It was very cold last night… I’m and I mean that I had a jacket on all the way through dinner and I was cold. Mr shorts and T-shirt never feels the cold was fine.
It was 12°C and same again this morning when we got up. It’s cold in the shade.
Thankfully it was hot when we got into Dubrovnik… in the sun anyway. We’ve had another amazing day but instead of writing the blog half the afternoon, I read my book…. I’ll let the photos tell the story of our day.
The view from breakfast.
We didn’t go on the cable car, just waited for the bus under it!
Sunset beach bar
We’ve had another lovely day. Back up in the room for a hot shower as I’m freeeeezing! The sunset bar had a stiff breeze blowing.
Just need to decide where to go for dinner tonight… decisions, decisions… 😆
It clouded over last night about 4.30pm and rained a few spots through the evening but it didn’t come to much, thankfully, unlike the forecast.
When I opened the sliding doors I was met with a cold wind. It’s been gusting up to 25mph all day.
Thankfully it’s still hot in the sun when you can get out the worst of the breeze.
I went for a run before breakfast this morning.
Of course I forgot to start Strava recording when I first started running…. Reckon I did between 5.5 – 6kms.
I’m really chuffed with that although I stopped to take loads of lovely views.
It’s a lovely path for running on, right by the sea.
The sun isn’t up over the mountains yet.
The sea is wild!! It’s soooo windy.
This is where we saw sunset the other night.
The Main Street in Cavtat is empty apart from everyone cleaning the restaurants.
That reminds me to say, this is one of the cleanest places we have ever been on holiday. It puts Scotland to shame, there is literally no rubbish anywhere. The streets are spotlessly clean.
The Jaguar super yacht is still docked in Cavtat although there’s been activity on it today. A whole lot of cleaning and repairs going on. When we arrived it was bashed up in the back left hand corner… (I’m sure there’s a more technical terminology for that part of a ship) they’ve repaired it over the last few days and now you would never know. A wealth of useless information, me. 😆
I love how the morning sun lights things up as it comes over the mountains.
These two cats are so well looked after. The owner of this balcony covers it with material to create shade when the sun is shining directly on it and the two cats lie on cushions on each chair.
Running back down towards the hotel.
What a beautiful morning… if blawin’ a hoolie!
Back to the hotel.
The view from the window… back to blue sky but you can tell how windy it is by the top of the Italian Cypress tree! (The dark green thin, tall tree)
We went down for breakfast after my shower and I had 3 courses!! I am not particularly enjoying eating that early but it saves us having to buy lunch so it makes complete sense. Three courses was maybe a bit much but hey…. Breakfast is free 😆
We went for a walk the opposite way from the hotel after breakfast. Here’s our hotel from the other side of the bay.
We then found this lovely sandy and stony beach but it was blowing a gale!! It still looks pretty.
We walked back round into Cavtat as I knew it was more sheltered there. It’s a north westerly wind which is blowing straight at us.
We found a little concrete section to sit out, out of the wind but near the sea. We sat here for a couple of hours and read.
Craig then wanted to watch ANOTHER 😆football match…. So we moved round the other side of the bay and he went to watch the game as I sat out in the sunshine.
This was my view. Cavtat is such a beautiful old town.
There are way worse places to spend a Sunday. I read my book and just watched the world go by. I’m so taken by the colours, the different blues, greens and the white buildings with orange roofs.
We finally got some sun on the balcony at 6pm tonight. Our balcony faces north west so we get the sea but not the sun. The rooms are the back get the sun but not the sea!
How pretty…..
We’ve already been out for dinner but honestly, it’s sooooo cold tonight.
We went to a restaurant really close to the hotel for pizza and a burger and I’m now sat on my bed with my joggies and a fleece on!!
Mr doesn’t feel the cold has the air con on low. I’m just so glad that my anxious packing saw these cold few days and packed some warmer clothes. It pays to be prepared!!
I think it’s safe to say we will never get the boat to Dubrovnik again so we were up at 5.30am to get an early bus into the city. The number 10 bus is only €8 return for us both and runs every half hour. Way less rockin’ and rollin’ than that boat yesterday. 😆
We were on the 7.30 and got into Dubrovnik just after 8am.
Bearing in mind it’s the end of September… AND so early in the morning, I honestly think we got Dubrovnik at its best. Compared to the crowds I have seen in photos, we didn’t feel crowded at all. We had lots of space to ourselves. We were so lucky.
The bus stops at the top of the hill and you have to walk all the way down. We had a rough idea of the direction we needed to go… ie down… so just followed all the locals that got off the bus with us.
This is a fresh water fountain. About 2 hours later this was SURROUNDED by people.
See how empty it is?!
We decided to buy a Dubrovnik Pass that gives us access to lots of attractions inside the city, including the city wall walk so we started there. It was a fair climb up and I felt really light headed on the way up. I have mild vertigo when I’m climbing something steep and feel like I’m going to be ejected back into thin air. It’s ridiculous but there are parts of the stair climb that make me feel really nervous. It’s soooo worth it when you’re up there. Looking down over Stradun, the Main Street.
The view over to Fort Lovrijenac.
The next lot of photos are all taken from the walk along the Dubrovnik Old Town Walls.
Holding on for dear life 😆
Can’t believe there’s a basketball court up here!
The wall walk was just out of this world. It was hot and sunny but I’m so grateful we got to see it without hordes of people.
And a veggie garden!
Back down on terra firma and while there are a lot more people around, you can still take photos missing out the masses.
This is the Rector’s Palace.
We had seen an amazing sea side bar from the walls…. I really wanted to go there but we weren’t even looking for it when we stumbled across this tiny arch way and I clicked it might be the bar.
It was so lovely to sit here for a while. 2 Coke and 2 Coke Zero were €24 but it was so worth it for the spectacular location.
Now we’re on our way to find Fort Lovrijenac.
When all of a sudden we stumbled on the steps used in Game of Thrones filming where Cersei walks down naked while everyone shouts SHAME.
Back out the gate we came in.
Then stumbled across another filming location, where John Snow heads off to the Wall.
Heading up to the Fort where you get fabulous views over the Old Town.
Selfie!!
Boom… the canon shot out the sun!
The views were spectacular.
I have so many photos it’s impossible to choose my favourite.
We were back into Cavtat by about 1.30 and have finally been able to relax by the sea. We’ve both been in for a well deserved swim.
We’re expecting rain later which seems hard to believe, and the temperature dips a fair bit until we come home, so we’re making the most of the warm sunshine.
I’m away back in!!
I can highly recommend Cavtat and Dubrovnik as a holiday destination. Lazy day for us tomorrow. I think we deserve it!
It’s 7.31pm here and we have just sat down. I’m absolutely shattered but we’ve had a lovely day… apart from the choppiest boat trip ever to Dubrovnik. Step aside the Waverley back in August… this was something else!!
We had a lazy morning as we wanted to see the rep about fixing our luggage issue for heading home.
We had to sit through the welcome meeting just to get a number from her that we had to call. It was so worth it though as we finally have Craig’s suitcase booked on our return for a mere £23 instead of the £154 we paid on the way out. What a difference and I felt like finally we could relax and focus on what we want to do.
It waa 11 before we decided to get the boat up to Dubrovnik to head over to Lokrum island. When we “do” Dubrovnik, we want to head in there really early one morning, possibly tomorrow.
The view from our balcony in Hotel Cavtat.
A wee walk before breakfast. I have t eaten breakfast in so long!
Little did we know when we set off just how choppy it would be…. Actually the dead give away was the man getting off, in Cavtat, who asked it if would be that choppy on his way back to Dubrovnik…. I still didn’t think it would be that bad.
I have some videos that I will share on insta when I get a chance. I am blown away by all the beauty that we saw today. I want to talk about it all but honestly I am too tired.
Here we are in Dubrovnik. Grateful to be on dry land again!!
We got a gelato to make it all better. We north had crème brûlée gelato which was so good.
This is exactly how much taller Craig is than me!
We headed over on another boat to Lokrum Island. It’s a beautiful oasis of shade, green and the lovely Dead Sea as they call it.
We both had a lovely swim…. So refreshing.
The monastery used on Game of Thrones as Qarth.
We’re on the iron throne!
The boat ride back to Cavtat was even more rough! We treated ourselves to pizza and sunset when we got back!
We’ve showered and are about to head downstairs in the hotel for drinks.
Sorry it’s a rush job!
It’s been a wonderful day. Full on but honestly this place is out of this world. We couldn’t be happier that we’ve come here.
It’s 7.26am and we’re on TUI Boeing 737 somewhere up in the sky and hour away from Glasgow, on our way to Dubrovnik.
We have been up since 2am!
Minor anxiety when Mr A seemed to have misplaced the passports before 3am. I bought a wee wallet to keep them in but he wanted to carry them…. Without the wee wallet… They’re now in my bag minus the wee wallet which is still in the house. Just saying 😬
Thankfully the car started despite the engine management light on the dash and we were on our way. It was wet and windy this morning. I have actually packed a waterproof jacket. You can never be too prepared. Hey even I sniggered at that. I hear myself.
We parked at Direct Parking which is the car park that closed due to Covid and has recently reopened. It was seamless. I paid £63.70 to park there for a week. Two days later they returned that £63.70 but we were still booked to park.
Despite the fact that I love travelling and want to do nothing more with my life, you’re probably not surprised that none of it comes easy to me. I am a ball of anxiety and even now my stomach is still churning. I’m on high alert. I have very little focus. My mild state of panic doesn’t allow me to calmly search for any documentation that’s needed.
I flap.
We go to self serve bag drop with our sub 20kg cases…. I’d brought the scales home from work to weigh them. Mentally high fiving us for being way under the allocated 20kgs.
That is if you have booked 2 lots of 20kg luggage…..
🫣
I had not.
I had only booked luggage for me.
Not Craig.
I’m not sure how that is even possible.
I booked this well over a year ago.
I know how I’ve missed it in all the anxiety checking and double checking as my booking is first with the correct luggage and you have to swipe right to see Craig’s with ZERO luggage.
I never swiped right.
£154 that’s one hundred and fifty four pounds we’ve just had to pay to get Craig’s luggage on board.
Gutted but surprisingly calm as there is nothing we can actually do about it.
We can be raging and as angry as we like but it is what it is.
Security is busier than I have ever seen it at Glasgow but then we don’t take holiday flights very often.
We go for a Pret breakfast. She who doesn’t normally eat until 12.30pm is ravenous at 4.35am. 😆
Breakfast was only £24 and quite honestly isn’t worth it.
The flight is on time and you’ll be pleased to know I have the emergency exit control 🫣 the price I pay for Craig’s extra leg room. I can’t even find my flight booking in moments of flap but you trust me to take control of the over wing door?!?! 😆
When I was a kid I couldn’t say Julie and Tui was my nickname as that was all I could manage!
Tired plane selfie.
Glasgow after take off.
Mid air.
We arrived in Dubrovnik at 9.10am after a fair bit of very cloudy turbulence. I was glad to be on the ground.
The queue to get through passport control was massive and it took us an hour to clear! Gone are the days pre Brexit where we could walk through the EU channel. 😆
We are staying in Cavtat which is a 9 minute transfer from the airport. Our room wasn’t ready until 2pm so we went for a wander down into the town. We’re right on the water.
We went for a walk round the peninsula. It’s just so beautiful.
This is a good view of the town from the other peninsula.
We’ve found a new favourite bar. The Bay Beach Bar. That’s it in the foreground.
Check the feet in this lovely photo 😆😆😆 didn’t realise until after I’d taken it!
Had an early dinner and we sat watching the sunset.
We haven’t been on a sunshine holiday together for sooooo long.
It’s much cooler at night and there’s a chance I’m a bit underdressed now. The sun went down at 6.30pm which is 5.30 our time.
Check the plane coming into land. They look much larger in real life!
I’m only able to sit here and write this right now as Glasgow Rangers are playing Malmo in the Europa Cup and this is the stunning location I get to watch it in.
I have a million more photos but my phone feels pretty hot after writing this.
I remember when this used to mean so much more to me. When I used to dread every single day in the office, back in my old job. I used to live for the holidays.
Now that I try to live in the present moment, I’m not wishing my life away for holidays and they are just something really nice to look forward to… not to live for.
I had a great sleep despite a light coming on in our bedroom in the early morning …. That was a weird one!! Craig has a ring light for conference calls and it’s on his desk in our room….. it just switched itself on. 😆
It was a beautiful morning as I tried to head into work early.
The car was frozen for the first time this year.
I am not ready for frost. It was 2°C!
The engine management light is back on in my car. It’s only 2 weeks since my warranty policy ran out and I did not renew.
The glow plugs are on their way out. I just hope they last long enough to get us to and from the airport.
My hands were frozen by the time I got into the office. One of the guys had very kindly put my heater on, which took the worst off the portacabin.
So it was a crazy morning. Very busy and another big thing coming from left field that is not my story to tell. It was a morning and a half.
Thankfully due to my hard work lining up all my ducks… the afternoon went very smoothly.
I know there will be things that I missed but I’ve done my best to ensure that they don’t miss me too much. 😆
So now I have a list to get through which I best get on with.
It’s a 3am start for us tomorrow morning so an early night… have to get the house ready for our lovely dog sitter too!
I’m not sure how the blog will go over the next week. I always think that I’ll take a break but I also know I probably won’t. I don’t want to spend hours on my phone either so I’ll play it by ear.
I am determined to get some use out of my flip flops this week. 🩴🩴
I did not sleep gently last night. I woke a few times in the night and was so tense. I have to say I don’t feel tense, but my body was as stiff as a board.
I woke before 5am with a thumping headache and stiff shoulders and hands.
I wonder if I was just dehydrated.
I’ve drank a lot of water today and the headache is still niggling away.
I dragged myself out of bed at 5.30 to go running with Lynsey at 5.45am. absolutely no offence to Lynsey 😆
I found the run quite tough. It was dark all the way so we had our head torches on and couldn’t get any photos. We could see the red of the sky in the morning though.
And guess what?!? Hardly a difficult one, given the title…. I ran my fastest ever 5kms!
I got a few best efforts…. I couldn’t believe it. I actually shed a few tears… I was so proud of myself despite how rotten I’d felt, I had run so well.
Here we are at the end.
I have to say thank you so much to Lynsey and the other girls I run with. I would NEVER do this without them. Lynsey has consistently run with me mid week and has helped me increase my stamina. We have such a great wee running group and we’ve created a great support network. This was my last run before we go away.
I felt great when I got back but my whole body still felt stiff, so I had a bath in Magnesium bath salts. She who hates baths actually had a bath before work. 😆 The first time in my 51 years… well maybe that’s not true as I’m sure I didn’t have a shower when we were you get the gist. 😆
It really relaxed me and by the time I got to work I was super chilled out.
That said, I have been exhausted all day. I’ve felt like a lead brick… with a headache!
I’ve found my fasting really hard which I very rarely do. I was starving and ended up eating before lunch.
I wasn’t inspired by my lovely peanut chickpea curry…. Or my soup. I ate the curry but didn’t eat the soup. I was so hungry when I got home.
I’ve moved the suitcases through to the living room and finished some last minute packing… I’ll probably say the same tomorrow too. always lots to do last minute.
I am so excited about our trip but I will be very glad to be at the airport on Thursday and all the decisions on what to take, will be over. It will all be too late.
The weather is not due to be as hot as Turkey was last year, so I’m taking a few warmer things than I would normally.
I’m sad about leaving the dogs too. I usually leave them with Craig so I don’t have to worry about them. I hope they are well behaved and I hope they don’t miss us too much.
So yeah, maybe it’s just the step away from normality that’s got me feeling a bit off. I love to travel and explore but I also do love my safe haven and comfort zone.
I always crave my comfort zone when I’m about to leave it… some people are never happy eh?!
I had big plans at work for this week…. To get all my ducks in a row and make sure I leave a seamless handover when I finish on Wednesday night. Not that anyone will read it but I will feel better 😆
That’s not fair… I said that all for comedic effect… someone will read it. Maybe 😆
So yeah… big plans today out the window today…. So many things happened that were not part of my plan… but hey that’s life. These things happen.
I’ll still try my best.
I hate to let anyone down.
When you suffer from anxiety, you try to cover so many bases that actually it takes double and triple the work… and then it usually means that you still miss something. I always find coming back to work hard as there will be things I’ve forgotten, things no one has done that I would have expected them too and things I just feel dreadful for. I shouldn’t think like that though. It’s just the way my mind works.
I always love this as we head into autumn … the beautiful colours.
The trees show us how easy it is to let things go and move on in the present moment. We just have to choose to do that.
So just a quick one tonight. I’ve been ironing Craig’s T-shirts…. He said they’d be fine. They wouldn’t have been fine. 😬
My friend Helen will be proud of me, I’ve enjoyed the ironing for a change.
It’s only 2.20pm so far and I’ve already had a lovely day.
The sun hasn’t come out yet despite being forecast but it’s stayed dry.
I had a lie in until 8am. Check me… 😆
Craig and I sat and had coffee…
I commented on this lovely Coffee & Quotes post that I am not ready for Autumn yet but I’ll try and embrace it! 🍁🍂🍁🍂 where was our summer?!? 🤷🏻♀️
Craig was wood cutting with the Village Woodcutters this morning so I took the dogs up the hill. Our regular field was being muck spread so I avoided that like the plague and went a different way. We’ve not been up this path for a long time and it’s become very overgrown. I didn’t take photos but have done 3 reels today. You’ll find them on my The Rambling Sloth Instagram.
I did take this one heading home.
I loved watching them exploring and sniffing out new scents. Playing with sticks and stones… yeah not great and you have to watch them carefully, but they love it.
I then took Miss Khaleesi out for her 10 minutes…
Some fangs she has… munching on grass! She was in good spirits on her walk today again..
It is LOVELY!!!! So good. It will last a few meals this week.
I also made a pot of lentil soup with my new Chopper from Amazon. It’s the first time I used it and it dices an onion like slicing through butter. It chips a potato in the same fashion. I also grated my fingers but hey… 😆
We then went to Mocha Jak’s for lunch.
I had the veggie haggis and Siracha toastie, Craig had a BLT triple stack!
With a lovely iced oat milk coffee…. I forgot to ask for DECAF…. Buzzing….. 😆😆
We got home and I ironed some more holiday clothes and really feel like I’m ready for my holiday now. We leave at 3.15am on Thursday. It’s nice to be organised and in control… for now. 😆
We then popped into the pub for a couple. Our lovely neighbours are looking after the puppers when we were away and will move in. We are so lucky that they will do that for us. My inlaws are very good too and will come and stay when we need them.
We hate leaving them…. Craig will worry about them a lot when we are away. I will just be drawn to any dog that I see!!
So I’ve had a lovely weekend! A perfect combination of action and relaxation for me.
I forgot I’ve done all the housework through the weekend too…. I was hoovering before the dogs were up this morning. I can’t leave the house in a mess. 😆 it’s hard work being a woman sometimes. 😆
I’ve had a lovely day today…. But I’ll recap on my trip to Moffat yesterday.
It’s been YEARS since I’ve been to Moffat. It’s a lovely little town situated just off the main Scotland to England arterial motorway, the M74. It’s a straight drive for me, through Glasgow and south, with just a few miles to the centre of Moffat. It’s shown here with the dropped pin.
I had an engine management light on when I first started the car yesterday. I phoned our garage who were kind enough to check it before I went. They said I’ll need glow plugs soon but they reset the warning light.
Off I went and had to stop for fuel…. Of course. Then as I left the petrol station, my Apple car play wouldn’t work so I had to drive all the way without the sat nav. It was actually fine but two big things trying to raise my anxiety levels before a long and different journey for me.
I recognised Moffat as soon as I drove in. We came here when I was a kid. I turned right too early and ended up in some dead end at Moffat Mill car park…. I stopped the engine and the bloody car play worked 😆 technology eh?!?
They were really impressed with it. The toilet block is massive and very clean. The staff friendly and helpful. It’s also situated 5 minutes walk from the centre of Moffat, which is a huge bonus for any campsite.
I was surprised they weren’t around when I arrived. I phoned them both and it just rang out…. No answer… strange so I set about walking the campsite and found them straight away. Neither of their phones had missed calls but that was the end of the things to try my anxiety!
Here they are all set up.
We headed to the Moffat Mill for a coffee and cake…. It’s a huge shopping area that coach loads stop off to buy all things Scottish and clothes…. I have to be honest and say it didn’t impress me much and looked like it could do with a big makeover. It was heaving though.
We then walked the 5 minutes in to Moffat.
It’s a very pretty town.
The sun came out.
Check this vintage American car randomly parked in the street.
This is the narrowest hotel in the world and is in the Guinness Book of Tecords.
It’s only 20ft wide but 162 feet long.
They say it may be narrow but it has a BIG personality.
The famous Moffat Toffee Shop. You can’t got to Moffat without getting Moffat Toffee.
It’s not even toffee…. It’s a boiled sweet that “changes flavour from a caramel and treacly outer coating to a sharp lemon centre”. I could never have put that into words myself!
Look at the rest of the shop……… it’s like sweetie shops from when we were wee.
So many sweeties!
We actually went back there later too and I got Mum and dad heading into it. ♥️♥️
This is Moffat House if memory serves me right. A hotel and restaurant.
We went into this little pottery shop. They were playing the Old Rugged Cross… not what you would expect but it turned out it was religiously themed pottery. It’s a very pretty building.
This is the very grand Town Hall.
Apparently a lady had just driven her automatic car into this hotel a few days before. She had demolished the ramp up to this door.
This is the garden centre in the Main Street. It’s very pretty.
We went back to the campsite and Mum and I headed to the The Green Frog which I’ve been following on FB since a friend recommended it.
It was very quiet. There was no one in the cafe and the shop which I thought was a real shame for that time on a Friday. It does have this beautiful land behind it and another very busy campsite.
Lots of reflections.
It’s very pretty and used for fishing.
This is the Moffat Ram. A lovely bronze statue. Behind the Ram sculpture is Hugo’s Moffat where we went for an early dinner.
The food was UK style tapas and it was very lovely. We had a lovely meal.
I bumped into mums glasses as dad took this photo!! 😆
We had mint aero waffles for dessert… forgot to take a photo.. it look way too tasty.
We had another walk back to the campsite and I headed back home.
A lovely day making memories.
I’ve been writing this for ages now and not even go to today.
It started with a run at 6.45am… another 5.85k under my belt.
I’ve also walked all the dogs. can you see what Khaleesi has spotted?!?! 🐿️
A big run in the field for the Borders.
I’ve packed my suitcase for our holiday on Thursday and finished the last of the holiday ironing.
I’ve been to Claire’s for coffee and biscuits and then ended up staying for lunch. We had a good catch up!
I’ve also really randomly booked another mini trip back to Rome for the end of November.
My random friend (😆 her words) Melanie has invited me to spend Thanksgiving with her and her friends. She’s American living in Rome. It was so very kind of her and I was so lucky to get flights for £74…. Cheaper than getting the train to Inverness!
We met on the Solo female travellers FB group. There are so many lovely people out there. Who knows who will be sitting around her table with me at the end of November. I’m excited to find out.
I slept like a log…. Woke at 5.50am and only remember turning over to fall asleep… that’s just how I like it. So grateful for a great sleep.
My legs feel a bit sore today and I’m suddenly aware of some of the weight I’m losing around my middle.
I much prefer my weight management as it is now. Slow and very steady, no giant losses just a gradual small win every few months or so.
It’s not as sunny this morning, the wind has picked back up so there’s a chill in the air and we’re off to walk the 3 Border Amigos together.
I didn’t take any photos!
I took Khaleesi for a wee jaunt next! She’s doing well.
I then got ready and jumped in the car to head down to Moffat to visit Mum and dad. They are staying on the campsite for the week. They have had the best weather!!
This is my drive.
We’ve had a lovely day… I’m going to write about it all tomorrow. It’s 5.30 and I’m just about to drive home.
It’s lovely to spend time together, making memories.
I’m ready for a nap but I’ll make sure I get home first!
Our bedroom is up in the apex of a 300+ year old cottage and it’s warm up there when the sun shines. Doesn’t help that we have a 10.5 tog duvet on either mind you. 😬😆
I woke at 1.12am and lay until 1.45 when I finally went downstairs and fell asleep on the couch.
I felt shattered when the alarm went off at 5.30am…. Despite being in bed from 9pm. 😆
It’s a much clouder and misty morning so it feels cooler and I’m running with Claire today.
It’s her birthday! Happy birthday Claire!
My headtorch died on the way home this morning, must charge it up.
It’s dark the whole run this morning. It’s slower than the last few days but my legs are tired.
We were finished at 4.5k but I wanted to get to 5k just so I could say I’ve run 15kms this week.
I have to say I’m really chuffed with that.
Claire and I had a great “gossip paced chat” – we saw that quoted on Insta 😆
We ran a slightly different route today which mixed it up a bit too.
The clouds cleared about 10am ish and the sun came through and it’s been another scorcher. The forecast say highs of 18°C but the temperature has been up in the 20’s.
It’s lovely.
I think, other than the heat obviously, it’s the a lack of wind that I love. It’s so calm.
That always helps my head.
The day went quickly again and Ellison and I got out half hour out in the weed garden in the car park at work 😆 it’s hard to go back into the metal portacabin after that.
So yeah, not much else to report today.
I love this next one. It’s so very true.
We’re out in the back garden and I have my neck stretched to catch the last rays of the sun.
Khaleesi was trying to get in on the act!
Neville the cat from next door managed to silhouette my sunset!
Happy days.
A last minute decision to go and meet mum and dad tomorrow, so looking forward to that.
I didn’t sleep well last night…. Not sure why, I was just restless. It was very mild through the night, the window was open but there wasn’t a breath of air.
The alarm went off at 5.30am as I was running again this morning!
I wanted to run a bit more this week as we are going on holiday and I’ve ended up running 3 days this week… not counting Saturday!
It was even more beautiful this morning than it was yesterday.
I hadn’t even noticed the moon until Lynsey pointed it out! It was massive. The photo doesn’t do it justice.
I love this next shot…. Bearing in mind we are running and when we stop to take photos, I have to get the phone out its pouch and hold it still for 3 seconds to capture the shot. The light of the moon versus the orange glow of the streetlights through the trees.
Sunrise is coming.
Unfortunately this was blurry but I spotted a Tartan campervan as we ran!!
I cannot tell you how much I love this time of day.
The world is quiet. So much of it is still sleeping and here we are, out plodding away.
And we’re done. Another 5k under our belt.
I had tired legs but it ended up being a faster run than yesterday and that’s with the stops for the photos. I was pretty pleased with that.
I took some photos of the moon before I went in for my shower.
Shame about the speed restriction sign!
This was the sky as I went to work!
It has been a scorcher today…. 22°C.
Ellison and I sat outside for lunch… check our view… we sat among the weeds 😆
It’s 6.20 and I’ve been out in the garden since I got home. It’s still hot. Just lovely.
I’m getting cuddles from Baby Freya.
Why do I feel there should be a caption to this photo?!?
It’s been a beautiful day! Apart from having to work it’s just been perfect. Yet I’m very grateful that I have a job… you know what I mean. I’d rather have been at the beach.
My head has been good all week. No drama, no fuss.
So I’ve got 5 minutes to get out of my shorts and into the pub for crochet. There are only 3 of us hookers tonight!
The moon was amazing when I went to bed last night.
When the alarm went off at 5.30am, I had a red alert for Aurora from the Aurora Watch app.
I ran straight out into the garden, once I was dressed obviously, into the dark. Funny how the morning dark is less scary for me than the night dark. 🤷🏻♀️
Nothing…. These photos make it look a lot lighter than it actually was.
Can you spot the light in the window?! Craig is on his phone in the bedroom… it made me laugh!
No sign of the Northern Lights.
I had the best run this morning!
My breathing wasn’t laboured, my legs weren’t heavy, it was a lovely morning, mild without being too hot and the company was fab as usual.
I feel like this is the fastest i have run but Strava wasn’t for giving me any speed awards 😆, so I can’t have been a PB.
I was buzzing when I finished and headed into a cold shower. It was a really good one.
Work was good again today and really busy. I’m soooo ready for a break though.
This is my welcome when I get home. I just couldn’t get Khaleesi in the shot.
This looks a bit strange as I had to widen the lens to fit all 4 dogs in.
It’s a lovely calm evening so I ate dinner outside. I have a watermelon, red onion in lime and Feta cheese salad with raspberries, blueberries, peppers, cucumber and tomatoes.
It’s really lovely. I love my tubs of salads… turning them upside down to mix them around. I had a few oatcakes too.
This is the time of year that our gorgeous ivy starts to turn red… it’s a beautiful sight to watch. I’ll try to remember to take photos again as it turns. When I was off sick with anxiety and depression in 2018-2020, I would sit and watch the ivy every day. Its colour never ceased to amaze me. I found gratitude in its beauty and started to appreciate nature for all that it was.
The hydrangea are starting to turn as well.
The sky has finally turned blue. It’s been warm but cloudy all day.
Another lovely few days to come for us in Scotland.
Did anyone see the size of the moon last night?!? It was soooo bright. I got up to go to the loo at midnight and it looked like we had left a bedroom light on.
Two very different shots.
It’s been a lovely day today. This is the sky as I left for work.
Ellison and I got to sit out at lunch time. I love getting away from my desk and getting some fresh air.
I got a photo of Angus the Tartan Campervan. It’s so lovely to see the sunshine and spot a Scotland flag in the sky. 🏴
Work was really busy again and the day flew by.
I’m still feeling good and in control. I was a but anxious about a particular job today. Driving into work, I had to keep pulling myself back to focus on the present moment. I realised I was sitting forward in the seat. Hands clenched on the wheel almost racing to get in early. I sat back, straightened my back, relaxed my shoulders and hands, wiggled my jaw… it’s amazing how tense you get when you take a step back and become aware of it. it’s only because I care.
This made me laugh a bit too hard.
This is our weather coming this week…. 🙌🏼🙌🏼
Yay!
We sat outside after work today and had dinner… it chilled over and I came in and started ironing my holiday clothes… Claire shared this with me the other day. It’s so true.
I hate ironing and don’t even iron anything… yet here I am ironing everything to take away for a week. How funny?! I also actually enjoyed it.
So that’s all for tonight. Khaleesi and I are curled up on the couch. She’s comfy and I’m perched on the edge!
I had a lovely evening last night curled up with the dogs as we watched movies.
The astute among you may spot the Christmas jammie bottoms…. 🫣 They’re the only ones I have left that are still decent enough to wear. 😆🎄🎅🏼🤶🏼
I had the most amazing sleep.
We didn’t got to bed until 11, which is late for me… I didn’t even stir until 7am… the next time I looked at my watch, it was 8.25am. Musta needed it!
I woke up feeling so grateful for such a lovely, relaxing sleep…. As I write this now, I’d like to just get back into bed 😆
I felt so refreshed and I’ve had such a lovely day.
I got up and headed out with the 3 pupsketeers. They had a good run about in the fields. I shared a few videos on my instagram and FB.
This one has just been cut so you can avoid the muddy bits.
It doesn’t look the prettiest anymore…. It’ll be a wee while before it goes green again.
I came home and took Khaleesi out for a quick walk across the road. She did well again today, walking slowly and putting her back paw down about 90% of the time.
She started to hop after about 10 minutes so I brought her back.
I then went to Tesco for a small food shop. I’m trying to use up some of what we have in the cupboards this week, so I didn’t buy much.
I decided to take the car through the car wash as it’s sooo dirty. I usually wash it at Tartan but haven’t had a chance recently. That’s actually not true…. I’ve can’t be bothered when I’ve finished work.
So I went into Tesco petrol station and thought I’d hoover it out first…. Big mistake. The hoover emptied more into my car that it sooked out 😆 I tried to unblock it, but nothing was shifting it. I got the lady out to check it all but I’d lost my pound and she couldn’t clear it…. She did empty lots of cigarette douts out of it, I mean who hoovers an ashtray?!?!? I had smelled some ash when I was attempting to hoover mine. I’m kinda glad none of them fell out in my car!!
So through the car wash and home to hoover out the car! I even cleaned the windows. I’m so chuffed with myself as I’ve been wanting to do it for so long.
I work best when I surprise myself with things like this. 😆
I was still not finished…. I made a chickpea and spinach curry for this week. I forgot to take photos. I was a 10 minute Recipe
I’m looking forward to it. I tidied up after myself like you’d never know I’d been there. Gentlemen take note 😆
Don’t be fooled by this gorgeous little face.
She knows exactly what she’s doing, keeping the banana away from Calaidh.
She’s no daft. 😆
She pretends she doesn’t know. Calaidh is there behind her…. 😆 Calaidh is pretending she isn’t there for the banana… just a-hanging around… they are comical.
Think Khaleesi is happy?!?!?
So I had planned to put some clothes up for sale today but ended up doing everything else but…. That’s ok. I’ve enjoyed myself.
It’s 4.10pm and I just want to go for a nap now. I’m so sleepy but in a really relaxed way.
I feel so calm and content. I’ve had a lovely weekend. No stress, no tension, no boredom. Apart from some anxiety on Friday morning, there’s been nothing out of balance.
Long may that continue.
Of course, a weeks’ holiday in 10 days always helps.
Here’s hoping we see a sky like this. 💛🧡🩷❤️💜
So here’s a reminder to enjoy the week ahead and remember that we can all take everything that’s thrown at us. We have survived 100% of our days so far.
Give Coffee & Quotes a follow on FB… I just love it!
I slept right through to the alarm at 6.30am, just the best….. and ran 6.5Kms before 7.30am.
I did stop my watch when I thought we were finished…. But no…. Back to it.
I ran with the same girls that ran the 10k back in August… it was much better weather today!
I loved running this morning. I felt good and comfortable most of the run. that’s two in a row that have gone really well.
I’m so pleased that I’ve got in to regular running and hope it doesn’t get too difficult as the winter sets in.
I was back in the shop this morning which was lovely.
I played with the dogs for a bit when I got back…
We have to keep a hold on Khaleesi so she can’t run after the ball. 😆 just lemme go, she says!!
We just have to keep an eye on her all the time…
Who knew the top of my head had gone so grey…..
Cuddles with Khaleesi
The Gateside Horticultural Society had their flower show today.
Here are some of the stunning exhibits.
I think portrait mode on my new phone can be a bit blurry at times….
This next one won best in show!
This was the display that we were all routing for! Nancy did the beautiful flower arrangement and Holly did the chocolate mint dessert (WHICH IS NOW IN MY HOUSE FOR LATER!!!!) and Aimee made the LOVELY crochet bookmark. They won third prize!
I can’t rave about the mint chocolate mousse enough 😆
These leeks were massive!
These photos don’t do the scale any justice. All of the veg is huge 😆
Now this is a whole lot of kale!! 🥬
The kids did these flower displays.
We ended up in the pub for a couple. I’ve enjoyed seeing our neighbours as we haven’t caught up in a while.
In the list of national days, today is National Sober Day!
I’m so proud to be on day 2,081 of my sober journey. That will be SIX years come January. It’s just a way of life now. One that I am so very proud of. I never would have wanted to stand out from the crowd, to be different, to be socially awkward and yet here I am… 😬 it’s what keeps me sane these days… literally.
I woke at 3.21am and my mind ran wild…. I was worrying about things that aren’t mine to worry about. It felt like I took forever to fall back to sleep… but I must have, as I woke after 7am.
It’s another lovely sunny day. It’s chilly but it’s really calm. Think we get the wind back tomorrow….
Craig and I sat and had coffee and chatted before he got ready for work and I headed out with the Border trio.
Poor Khaleesi left behind again.
I knew my anxiety was still pumping around my system.
I have a pain in my chest, I feel panicked, a bit short of breath…. But it’s a lovely morning.
So nice to see the sun in the sky.
This gate shadow is MASSIVE.
The clouds were lovely…
I love all these hanging baskets. They’re lovely all year around.
Shadows!
Bliss….
The colours are just so vibrant in the sun… I am definitely a fair weather photographer.
Heading home.
So now, a little bit about Khaleesi.
Craig had her back at Armour Vets yesterday as she still wasn’t putting any weight on her bad leg. We’ve been really worried about her as she should have been back to full health by the start of September. Better than she was before….
She’s been put on Librella which helps to block pain from osteoarthritis in dogs. She’s also taking Galliprant for a short time which is used for inflammation caused by osteoarthritis.
Since her operation, we’ve been feeling that some of the pain seemed to be coming from her hip as the leg is healing well. The hospital in Stirling didn’t think it was her hip but the vet is on the same page as us.
Here she is this morning. I took her for 5 minutes across the road.
Strong back leg on the ground. ♥️
Craig’s just done an amazing heartfelt post on Scottish Dog’s FB with a wee video…. To the Foo Fighters Learning to Walk Again!! Click the link…
Hoping that this might be the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle… it’s been a hard slog for her. It’s been so hard to watch her hobbling along after everything she’s gone through. This morning she used it quite consistently.
We cannot thank everyone enough for their donations to her surgery back in May.
I had a bath in the Magnesium Salts when I got home. I feel like it helped calm me down a bit. I did run a bath last night and water some salts as it was freezing!! One of the reasons I don’t like the bath is that I can’t control the temperature properly… it’s either too hot or too cold!
I have to say, my anxiety has subsided as the day went on. I’ve been at the little gift shop with Gayle. Lots of chat putting the world to rights! It always helps.
I love this space!!!
Home and met Craig in the pub next door for a couple of alcohol free Whitely Neil gins. The Gateside Flower Show is on tomorrow so we got to test some of the entries…. A mouthwatering chocolate mousse with mint ganache and a lemon curd and lemon posset! Honestly just exquisite…. That’s my new word 😆
And finally…. I hope she doesn’t mind me sharing but this is my lovely friend from the States….. I tried to say this to someone today and may have offended her…. I didn’t put it quite as well as Cheryl-Lynn. She is a master with words and a mentor and a half for me. ♥️
I had my first sleep of the month without progesterone and I slept like a log, despite lots of dreaming.
I felt so grateful to be all snuggled up in bed this morning and I watched out the window, there wasn’t a breath of air in the trees… we don’t have blinds up at our bedroom window and sometimes that’s really nice.
I even really enjoyed my shower….. I know, I hear myself!
Work was really busy and honestly, the day just passed in a flash. I have no idea where the time went. I much prefer my days like that although I did end up staying late, to finish something off.
Now this next bit is really deep and heavy but it really spoke to me. I really do believe that the Universe has my back. As woo woo as that sounds…
I went to the shops after work today to pick up some Magnesium Epsom Salts.
The Happy Place podcast recommended it for sore joints and muscles and as a lovely relax before bed….. only problem I can see is that I hate a bath 😆 I am willing to try it for research purposes though!
I also picked up this body butter for £3.99 from Home Bargains which smells divine.
I love how I get the dogs in the background… Bhru with her squeaky banana!!
I popped into the Cancer Research shop in Irvine and got 6 books for £3.
In future maybe more focus on the books rather than the dogs and the mess in the background.
I also picked up some different pasta the other day. It’s gluten free so I don’t feel like a beached whale once I’ve eaten it. I’m not gluten intolerant… it’s just something I’ve noticed that helps bloating.
I made some green pea penne pasta for dinner tonight.
I’ve actually just come outside as the sky is so clear and the sun is really low. It’s so peaceful and calm just now.
It’s been cool but lovely weather today. Ellison and I sat out at lunch.
Look at the light on the roof of the shed, lighting up the moss. I feel like Bhru is checking it out.
And relax. I’m feeling really good today. Really positive and upbeat.
I’m still watching Race Across the World while Craig is out! It’s very addictive.
But for now… starting a sentence with but… I’m going to breathe in this lovely, crisp fresh air and appreciate being alive.
It’s 6.33am and I’m writing this now so I can capture just how good it felt.
That was an amazing run! It’s not often I get one where I manage to breathe the whole way round. Maybe that’s my preferred running pace… I am buzzing. 🫶🏼🥳
I had a great sleep last night. Woke at 4.50am and the rain was lashing down. It was torrential. We had the window open and it felt cold too.
I couldn’t decide whether to wear my jacket or not…. I decided not to and it was definitely the right decision.
My arms and hands were cold to start but soon heat up.
Just the best feeling after a run and even more so when everything just fell into place. It stayed dry and the sky was amazing as we ran. No photos as I didn’t take the phone with me.
I’ve had a good day in the office today too. Working on a spreadsheet…. Bliss!
The day passed really quickly as we’ve been so busy but I’ve loved having my spreadsheet to go back to. Also laughed at having so many jobs that needed doing today while the spreadsheet was priority…. I was jumping about all over the place doing different things😆
I’ve found myself breathing very deeply today for some reason… taking huge, calming, deep breaths … not sure why but I’ve been very aware of it. If memory serves me right I remember my Nana doing that. 🫣 I’ve just done it again 😆
Off to meet the Crochet Hookers in half an hour and I might even crochet tonight.
After a strange, antsy day yesterday, I’m pleased that today has been really good.
The Rambling Sloth 🦥 