pm and I need my bed. A lovely day spent with lovely people and got new lovely shutters. What’s not to love 💕

Today also saw Prince Philip’s funeral. The report below shows how COVID has affected us all. After 73 years of marriage the queen can’t even be close to her family.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

I did not have to get up for Tartan Campers this morning as it’s my day off. However, Mr Sporty Spice had his alarm set for 4.45am!!!! Guess who is then WIDE awake… her wee head buzzing with all of yesterday’s chat about work life balance and then the plans for a fairly busy weekend.

So today is the day that Scotland has gained some COVID LOCKDOWN FREEDOM!!!

I for one will be staying local with dog walk and more excitingly, an Abbie wheel balance in Johnstone!

I snuck up on some housework when I got home. If I’d added that to the list of things to do today I’d have been stressed out my box…. but it was cool sitting outside after the dog walk so I hoovered. Boy did it need doing.

We’re in moulting season again and this time it’s Bhruic who prances through a room with a cloud of hair floating out behind her! It’s everywhere!!!! Freya has stopped, Calaidh is still moulting a wee bit. I have dog hair in my eyes when I blink, up my nose when I sneeze and I’m pretty much everything I eat. 😬🤨🤣

Then I headed up to Johnstone for a food shopping and other essentials before dropping Abbie in at Halfords Autocare for a wheel balance and break light bulb to be changed.

I’m currently sitting outside In Johnstone town square, or rather rectangle, waiting the half hour until she’s ready.

I went to take a picture there… it’s no braw.

I’ll talk about this next photo instead as it came up on my memories.

One year ago today I headed off for my first volunteering day delivering food bank parcels with the Beith Trust. I came home and burst into tears with the overwhelm of it all but I did it every week after that.

It’s a reminder to me of how far I have come. Julie 2 jobs 🤨(this seems to be my favourite emoji today…) I still give myself such a hard time but I do have way more self confidence than I did back then.

I learn more about myself every day.

Every day is a school day.

Stay safe everyone ♥️💜♥️

Oh yeah this is so true! No more negative nellies for me. Do you know this is the best thing about being out of my old job. Walking away from the negativity. A million reasons why something can’t be done.

So it was a beautiful morning again today. I laughed at Abbie when I walked out and saw her in the frost….. she would not catch me out today with her over enthusiastic locking mechanism. 🤨😂

Mr sporty spice had scraped my windscreen on his way to the gym this morning…. gave me a wee smile.

However, it was sunny in Dundonald so my heater wasn’t on today and the office was bitterly cold 🥶!! Didn’t take too long to heat up though.

It was another manic morning…. couldn’t get the laptop to work for the first hour and 6 minutes precisely. I was very antsy this morning and I didn’t have a lot of patience for things that weren’t going my way. I went into the workshop today to put stock away in case I broke the laptop by hammering the keys to make it work! I was thumping the hell outta the power button for a while.

At 9.06am I held my finger on the power key for 35 seconds. At 9.06 and 35 seconds my laptop jumped into life. I now have a portable hard drive and will move all my files on to it just in case this ever happens again….. my laptop was unplugged when I got in which meant someone else was using it…. 🤨

Raced back up the road for a Pawsitive Solutions meeting in the garden. Loving all these outdoor meetings.

Decisions to be made about how I see myself moving forward now that I have my hours at Tartan Campers.

We decided today that I will step back from making the enquiry calls and will concentrate on making my own bookings for puppy jobs.

It feels like the right thing to do just now as the calls are the bit I can’t control. I never know how many there will be or how long they will take. At least a puppy enquiry call is quite quick and I can arrange the visits in my own time and when it suits me.

Not gonna lie my head is pretty burst just now. I think I may just be hangry. It’s 7.36pm and I haven’t really had any lunch let alone dinner. I had a zoom call tonight which I cancelled as I feel like I just need some silence. Shame to miss it but listening to what my body says it needs.

Tuna pasta bake in the oven.

Chance I may eat my own arm if it’s not ready soon.

Remember for anyone that’s forgotten we here in Scotland are free tomorrow!!!!!! Travel is allowed after MONTHS…. 🤩

Stay safe everyone 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

What beautiful morning. Not as cold today.

So I popped the keys in the ignition….. stepped out, closed the door over and stepped back to take the photo as I thought Abbie was looking particularly lovely in the early morning sun…… 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Then the fated clunk, clink…. Abbie the camper van locked me out. For the second time in my life. Honestly. A 10 second door shut locks the door?!?!? I mean 10 seconds in my life is like the blink of an eye.

So thankful that I was just across the road from the house…… and that Craig was still in and….. that the spare key was there. Phew!

Back in the van and headed off with a big wave to an orange VW camper that passes most mornings (I wanted him to know I’d just been locked out just for some sympathy…… but couldn’t convey that message in my wave sadly) and also to my father-in-law who I’ve driven past in the last 2 days.

It was glorious sunshine when I left the house and could see the mist lying all over the fields. It was breathtaking. What a way to start the day.

The rest of the drive was actually pretty foggy….. pea soup to be honest and warranted Abbie fog lights for the first time and it was still very cloudy but the time I got to Tartan Campers.

The office was unlocked and the fire was on 🔥🔥 So grateful for that…. was also super busy today! I’m now going to be ordering all the material for the Upholstery side of the business too so had some training on that. Was very interesting 🧐

The sun came out around 12 ish and I raced back up the road at 1pm. At which point the sun disappeared…. naturally.

I did give me time to blitz the kitchen though and I actually enjoyed doing it now that it’s not my every day morning routine. Another holiday from dog calls which has been a nice break.

My words, my truth ♥️ that’s all this blog was ever meant to be. it’s helping me find myself again though I know now that I was never lost. I’d just lost myself.

Wow, how profound is that?! Check me.

Been sitting out in the sun writing this with the birds twittering, Craig twittering, sorry chatting 😬😂 and the dogs running around in the sun.

And relax.

Stay safe everyone ☀️☀️☀️

We are free from Friday. I cannot tell you how good this feels after a very long time of being told to stay at home. We have been home since about the middle of September, at least it feels that long!

Mum and dad are already booked in for a visit this weekend. It’s great news.

I’m also thinking that I should hear about my vaccine soon. Should maybe chase that up?!

So it wasn’t such a lovely morning this morning. I was at Tartan Campers for about 7.45am and didn’t want to stop in any lay-bys for photos today. 😂🤨

Another good morning of work though….spreadsheet after spreadsheet, I mean they just keep on coming and it’s amazing!! I love, love, love a spreadsheet. So much control in one tiny document.

Back home for 1.45pm and I have a day off from making behavioural calls. In fact I have 3 afternoon’s off!!! How long do you think it took me before I started trying to figure out what I should be doing?! How should I fill the time for the best?!?

So Bhruic and Freya were at BrawCuts Dog Grooming today…… see if you can tell which one is most impressed with their new hairdo?!?

It’s the first time Freya has ever been groomed as she’s so short we just bath her when we need to. She was very good today apparently. Bhruic is not a lover of the hairdryer so had to come home a wee bit damp! They are both as floofy as Calaidh was last week.

So I’m currently sitting out in the van across the road from the house. Craigs on a Zoom call and I just fancied a change of scenery. I brought Calaidh with me. It’s good for them all to have some time apart.

It’s been lovely to have a bit of a break this afternoon. Nice not to have anything that I HAVE to do. The list from Sunday’s blog is still sitting there waiting to be done but hey… I care less about it today.

Only downside is I’m now gonna have to clean the van again! 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️😬🙄

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

What a beautiful day. A very thick heavy frost overnight so all the fields were white and the sky was so blue. I felt like someone had washed my windscreen overnight!

I wanted to stop in every lay-by and take photos. I did not….. 😬🤣

One of the guys had opened up the Portacabin office and put my heater on this morning. So lovely of him and it still took a while to heat up. Thank goodness for a job where you don’t have to wear a suit!

We had a sales guy come in for a chat this morning so set up a socially distanced camp outside in the car park…. sat on deckchairs. Love it ♥️

Back up the road by 2pm and on Pawsitive Solutions calls. Booked 2 so behaviour jobs so that went well.

I’m not gonna lie. I am tired. I have 3 days off from dog calls just for a break as I’ve been making calls through all of lockdown. The team are back working now and I’m so grateful that they can take back the reigns for a few days.

So despite being ready to fall asleep.. Claire messaged about going a walk and I’m so glad I did. We took Freya!

This is first day I’ve done 10k steps in 3 weeks.

I will sleep tonight!

Stay safe everyone 🌅☀️🌄

I could not wake up this morning. Had the best sleep but it was one of those ones that I can’t open my eyes up from…. I finally got out of bed after 10 but I didn’t feel particularly rested.

Oh hullo…… yep there’s the answer 💜💙💚

Given my new 2 job status, I’m conscious the following week will disappear in a blur. So I need to make the best use of today.

I walk around and see so many things that need doing. I might even list them here as this is a journal to help my mental health and none else sees it…… right…. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤨🙄

• Bedding needs washed and bedroom needs hoovered
• Weeding SERIOUSLY needs done in the garden
• Grass need swept (yes I did say that… it’s artificial as 3 female Border Collies and real grass doth not a good combination make…) they have so many sticks all over it and bits of chewed toy
• Stairs and upstairs need hoovered BIG TIME
• Meals need planned for next week
• Already done an online food shop ✅
• Ooooh dogs need walked
• Abbie needs some serious organisation inside
• Crochet squares need doing
• Washing needs to be put away

Now I write it out I see the NEEDS…… NEEDS….NEEDS…. it’s not actually that big a list and none of it actually does need doing right here, right now (cue the song…. 🎧🎵🎶

Except of course the pooches…. should say that Bhru isn’t limping anything like she was yesterday so that’s good. Will only take the other 2 today just to give her paw a rest.

My next door neighbour Angel has just messaged to say that I have to go into her garden for a coffee…. my reply…. don’t suppose you could cope with a wee dog saunter too. SHE SAID YES!!!!

We then took Calaidh and Freya a walk and would you believe took zero pics!

The following is so very true. I know all this yet at times things still overwhelm me.

Adjusting my stress and I took me and Bhru off down to the beach.

Oh and now we have hailstones. Gotta love Scotland in April. It never knows what to do in a day.

I hope you’ve all had a lovely weekend and wishing you all the best for a lovely week ahead.

Stay safe everyone ☀️☃️☀️