Day 1476 a funeral, the spider, the car, the housework and the lunch

I woke before 6am.

It was calm and sunny outside.

I mentioned recently that a guy I used to work with had died, well, this morning I watched his funeral. I love that I was able to do that when I couldn’t get time off work to be there.

I laughed and I cried but most of all I remember Des coming into my office and smiling and calling me Jules as he always did. Des was larger than life, everyone knew he was around when he walked in the office. He adored his daughters and granddaughter and showed me photos of them all the time. It was a lovely service for a lovely man.

We got up after 7am and had coffee outside. It was already clouding over.

We had to take Bertie Beetle down to the garage before 9am.

I got a towel for my shower and a MASSIVE spider crawled out!!! It was ENORMOUS. The capital letters don’t do it justice.

I SCREAMED at the top of my lungs and ran through the house.

It was GIGANTIC!!!

My Apple Watch chose that moment to vibrate and deliver a message.

I started jumping around trying to shake it off my wrist.

Comical upon reflection but honestly I’m still shivering and trying to shake it off.

Funny how those tiny creatures do that to us…. 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

We dropped the car off and walked the 3 dogs back up the road. It’s a good hour and 10 minute walk, too long a walk for Khaleesi on her sore legs.

How lovely is this wall that we passed? The tiny flowers are so pretty.

I did stop to think when we got here… I’m conscious I get bored with the same walks all the time but we really are so lucky to live here.

The smell of the wild garlic is everywhere.

When I got home I really angrily started on the housework. It really needs doing but I really don’t enjoy doing it.

I know….. who does, but sometimes I approach it from a place of enjoyment. Today it just felt like hard work.

There is dog hair EVERYWHERE…. I’m shouting a lot today with my capitals 🤦🏻‍♀️😂. I also get frustrated about things being out of the place and I feel like I’m moving stuff around the house. I’m aware it made me angry today and I stomped about the house like a spoiled child. I was in such a huff that I had to do it.

So….. I dragged Craig out to Mocha Jaks for lunch. He’s got the start of a cold so is currently passed out on the couch as I write this.

He had a chicken and bacon club toastie and I had veggie haggis with cheese and siracha.

I’d fasted for 18 hours and 45 minutes so I really enjoyed my meal.

I had an oat milk latte and a Biscoff Rocky Road.

We popped past our friend Euan and had a peppermint tea and a chat before Craig ran me to the garage…… my car was parked away in this wee corner!

Turns out it has a dry bush.

It now has a wet bush.

Good to know. 😂

More importantly, the wetting of the bush didn’t cost me anything 😂

On the way back, I went to the Co-op to get some food for the weekend…. We’re heading away tomorrow for an overnight in Tayvalich with Lindsay and Euan.

I had a bath to relax when I got home. It’s only 6.20pm now and I could quite easily sleep already!

Have the best weekend!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1371 ladies wot lunch in Edinburgh 🚆🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🌨️❄️

I’m on the train to Edinburgh again.

I love the train!! 🚆

We’re having a family ladies lunch today with Mum’s side so I’m meeting Mum, Auntie Marion, mum’s cousin Joyce (who is always called mum’s cousin Joyce!) and my sister in law, Gill.

I had another great sleep and woke up at 6am. It has snowed again over night. By the time I got up, the rain was pouring over the snow and creating black ice 🧊

I got a notification from the Trainline app to say that there was potential disruption on the route for today so I left early, to make sure I got there in time. Here comes the train!

The platform is super icy. They always say “please mind the gap when alighting from the train”… please mind the ice as you try to board the train would be more appropriate!

I don’t get any decent photos from the train as it’s raining and misty most of the way in.

Here’s Glasgow in the rain though.

Me with my hood up. My hair was nice and straight when I left the house… maybe not so much by the time I get to Edinburgh 😂

I got the train from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh and we were only held up for a bit outside Polmont station. They said there was a technical fault that they were currently fixing.

I met a lovely American family on the train on their first visit to Scotland. Their daughter is starting Glasgow Caledonian University. I of course became the tour guide on the train whether they wanted it if not. I was buzzing for them to see Edinburgh for the first time 😂

Joyce met me in Edinburgh Waverley. The Americans went off to find their Mary Queen of Scots tour…. Who knew that was a thing?!?

We were booked into The Botanist in Edinburgh.

It’s through the new St James’ Quarter.

What a beautiful place.

It’s so pretty inside. It’s such a lovely atmosphere. It’s in the centre of Edinburgh but it’s like sitting in the middle of a jungle.

It feels very natural.

The food was exceptional too. It’s a really good menu.

Joyce and I shared the Red Thai Prawn Kebab and the Grilled Halloumi Kebab.

We got one with coconut rice and one with chips.

It was so good honestly, super tasty, really good quality food. Only cost is £22.62 a head as well which I thought was really good.

Here’s the seabass.

And the sweet potato Katsu curry.

Even the oat milk DECAF! latte was really good.

I really loved it, I would go back in a heartbeat. It’s great to catch up with all the family ladies too and hear everyone’s news.

It’s been a lovely, cold day in Edinburgh.

I took a few shots before I headed back down into Waverley station.

I literally missed the Glasgow Queen Street train by two minutes. They wouldn’t let me through the barrier as the doors were just closing. Dammit…. 😂 I headed round for the Glasgow Central train which stops at hundreds of stations but gets me into Glasgow only 7 minutes later than the Queen St train so I figured it would do me just fine. I’m also seeing a hundred Scottish stations, most of which I didn’t even know existed!!! Who knew 😂

Still an hour of travelling to go but that is fine. It was a lovely day and yet another mini adventure and new experience!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Stay safe everyone ❄️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🚆

Day 1364 a lovely Friday off work

5am.

I repeat… 5am.

On my day off.

His alarm goes off at 5am.

Oops sorry baby…… reads for a bit and back to sleep. out for the count.

Me 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

I didn’t sleep great last night as my knee was uncomfortable when I turned but I was FAST ASLEEP at 5am. Course I was.

You’ll be pleased to know I finally did my knee physio exercises at 6.30am. My leg has no power at all and it shakes doing these simple exercises! That’s good though as it’s building strength.

I went for another run with Rachel two doors down. My legs are stiff, my knees are sore but it’s not excruciating. It’s not as sore as it can be in bed.

We ran for 1.58 miles and knocked a minute off our time from Sunday. I don’t notice it when we plod in line and chat.

We then took the dogs up the hill for a walk. I took Calaidh. It’s meant to be wall to wall sunshine this morning. Not so…..

I then went back down the hill and took Bhruic up….

Look at the stick she ended up playing with… dogs should never play with sticks but I caught this crazy photo of her throwing it up in the air. (Could have been very dangerous…. 🙊)

Then she jumped in a burn and came out with the muddiest nose!

I finally saw something that might resemble blue sky but it never came to anything.

So by 10am I had done a run, 2 dog walks, cleaned the bathroom and kitchen and fed the dogs!

I’m not sure where the rest of the day went 😂 (just remembered and will end with that!)

I cleared out my wardrobe and drawers again. I seem to do that a lot these days but it feels good. I had a shower and got ready and we went out for lunch to Auchengree farm shop near us. Check these cute goats they have running around!

They’re tiny!

I’d fasted for 19 hours and 22 minutes and I don’t think I made the best choice… I had chicken tempura and pulled pork loaded fries. I should have ordered the salad after all my healthy exercise! It sounds great but I just wanted to sleep afterward…. That remind me I was awake at 5am.

Guess where I had been sitting…. Right on the middle of the mob of dogs 😂

So yeah…. I am randomly heading off tomorrow, on a wee solo trip to Oban for the night. Literally booked this morning.

You might think it would be easier if I still had the van, but I am getting the train up leaving here at 7.10am tomorrow morning. In all the trips I’ve had to Oban I have never gone on the train and I can’t wait to see where it goes. I will see bits of Scotland I’ve never seen before. I am SO excited and I don’t have to drive, I can relax and be chauffeured!

I got a single room in a basic hotel for £39.60… only £9.60 more than I’d spend on a campsite and I get my own bathroom! It’s right on the sea front but I will most likely not have a sea view for that price.

So that’s me for the next few days. Craig’s working and watching football tomorrow afternoon so won’t even notice I’m gone 😂 he says it’s ok… he’ll watch the dogs. I said thank you 🙏🏼😂🙄

Have a great Friday night!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1320 birthday Boxing Day 😂

Is that even a thing?!

Just milking that birthday thing. When I was a kid I used to be so sad on the 18th November as that meant my birthday was over.

Not so now, obviously….. as “she who tries to line in the present moment” is fully aware that life is about the here and now and not focussed on the past or the future. Today is just as important as what happened yesterday.

So that all said, I’ve had another lovely day.

I slept like a log. I felt like I was asleep all night. I love a good sleep like that.

Calaidh didn’t want me to leave!

I was in the little gift shop this morning and then drove straight up the road and picked Claire up to go out for lunch to Mocha Jak’s.

I had a lovely halloumi and pesto salad. It’s been ages since I had salad.

And oopsie there may have been a chocolate milkshake…..

I never have a milkshake! I always have coffee but I’d had 3 coffees in the morning. it was really lovely.

Claire bought us cakes to take home and I seem to be strangling myself with my bag.

I have barely taken my hat off since I got it for my birthday!

On the way home we passed Craig in the pouring rain walking the dogs!! He got soaked.

I got this photo when they came home…. AFTER I cleaned the walls and the floor….

Posing in their dog robes!

I’ve had a lovely few days, we might be back to the decorating tomorrow as the weather is still meant for be bad. It’s POURED all day today.

Donna Ashworth hits the nail on the head again…. This is me….

This is also me….

So just because Donna Ashworth says it’s ok… I’ll leave you with some more photos from yesterday. 😬😘 and I wonder why I have stiff shoulders today 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

Hope you all have a great Saturday night. I’ve not been irritated ALL day…. It’s great. Sure Craig thinks so too!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1292 the calm after the storm and a catch up with a lovely friend! 🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏽‍♀️🥣🥣

I slept all night again. I’m so grateful again for the fantastic sleep. I wake up with relief that I slept all night.

Up early and out with Bhru and Calaidh before 8.30am.

Freya has developed a limp since our walk yesterday. Checked her paws and no sign of anything but it’s quite a prominent limp. She may see the love that Khaleesi gets because of her limp and wants some of that?! 😂😂 It’s a lot colder than it looked this morning… I didn’t quite wrap up warmly enough… but the wind has died right down.

The sun is trying so hard to come through.

Back home, shower and hair dry for the first time in way too many days!

Off down to the little gift shop to pick up a last minute retirement gift then off to meet Shelagh, my previous Health Kinesiology Practitioner, now my friend!

Shelagh has just announced her retirement!!

We had a lovely walk down by Kilbirnie Loch on the new Lochshore path. The clouds were trying hard to clear.

Sheladh spotted these birds on the fence posts. One looks like a bat!

Loved this wee fishing tent.

We went into the Lochshore cafe and had a lovely bowl of Yellow Split Pea soup.

It’s always lovely for me to spend time with Shelagh. She had a lovely energy about her. I’ll miss her kinesiology sessions and still remember my last one so clearly. She has a very special talent and I will never forget how much she helped my on my journey with mental health. I was so lucky to be given a link to her FB page in the very elderly days and her introduction video spoke directly to me. I knew I needed her help.

I attended Kinesiology sessions with her for 3 and a half years.

The end of an era but the continuation of a connection that we made at the time. Now it’s time for me to learn about her! 💕

I was home before 1pm and it’s now 5…. I kid you not…. I have been sleeping all afternoon. An hour on the couch… then up to bed. Not even reading, just sleeping.

Been out for the count. I don’t even feel like I have the cold anymore so the tiredness has surprised me. I’m so lucky that I was able to just sleep.

We’re now off for dinner with our friends Lindsay and Euan. We’re going to the Torranyard Tandoori. I’ve heard good things about this restaurant since we moved here 8 years ago. I forgot to say but it was our houseaversary (as Claire would say!) a few days ago so yeah be great to try the restaurant!

Lovely sky on the way there.

Fabulous company and fabulous food. lots of laughs with the guys as usual!!

I’m now resembling a beached whale!!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1277 jeez I have a LOT of dogs 🐶🐶🐶🐶😂

Back to reality, auld claes and porridge as my Grandad would say!

We finally got home about 3.30am I think, forgot to check exactly as all FOUR dogs were hiding in my newly painted living room, to surprise me!!!

First of all wow to the living room, huge well done to Craig for keeping that a secret while I was away. It’s still white but it’s too much of a feature room to have any other colour. It looks so fresh!!

One by one by one by one they came bounding out of the living room door and bombarded me with licks and cuddles!! Did I mention there were FOUR?!?!

They were SO excited!!! I had to fight my way through to get to Craig!

Also just noticed this morning how much the ivy has changed in the space of a week!

Also it’s a lot sunnier today than the day time I took a photo!

One day I will manage to take the same photo twice 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

So last night’s trip went really well. We sat out in the sun until 6pm…. It had actually started to get quite chilly which I suppose is a fitting end to a holiday.

I really struggle to leave somewhere when I know I will never be back there and it was so lovely! The pool looked so pretty.

The bus arrived a full half hour before it was due. We left bang on time! The drivers are foot to the floor the whole way. They seem to flash their headlights a lot to let a car in front of them know they intend to pass…. We drove sooooo fast, there were a good few hair raising moments and we were FIRST in the queue for the Jet2 flight for Glasgow. That never happens…. Well it just did but you know what I mean.

Security is pretty high in Turkey. You put all your bags through a scanner before you check in and hand your bag to the ground staff…. You are also body searched as everyone beeps through the scanner. Next is a queue for passport control. Once through that it’s Duty Free. Bodrum was the most expensive duty free I have ever seen….. Gayle was looking for Turkish delight for her daughter…. The only Turkish delight we saw was €49.60 for 4 boxes stuck together…. Special price?!?!?!?! Nearly £50 for 4 normal sized boxes of Turkish delight?!?!? Then I saw Toffifee for €5.50 a box, we can get that for £1 here!

The whiskies were astronomical. Nothing worth bringing home for Craig.

Gone are the days of cheap duty free. So I brought nothing back for anyone unfortunately.

We then went to the gate and I got bag & body searched again and swabbed for drugs never had that done before.

The plane comes in on perfect tie and we board in perfect time…. And the next news ever…. We have 3 seats to ourselves!!! Bliss.

We flew over Sofia in Bulgaria, Serbia, Budapest in Hungary. Vienna in Austria, Prague in Czech Republic, Germany, Amsterdam, over to Newcastle where we started our descent… then down over Lanark and up to Kirkintilloch before we landed in Glasgow. The pilot was very informative!!

He said the words “battling headwinds all the way”….😱 I never, ever need to know that. In all honestly, the flight was great, despite the space, I couldn’t get comfy AT ALL yet I’m certain I slept most of the way. We cannot fault Jet2 at all. The flights were bang on both legs.

Glasgow Airport had other ideas.

Upon landing, Jet2 text to warn of delays at baggage reclaim. There were several flights landing at once. We all merged into passport control at the same time. We had a fair queue there. Jet2 staff met us in baggage reclaim and apologised and kept us fully up to date. Can’t say they didn’t try to make up for it.

Gayle’s son Robbie, picked us up and took us straight home. He didn’t leave the house until we saw the first of the bags come through. It was perfect timing apart from the delay.

So yeah, back to the FOUR dogs… they were still here this morning too. 🐶🐶🐶🐶😂

I didn’t sleep in too late and I’ve been unpacking and cleaning all morning. I was on a roll.

We decided to head out to Gro Coffee in Irvine for a late lunch…. We took Khaleesi.

Look at the lovely autumnal display at the fireplace. So pretty.

We sat in the outdoor area which is filled in at the sides when the weather cools down, with lovely, warm heaters and blankets.

I had the breakfast taco and Craig had spicy buttermilk chicken pieces…. Turns out they were VERY spicy.

Khaleesi was great and was fascinated by 3 birds that were wandering around!

We may have brought some cakes home!!

I now feel tired…. And sick 😂 we never had anything like this sweet in Turkey. My gums are recoiling from my teeth after eating that 😂

So yeah, no more sunshine, plenty of grey sky and rain and a horrific forecast for tomorrow.

It’s always sad when a holiday is over but I have some amazing photos and some lovely memories of my trip with Gayle.

A quiet night in tonight before I crash out. I can feel my eyes drooping already.

And still a lot of dogs. 🐶🐶🐶🐶

Stay safe everyone 🐶🐶🐶🐶

Day 1207 a lovely Friday day off!

Another Friday off and another list of things ticked. I’m really enjoying super productive Fridays!!

I didn’t feel great when I woke up this morning…. Sore throat and headache. I got up to the loo and cooried back down into bed…. Thinking I could just lie there all day.

I knew I had loads to do and loads I really wanted to get done.

I got my running stuff on and took the dogs out for dog jog, first time since last weekend. I felt rotten to start, I had a shooting pain up my leg almost willing me not to jog. Yet I started to run and managed a fair bit of the way. I get so much better for it. I felt spurred on for the rest of the day!

I know that I’ve been feeling lethargic due to very little exercise. Despite fasting and breaking my fasts with lovely salads, I have eaten a fair bit of rubbish in between. It’s the first time in about 6 months that I’ve actually felt a bit bloated. Seems a tad unfair after a 19 hour and 45 minute fast today. 🤦🏻‍♀️😂😘 but hey it’s just a bloat day. If there is such a thing 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

So I have been like a wummin possessed today.

I have emptied Abbie the Campervan… seven huge bags full of stuff! Bet that wasn’t great for fuel economy?!

Also cleaned everything apart from washing the outside. I scrubbed, hoovered, dusted and polished and she’s probably cleaner than she’s ever been… and definitely emptier.

That took me until about lunchtime when I moved into the house and started hoovering, dusting and polishing inside.

I washed and dried all the blankets from the couches in the living room. It’s actually been a beautiful day today, unexpectedly.

I’m sitting outside in shorts writing this at 5pm. I’m shattered.

When Craig came home from work he brought in a parcel that arrived for him, started to unwrap it. I told him he’d better tell me how lovely the house looked pretty damn sharpish. 😂 it’s the first time we’ve seen the dining table this week since he unceremoniously dumped his wedding outfit on it last Saturday night!!! He said, of course he’d noticed…. Hmmm I’m not so sure!!

Check his wee face as he’s bought a new toy and didn’t tell me. “Hi julesie….” Big grin.

Anyway he took me out to The Canny Man for lunch which is just 5 minutes down the road. It was worth him feeling guilty to get me a late lunch out.

He had haggis balls in a peppercorn sauce to start.

With both had Salt and Chilli Chicken Burger for mains.

And I had a Caramel and Chocolate Sundae for dessert!

I enjoyed it despite my itchy nose!!

I am so tempted to go for a nap now but the sun feels lovely on my skin. What a beautiful day it turned out to be.

Oh well, what little peace I have is being interrupted…. Seems it might be puppy dinner time… feed me she says!!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1181 last day of holidays!!

I’ve honestly not done that much today. It’s 5.25pm and we’ve sold a desk that we had up for sale since we moved the house around, had Claire in for a quick cuppa and been out for lunch to the new The Canny Man in Lugton. Now that I write that, it seems like a lot. 😆🫶🏼

I obviously have a million things that I think I “should” be doing and don’t want to do any of them really. That old weekend chestnut. 😂

I seem to have found myself in Facebook jail again for some reason. I have NO idea what I’m doing wrong. I feel like it must have something to do with my new Just Jules Photography page as it seems too much of a coincidence. I start that page and I’ve been banned from FB twice in the last few weeks for breaking their “community standards”.

If you know me you’ll know I’m the least like ever to break any rule…. 🤷🏻‍♀️😂 the thing is they won’t tell me any more than that. If I could speak to someone and find out what they are not happy with then I would either stop doing it or stop it from happening. If you delve into it then you just wade into a massive list of general things that might be wrong and there’s not one that I think that applies to me.

It’s very hard for “she who breaks no rules” to be told she’s doing something wrong but we won’t be more specific than that.

I know I sound a bit grumpy today, maybe just post holiday blues.

Before I got jailed, my Rambling Sloth FB feed gave me lots of lovely messages.

Wow they’re all a bit wild and reckless. Definitely some kind of message for me in there. Still burning to travel some more but that’s not highly practical for us at the moment. I want to see every country in the world, I always have. The Rambling Sloth goes worldwide…. 😂 I wish!!

Hope you’ve all had a great weekend!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️