I slept all evening on the couch last night. Couldn’t stop drifting off. We were watching a new tv show Inventing Anna and it was really good. I missed huge chunks of it though….. 😴🥱

Went to bed just before 10 and slept all night until the 6.30 alarm. I’ve not slept this much in ages.

We woke up to the snow we’ve been expecting! Yay!!

It was deeper than the last lot we’d had and I had to drive to work in it!!

It was falling heavily.

Of course I still managed to walk across the road to take photos in it!

I had my work cut out clearing Abbie the Campervan!

Claire spotted me leaving from her bedroom window!!

Despite leaving early I was 10 minutes late as the traffic was really slow. I made fresh tracks on the road a lot of the way down to Irvine.

I was scared but in control. There was one car I passed down a ditch and into the trees. That gave me the fear but only made me drive more carefully.

Finally around the corner from work there was hardly any snow at all. The sky was lovely above Tartan HQ car park though.

I really should have taken a Rambling Sloth snow day today….. I’ve missed so many lovely snow scenes! It turned to rain fairly soon at work and it’s been torrential for most of the day.

I could hardly get a word out properly today. Even that sentence seems not to flow… as does this one. It’s been “wan o’ they days” as they say.

I knew what I wanted to say and yet the words came out jumbled or got stuck altogether. Not great when you’re trying to train someone. It was so infuriating. I had so much to do today that I just needed to get on with it and stumbling over everything wasn’t helping.

I had the patience of a gnat today… that’s only because a saint had more patience than I could take credit for.

So all in all, I’m glad today is done. I have my feet up in front of the fire waiting on a super tasty Mac n’ Cheese that’s in the oven.

I also have a bag of Cadbury’s Chocolate Buttons as a wee treat.

Craig set me this pic this afternoon 💜

An early night and another great sleep will do the trick.

Sleep heals all.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Another amazing sleep last night, out for the count and woken by the alarm. Love it!

Up and at ‘em for the Fit Body Farm at 5am. Lots of weights this morning so I’m feeling it already.

So I’m listening to Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast again and this morning she is talking to Björn Natthiko Lindeblad. He’s a Swedish exec who moved into a Buddhist monastery in a Thai forest and lived there for 17 years. He was about to become the youngest CFO in Sweden when he heard a voice tell him it was time for a change.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6gp9XiVjTgZHO6mfHviSJK?si=9kp3yhs1SlKJEBFpB4KLLQ

I can’t remember how to rename the link… 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤣 but this will take you to the podcast!.

He’s written a book called “I May Be Wrong and other wisdoms from life as a forest monk”.

How many of us actually assume we are always right. How can everyone else in the world be wrong but we are always right. Maybe sometimes we are the ones that are wrong? I may be wrong….. 🙄😬😆

It’s honestly well worth a listen and I’m tempted to buy the book.

Sadly… spoiler alert… Björn has since passed away. Fearne interviewed him in December and he had been diagnosed ALS and he knew this was likely to aired after he died. A wonderful legacy to leave.

Another busy day in Tartan HQ AND we had a weeeeeeee baby come to visit!!

He was such a wee cutie and his mum is doing great and lost all her baby tummy already. It was lovely to get some cuddles at work.

So not much else to report today. The crochet hookers have been in discussion as to whether to cancel tonight or not. It’s been really wild again today and yet again this seems worse than the named storms.

There’s snow forecast from now until 7pm tomorrow night. I’m excited for it but have a feeling it might not come to anything.

Watch this space!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Now what are the chances of me being able to stay up until 22.22 today just so I can say I saw it….. slim methinks. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤣

I had the best sleep last night….. was out for the count. All that sea air obviously did me the power of good.

I feel so much better today. Calm and back in control. I say that and my mind say “ahhhhh but for how long….?!?” Jeez I’m cruel to myself.

So there’s not much to say about today really. Work was busy and went really fast. I had loads to catch up on after my day off yesterday.

It’s 4.25pm and I’m sitting in a small cinema. How random. It turns out there’s a cinema in my work’s industrial estate… who knew?!?

We’re here to watch a screening of our Tartan Campervans being used in a tv show pilot.

So while we have technical difficulties… I may as well write about the curling.

I should say the show is about 3 groups of people answering clues and driving around Scotland (in our Tartan campers!) to find numbers that will build up co-ordinates to buried treasure. It was really good!

Do… back to the curling…..

Wow. It was so very good. Not gonna lie, in true Rambling Sloth fashion I was very nervous when we started and convinced I was gonna be a disaster and look daft in front of everyone. I decided I would make an excellent curling team photographer… that was the way to go.

We practised in small groups. It wasn’t easy.

There was so much to remember and in a specific order.

My anxious brain has a meltdown at times like that and throws its arms up in the air and walks off in a huff.

I tried to stay calm and concentrate without the million reasons why I would be rubbish at it.

We lost the team game as the guy at the opposite end of the photo from me is an absolute pro… he knows his stuff. How unlucky were we do go against him?!?

Here’s the group shot Fit Body Farm Olympic curling team for maybe 2042….

It was fascinating to watch how quickly we learned and became better with each practise shot. Everyone was in the same boat except for the two guys who were exceptional at it.

By the end we were all wishing for longer on the ice. It was lots of fun. Another step out of my comfort zone but one I’d really like to try again.

Great fun with great people, making more memories and surely that’s all that life’s about these days.

Guess who’s feeling better?!

Stay safe everyone 🥌🥌🥌

Dinner was exceptional last night. We ate in Ee-usk in Oban which is right on the sea front in this red roofed building.

It was raining but the time we headed round but Oban was beautiful in the dark with the tide right in.

I had scallops in mornay sauce to start. They were so good.

How funny is the pic Craig took of mum and I?!!? I have a halo! The reflection of one of the lights….. 😇🤣

I hade seafood salad for mains and it was really lovely too.

Then the piéce de resistance… the dessert sharing platter. Wow! Out of this world.

It was pouring when we left. The service was quite slow between starter and mains but it made for a lovely relaxing meal.

Craig, mum and dad walking in front of me. The illuminated McCaigs Tower on the hill.

Love this photo of mum and dad!

We went back to the hotel bar for a nightcap.

Woke at 1.35am as the room was blasting 25C….. I was sweating like a beast not to put it lightly. Thermostat ramped back down to 18C and wake again after 7. We had a lie in and watched some of last nights ladies curling at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Huge well done to the Scottish girls who won, their playing was exceptional. We were looking for pointers but notice they don’t use the stabilisers….. how would that work?!?

Just remembered I haven’t got round to my Curling blog yet so will share that maybe tomorrow when I have nothing else to talk about. 🥌🤣♥️

We met Mum and Dad in Reception at 10 and headed round to the Corryvreckan pub at the harbour.

This was the view from breakfast.

We had a lovely cooked breakfast. The Corryvreckan is a Wetherspoons and can be a hit or a miss as to whether it’s quiet enough or heaving. It was quiet this morning at 10am.

We decided to head off after breakfast and drive down via Glencoe which adds on half an hour to our journey and takes us north to head south.

We hoped to see lots of snow but the rain has melted most of it. It was still a dramatic drive.

We parked in a different car part to try and get a different view of the mountains. This was an amazing spot.

We could see the cloud coming in and the heavens opened as we headed down to the car. So lucky to get that gap in the weather!

We’ve had a lovely weekend. The weather has been wild but has been on our side when we needed it. We saw blue sky!! Was lovely to make more memories too.

Scotland is such a beautiful country we are very lucky to be able to explore it.

Home and dog walk in the rain!

I’m very grateful for my Monday holiday! Woo hoo!!

Wishing you all a great week. Remember… we got this!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Should start by saying I’ll do a curling blog in a day or so. It was such good fun and we had a great night. Didn’t get to bed until midnight!

Up bright eyed and bushy tailed (not entirely…) at 7am with a huge list to be achieved before we left for Oban. I had the huge list obviously…. 😉🤦🏻‍♀️🤣

We managed to leave at 9.30am. I’d done a washing and hung it up, cleaned the bathroom, did a garden poo pick, stripped the bed, wrapped mum’s pressies, had a shower and packed my bag!

Anyway…. What a beautiful, beautiful day. The skies are blue and the sun is shining AND there is snow!!

Should say all of these are taken from a moving car while Craig is driving. 🥳

These next few photos are taken on the iconic drive up the side of Loch Lomond. Not for the faint of heart. We sat for a good few minutes as two coaches negotiated their way past each other.

We then head left at Crianlarich but could be forgiven for thinking we’re in the Alps.

Then the road goes straight ahead for Glencoe and Fort William but we take the A85 to Oban.

As we pass through Dalmally we start to come out of the snow. It’s still a beautiful day. There’s even a warmth in the sun at times.

Then we head up the side of Loch Etive and spot the Connel Bridge. Beautiful white mountains in the distance.

The Falls of Lora are best seen at high spring tides and I think we were lucky to see a fast flow today. 66 million cubic metres of water try to squeeze through this gap with every ebb and flow tide creating the “falls”.

I love this next photo. The visible swell of the sea. L

Five miles up the road we arrive in Oban just after 12. We made good time despite the stops!

We met mum and dad at the hotel and did birthday pressies!

Dad has bought Mum a spa day and said she may want to take a “friend”…. It’s Bowfield Hotel near our house!! Love it!!

We then went straight out for a wander as the weather is due to change later on. It’s so still and calm. It’s so lovely not to have wind and rain.

We went to the Oban Chocolate Company for hot chocolate and cake. I took this next photo from the window sitting drinking hot chocolate.

The inside of the shop is lovely. They have chocolate everywhere!

I had a white hot chocolate. It was so decadent but tasted amazing. There are no photos of the hot chocolates as the Oban Chocolate Company are having to work as a takeaway so everything’s in takeaway cups. You are welcome to enjoy your takeaway at one of their seating areas before you leave. Interesting way to get around no longer having toilet facilities!

When then took a walk along the front towards Dunollie.

This is the reason I love Oban so much. There’s always something else to look at… something to watch. There are so many islands visible from the town and so many more beyond. It seems a transient town where people are always on the move, going or coming back from somewhere. It offers the promise of places to explore. I love that.

Then we walked in towards Dunollie Castle.

Then the light started to change… but so atmospheric.

Time for some family pics. Mum, Dad and Craig obviously!

Then with me!

We walked back in towards Oban and found a path behind the houses that takes you right along to the Corran Halls. None of us knew it was there but what a lovely path, through Dunollie woods, out of the cold wind, secluded by the large rocks that Oban is built on.

A warning of things to come maybe?

Mum and I headed for a wander round the shops while Dad and Craig went to sample the local pint. The heavens opened shortly afterwards!!

We were so lucky to get the weather we did today. We came back to the hotel for a drink and are now having forty winks before dinner!!

So I now have half an hour to wash my hair and get ready for dinner…. The joys of having so many lovely photos to look through.

Hope you all have a lovely Saturday night, I’m so grateful for Monday off work!

Stay safe everyone ☀️☀️☀️

Ok so it’s 5.45am and I’m sitting in the car park at the Fit Body Farm. it was snowing when I looked out the window. As expected.

I panicked, threw my stuff together, bet I’ve forgotten something and left.

The photos don’t do it justice.

It seemed a lot at the time but really does look like nothing!

It was really heavy and coming sideways! I hate driving in the snow. I have the fear… the dark is bad enough these day but dark and snow….. 😱😱😱

Dad and I had an accident in the snow when I was at Uni. He picked me up one night when the snow was bad as the buses were off and an artic lorry ran in to the back of us on the Edinburgh City Bypass. Now, we were very lucky as it wasn’t that bad a crash but the car was a right off as we were shunted into the car in front. My dad was invincible and if that could happen to him then what chance do I have when I’m driving… you know the way my mind works by now!!

It was like driving Star Trek style. I had to turn main beam off so I could see in the warp speed snow.

By the time I got to Dunlop the snow gradually turned to sleet and by the time I got to the Farm there was virtually nothing and I was 15 minutes early as a result!

There’s an actual tractor parked at the entrance to the Farm today. It will run their back up generator in case the power goes off.

We worked super hard this morning. We partnered up and after each 4 minute exercise we shared we had to do a 4 minute run together. We ran in the sleety snow. It’s crazy but as hard as it was, I loved it. The girls are so good at keeping me going. This was the sleet when I left….

The poor wee snowdrops feeling awfy sorry for themselves!

The drive to work was through sleet tracks but it was fine and big Abbie didn’t skid once.

Work was great, very busy, I got loads done and it went really fast. Its funny it felt like the last day before a holiday and yet I only work 4 days a week so I always get a 3 day weekend…. It just felt different.

It’s lovely to have Monday off to look forward to, I definitely did the right thing working today.

So yeah, it’s my lovely Mum’s birthday today and her and Dad are already up in Oban. They stayed in Killin last night and drove over in the snow this morning. How beautiful is this?!?

Sounds like she’s had a lovely day with lots of messages from people. We’ll head up in the morning to join her and we’ve a lovely dinner booked for tomorrow night. 🌊 🦞 🦀 🦐 🍤 🐟

But tonight….. we have Curling with the Fit Body Farm. We are heading to Greenacres Curling Club which is actually 3 miles from our house and only takes 6 minutes to get there. Soooo close!

Lots of our neighbours are curlers…. Is that a word? I will find out tonight, maybe the correct phrase is to say lots of our neighbours curl….. as a result. 🥌

I’m really looking forward to it. It turns out my Grandpa used to curl 🥌 who knew?!? So I’m hoping it might be my “thang” as they say. Watch this I’ll fall flat on the ice in the first few minutes!

Gran and Grandpa did always have 2 old curling stones on their front door step. I was always fascinated with them as a kid but never realised the significance until Mum told me that last week. 🥌🥌

But right now I’m having a wee lie down on the couch. Craig has been amazing today and despite feeling rotten, has cleaned the house. The fire and candles are burning and it’s super toasty for a wee nap I reckon.

Bhruic is showing me how it’s done…

Unfortunately then Calaidh and Freya came through from the bedroom for cuddles and didn’t let me sleep but it was a lovely peaceful moment after a busy day.

I’m gonna put this out before we head out tonight as we won’t be home until 11pm so the curling pics can follow tomorrow.

Have weekend and…

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

I’ve decided to work tomorrow so I can take Monday off instead. It seemed like a really good idea at the time…. 😳😆

We’re away overnight Saturday and it will be nice not to feel pressured to rush home on Sunday for work on Monday. Will give me a day to chill once we’re back.

If I’m at home tomorrow I’ll spend the day doing housework and it will be over before I know it… so Monday off sounds like a plan.

I had THE best nights sleep last night. Was out for the count all night and didn’t wake until just before the alarm. It’s such a great feeling. We kept the pups in the living room as they bark at the wind if it’s too loud. They were silent all night… bliss!

I had to go out during work today to pick up a van and drove passed a field of Heilan’ Coos (highland cows!). you can imagine my excitement. 🐮

If you zoom in you’ll see them in the field behind my wee cuddly coo!

I always feel so very proud to be Scottish when I see Scottish things…. I know that sounds daft but it’s true. I’m a very proud Scot. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

The sun was shining and the sky was blue. It was a lovely wee drive.

So I find myself tonight with nothing much to say. That doesn’t happen often.

I feel really tired. I had to make a healthy dinner and I could not be assed… ‘scuse the French. I’m actually watching Glasgow Rangers hammer Borussia Dortmund. Craig is feeling pretty rotten having caught my cold but believe me he had found his voice again tonight. 😳🤣

So Storm Dudley didn’t do anything much. It didn’t really deserve a name. There’s Storm Eunice coming in tomorrow now…. Bring on spring! I cannot wait to wear my flip flops again. 🩴🩴

So that’s all from me tonight. Busy few days coming.

We’re going Curling with the Fit Body Farm tomorrow night which I’m excited about. Can’t wait to try it!

Also really looking forward to going away and so grateful to my lovely in-laws for moving in to look after the fur-pack for the night!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Not gonna lie I was scared for a bit on the drive home tonight. The good news is that it’s light leaving the gym and heading into work and it’s light all the way home now. There were really strong gusts for about 10 minutes, with sideways rain, while I was talking to mum on the way home. Soon after there were blue skies and mild gusts of wind.

This as the forecast this morning.

It’s actually a lot better than it was… at the start of the week it was predicting 68 mph winds.

So I’m home, hatches are battened down, candles are on, fire’s lit and dinner is cooking….. dinner a la Craigie. He’s a good lad feeding me and it was very lovely!

So I had a much better day today. The pub looking mysterious at 5.20am.

The Fit Body Farm was great. I had my weigh in and have lost more weight (despite all the junk I’ve been eating these last few weeks) and so keeping on track.

Had a chance to have a chat about my nutrition too, which was good.

It was really busy this morning and we ended with a challenge on the machines. I love it when we’re in groups as it really helps spur me on. Check the moon when I got to the Farm, super bright.

Zoom in on this next pic and check the scary birds at work this morning… they obviously knew something was up.

I got through loads at work and the wind picked up all day. The portacabin was still on the ground when I left….

So here’s to a quiet night as the storm dies down.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

I’m gonna have to rename this The Rambling Forecast…. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤣 today is definitely the calm before the storm.

Storm Dudley is headed in our direction and hits at lunch tomorrow. I just double checked the forecast and now it’s hitting us at 3am. How quickly it all changes. We’re expecting winds of up to 68mph, which is nothing compared to Northern Scotland, but it’s windier than we’ve seen over the last few weeks of storms. Hold onto your roof tiles…. That’s a wee joke from us very old house owners. 🏡

It was beautiful last night when I went out with the dogs for their late night wee. The moon was so bright, the stars were visible and it was super cold. The moon was huge on the way to work this morning but I couldn’t stop for a photo.

Today has been 4 seasons in one day. Also in my head.

I went on to LinkedIn this morning for the first time in almost a year. I was looking for something but It wasn’t a great experience as my LinkedIn is still set up with newsfeed for my old job. A whole wooooooooosh of triggers and negative thoughts that it’s all still going on without me and I failed at it.

Now I do know… deep down somewhere, that is not true. I worked there for 12 years and was lucky enough to be promoted on a regular basis…. But it broke me.

It was like being showered by a hail of archer arrows…. Like loads of stabs… I felt pummelled by memories. Memories of who I was, what I did, friendships I had but also seeing all the new people that seem to work there that I will never know and it knocked me for 6.

For the first few hours of the day I was really unsettled. What did I give up? What have I done? What if… I should have…. what if….

It made me feel less than…. And yet I know that I am a million times happier now than I was then. It’s still just hard. It’s very much out of sight out of mind for me until today.

So moving on the day was really busy and I ended up having a great day. I am finally feeling better despite the odd hacking cough.

We got an email from the guy who runs the Fit Body Farm. He’s encouraged us to revisit the goals we set at the start of the year and to think about how where we want to be at the end of March. I had decided I wanted to lose a stone.

Wow. I needed to see that. It made me realise where that my head has gone since we’ve been sick. I feel a “threat” to my goals and I’ve jumped into the survival part of my brain. I feel frustration, anger and overwhelm at my eating just now. I am overwhelmed at the thought of food prep and cooking and so I just don’t want to do it… but in true “me” fashion, I’m annoyed at myself for it.

He encourages us to make a change and starting by MOVING instead of turning to food….

When I came home tonight I felt tired and sluggish but I didn’t give in to it. Instead I tidied out the inside of the Abbie the camper van and then did some housework. I’m really proud of it as I feel like I achieved something other than just lounging around. Simple things but a change from the last lazy, few weeks.

Craig cooked a lovely dinner and I really enjoyed it. Good healthy food.

And finally….. the thing I keep seeing all the time……

A good day with a lot of deep thinking. I’ve struggled to put this into words tonight so I hope some of it makes sense.

Tomorrow we could be blown away!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

A day with a ready made title 🤣 There’s not much else to talk about on a random cold Monday in February when you’re at your work all day!

The Fit Body Farm was tough today. I’m not back to full fitness yet and the laziness of the weekend never helps. My head wasn’t in it but I did it all and worked hard at it so was pretty chuffed with myself afterwards.

I managed to flood the shower again and had to try and get changed while balancing on one tiptoe. It’s a real art!

Work was super busy today. I’m still coughing and felt really fuzzy headed and couldn’t sometimes think straight. That’s nothing new but hey…. I still got loads done.

I focussed on the invoice clearing job that I love doing and got that to the best level it’s been since November. 3 invoices left to reconcile. Boom! 💥

It was also daylight driving to and from work!! Spring is on the way!

(Hard to believe that when we see another Storm front moving in this week! We’re off to Oban this weekend and there are gales and snow forecast!!! Funny how this blog seems to have turned into a weather forecast…)

I remember when Craig and I first met, he got me a huge cuddley toy that held a banner saying I love you this much. We always used to say I love you more than the bear… awwww remember those early loved up days when you can’t get enough of each other. 🥰

I saw this today…….

Made me laugh out loud when I sent it to him.

We’ve been through some pretty tough times, as I’m sure most married couples have over the years, but I can honestly say that despite all his faults, of course I have none… my blog, writers privilege…. I’m very lucky to have him by my side supporting me every step of the way.

I also still look at him across a crowded pub (to be fair, it’s the only place we go!) and smile because he is mine. I think that’s pretty special. ♥️

I also think that writing the blog has helped him understand me and it’s all about good communication. I was never very good at it and yet here I am now, writing everything down. It’s encouraged us to talk.

I came home a lovely wooden card in a bag with some very lovely words.

We’ve ordered a takeaway super early in the hope it gets here sometime tonight as you just never know…

So I guess my takeaway from today is that it’s very important to love yourself, communicate and have all the patience that you can. Love is patient, love is kind.

I think we’ve finally “got it all right” to quote Sara Bareillis. ♥️

Stay safe everyone ♥️🌹♥️

It has not stopped raining ALL day. It’s been a torrential downpour since we woke up.

Yesterday I embraced it and went out and seized the day. 💪🏼

Today I’ve avoided it like the plague!!

I came through to this first thing. Craig had lit the candles and fire.

A lovely way to start the day when it’s so dark and miserable outside.

I said the other day about Craig painting the kitchen and cupboards and we really weren’t sure about the colour. I felt really bad after all the work Craig put in. I tried so hard to like it but figured if I couldn’t put a photo in the blog then it meant I really didn’t like it 🤣 life according to blog content. 🤔😂

So we went to B&Q first thing and exchanged the one tin we hadn’t used and we were home before lunch.

I’ve been antsy today…. That weekend thing of not knowing what to do and feeling like I have to do so much in such a short space of time.

If I’m honest, I feel really lazy like I just want to do absolutely nothing.

I never really relax until I give myself permission to do what I actually want to do, rather than all things I feel I should be doing. I decided I really fancied painting some of the cupboards and, you know what, I’ve really enjoyed doing it.

I’ve had a lovely wee afternoon painting while the Gateside Inn next door has a band playing. I’ve been singing along. We hear a band quite clearly when they’re in the pub.

Craig took the dogs out for a walk and for the rest of the afternoon they’ve been playing out in the pouring rain. They don’t seem to notice.

Means I’m still lucky enough to be relishing in the odour of eau-de-wet-dog. 😷

So this is what the kitchen was… (excuse the mess!)

It was very minty! Much prefer Overtly Olive 🫒

There’s still loads more to paint. All the ground level cupboards need doing but that’s enough for today. I can maybe do some after work through the week but let’s not be too hasty to commit. 😆

I’m still feeling choked with the cold but COVID clear so all good.

Well it’s here again, your Sunday evening reminder that we really can take anything the universe throws at us this week.

Remember, above all, to be kind to everyone you meet. A simple smile can brighten someone’s day and make a bad day seem worthwhile.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

I love this time of year when the daylight starts to affect your day.

It was still sunny on the drive home…. So much so that I stopped in a lay-by to take a photo… of course I did…. You’re not surprised are you?!

It’s been a wild and crazy day weather wise again.

I drove to work in snow… no pics as I was a bit too terrified driving in it. To be fair it was gone about 5 miles from the house.

I laugh that I have All Terrain tyres but Im only comfortable driving with them on dry road terrain… 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤣 hardly what they are meant for.

At one point this afternoon the Tartan portacabin took a right shaking! The wind picked up and the heavens opened. I tried not to need the loo…. That’s your worst nightmare…. Going outside in that weather.

Work was fast today and it’s my Friday night already!! I’m looking forward to a rest this weekend. I’m tired this week. The cold hasn’t come to too much thankfully but it’s knocked the stuffing out me a bit. So lots of rest and relaxation this weekend I think. After the Fit Body Farm… of course…. 😬🤣

So when I got home tonight Claire phoned and was equally excited by evening daylight…. So we took the dogs for a walk.

I have to give Claire credit for some of these next photos. I had my freezing cold hands full.

Note here that Calaidh is covered in paint from the kitchen…… of course she is.

Claire took this next one of Geilsland House. There’s a plain crossing the sky and it was lit up orange in the setting sun.

It’s freezing outside but it feels like the season is changing. Spring is coming. The snowdrops are everywhere. The daffodils are starting to push through. 🌼

I might try and get to the beach this weekend. That sounds like a plan.

So happy Thursday night! it’s nearly the weekend!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Crazy weather again today. One minute the sun is out and the next it’s full on hail showers or torrential rain.

I’m definitely getting the cold. My headache is totally gone but I’ve a sore throat, sore ears and runny nose with the occasional chesty cough. Happy days.

I took a Lemsip to the Fit Body Farm this morning. Drank it before the class started. Warmed me right up! That’s the first run I’ve done and actually I managed it fine. The class was great. It was dry when we did the warm up and the next time I looked outside it was monsoon conditions!

Daylight when I left… it’s lovely to see daylight again at that time in the morning.

My diet is pretty poor just now. I bought lots of healthy salad this week and instead have bought filled rolls at work. It’s not the end of the world but I just need a treat. Something that’s not lettuce, tomato and cucumber just now.

I love that…. I am most definitely under construction. ♥️🧡

So work was busy and went fast again today. When I left it was pouring and sunny at the same time.

So eery…. the light was blinding at times on the drive home and the rain was torrential.

So I came home to find that Craig had painted the kitchen! Now it’s been in a dreadful state as our kitchen is between the coal fire and the wood burning stove and obviously has the oven and hob so the walls really don’t stand a chance.

There are 3 stages to this job… first to paint the walls and ceiling, then to paint the actual cupboards themselves and then to sand down the work surfaces and oil them.

So the ceiling and walls are done ✅ He did warn me that the kitchen was a riot… indeed it is!

Unfortunately it’s highlighted that the leak we had sorted back in 2016, is still really bad and the old chimney in the kitchen is crumbling due to the water ingress. It’s high enough up that wee tiny me can’t really see it… but it’s really bad.

I knew there was something wrong when I took sugar out of the cupboard recently and it felt damp. I ried to ignore it!

We live in a 250 + year old house and have had to turn a blind eye to some of the leaks as we can’t afford to fix them all….. this one is reminding us that we can’t really ignore them for too long as they are only going to get worse.

So no pics of the riot just yet but suffice to say the walls are a beautiful colour and so much brighter than the colour they had faded to. Well done that man as my Gran would say!

I’m meeting the Crochet Hookers tonight so we’ll be back to making poppies again for remembrance. Looking forward to a good giggle again tonight. I might manage 5 of them in time for November. 😂😂😂

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

I’ve had a headache since Sunday night. It’s never gone away. I was drinking plenty water… tablets didn’t touch it. At 5.50pm tonight it just went away…..

Of course I was at Kinesiology and Shelagh put her healing hands on my head to help me balance and it was gone within minutes. Honestly Kinesiology is addictive.

I’m so much more in tune with energies now that I know when something is out of balance and I need some work done to fix it.

I didn’t sleep that well last night, my headache was keeping me awake… my head was full of noise. My throat was sore.

There were a few tears of frustration at work today.

To manage my anxiety I have been determined to try and stay in control. That means that all my ducks need to be in a perfect row…. The planets need to be aligned….. and anything the interrupts my idea of perfection, which is pretty much absolutely everything, is a huge stress to me. My inner anxious person throws her hands up in the air and you’d think the world was ending. 🤷🏻‍♀️😤

No one else is bothered. Only me. I should have done better, should have remembered to do that, should have, should have…. What if…. What if… 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ it’s no wonder my head hurts.

I then get upset at my upset at the situation. When will I ever be able not to stress and worry about the day I never saw.

So kinesiology tonight was all about my fear of the future and control… surprise, surprise. 😬

I’ve mentioned my fear of the future before. I’m trying the big 5…0 this year and I’m terrified that life is passing me by. I see so many things telling me that life is short and I must live it to the full.

On the other hand I know I should be truly grateful to have made it to this age when so many others have not.

There are still so many places I want to visit. I want to travel and write about it while taking beautiful pictures. (I may blow up my iCloud storage if that were actually the case!!)

So we worked tonight to take the stress out of those feelings. Mine is not to reason what my future holds, merely to believe that whatever it is will be right for me. The present moment is contributing to any future I will have. To be grateful for the present is the best way to attract a grateful future.

Then onto control…. I believe that I need to be in full control of everything in order to remain calm. This control means I can’t have any excitement in my life as excitement can be synonymous with anxiety… that’s s big word…. Not even sure I used it in the right context. I’m sticking with it though. 😂

I’m looking forward to seeing how this pans out over the next few days as it’s always lovely to see the changes that this energy work brings. I know how off the wall this all sounds. But trust me, it’s the best.

The calm after anxiety is always such a welcome relief. It’s only 8.30pm and I’m watching Pride and Prejudice on Netflix. That’s not usually my cup of tea but I’m enjoying the fanciful nature of it.

I want to watch The Handmaid’s Tale on Plex but Craig’s laptop needs to be working for that and I don’t know the password. He’s at work. Plex is hard work in our house. Or that might be me that’s hard work. 😬🤣

Yes that is more likely. 😂

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Wow….. it’s still as wild as yesterday. I know I harp on about it but this must be worse than the storms with names…. Yet no name given?! 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤣🤣

We drove down to Ayr today and back up the coast. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the sea so stormy.

How beautiful though?!

What you can’t see is that it’s so windy I couldn’t keep my woolly hat on! The wind was determined to blow it off my head. Also the sand is blasting at you.

So in other news our big girl, Calaidh, turns 7 today!

It seems like no time at all that she was a puppy.

She had no idea when we moved here that she would be joined by another 2 crazy puppers! To be fair… neither did we. Oh how life has changed. 🐶🐶🐶🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 that’s exactly how many paws we have wandering round our house at any one time. No wonder it’s never clean!

I got some new flowers yesterday from my brother and sis-in-law. They are lovely.

The one’s mum and dad sent me are still going strong minus the tulips 🌷 🌷

And the tulips from the Crochet Hookers.

Beautiful! 🌷🌺🌷🌸🌷🌺🌷🌸🌷🌺🌷🌸🌷

Well that was the weekend.. seems a quick one but can’t complain after a week of lolling about from the bed to the couch. It feels so good to feel better again. Back to the Farm in the morning. Bet that’s a killer. The 5am start will certainly be…. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤣.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

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 ♥️♥️♥️