Wasn’t sure what to talk about today as I am tired. Awfy tired. Then I saw this.

So I’m not gonna turn this into a moan. I will get a very early night and catch up on my sleep.

Fit Body Farm was hard work this morning. After the weekend away I felt really sleepy but it soon woke me up. Once you get out of bed you are committed!

We did lots of upper body work this morning. It was really mild and we ended up sweating buckets 🥵 all good and felt great after it!

I had a shower at the gym and the water was freezing!!! Couldn’t wash my hair as there was no way on earth I was putting my head under that shower! 🥶

I headed off to work with dirty hair and thankfully no one noticed. Maybe they did and were just too polite to say. I finished about 1.30 and headed to the supermarket for a quick dither about shop and bought nothing of any use!

You’ll be pleased to know that I totally failed in my attempt to cancel Hello Fresh and another 3 meal arrived so we will not starve this week. I just need to take a week off work to prepare the meals…… 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️😬😆

This week we have:

• Warm Mediterranean Style Pasta Salad with choirzo, roasted veg and feta
• Beef Koftas with Couscous, Harrisa Yoghurt and tomato salad 🥗
• Chicken and mushroom crumble with basmati rice

Watch this space……

It’s been another lovely day today. Really hot. The van got up to 38C inside between work and the supermarket! It’s a shame my AC button does sweet FA 😬😆

I decided today was going to be a nap day. I needed some extra rest to get rid of some grumpiness. Instead I spoke to mum on the phone, spent some time with wee Rachel from next door, had an early dinner with Craig and then a cuppa with Claire.

She’d asked me to go for a walk but I couldn’t today…. we managed to talk solidly for two hours!!! Love that there’s always so much to catch up on. I’m sure I moaned way too much.

Everything in the garden has bloomed in the weekend we’ve been away. All it takes is some heat and a wee bit of torrential rain!

We have so many weeds just now and I have no inclination to de-weed. Craig told the dogs today that it needed doing so I’m hoping they’ll pick it up. 😆

Pup tums all back in working order thankfully….

So to be grateful, a beautiful day with catch up with lovely people and a bit of work and shopping thrown in. The end. 😬😆

Stay safe everyone 😬😬😬

We had a lovely sunset again last night. Our friend Golf had to leave last night as she’s working today but Steve is still here. I learned last night that although Golf is her Thai nickname, her friends have been shortening her real name to Chamia which is think is lovely. That said it’s very hard to change someone’s name in your head when you’ve called her Golf for years!

We had another lovely sunset last night totally different colours fromFriday night. This one was pinks and purples.

So apparently it rained really heavily overnight and I never heard a thing. I was totally out for the count…. which is hardly surprising given the rotten sleeps I’ve had in the last few nights.

Craig got up with the dogs and thankfully that wasn’t too early but I couldn’t even wake up through that. Love it.

It seems poop gate is partially resolved!

The pond has filled back up after all that rain. It’s another beautiful day but more windy today. Hoody on hoody off. One of those kinds of days.

So the car show started at 11am but there have been cars and bikes arriving since last night!

The highlight for a non petrol head was the Heilan Brew Coffee Co! I got an oat latte!

It’s 1pm and we really need to get moving but it’s scorching hot again. The pups are having a wee lie down in the shade.

So we left after 2pm and made it back to get Calaidh by 5.30pm. She had a great time and Gran and Grampas and was very excited to see us. We had an amazing drive down, pure blue skies with wispy clouds all the way. it’s such a beautiful day and it’s lovely to see Scotland like that. It’s not every day we get a chance.

We’ve had the best weekend. Amazing weather, the most stunning sunsets and great company. Highly recommend the campsite!

The guy who owns it always sorts the sun too. 😬😆

Hope you all had a great weekend and this is your Sunday evening reminder that we can all face whatever is in store in the week ahead!

Stay safe everyone ☀️☀️☀️

We had the most amazing sunset last night. It was breathtaking. The sky was purple and orange for a while but by about 10.10pm the sunset really came good!!

Didn’t get to bed until after midnight and the boys were up till after 3am. They had a great night catching up.

At 6.23am I got a cry from Bhruic to be let out. In the days before “pup poop gate” we didn’t respond to a cry, but since our trip to Loch Ness I am very wary of the dogs needing out. Lo and behold poop fest is on again. It was Bhru that cried to get out but Freya that had the dodgy tum. Bhru held on until 7.24am then asked out again and it was her turn. they’ve been at it on and off all morning. Needless to say I do not feel as fresh as a daisy today!

It is scorching today. We are camping and it is glorious! After all the weekends of rain this is so so lovely. We are so lucky!

Craig said it felt amazing. Cold but really refreshing. There are tadpoles in this pond. I didn’t bring anything to swim in so I will be staying firmly on dry land.

I feel so calm and relaxed sitting here. There are birds twittering and bees and insects buzzing and that is it. I’m away across the pond from the campsite.

My head feels calm in the silence. This is the life. I sat here for hours. I had sunscreen on but forgot my legs…. wee bit burnt.

We’ve had the loveliest day. Just chilling and relaxing, I’ve done a bit of crochet too.

The heavens opened just before 6pm and the rain was stotting down for about half an hour. There were loads of people putting tents up at the same time. We’re fully sheltered and Golf is cooking burgers for dinner!

A lovely day spent with lovely people in the sunshine. And a whole lot of pups!

Stay safe everyone 🏕🏕🏕

I’m feeling so much better today. Thankfully.

I had a dreadful sleep again. The dogs were grumbling and barking even before it got dark again last night.

We randomly have pigs at the back of the garden and when I let the dogs outside it was just getting dark and the pigs were making some amount of noise. They must have heard them.

So I did manage to stomp about the bedroom and wake Craig this time which always helps! No point in suffering in silence!

It was another team challenge this morning with lots of running. But it was brilliant!! As usual. Really woke me up and got me going.

So we were heading away today to Barns Highland campsite in Nairn.

Calaidh has gone to stay with her Gran.

My copilot was not as good at photos as I would have been so there aren’t many of our trip. We left the house just after 10 and got to mum in laws in time for a late breakfast and the first hug for ages!! set off up north by 11.30.

I have no idea where these pics are taken except they somewhere on the road from Perth to Nairn!

Barns Highland campsite is opened by a guy Ewan that we know from our membership in Overland Bound. It’s a farm on the outskirts of Nairn and the campsite is brand new and stunning!

The view from our pitch!

We’re meeting up with Steve and Golf this weekend as Steve is heading away for 6 months with work and we’ve not seen them since Hogmanay 2020.

The have an Isuzu DMAX with a pup breather hole in the back!

Golf and I went to take Bahia and Loki into the field for a run around as they’d just arrived. They have extendable leads. I held onto Bahia…. until Bahia had other ideas. Got to the end of his lead extension at such a rate of knots that he pulled me flying off my feet and I mean flying!!! Thankfully on grass and with no cameras around. Golf was more worried about me lying spread eagled on the grass but I was so worried Bahia would run off! I kept shouting her to get the dog and I’d see to myself.

I’m now not sure which body aches are attributed to the killer gym session and which are doing to flying through the air and landing smack on my face and knees…. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️😬😆

More photos tomorrow, I can’t believe it’s after 9 and we’ve only just finished dinner AND I am still awake!!!

Lovely to meet up with good friends and get hugs and to chat. Sure we’ll be up a good while yet!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

I didn’t have the best sleep last nights I felt like everything was amplified in my head and even cars driving past the house sounded like they were in the bedroom.

Now don’t get me wrong I was still asleep most of the night so I’m not complaining. I just felt a bit more alert, or switched on than I should have been.

The dogs were making strange noises when they first went upstairs. They have a wee mini door into the loft that may have been banging in the wind. Bhruic was moaning and quietly woo woo woo-ing which is her trying not to bark but grumbling at something.

I went up to them twice as they are in the room above us in the eaves. The second time I just brought them downstairs, let them outside and then left them in the living room. Never heard a peep the rest of the night. Job done ✅

Don’t know what that was all about but Craig was out for the count and never heard any of it. I was wired to the moon 🤦🏻‍♀️😬😆

Was super tired getting up this morning. Really drugged feeling and sleepy but was fine after my shower.

The drive to work was a bit more noisy than usual as the springs are “boinging” a bit….. who knew that was a word. There’s a noise like flint scraping about to ignite 😆😬

I’d made a smoothie before I left. Sat down at my desk to drink it. Sooooo there was kale, banana, coconut milk and blueberries. The kale was left over from last nights dinner….

The kale has been cooked on a baking tray with olive oil and salt….. take my advice and NEVER PUT THAT IN A SMOOTHIE!!!!!! ❌

Oh my actual god it was actually disgusting….. truly minging!

I then read an email. Now I’m not gonna write about my day to day work stuff but you know I love my job. Nothing prepared me for the reaction that came this morning.

I read an email and my anxiety hit the roof. The worst it’s been in a long time. Proper anxiety attack and it was only because I didn’t think I knew the answer.

That simple.

So I start talking to myself…. bringing myself back down to earth. Reply to the email and job done. ✅

Then meet a colleague and started to explain my reaction.

And yeah… this is hard for me to write but the tears just streamed down my face. I have no idea where they came from, I had no indication of this being a bad day, the email wasn’t that bad, my reaction was totally overboard.

Something today or this week has triggered me for some reason and I can’t put my finger on it at all.

All I can say is that everyone at work was super lovely and supportive.

I am embarrassed. I just never wanted to be that person again. The one who cries. Again.

So I’m pretty disappointed in myself and the tears have been brewing all day.

I know I can justify everything. New job, new product to learn, new processes.

New gym and fitness regime. New cooking Hello Fresh that takes bloody hours 😆

It’s the tears that upset me. After all this time I still can’t control them.

I was gonna speak to the doctor about reducing my meds and it’s almost like my body wags it’s finger at me and says yeah not right now me darling, don’t think you’re ready for that yet.

Hey ho.

That reminds me I actually ended last nights blog with watch me rise. There’s just a slight delay on that while I fumble about at this level obviously.

So I was lucky I had the Tapping group this afternoon where we discussed breathlessness. I always have shallow breathing when I’m anxious. By the end of the hour I’m really relaxed and breathe my more deeply. Of course I know that a nap is coming.

I did a Suzanne Robichaud meditation for deep healing. That was at 3.45pm and I woke up at 6.09pm. 😆 The phone was ringing quietly in my headphones.

It took me ages to wake up but the upshot was I got a hot and sour soup as Claire was getting a takeaway!! What a win! Took me bloody ages to figure out what Claire was talking about as I’d been in such a deep sleep!!

So tomorrow is a new day. I need to pick myself back up and forgive myself for the tears.

As I write that I just need to do it. Sometime. Soon.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Of course I decided today was going to be the hottest day of the year so far and wore my shorts to work. There’s a wee chill in the air this morning that we’ve not had for a few days. To be fair I have wet hair from the gym but I’m freezing!

There’s been such a lovely warmth to the sun we’re all dressing like Spanish summer and forgetting we live in Scotland. It could snow later?!

I put the heater on and stopped shivering by about 9am.

We had a team challenge today and Craig and I are members of Team Courage and our team colours are yellow. So I decided to be team mustard this morning which still distinguished me from the others. 💛🌭 (that’s mustard on a hot dog…. that was me by the end of the session!)

So one team had to burn 75 calories on the Assualt Bikes while the other team tries to score as many basketball baskets as possible in that time. The challenge is to burn up the calories on the machine to stop the other team scoring basket points. You then swap around. The next challenge is to burn 50 calories on the Ski-Erg machine while the other team score baskets.

Now burning calories sounds like a scoosh but honestly it took 5 of us about 5 minutes to complete those take. I’ll need to remember that next time I want to shove a 107 calorie Kit Kat in my mouth!!

We did really well coming second with 86 basket points scored.

I left the session telling the Coach that I was gonna be in the shower, remember I’m in the shower…. don’t lock me in!

I’m now making up for all that hard work by sitting in the sun writing this. It’s proper hot. There’s a stiff breeze today but even that has turned warm and is now just blowing the hot air around! It’s so lovely and us Scots just have to be outside when the weather’s good, we see it so rarely.

I make a lovely Greek salad for lunch when I got home. I used Turkey mince this time instead of lamb mince. It was lovely. Craig will be the first to say I came home incredibly hangrey…. moaned the face off him until I ate, then sat in silence munching away! Then he had to go back out to work.

I don’t suppose any of us really bare this in mind every day but it’s worth reflecting on. I was desperately unhappy in my old job. To the point it made me so ill but I had no idea that I was in control and I was doing that to myself. Ok I wasn’t doing it but I was allowing it. I let it take over everything, it was the be all and end all and the only thing that mattered was that I did my job well.

I felt like everything and everyone stood in my way.

Now that I’ve stepped out of that rat race I realise how much more rich life can be. As I jumped in and out of my portacabin today wearing my denim shorts and Tartan Campers T-shirt I realised that this was the kind of job I’d needed all along. It doesn’t feel like a job and I never thought I would be able to say that.

Of course I realise I have the luxury of still only being part time which definitely helps.

Oh and before I forget the Yellow Meatballs were amazing last night…. technically the meatballs are not yellow (🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🙄😬) but in a yellow curry sauce 💛😬😆 It tasted soooo good. really impressed with Hello Fresh so far. I took about 40 minutes to cook, which is longer than I would like and I messed up the rice (how is that even possible?!?) but it was a winner!

A few pics from the garden….

Im meeting Claire for a cuppa at 5 and I have crochet at 7 so I’m going to sit back and chill for a bit. Watch the clouds go by…..

Stay safe everyone ☀️☀️☀️

Can’t believe I forgot to tell you this yesterday. I’m so used to the van being broken that it passed the blog by yesterday.

So the good news is that she passed her MOT.

The end. 😬

I wish….. while reversing off the ramp she just stopped driving. They couldn’t shift her.

Today she’s having a new drive shaft fitted.

I still need the turbo gasket replacing but the parts aren’t due until Thursday so I’ll book that in for next week. Happy days.

I’m not totally stressed out about all this as it is a 12 year old van with nearly 100k miles on the clock so I guess these things happen and at least I’ll know it’s all new. Can’t wait to find out how much this lot costs. NOT!

It meant a reorganisation to the morning as Craig had to drive me to work. So he had to miss the gym, then just before we left I realised Morrison’s were coming with the food shopping between 8 and 9 and Craig wouldn’t be back. We had to leave a note and a box for the Morrison’s guy to ask him to leave the food.

He actually called me to let me know it was all safe and packed behind the front door. The Morrison’s guy that is! He did want to alert us to the fact that there was some frozen stuff. Really nice of him. Above and beyond I reckoned.

Even the drive to work was an adventure. The roads near Tartan Campers are closed just now so we had to find an alternative route and ended up over yonder hill and down dale. It was worth the trek!

I can now blend into the gang and not look like the newbie anymore.

Sadly they are black which is like red rag to a bull in my dog hair covered life but hey….

It’s another beautiful day. Hot. Our wee portacabin was like a furnace but I’m in and out all the time so it’s fine. The yard is all sandy and dusty so I feel like I’m working abroad.

I know……. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🙄😬😆😂😂😂

Craig had to come and pick me up again and we found another equally convoluted route to get home.

I did a bit of tidying, carefully hung up the black T-shirt’s currently without dog hair… then had some lunch and sat in the sun listening to Fit Body Farm video clips. I must confess to a wee nap after the second one.

My neighbour is out working in his garden and today has a Beatles playlist on rotation. Now….. I must admit… I am not a fan of the Beatles….. sorry…. but it’s actually lovely sun worshipping weather. I’m dancing about in my seat to Penny Lane as I write this.

Now shaking it baby. I may be a convert.

A mere £380 for Abbie the campervan and booked in for next Thursday and Friday to get he turbo gasket seal fixed. It’s fine to drive until then.

I stood looking at this with a quizzical face going oh yeah, oh dear that’s not good, uh huh needed replacing….. haven’t spotted the fault yet 😬😆🤷🏻‍♀️😂🤣

So I’m making Yellow Meatballs for dinner tonight courtesy of Hello Fresh. Will see how that goes. Sounds interesting.

We’re up and at ‘em for another Fut Body Farm challenge in the morning. I have to wear something yellow. Nope, I have nothing….. ah but it’s ok I can paint my face yellow instead. 😳 childless house here. I am way more likely to have a yellow T-shirt than yellow face paints 🙄😆🤣

Maybe I should take a yellow meatball? 🤦🏻‍♀️😆

Stay safe everyone ☀️☀️☀️

If you’re going to do an obstacle course for the first time in your life at 48 then why not do it at 6am…. that way it’s over by 7am.

Just get out of bed… drive there (or be chauffeur driven by hubby…. highly recommended) then do it. Not time to over analyse, worry… just do it.

We also did a log carry, bucket carry, tyre path, balancing beam, feed bag drag and many more.

There was a lot that I didn’t have the upper body fitness to manage but I’m sure that will come through time. The challenge here is to see if you can improve the next time. I still did way more than I have ever done in my life!!!

The cows were fascinated!! So was I to be honest….. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️😆

Straight into the shower as I was soaked and muddy. Then out with the dogs before it gets too hot. I say that and it’s roasting…. I didn’t let them off the lead so they didn’t run too much.

So I finally got to catch up with my Auntie Jac today for the first time since December. I had NOTHING in the house so we went to the co-op to pick up lunch and have sat in the garden putting the world to rights.

It’s a beautiful day. We just sat sunning ourselves. It reminded us of being on holiday in Turkey a few years back!

It’s been lovely just to sit about and do nothing and we never even took any damn photos!!!

Also popped into Claire’s garden for a juice rather than shouting across the fence at each other!

I’ve had a delivery of Hello Fresh meals tonight as I got a voucher for a free week of meals from them. Be very interested to see what they are like. See if this helps me get the cooking bug but having all the ingredients in a bag ready to prepare. We have:

• Roast potato, bacon and crispy kale salad
• Thyme roast chicken
• Thai style yellow beef meatball curry

I’ve had a lovely chilled out day and a great weekend. Be ready for an early night tonight after all this fresh air.

Hope you all enjoyed the sunshine.

Stay safe everyone ☀️☀️☀️

I feel better today. The sun is shining and it’s scorchio! We didn’t get woken up by poop dogs so they will be back onto their regular diet from today I think. That was some week.

I had a good sleep, fresh bed was lovely! I woke up at 7 and snoozed till 8 which is still early but I didn’t get up like a total grouch.

We headed out sharp today to get to Decathlon. I needed a new sleeping bag as the one I’d bought for our Loch Ness trip has ripped already and needs sending back.

It really is roasting hot. This is the first day of real heat we have had in 2021… it’s pretty late for Scotland as we usually get some hot sun in April or the rest of May but hey… better late than never.

I got a new sleeping bag, some sports socks and a T-shirt. Managed to step away from the wet suit type stuff…. don’t want to be this size forever so will concentrate on the Fir Body Farm before I think of any water sports.

On the way home we hit a huge queue for traffic lights that are set up for a damaged manhole cover… we turned off the road at Howwood and had the loveliest drive through the single track roads in the countryside.

Now this reminds me of a funny moment last night…. there was a lovely sunset.

We decided to head up to the local dams to watch the sunset a snow 10 minutes later we saw nothing…. it had just disappeared 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️😆 we had a good giggle about it!

I have finished the pub’s stock of Gordon’s 0% today. Had a lovely afternoon in the wee garden. Got sun cream on but reckon we might be a bit burnt.

It’s been a glorious day. Absolutely stunning. Scorchio!

Stay safe everyone ☀️☀️☀️

It’s 8.54am and I’m starting this early. My head doesn’t feel right and I need to talk it through.

I am tired but I can’t rest. I am antsy. I need to find another word for antsy…. restless maybe? Actually that’s it.

We had our first uninterrupted sleep last night since Sunday night. The pups slept right through with no toilet outings. I had a good sleep but I was very hot through the night. I got up once for paracetamol as my legs were sore and jumpy. That helped.

We woke at 7am and I knew I needed to stay in bed but I couldn’t “waste the day”. That old chestnut again.

I have the bedding in the washing machine already. We need a new washing machine. The bearings have gone in this one and it sounds like a 747 taking off most of the cycle. The spin is almost unbearable. I feel I am waiting until it breaks. Note to self just get it measured up and get a new one on order. Will write a list.

I have a list already. I will add to it. I get it out. Do just that and have at least 5 things that can come off my list already done. ✅ why do we beat ourselves up for the things not done and not celebrate the things that are?!?

None of this stuff is really important and certainly no reason to spoil a day off.

My head feels a bit lighter already just as the washing machine switched into take off mode. 😳

I’m just back in a walk with the dogs and read this back. It makes me laugh. Honestly my head is a nightmare at times but thankfully now it is empty.

It’s actually lovely outside today. The bedding is drying already. Will get the blankets on soon. May as well use the old washing machines as I won’t want to wash dog blankets in a new machine.

I feel like I have washed everything in the house today. I’m on my fifth load!! It’s not sunny but it’s warm so everything’s drying quickly. You know you’re getting older when you love a good drying day! 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️😆

I’ve spent the afternoon working on Village Hall paperwork too. Getting the spreadsheets up to date. I’ve been calm and relaxed all day but I find this irritating when I try to focus on the accounts. Got it to a point and I’ll leave it now until another day with a fresh head. I’m not thinking clearly anymore. My focus isn’t there.

Claire rescued me with a quick cuppa in her garden.

I’ve felt a bit aimless all day. I think fighting tiredness is not always the best way but I just couldn’t stay in bed this morning. It gives me an irritability which is mostly aimed at myself for feeling anything other than great.

Hard task master eh?!?

How true is this. When will I stop fighting this idea of perfection that I have built up for myself?

A day at home with nothing to do has got to be most folks’ idea of perfection eh?

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

4.10am the barking woke me…. it was Calaidh who needed out this time. Craig was up with them even earlier than that. They are brighter than they were but still not 100% yet.

We’re going to have to reverse engineer our immediate response to barks once they are better. We are jumping up at their command just now and that’s not happening once they are better. 😳😬

Of course I couldn’t get back to sleep as I started thinking about work o the first morning of my 4 day weekend…. 🤦🏻‍♀️ so by the 5am alarm I was ready for action.

The Fit Body Farm was hard today. Friday is always a kind of challenge day but this one had a 500m run in between each station…. with no breaks….. 🥵 so by 7am I had run 2k, pushed a heavy sled with 100kg weights on it across the gym 4 times. Pulled it across the room 4 times, travelled 500m on a SkiErg machine and attempted 40m of burpees with squat jumps.

I say attempted…. the burpees were my last station. After 20m I took a dizzy spell and had to lie on the Astro while the head coach held my legs in the air. 😬 I then tried to take a drink and poured water over my face and don’t the front of me, almost choking as it seemed to go up my nose. Classy.

My poor partner had to do 20m in a row without a break until I was ready to get back up. I just did squat jumps for the remaining 20m. They were bad enough. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤣

The girl I was partnered with was so good as she’s a higher level of fitness, so she really helped spur me on in the runs.

Lots of mention of runs this week. 🤭😆 sorry. 🤪

So it did feel amazing to do it all. I was home by 7.30am and Craig was just getting up. Check our role reversal. He’s still exhausted after the COVID jag. He’s back to work today which is good but it floored him.

So I had my wee next door neighbour for dog walk this morning. She has Leo and I took Calaidh.

Now we’re walking home and all of a sudden we hear a herd of calves behind us….. they are following us 😳

Honestly it was fascinating, they followed us all the way. Calaidh didn’t like it. 😬

So I snuck up on the housework this morning too and it’s so lovely to be clean and tidy again. All the camping stuff is ready to go back in the van. Dog hair has been eradicated for another 5 minutes or so.

Just after 12 I hit a wall. I had to go to bed. If I didn’t then I knew that I was gonna be a total grump for the rest of the day. I woke up when Craig phoned at 3.30pm. Must have got a couple of hours. Musta needed it!!

I dragged myself out of bed and went for a shower. Then when Craig came home we went into the village pub for a few. The alcohol free Gordon’s Gin is really lovely and I’m not a huge gin fan but it’s lovely. It’s warm enough to sit out but there’s no sun. When will get our summer?!?

The pups are on with their chicken and rice diet again tonight and we are having a lovely prawn salad with parsnip fries tonight.

Check me.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

I woke up at 6.20am and did a full body scan to see how I felt. Hmmmm…. All seemed good….. apart from a very sore muscle at the top of my arm. Found out as Craig grabbed it to stop me getting out of bed. #screamed!! It’s only sore when you lift above shoulder level. Found that out in the shower. Didn’t wash my hair…. 😬😱

Poor Craig’s been in bed shivering all day. He has no energy at all.

I have to mention my neighbour Jamie who reads the blog. He got Pfizer jag yesterday and sat texting his wife afterwards only to be picked up off the floor as he found he’d passed out. 😳 just shows that the vaccines affect people in different ways.

I felt awful leaving yesterday so can totally understand the passing out bit. Our body gets thrown out of balance accepting the foreign substance pumping through it.

So a busy day at work today as usual. Didn’t get away until 2.39pm not that I’m counting! Still I have Friday and Monday off so shouldn’t really complain. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️😬😳😁

A 2 day working week followed by a four day weekend. Bring it on!

By the time I got home I was really tired. And antsy. Irritated. Short fuse. Overwhelmed by stuff lying around the house and the list of things to do.

Typing this up really makes me relax. It’s ridiculous to be worked up over stuff like that!

So I am going shopping to Braehead with Claire!! Be rude not to!

We had a lovely wander around the shops, a bit of Primark and a lovely baked potato in Spud-u-like. The centre was really quiet, maybe because it was sunny outside?! Seemed really sad to see it so quiet.

I’ve been at a Village Hall office bearers meeting for the last hour and a half. Trying to get the hall up and running and arranging committee meetings for future.

Sorry it’s a rushed one today and it’s late…. there’s not been enough hours in my day.

Alarm is set for 5am. Yee hah!!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

It’s the biggest village exodus since before COVID-19… a trip to Ardrossan Civic Centre for the 40+ year olds for our COVID vaccination. I’ll come back to that.

First things first…. the pup-date….. the poor dogs have been on a 24 hour fast. They seem much brighter now we are home. Craig only got up once last night with Bhruic and there had been an accident when I went to get them this morning.

I have to say their Auntie Claire has been amazing….. she has been in to see them every hour or so today to let them out. She sent me a wee vid through the day which brought a wee tear to my eye. A very special person who offers to help with pup poop drama!!!! 😬🥰

The alarm went off at 5am and I honestly could have cried. I jumped out of bed. That’s the hard part.

I had my 3 week weigh in at 5.45am. The good news is that I have lost 5lbs but I have also lost a total of 4.6% body fat which is the equivalent of 11lbs of fat loss. 6lbs of that has turned to muscle.

I am very quick to say I haven’t planned my meals properly, haven’t drunk enough water and haven’t tracked my food properly.

Gavin the owner and head coach from Fit Body Farm says that no-one has ever lost that much in 3 weeks. Now he could just be saying that… but he did say he had to weigh me twice just to make sure it was actually right. 😁 I am kinda awfy chuffed.

I had to race back home for a shower to get ready to head to Ardrossan Civic Centre for my 9.05am.

We arrived at 8.55 and couldn’t get parked…. I tried not to panic but I did a tiny wee bit. Got parked outside straight away. No need to worry.

We stood about outside for a few minutes and got invited to go in. It turns out that the appointment time is only to stagger arrival. So they were quiet in front of us and we got to go in early. We even got to go together all the way through which was lovely.

Now we almost had a pic of my vaccination but there was a photographer malfunction. It wisnae me 😬😁

So I found the actual jag very sore. To be fair is done lots of shoulder work at the gym so the muscle was pretty tight before they jabbed it with a needle!

We got outside and met Rachel and Barry from two doors down and a Kenny from next door! Small world!

I felt pretty strange for the half hour or so after it. My arm was really heavy. It felt hot and cold. I felt shaky and a bit dizzy.

By the time I got to work and got on with the day I felt fine. I couldn’t lift the kettle with my left arm but hey I’ll take that if that’s it.

So I’ve been on the phone chatting since I got home from work. I spoke to my wee 80 year old friend for 55minutes.

I made Spag Bol for dinner which annoys Craig as its only the Bol part I’ve made. There is no Spag 🙄😬😁

I’m at crochet now and have typed this while chatting. I ran out of day….. I haven’t crocheted as that would be multitasking to another level.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Bless…. look how tired they are?!? Freya has slept since about 6pm last night and Bhruic was up twice before 12.30am, again at 1.45 and sometime after 3 and then again at 5.10am and again after 7. No wonder she’s tired. Calaidh was only up once through the night, Freya not at all.

We don’t have kids so this is alien to me yet I found myself getting into a wee routine. Still no accidents in the van or tent so they are wee troupers.

It’s been raining all day today, really did not stop so the tent is packed away but full of puddles! The forecast is great for the coming weekend so we’ll get it all dried out.

Called the vet today and they are too busy to see us today. Reckon they would only need to see Bhruic as she is the most listless and the least active. We’ve not to feed them for the next 24 hours and then chicken and rice after that.

Still no idea what caused it but only think they’ve eaten something they shouldn’t have but it’s strange that they all have. Either that or there was some bacteria in the Loch that they’ve picked up while playing in the water.

Craig and I are fine if only a wee teensy wee bit tired!!

We had a lovely chat with the owners of he campsite before we left. She is from Beith. Small world.

Just outside of Fort William and Calaidh lets out the loudest howl/cry ever. 😳😳😳😳😳😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱

Foot to the floor, talking to Calaidh, telling her not long till we stop, she kept crying we kept talking to her…. it felt like forever.

Stopped at the viewpoint at Loch Linhe which was the first place we could stop, screech to a halt, jump out and grab her and get her on her lead and get her onto the grass. Little sh*t…. pardon on the pun… just wants a wee sniff around in the grass….. barely managed a scenting style pee the whole time we stopped. The other two were very glad of the stop and did exactly what we expected her ladyship to do.

I also took some lovely pics.

We carried on down through Ballachulish and into Glencoe and I snapped pics out the window as Craig drove. The pups slept.

We stopped for lunch at the Food Stop in Tyndrum then headed down the A82 passed Loch Lomond. All was quiet in the back….

So we’re home, we’re shattered after two sleepless nights but other than that we had the best time.

Now that we’re back the pups are bounding about the back garden with not a care in the world.

Maybe they just don’t like camping?!?

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Well we are very lucky to have had 2 and a half lovely days as sometime last night the heavens opened and they have not yet closed…. the forecast……..

So weather aside…. the poor puppers are all unwell today. They all have dodgy tummies and have had since about 10pm, 11.30pm, 12.35am, 2.23am…… ok so I’m making these times up but it really was on and off all night. At first we thought it was only Bhruic, then thought actually it was Calaidh and soon realised it was all 3 of them. God love them that none of them did anything in the van or tent. You have to be grateful for something!!!

So the rain falleth and the pups poopeth. Let’s leave that particular subject there though is is the focus of the whole day….. so far.

We ordered breakfast from the Bistro at the side of reception. We had a roll and Cockburn’s Haggis. Donald the owner said that they get it from a butcher in Dingwall. Highly recommended.

We came back up to watch a movie.

About 12.30 we thought we should try taking them out for a gentle walk.

It….. was….. torrential…. rain but very fresh and beautiful.

It’s 13.43 and it has stopped raining…….

It started again at 13.54.

So I’ve had a productive afternoon and ordered our food shop for delivery tomorrow night and tried to write a food plan. I don’t find that easy or enjoyable but I’ve done it.

The sun came out at 16.10 and went back in again at 16.13…. it was a moment of excitement!

I’ve crocheted too. I counted 97 squares completed for my 144 square blanket and I must have done another 6 while we’ve been away. Slowly but surely!

Took the dogs for another walk… it’s still raining.

So yeah today hasn’t been the easiest in the life of the happy camper but still lovely to be away. We’re damp, soggy and pooped (I grinned from ear to ear at that!!) but we’re still happy!

Stay safe everyone 💩💩💩 (sorry!)

Must start with last nights dog walk. Loch Ness looked so tranquil.

I should say at this point that there was an English lady on the phone to her grandchild at the same time. She has a very loud voice and it’s carrying all over the water. Other than that it was beautiful 🤩

There wasn’t a breath of air and the River Foyers like a mirror.

Well we had a great sleep…. must be all that holiday fresh air! We woke at 7 and Craig let the dogs out. Bhruic has a very dodgy tum but I’ll steer clear of that story. 😬😳 well that was the story to be fair….

I read for a wee bit and went back to sleep and woke up at 10.15am. That’s nearly a 12 hour sleep.

Musta needed it! 🤭

So a very leisurely start to the morning.

We decided to head out for a walk in the opposite direction from the way we have been walking.

Turns out my Craigs step dad used to work here!!! Very small world!

It’s been another lovely day just relaxing and exploring. It’s been dry all day but rain is forecast. Hope it stays away but we are cosy in the van. It makes such a difference having the van. A lovely wee home from home!

I am still calm, I am very relaxed, I am creating no drama. Check me. 😬🤗

Stay safe everyone 🏕🚐🌲

Morning!!!

The wind has stopped. The rain is nothing… just a few spots blowing in the wind.

We had a great sleep. Well I did. We were warm and cosy. The bed was comfy. The heard of elephants trampling over me in the night was the only minor irritation. 😤

I may try the pop top bed tonight. Move upstairs aware from the pitter patter of monster paws. 😬

Craig reminded me that we have 3 dogs and there is no getting away from that. They are in a strange place and excited to be with us. He makes a very good point. I try to see that. 😳

I am even calm about dog hairs and mucky paw prints as I know it can easily be cleaned. For those of you who know me you will understand how huge this is…… I mean….. check me?!?!

So morning dog walk at 7am which is a long lie for us now.

When we got back I did an early morning photo shoot with the pups in their new Dog Robes. I picked them up in Largs last week.

All of these photos and it’s barely 9am. 🤦🏻‍♀️

So we’ve had a lovely lazy day around the van. It’s drizzled occasionally, it’s been hot and sunny and it’s been windy and cold. Everyone around the campsite has been the same as us, jumpers on off, outside on seats, inside while it rains. I’ve been freezing and roasting on and off all day. That’s Scotland for you!

We did have a slight drama early afternoon….. we had a feeling something was up as a few of the campsite staff have driven past and stared at our set up….

The owner chapped on the window of the van and said we have to move 😳 we have set up over 2 pitches….. 😳 we have to move.

Really…. so hi mr campsite man, our neighbour Jim says hello. Neighbour Jim is an Area Manager. We suddenly do not have to move. 🙄 I actually feel pretty bad about the whole thing as I was not happy he wanted us to unpack everything and turn around. The 5m pitch is from the wee road to the Loch with the side of the van facing the Loch, not front facing the Loch 😬😳 now he said we should stay I feel we should have moved. Women eh?!!!?

So thank you to neighbour Jim we can stay put.

We had a lazy day….I’ve been crocheting while listening to motivational videos from Fit Body Farm. Craig watched the Scottish Cup Final on is iPad so I went for a shower.

We had fish fajitas for early dinner and then went for an early evening walk.

A lovely day…. 💚💙💚

Stay safe everyone 💙💚💙

I can’t help myself… I have so many lovely photos I need to at least share them.

At 6.20am I was throwing a 20kg cement bar over alternate shoulders…. and pulling myself up from the ground by a huge rope and back down using only my arms…. as you do. The Fit Body Farm excelled itself today.

I came home and took the dogs out while Craig had his shower and he started packing the van while I had my shower. See what I did there?!?

He can’t ask me where anything is…. I do not know…. 🤣😁

Just in time for our holiday.

We left the house twice.

We got to Johnstone the first time. Craigs mum sent a message about did we have enough blankets.

Nope. Well done her. Forgot them. Had to go home.

I’m just gonna post a few photos from the drive up here. It’s nearly 9pm and I think we might crash pretty soon after early morning cement ball throwing 🤣

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

How can I be so excited about holidays when I’ve only been working for about 6 weeks?!?

Ok so firstly it’s the first 6 weeks I’ve worked solidly since June 2019…… AND this will be the first holiday we’ve been on since September 2020, which doesn’t sound long, but given that we’ve not really been allowed to leave North Ayrshire since then, it’s a pretty big deal! AND it will be our first overnight stay in Abbie the camper van!

I had a long lie until 6.30am… it was actually bliss. Someone did have the alarm set for 4.45am (😳) but thankfully we went back to sleep.

So speaking of the office… I left at 3.30pm and our portacabin was green and being washed down…. I arrive in at 8am.

That’s what I love about working there. They want something done, they do it. no faffing, wasted time, huge discussions, just done.

Our newest rental van has just been wrapped and is in the picture too!

I left on the dot as you do when you are going on holiday…. I am back in on Wednesday…. I know I’m making more of this than needs to be. 😂

Hey I’m happy and it’s nice to feel excited about something for a change. These last few years have left me with a “meh” when it comes to excitement…. often wonder if the meds dumb my reactions a bit but it’s nice to feel some good emotions.

But this is the forecast 🥺

Have a feeling it may not look quite like the photo above when we get here….. also incredulous that snow is actually forecast at 7pm. It will be the 21st May?!?! ☃️❄️🌨🏔⛷🏂 (that is a spectacular word…. incredulous… but I am, I mean, come… on…)

It’s been such a beautiful week yet today is cold, wet and windy. We’ll be so grateful for Abbie and her diesel heater I think!

We used to camp in a roof top tent on top of a Jeep…..

We have a FB page called Overland and Borders that we set up a few years ago to document our travels with the dogs. We don’t use the FB page much just now as we haven’t been travelling anywhere, let alone with the dogs. This is where the logo comes from in our van.

We have to get back into that now we can get back out there. We have hoodies and caps too…. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️😬🤣 (we actually have our hoodies on in the Jeep photo!)

I’m rambling now but I’m trying to pad out a day that didn’t have a lot of content other than work and packing and still being in a good place…. Also my friend Laura wants this to last a bit longer so she can read and enjoy a whole cup of tea at the same time. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤣

Wow…. it feels like this written just for me at this moment. ♥️

Just sums it up for me and long may it continue.

So Fit Body Farm at 6am tomorrow, home, shower, pack Abbie and Overland and Borders are back on the road again!! Finally.

I know of two people who have very sadly died today. These people were both taken too soon and after very quick but dreadful illnesses. It’s made me realise even more that we should live our lives as if each day is our last. We don’t know what’s in store for us and Craig and I have to stop wasting time and get on with it and put my anxiety and depression “wilderness” years behind us.

I think it’s finally safe to say that 2021 will be our year. ♥️♥️

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

PS if there are no rambles in the coming days it either means we have signal issues or I am so relaxed that I don’t even have the energy to blog!

After a year and two months of COVID-19, my vaccination is scheduled for Wednesday at 9.15 and funnily enough Craig’s is at 9.10am. Keeping it in the family! 💉🦠

I’m impressed with all the information they give out along with four bus journey tickets that you would present to the driver if you were travelling by bus 🚌.

Thankfully we will drive but have to take two cars so that we can get to work afterwards. It’s in Ardrossan so not exactly nearby. I am not complaining…. any excuse to go to the seaside suits me, as you know!!

I’ll be walking about the vaccination centre taking photos for the blog…. will I get away with that I wonder?!? 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️😬😆

I was awake at 4.27am this morning all bright and breezy! Didn’t feel as bright once I got in the van and suddenly realised I was going to exercise. I was totally blinded by the early morning sun as I drove out the village. What a fright I got. I had to slam on the breaks as I couldn’t see anything. 😳😱

This was the view at the Fit Body Farm. Quite possibly the best gym in the world?!?

It was a hard session this morning. Running with a 20kg sandbag was the delightful highlight for me 🤪 as usual I went for my shower…. came out at 7.25 to find I was in the process of being locked in behind the shutter doors!!!! Thankfully managed to catch him just before he locked the door. So you know that’s gonna happen one day!

Work was crazy again today. So busy but lots of fun. I stayed until 3.30pm today.

It’s the first time in a wee while that I have felt shattered. I got home at 4pm with the intention of having a nap but there were more parcels to be looked at! 😁😆

A long long time ago…. cue for a song…. I started following a Fb page for a shop called the Isle of Sweets – Wool and Craft Centre. Someone had posted asking if anyone would be interested in receiving a free craft box. I messaged to say yes please… this was back on 6th January and I forgot all about it.

It should be said that all this time I’m thinking they are based in the Outer Hebrides…. I don’t know why…. I just do. They are based in the Isle of Wight. Just a bit of a difference. I found that out when I ordered wool from them recently. 😆

So back to the craft box. There was an overwhelming response, no wonder…. I got a message at the end of March to say sorry that they’d not been able to send any more out.

It’s a beautiful gift. So very thoughtful 💕

I must find a way to pay this forward. The lovely lady wanted to brighten people’s lives at a difficult time.

So please check out Isle of Sweets Wool and Craft Centre using this link!

As I write this the Wispa is calling my name…. 😂😂😂

So that leads on nicely to the next great bit of news….. tonight sees the return of the Gateside Hookers!!! My lovely crochet buddies and I will be back in the Gateside Inn. Chatting WAY more than crocheting….

Having a lovely evening and a great giggle so far.

Life is great spending time with great friends. And wool 🤣🤣 and an alcohol free Gordon’s gin!

Stay safe everyone 🧶🧶🧶