Oh wow I have just been shattered today. It was one of those days I knew I needed to do absolutely nothing… but I fought it for most of the morning.
I couldn’t wake up and eventually came downstairs for a coffee. This was still about 8.30 so still early. I’m fighting the end of holiday blues. The weather is atrocious and I can’t believe I’m back to work tomorrow. I could get used to the life where I wander about in hot countries. 😂
It’s a lovely time of year to go away but it does seem extra cold when you return.
Acht I’m just having one of those days.
We went for a food shopping late morning and spent £174….. there are only 2 people in our house?!? How is that even possible?
By the time we came back and put it away, Craig was watching the football and I made a lovely cheese, meat and olive type snacky lunch. I was asleep from 1.30 until 3.30. I was freezing on the couch so Craig put an extra blanket over me. I woke with a thumping headache and a hot face!!
I have zero energy and I could just keep sleeping.
I need to stop fighting it and enjoy the relaxation. It is what it is and I’m building my energy up for tomorrow. No more holidays for me until Christmas….. except for every Friday, Saturday and Sunday and I’ll do well to remember that!!
I am having the loveliest wee day to myself. I am super productive when Craig is not here, what is that all about?!? How do I get so much done when I’m on my own, yet lounge about moaning about being “tired” when he’s here?!?
I had the best sleep. Out for the count until my body clock woke me at 5.02am. I’m waking up at Scottish Dog Behaviourist time, even when he’s not here!!
I checked the weather and my phone and all was quiet despite quite a bad storm overnight, Craig & Calaidh must have survived the night in the tent!
I managed to fall back to sleep until just before 8am. That’s more like it.
I got Bhruic and Freya up and straight out for a walk after their breakfast.
It’s strange weather, pretty windy and obviously had been very wet, but the wind was warm and the sky very dramatic.
On one hand very sunny but on the other very mean and moody!
I came home and got stuck into the housework. It’s amazing how clean your house can be when you actually clean it…. Ok I know! Obvious…… now I have a bit more time, it’s easier to stay on top of it. I’ve done two washings and have hoovered the whole house again.
This is a part of our Shark anti hair wrap hoover…. I’ve been SO disappointed with it since we got it, years ago now to be fair. It seems to delight in wrapping hair instead.
To be fair, it still does it’s job as THIS is how much hair it picks up from one rug in one week.
I do fight a loosing battle with housework. We both have long hair and we have 3 dogs… she who once lived alone in a spotless house, had to relax some standards. There are times when I think I relaxed them way too much but hey… life is not all about housework. 😂
I headed out for a food shopping at 11.30… now this is quite unheard of for me. If I’m doing anything like that, I usually have to go first thing, so I’m there before anyone else and can get parked and first choice of everything…. Blah, blah. Today I broke my own rule…. Didn’t even consider the panic a mid day shop would sometimes bring. Just did it.
I thought this was a very Scottish supermarket photo!
On my way back, I headed to Curiosity which has just opened in Beith. It sells coffee, cakes and a few wee curiosities.
This is Lesley who owns it. She came to the little gift shop a few weeks back and brought us a free coffee. I finally got there today.
It’s a beautiful space. I love the colours. there’s only one wee table, so will mostly be takeaway.
I had a Mint Oak Milk Latte, really randomly as I have NEVER put mint in a coffee, but wow…. It was soooo good. The coffee is lovely, really mellow. I also had a Rhubarb and Custard Blondie with chunks of hot chocolate in it. That speaks for itself!!
This is how I broke 19 hours of fasting!!
There’s a lovey unique view of the Beith Townhouse!
I love the cake cabinet.
I had a great chat with Lesley and even met Emma who has started supplying cakes to Curiosity. Cakes by Emma 🧁🧁🧁
I finally dragged myself out of there and headed back up the road. I put all the shopping away and started defrosting the freezer. As you do!
It was sunny for a wee bit there but has mostly been wet and windy today.
So who knows what relaxing things I’ll get up to tonight. I might read a bit, I might find a good movie or I might watch some more YouTube clips on the most beautiful places in the world to visit. That’s what’s on in the background as I write this.
It’s a beautiful day here today. It’s been the perfect temperature and I’ve spent all day outside.
So last night it would appear my FB account was seriously hacked and I’ve been blocked for 2 days which doesn’t sound that bad but I can’t do anything this time.
Once again for she who breaks no rules, ever….. this is a bit of a pain in the proverbial backside. Since the middle of June there been suspicious activity on my account. I’ve been blocked for days, here and there, about 3 or 4 times.
FB is the hardest company to try and get hold of. I’m exhausted going round and round and round in circles trying to get them to believe that I didn’t post those horrific pictures that actually did show up on my page last night. All of a sudden my time zone has changed from GMT to UTC+07 wherever that is.
I’ve changed my password about 4 times in the last few weeks and yet they are still getting to me. I don’t even understand how that is possible?
They’ve made me question my own judgement for weeks. Was it the start of the Just Jules Photography page? Was it the fact that I use positive quotes in the blog and maybe don’t reference the authors properly?
What am I doing wrong?
Then last night at 10.18pm I finally realised it most definitely wasn’t me. FB are still to catch up to that fact though.
Copyright infringement hardly even remotely covers from my hacker posted on my page last night.
I had just invited lots of people to my photography page and now I can’t even reply… I just look rude.
Anyway, I’ve reported the hacking about 100 different ways so hopefully they’ll get round to checking it sometime soon. The majority of my readers are on FB so none of them will even get this post. Hey ho, there are worse troubles at sea, my Gran would say.
We didn’t get home from Craig’s mum’s until after midnight, so I had a long lie until 9.30am. Check me. I had been up to let the dogs out so they were ok.
I pottered about in the garden, pulling weeds (there are millions of them) and cutting back bushes that were threatening to take over.
I took the dogs out over lunch time and actually it was maybe a bit too hot.
I love the clouds in these next pics.
They had a play in the burn to cool down for a bit and then we were on our way again.
For the rest of the day I’ve been pulling weeds and relaxing. This has really been the longest weekend as I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have 3 days off and be in the house. I’ve done 4 washing loads and they are all dry already!!! I love that!
The clouds are moving in now and we are due some spectacular rain overnight. Apparently I slept through a very loud clap of thunder last night….. Craig said it sounded like a truck had crashed out in the road. Oblivious!!
I’ve nipped in next door to feed the cats! Gorgeous boys.
As soon as I got back I the house Calaidh seriously sniffed me all over. You’d think I lay down next door and rolled around the amount of sniffing I got… I can assure you, I did not!
So all in all a lovely weekend once I got my head round being at home. I feel nice and refreshed and ready for a new week. Just need to get my FB account sorted once and for all…. Or leave it… that’s another option. 😆🤷🏻♀️
Hope you all have a lovely Sunday evening and the best week.
My fresh clean bed came at a cost last night…. Making the bed up, in a hot bedroom at 1am…. No one wants to do that do they?!?!
It seems there was a spectacular thunderstorm here last night, with torrential rain and we missed it all. There were only a few big spots up at my in-laws last night, about a 45 minute drive away.
It was such a lovely party yesterday. 🥳🎉🎊
Now… if you read the blog…. You will know that, for me, a large gathering of people is among my list of things to be slightly dreaded. Call it a party and I’m 😵💫
And yet, as with all things I think I will dread, I end up having a really lovely time.
Being alcohol free at my in-laws is actually very easy. They have always catered for my non alcoholic choices. After 4 and a half years, I finally feel proud and confident of my choices. I have chosen not to drink because it makes me a better person… I no longer feel jealous of other people who haven’t made that choice. It’s my decision and I’m happy it’s the right one for me.
Kisses from Astrid! Cuddles from Cookie!!
I had a lovely time. I had great chats, felt completely at ease small talking and was so chuffed I got to meet Isobel who often comments on my ramblings and yet I’d never met her. She is definitely my kinda person ♥️
Fast forward to a little woof at 6am this morning!!! 5 hours…. 🥴 I let them out and then we all went back to sleep until 8.30am. That’s more bearable.
So since then I’ve sat in the garden, writing this, I’ve done an Asda food shop for delivery and I’ve tried to fix the battery life on my iPhone…. Having a lovely wee morning to myself in the cloudy sun.
Gayle is picking me up in an hour for a visit to a supplier in Dundee today so I best go and get ready!!!
It turns out we were actually heading to Fowlis which was just outside of Dundee.
We had a lovely wee ROADTRIP and got to see some lovely new stock for Gayle’s shop. Isn’t funny how my phone always screams ROADTRIP in capital letters theses days?!?
It was great to be able to see the new stock for autumn/winter and of course have a wee fashion show!
I wonder if there’s a job for a hat and scarf model going?!? I seem to have the same selfie grin every time 😂 not very versatile.
The stock is all on show in the rep’s front room. It was a beautiful house!! We had tea, coffee and biscuits while we browsed and I helped Gayle to spend her money. 😂
The sun was back out for our drive back. It’s hot again today but it feels very hot for us. Like rain and thunder might not be far away.
The country roads on the way back to the motorway were lovely.
Crossing over the River Tay. All I could think about was the procession when the Queen’s body left Balmoral for the final time and driver over this bridge. Very poignant.
We passed Stirling Castle which looked very splendid on top of its hill.
The only traffic we hit was coming back into Glasgow of course. Caught this plane flying right overhead on approach to Glasgow Airport.
I’ve had the best wee day doing something completely different. I’m back in shorts and vest top, our in the garden with an alcohol free San Miguel which is very lovely. It’s sweaty hot but I’m persevering. The house is a state but, when you live in Scotland. You have to make the most of any minute of sunshine… we never know when the next sun might shine!
Also just realised we only have two weeks of work left before our summer holiday… please, please, please let this sunshine last!!
The Rambling Sloth 🦥 