Tag: food

Day 1141 the best catch up with a lovely friend in Beith, Loch Lomond & Loch Sloy Dam walk

I am exhausted!

I have not stopped talking since 18.44 on 22nd May 2023ā€¦ precisely. My friend Helen has come to visit from Exmouth. We knew each other when we were teenagers!

We talked until about 23.10 which is WAY after my bedtime!! Sadly there was a MURDER (read with very Scottish accent!) during the evening, as Calaidh broke into Helenā€™s room, sniffed out a cuddly toy Highland Cow for Helenā€™s grandson Arthurā€¦. And the cow is toast ā€¦. How bad did I feel?!?!

Then the Scottish Dog Behaviouristā€™s alarm went off at 5.30amā€¦. šŸ˜³ and I finally fell back to sleep and then Helen actually woke me up at 7.45amā€¦. On my day off?!?

You know I am joking about all that. I must have zonked back out due to the 4 hours sleep night before. šŸ˜†

We started talking again at 7.45am and Iā€™m only silent now because Helen is on the phone home!

I am having a really lovely time.

Helen thinks I have to lie in the blog and say Iā€™m loving it when Iā€™m not really. Told her to shut up. šŸ¤¦šŸ»ā€ā™€ļøšŸ˜‚

So letā€™s be clear… Anyone coming to stay will cause me stress. Cleaning, disruption to the routine, the lack of control will generate an anxiety or nervousness of the situation.

We havenā€™t spent any time together since we were 17 or 18 and we have totally picked up from where we left off. I donā€™t have to try, donā€™t have to think what to say next, donā€™t have to make any effort. I can just rabbit away and talk the hind legs off a donkey and just be me. šŸ’œšŸ’œ thatā€™s pretty special.

So itinerary for todayā€¦.

  • The little gift shop
  • Tianna Falls
  • Auchengree Tea Room and Highland Cows
  • Inveruglas -The Den tearoom
  • Walk to Loch Sloy Dam
  • Walk back from Loch Sloy Dam šŸ˜‚
  • Wander round Luss
  • Dinner in the The Village Rest, Luss
  • Finally feet up in the house!

Hereā€™s a quick run of photos as itā€™s 9.30 already!

The coleslaw matches Helen!

My new T-shirtā€¦ a gift from Helen!

A really lovely day. Now bed!!

Stay safe everyone ā™„ļøā™„ļøā™„ļø

Day 1130 Reykjavik CafĆ© Rƶst, Omnom Chocolate shop and The Sky Lagoon!

Oh wow we have had an amazing day. A day that dreams are made of.

As we sat over dinner in the Sky Lagoon, we remarked how this holiday is the kind of thing that happens to other people.

It really has been out of this world. I would kill for another one day but hey, itā€™s not to be and we are home tomorrow morning. šŸ‡®šŸ‡øāœˆļøšŸ“󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁓ó æ

As Iā€™ve done the past few days, Iā€™ll post a few photos and then this will be a total write up in itself over the next few days or weeks.

We had an actual lie in this morning. I did wake at 5.30 but finally fell back asleep and didnā€™t wake until 8.30am.

There is so much of Iceland still to see but we have run out of time. We could have spent the day visiting the famous Golden Circle but neither of us had that length of drive left in us. We realised that yesterdayā€™s trip was the equivalent of taking a day trip up to Ullapool and back home in one day, with stops along the way! It was a huge drive!!

So we decided to have another reccy in ReykjavĆ­k this morning and managed another 17k steps. (It doesnā€™t get any easier to spell regardless of how many times I type it!!!)

Our favourite Reykjavik eaterie where breakfast cost us Ā£55. šŸ˜† it was exquisite so you really canā€™t get too bent out of shape!

Sage and Maple latteā€¦.

Serrano ham and cheese platter for me and Craig had a smoked lamb sandwich. I mean the food really is as amazing as it looks.

Craig found a doggy in his favourite chocolate shop, Omnom.

So by this time we are stuffed. I should say I managed almost a 23 hour fast as I didnā€™t eat after our huge lunch yesterday as I was so full.

I actually love this next photo of me. Itā€™s not often I see pure joy in a photo of myself. This is it.

We were booked into the Sky Lagoon this afternoon for 3.30pm. I will tell you all about it when I have more time. We booked the date night package which gave us use of the geothermal heated lagoon and a 7 step spa programme.

It was OUT OF THIS WORLD. We both feel so lucky to have been able to do that today. Itā€™s definitely a day that we will never forget.

2 alcohol free beers as Craig was driving!

Followed by the Sky Platter for dinner. This plate was close to Ā£30! Againā€¦ just exquisite food and perfect amount.

I canā€™t find the words to say how amazing this holiday has been. Everything has gone just perfectly. No stress, no drama, no pressure. It doesnā€™t feel like we have only been away for 3 daysā€¦ weā€™ve done so much.

I havenā€™t even considered taking antidepressantsā€¦. Lots of food for thought when I get home.

I will miss these crisp, pure white bed sheets without dog hair. šŸ˜†

It will be good to get puppy cuddles though!

Stay safe everyone šŸ‡®šŸ‡øāœˆļøšŸ“󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁓ó æ

Day 958 first real day of holidays

It nice to have a day off work. To have no plans.

We slept through the Fit Body Farm this morning. Think weā€™re both exhausted after such a busy weekend.

I didnā€™t have much voice this morning when I woke up after shouting over the noise at the party and singing at the top of my lungs and way to much talkingā€¦. But do not fear because it came back, Craigie hasnā€™t had the luxury of a silent day. šŸ˜¬šŸ˜†

We took Abbie the Campervan back to the garage at 9am and walked back home from Glengarnock.

Itā€™s a lovely morning but bitter. Hat and gloves for this first time.

I have Freya, Iā€™ve just hidden her šŸ˜‚ itā€™s more a photo of Craigieā€™s ass šŸ˜‚ and me wearing his hat. šŸ˜‚

This next one would have been amazing except for the power lines.

Gloves were off by the time we got home but it was a cold walk.

I got vouchers for Gro Coffee in Irvine from my Auntie Marion. Strike while the iron is hot, we have spent them already!

We had a lovely wee lunch. Look how pretty the food was.

It was super tasty too! I also had my custom coconut milk latte and Craig had posh diet coke!

We did not have a cake. Check us. We still have a house full of cake and regardless of what you might think when you might want cakeā€¦ you CAN actually have toooooo much cake šŸŽ‚ šŸ˜‚

Forgot to share a really cool card I got from Kate and Jamie who live in the village. I love it!

So Iā€™ve actually handled all this turning 50 malarkey, quite well. Age is just a number but this doesnā€™t feel as easy as 40 did.

I have had the best time despite wishing we were in the Maldives for a fortnight. Weā€™ve seen so many lovely people and Iā€™ve made some very special memories of my 50th.

The HRT is going fine despite losing a patch and having to plaster one down. Craig is the key to a plaster sticking. Any Iā€™ve applied end up falling off.

Iā€™m off the progesterone just now as itā€™s 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off, but I have to go back on it on Wednesday night.

Iā€™m a bit nervous as it made me feel so low a few weeks back, but I need to take it.

ā€œIf oestrogen is the feed you use to grow a lawn, progesterone is the lawn mower that keeps the grass in checkā€. So my eloquent Doctor put it.

Iā€™ve spoken to so many people this weekend about menopause. There are 34+ symptoms that are now attributed to peri-menopause or menopause.

All of these can be helped by replacing the hormones that we lose at this time of life.

Itā€™s no less natural than taking insulin when you are diabetic or even for humans to drive in a car. It doesnā€™t matter what age you are. There are benefits from taking HRT that will help on later life. If youā€™re not sure, read up on it. You might be surprised.

In a stark reminder of my new age bracket, Iā€™ve just received my bowel cancer screening kit. Craigā€™s lucky I wonā€™t get him to help with this. šŸ˜†šŸ˜‚

Itā€™s not even 3pm and I have my feet up, Iā€™m listening to my birthday playlist on Spotify as I write this. I never got much chance to listen on Saturday.

I may have a nap.

Yet the garage phone just as I settled downā€¦. Abbie is still wobbling despite having the passenger side drive shaft fitted. They need her overnight. Theyā€™ll drive her up on the ramp tomorrowā€¦.. the saga continues.

We are just watching the last ever episode of The Walking Dead. The end of a blood thirsty, zombie era. Whoā€™d have thunk the blog would ever say those words?!?

I actually criedā€¦. Way more than I should have. Iā€™m just tired šŸ„± šŸ˜‚

Hope Monday was ok for you.

Stay safe everyone ā™„ļøā™„ļøā™„ļø