Ooooh I’ve have the loveliest day today. A TWO hour massage at Harmony in Beith. Thanks so much to my in-laws for my Christmas pressie.

I had a full body, legs, back, neck and shoulders followed by a facial.

I was pre-sad before it started as I knew it was going to be over soon. How ridiculous is that? i never want a massage to end!

Norma from Harmony is so good and I swear she has healing hands. Her fingers are cold and her palms are burning hot so the sensations are amazing… especially during the facial. (Stop it sniggerers 😂)

I was super chilled when I left and popped into my lovely friend Gayle’s shop next door. the little gift shop in Beith has been there 3 years now and the shop gets better every time I go in. Super proud of everything she has achieved….wait till you see the Valentines window that she had decorated today…..

Isn’t that just stunning. I watched the girl painting from the inside. She kept popping out to check it.

This was done by EmzArt. Have a look at her on FB or Insta. Wow. Her work is incredible.

Just beautiful! ♥️🌸♥️🌸

So home and did a wee bit of work but enjoyed it and then out with the puppers… straight into sideways sleety snow. Another face exfoliation!!

Then the sun came out and dried up all the rain…. (Plagiarism 🤣🤣)

So I came home and spent some time preparing for tomorrow. It would have been my Gran’s 100th birthday and we are meeting for lunch. My cousin Steven has a radio segment on SAM Radio (The Scottish Autistic Network) and he is going to do a show on Gran to celebrate her birthday.

He wants to record us all talking about our memories…. I’ve kinda cheated and written tomorrows blog and will read that. Blog writing comes very naturally to me. Sitting down to compose a piece on my Gran did not. Write it as the blog… job done!

I then went into Claire’s for a cup of Turkish Apple Tea. Haven’t seen her since pre- Norovirus so we had so much to catch up on. So lovely!

Quiet night for us tonight… might be having takeaway pizza to celebrate eating. 🍕

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Irene May Bowles was born on 5th February 1922 and she was my Gran.

She used to tell me it was the same year Howard Carter found Tutankhamen’s tomb. I was fascinated by that fact.

We were very close to Gran and Grandpa. She was mum’s mum so we spent a lot of time there.

Gran was always baking. Cheese scones were her speciality. She managed to get them to go all crispy on top. I can almost taste them even now.

She was always in the kitchen rustling up something from tray bakes to marshmallow top hats and lovely wee marzipan fruits. There was always something tasty at Grans. Her Roast Beef and Yorkshire puds were legendary.

Gran grew up in London and worked in the Cherry Blossom shoe polish factory at one point. She had been a cook in the war and met my Grandpa, Charlie, (Jock as he known at the time being from Scotland) when he was stationed down south.

She moved up to Scotland to be married. She always kept her English accent and the highlight of Christmas for her was watching the Queens speech. She used to call her the Queeg…. If s funny post voice dragging out the eeeeee’s. We still joke about that. 🤣🤣🤣

Grandpa used to own a garage in Penicuik called Lawmar Garage. I used to got here for my lunch from school and Gran would make lovely sandwiches and quite often buy us some Yumyum cakes for lunch. She was always eating salad. Celery dipped in salt on the side of her plate. She always had ripening tomatoes on the window ledge in the kitchen. Funny the memories you have.

We used to stay over at their house when we were wee and they had electric blankets on the bed. One night she forgot to switch mine off and I woke up drenched in sweat. She always cooked us the crispiest streaky bacon for breakfast so it was super exciting to stay over.

She was an amazing crocheter and the Queen of the Granny Square. She made me this lovely blanket when I was young and I’ve had it on every bed in every house I’ve owned. I will always treasure it.

She made the double crochet stitch one too. I really inspect them at times. I have favourite squares and colours and least favourite squares but most of all I imagine her working on it for me. I hope she’d be proud that I finally mastered the art.

We celebrated every birthday with her. This is the last birthday we had with her, 96. The blanket round her knees was one I gave her. She always used all the gifts I gave her but she was so easy to buy for. 💜💜💜

Mum read this for me at Gran’s funeral. She was so brave and her eulogy was amazing. I could never have done it.

It started…… Gran,

Cheers Gran, happy heavenly 100th birthday. I wish you were here to celebrate with us.

This next pic is just my favourite ever. With my nephew when he was tiny. His so on her head backwards.

I was very lucky to have my Gran for 46 years of my life. Not many people can say that. She lived until she was 96.

Today I’m meeting my family to celebrate her 100th birthday on 5th February 2022. I wish she was here to see it!

It’s been horrific weather today. Not sure this storm has a name but it was atrocious driving conditions and I had to go all the way to Edinburgh.

I took the dogs out first….. absolutely drookit!

Came home and got ready then suddenly remembered I hadn’t done my lateral flow so did that on the way out the door. The weather took its toll on the journey and I ended up being 20 minutes late.

We met in Swanston Golf Club Brasserie at the foot of the Pentland Hills in Edinburgh

Here we all are! Poor Craigie had to work.

My Auntie Marion had a board of photos with her so it was lovely to look through all the memories.

I loved this next one. Gran with my wee brother and I. Check that cheesy grin. 😬

I chickened out of doing the recording for SAM radio but my cousin Steven has this and is going to read it out on air.

We had a lovely lunch. I’ve not seen my Auntie Marion since before lockdown so it was lovely to all be together.

This little duck billed platypus used to be Grans. My brother bought it for her. Was lovely to have a cuddle of it!

So a lovely day. Lots of memories and lovely new ones.

Stay safe everyone 💜💜💜