The beginning of the end of an era

I picked up Martin from Glasgow Aiport last night after he spent a day with his new flatmate searching for a flat in London!  Both of them have been asked to intern with ESPN for a year and are having to scramble to get settled and ready to enjoy this new chapter in their lives.

It is a very exciting time for Martin and I am really, really proud of him for being offered this position.  But, like my husband said, it happened so fast!  After almost 24 years of Martin living with us, it is going to be a huge wrench to our hearts when he begins his "real" life!  No matter what the warning, it would always have happened too fast.

Martin and Nick flew down for just one day and were lucky to find something they liked and could afford.  They still do not know if they have it though.  I guess English law is different than Scottish law when it comes to agreeing a new let, so I will keep my fingers crossed for Martin's email to be successful today.

The plan is for him to go to London to settle in on 16 June, then come back here to leave for his vacation in LA.  All very unsettling for him and a bit confusing.  My heart goes out to Martin, it should be an exciting time to start a new career, and an exciting time to look forward to being in LA, but the issues of being an adult are crowding out the pleasure in both just now.

I know as parents, this is what we do - raise our young and encourage them to become independent.  And I am very proud that Martin is so independent and will certainly do well.  But that does not make the hurt any less....It has always been nice to have him in the house.  Who would have guessed that last September would be his last birthday at our house, or even Christmas?  Especially being involved with sport editing, he will not be coming home for Christmas! 

It is not healthy to wallow in self pity because my happiness is not the important thing, Martin's new career and new life are the ones to be excited about and I will do my best not to allow myself to go crazy like I did when Corbyn and Whitney moved out.

Looks like I need to start being more positive quickly, I have been in a really bad mood all day.  Maybe it is the fact that I stayed up late to get Martin at the airport and then allowed myself to stay up later to cook him something and talk about the new flat.  I have earned the grumpiness today and this will not last!


Next day - of course they were successful! But reality has set in on how much money they are going to have to shell out for rent....plus Martin and Lynsey are planning to go to Los Angeles for 3 weeks, before he starts!  As the penny dropped, Martin has now started trying to change his plans a bit. 

A father is a banker provided by nature.
      French Proverb

Preparing to say goodbye and hello simultaneously!

Alan and I arrived home from Carcassone on Sunday morning, which is fantastic timing.  Not only did we not have jet lag, but we still had a bit of a weekend.  This was essential since we were expecting a friend of mine I had not seen since high school graduation (1972) to arrive on Monday!

Normal people can simply have people come over to their house, but this has never been a normal house.  When we got in from the airport, the guest room had no carpets, new plaster walls and very little furniture in it!  Alan had a plan in his head and waited years to act on it.  Once Whitney moved out, Alan took minutes to take action on this plan!  So he emptied the room got a plasterer to close up the closet - this will ultimately end up in a larger closet on our side of the wall, ordered a carpet and began to paint the walls.  Then he had to repaint due to my selection of a pretty blue paint that looked awful!  How he never complains about my choices is beyond me, but this did set him back  a day.

The new carpet arrived Monday morning, the furniture was re-assembled and poor Martin had to give up his mattress since the new one had not yet arrived.  (thank goodness that Alan's parents live close by so he had somewhere to sleep).  The room was finished with minutes to spare!

Just a few hours before Michael arrived, my son Martin texted me with results of his interview with ESPN. He had been successful and was offered a 12 month internship at their location in London!  It does not get much better than that and I was literally doing a jig in my office!  Martin has worked really hard assembling a portfolio of his talent and it really paid off, he will be a production intern, mainly doing editing, which is his forte.  Bad news?  yes, he will be leaving in a month or less :-( 

Plus, with our visitor arriving, we were unable to celebrate "properly" however that would have panned out - champagne, dinner out?  Whatever Martin wanted. This could not happen though.
So many times in my life I am conflicted with extremely different responsibilities that cancel each other out.  I find this very frustrating - especially in a situation like this.  I would have much preferred to concentrate on Martin's success rather than entertain a virtual stranger.....

We had attempted to meet Michael when we were in the Los Angelos area last summer, but this did not work out so we had agreed to one day visit Iona together.  In my mind, this was pie in the sky and would never happen, but here we were - leaving at 4 am Tuesday morning for a very long journey to the birthplace of Christianity for Scotland!

We arrived at Oban with minutes to spare to catch the ferry to Mull!  We then realized none of us had any cash  so I went into the Spar shop and asked if they did cash back with purchase. The man said they did but I had to have an English bank.  What????? An English bank on a Scottish island? What was that about!  Anyway, once he realized I actually had a Scottish bank and was not a tourist, regardless of the accent, he let me have cash back with no purchase through the post office.

First view of Iona from the ferry

We wandered to the nunnery, with almost everyone passing the sign saying "Get thee to a nunnery". 

my high school friend, Mike Schneblin

Then off to the abbey.  It is very small, but has one really old Celtic cross that has been standing since it was first erected - about 800 AD! 

 St Martin's Cross

I must admit, the visit was a huge and expensive disapointment!  I had hoped to see some of the wild life that is supposed to live on and around the island. But the weather was atrocious and we lingered far too long at the abbey.  It was a long drive for not much return.....

On the way home, we stopped at The Real Food Cafe, Tyndrum     I knew Mike would like it because it is very green and healthy.  Of course,he had to speak to them about GM food and the health risks posed by them.  But that is his thing and gives him a purpose!  (at least I hope he gets some enjoyment out of it!)

I enjoy stopping here because the food is good and they appear to sincerely care about renewable sources and the environment. I may not be as vocal as someone like Mike, but I do care.

Poor Mike just came at a bad time but I dont' think he noticed!  First I was distracted by Martin's news then, on Wednesday, it was Whitney's birthday!  He had been invited to join us for dinner, but he was eager to get down to his hosts in England.  So I said goodbye to him as I left for work!

I got home early and immediately noticed suitcases still in the hall - and there was Mike!  It did not look like he was even considering leaving, yet, when asked, he did say he intended to hit the road and not join us for dinner.  It became very uncomfortable because we really needed to leave and he really looked like he was not leaving. What to do?  He finally noticed and left, on good terms, not like he was thrown out.  Looking back, I probably failed to tell him we had a very  limited window of babysitting before we had to be back for Corbyn!  That would have made sense to let him know why we were in such a hurry.  Oh well!

Every road has two directions.

      Russian Proverb

Hanging out in Carcassone!

Rene and Jim had very kindly offered to take us along for another day of travel to uncharted territory, but Alan and I decided to stay in Carcassone and enjoy it.  Once we saw the pictures and heard their experiences, of course, we wished we had gone with them. However, we did have a nice relaxing day in a huge walled city!

One reason the day was so relaxed is due to the fact that this part of France takes what appears to be a siesta from 11:30 to 2:30.  Alan and I trudged up the hill to Carcassone with the intention of visiting the Chateau right in the middle of it.  We arrived at 11:15 and noticed the sign that said the Ramparts closed between 11:30 and 2:30.  Since we wanted to see ALL of the Chateau, including ramparts, we decided to wait for 2:30.  There are other ramparts that you do not have to pay for so we wandered up and down and around as much as we could before stopping for lunch in a little, deserted coffee shop.

My delicious French lunch - salad, Croque Monsier and red wine, yum!

The cathedral in the middle of Carcassone is a very peaceful and beautiful place to visit. And on both days we were there, we were lucky enough to be entertained by what we think was a Russian quartet. It was so nice to sit in the cool darkness with the stained glass windows and candles of various saints while listening to such beautiful music. And the acoustics made it sound as if a chior was singing, not just four very talented men.

After lunch, Alan and I wandered back to the Chateau, where loads and loads of people with the same idea all arrived at once. One thing we forgot, this was Saturday!  Not to worry, we enjoyed the Chateau, but after walking all the other ramparts, we decided to skip these since we were getting a bit tired.  After waiting so long to get there when it was all opened, we didn't even go to the part that caused us the delay. Oh well....

With our late start, I was in fear of missing out on Kafe and Kuchen, which is something I very much enjoy regardless of what country we are in.  There are not too many bakeries in the Cite and I was worrying that I would miss out on my last full day here.  But just as we started the return journey, I noticed a display unit with the most beautiful strawberry tarts I have ever seen.  It is called La Vie Dievale.  Since it was getting late and we had coffee in our room, Alan and I decided to take our treats with us.  I became greedy though and, although I had to have that strawberry tart, there was another baked good - the name looked like Jesuit, but I am not sure.  It sort of looked like a pizza slice covered in powdered sugar and almonds.  I got that too.  Since Alan's selection and my tart were already in a lovely little box, I was given the "Jesuit" in a small bag, which I placed with another bag. 

The wind from the Pyrenees can get really mean and we had not realized just how much the wind had picked up in our day of touring Carcassone. The Chateau had a sign about the two different types of wind and the viscious and cold wind coming off the Pyrenees is called "Cers".  I don't remember what the nicer wind is called......However, I did note to myself that we were experiencing Cers.  But knowing this and realizing consequences are two different things.

As we began to leave the walls of Carcassone, Alan offered to take one of the things I was carrying - a bag in one hand and the precious box of baked goods in the other.  I joked that I was well balanced.  Little did I know that just around the corner I was going to pay the price of being greedy - as I turned the corner, a gust of wind caught that precious box and deposited both of our specially selected treats with a splat on the ground.  Alan was extremely nice and did not berate me for dropping his cream slice.  He even offered to cut off the edges and eat it, which he did.  My tart on the other hand was beyond salvation and I had to walk away.  The moral of this story is I am not as well balanced as I claim to be! 

Our last night in Carcassone was fabulous! We met Barbara, Peter, Rene and Jim for a wine tasting at the Vinotheque. In addition to trying out 3 different local wines - one sparkling, one white and one red, we also had delicious cheese to complement the wines.  It was the perfect way to finish a lovely 4 day visit to this area.  We definitely plan on returning!

"The great thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving."  Oliver Wendell Holmes  1809-1894 

Brie Baguette for lunch

Alan and I must have been acceptable travel companions as we were invited to join Rene and Jim in their adventures once again today!  The plan was not to leave until 12 in order to have some time on our own.

In the morning, Alan and I visited the new part of Carcassone.  It is very pretty, but nothing exceptionally special.  The Canal de Midi is interesting and I had hoped to take a canal boat ride, but time was not on our side.  Since this whole part of France is lovely and easy to get to, as long as Ryanair continues to fly here, I was not too upset to miss the canal. I am sure we will be back.

The four of us planned our day a bit better and the first thing we did was to buy provisions for lunch!  Rene and Jim's hotel is near the shopping area - complete with bakeries.  I got a baguette with brie, walnuts tomato and lettuce. It looked as good as it tasted!

Our first stop was the Abbaye de Caunes Minervois, where we had our picnic lunch on the side of what looked like a canal before visiting the actual abbey.  There is a "passport" you can purchase for 2 Euro and it gives you 1 Euro off the 20 various sites in this area.  We had already used it for the 2 castles we saw yesterday, so we were well in profit!  The abbey was also included in this passport.  I, personally, was not very impressed with the cloisters, etc.  It was a much more modern feeling abbey than I have ever seen and did not feel comfortable and cozy, which is what cloisters and abbeys usually feel like to me. 

The attached church had an altar with martyrs and their relics displayed. Across from it was sort of wooden stage like things.  We all began to wonder what these were for  and then we realized - they were for the ceremonial processions on holy days to carry the Martyrs!  Sure enough we looked further and discovered pictures of these processions.  And we also found how you can access the back of the altar and get these relics out without distrubing the church.  I don't associate religious processions down the street as French, but we are so close to Spain that it is possible some traditions have crossed borders.

Enough culture then, off to find ice cream!  On the way we stopped too many times to count to take pictures.  This is one huge hazard of being in a car, in an interesting place, with Alan.  But Rene and Jim were very gracious. So much so that I noticed Jim taking lots of pictures too.  Was he just being polite?  After all they did ask us back today and would be aware of Alan's picture taking fetish!  Could it be that after all these years of me suffering with Alan stopping to take pictures at every bend in the road, that he is actually normal?  All these questions!

When you can't beat them, you have to join them and I also have a really nice camera.  On this trip I took loads of pictures of flowers, but today I mainly concentrated on the beautiful Irises blooming all along the roads.  I was especially aware of Irises becuase I had left one just about to bloom in Scotland.  I bought it 3 years ago at a plant stall. All I knew was it was a bearded Iris.....no blooms since then until now. As we were leaving our house on Wednesday, there it was just ready to bloom and I was afraid I would not see it!  Hence, photos of Irises.  (when I got home it was fine and stunning!  I still can't decide if it is brown or a deep shade of purple! Many thanks to Martin for taking pictures of it just in case it did not last long enough for me to see!)

French Iris

My Iris

Finally found ice cream at a pub in Mazument!  It looked really odd to order cones from a pub, but the ice cream was fabulous. I got a dark chocolate and coffee cone.  (dark chocolate ice cream is wonderful!)

Time to mention the other couple we know who were also on the plane on Wednesday!  Barbara and Peter - Barbara is Lynsey's mother.  Lynsey is my son's girlfriend!  I was looking forward to spending some time with them while we were on this trip, but time was slipping away so quickly.  So I organized for the 6 of us to meet for dinner!  And we had a great time.  Even though no one knew each other very well, we all seemed to gel nicely.  Any onlooker would have assumed it was a gathering of old friends.  I don't know what possessed me, but I ordered something safe - lasagne!  Not like me, but nothing really stood out on the menu and I was craving pasta.  However, Peter ordered salmon and then very kindly shared it with me when I saw his and almost cried!  Alan and Rene got chicken and chips and it looked so good, Alan and I came back to this restaurant the next evening so I could order it!  Topping off the dinner with a Grand Marnier crepe and Calvados!

The only other time I tried Calvados was actually in Carsassone, about 50 yards from where we were sitting.  Mom and I had shared a book that she thought was good, and I really, really hated.  I think it was called Arc de Triomphe and was about a German doctor who was in hiding in France during WWII.  All I could remember about the book was he and his girlfriend drank alot of Calvados.  While Mom and I were travelling together 33 years ago, the subject of this book came up and I told her how I struggled through it.  We laughed, but decided we really had to try Calvados.  It is a sort of apple brandy.  Well, I didn't like it 33 years ago, and with more mature tastes this time around.....I still didn't like it!!!

View from bridge going into Carcassone

Two different types of tripods! 

The actual colors on this bridge are not this brilliant, I was just lucky.

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."   St. Augustine

A Day in the Pyrenees

On our first full day in Carcassone, we did what we usually do – jump in  a car and explore!  However, the car  was not our’s!  Rene and Jim invited us to join them in exploring the Pyrenees, which are not too far away from Carcassone.  Rene had been told about a village called Rennes le Chateau, and that was our first stop.  There was not a Chateau, as I expected, but it was  a darling village on a mountain top. The tower was closed, unfortunately, but it was a wonderful place. There is a little church there, which is beautiful. But the best thing was the coffee shop, called Le Jardin de Marie.  We sat outside and enjoyed cafe noisette and apple tart while listening to David Bailey play the piano.  Apparently, he is famous and the information says he has played for the late Queen Mother and the Royal Family in Windsor.  It was very pleasant to sit there with good company and good food.  But we could not relax too long as there were miles to go and chateaus to see!

Our next stop was the top of a mountain and a castle called Puilaurens, which is a "spectacular citadel in the Aude Pyrenees region.  In the heart of unspoilt mountain country.  Perched at nearly 700 metres, it has a wide range of defensive architecture on show."   It had one Michelin star and we thought it would be interesting to see it.  Once we parked the car though, there was a pathway to get to it.  This pathway was practically straight up.  Usually in a situation like this, I come up last. For some reason, I was not born with uphill gears and I really do struggle.  I was pleasantly surprised to realize Rene travelled uphill at the same speed!  The view on top was spectacular and well worth the sore muscles that were starting to complain a bit.

This reminded me of driving through Zion National Park

Alan, Rene and Jim

Puilaurens almost blends in totally at the top

Inside the Chateau walls

the views at the top were spectacular!

When we arrived back at base, we enjoyed a picnic of tangerines, cherries and breakfast bars! This was the total food we all had in the car!  Little did we know this was about all we were going to eat until dinner time. 

In our travels to the next destination, we passed a few villages, each very cute and with different things to make them special. But my favourite was Cucugnan because it had an old fashioned windmill. 

Cucugnan

Our next stop was Peyrepertuse Castle at Duilhas.  "Hugging a limestone outcrop which peaks at 800 metres."  Another chateau on an even higher mountain top!  It had 3 michelin stars so we hoped the path would not be so strenuous.  It was not meant to be, this path made Puilaurens look like a warm up!  In fact, this path started up the mountain by going down, which is not really a good sign!  The path was so rough that Rene and I ended up rock climbing - thinking we were on the right path!  We hit a dead end, looked back and realized we had made a big mistake.  When I say "we"  I mean "me".  Poor Rene was following me at this point.  However, once again, this was spectacular and even better than our first chateau.  I think this would have rivalled Carcassone in its day.  Peyrepertuse is divided into three parts and must actually sit on the summit of more than one mountain.  At least it feels that way.  I managed to visit 2 of these, but the third is accessible by a stairway to heaven.  This stairway looked so steep and forbidding there was no way I felt comfortable trying it. But the other three explorers managed it just fine....

Peyrepertuse Chateau

a different view of Peyrepertuse

the stairs that stopped me in my tracks!

On the way home we ended up in Perpignan! This might seem like a long way back to Carcassone, but it was a very lucky break for us!  We were hungry after surviving on fruit and breakfast bars the whole day.  We parked the car in this thriving town and wandered up and down looking for something – and we found it!  We walked down a side street called Lazare Escarguel and there were two restaurants virtually side by side in the tiny street.  Jim was looking at the menu of one, and having difficulty translating it. Being fluent in French this surprised me! But a server came up and spoke to us.  Then he explained that this was a Corsican restaurant!  No wonder Jim did not know exactly what the menu said! We were all intrigued and decided to eat there.  And it was fabulous!  I don’t remember ever having such a good meal.  Jim ordered a Corsican wine, at 28 Euro, this was quite a risk, being a dry, white wine. But it was magnificent and I would order it again myself.  High praise from someone who prefers red wine.

The restaurant was called Pitcholina and I would hope anyone reading this and finding them selves in Perpignan would go!

“Boy, those French. They have a different word for everything.” – Steve Martin

Carcassone

Alan and I have flown away to France for a few days!  Although Alan is retired, he took a summer job, so we are not getting a big summer holiday this year.  Luckily, Ryanair had a great deal and we jumped at it, so did half the population of Ayr!  Apart from travelling with the Guides to Switzerland, I have never been on a plane where I knew so many people!

Mom and I visited Carcassone 33 years ago!  We went on a fabulous bus tour of France.  I was very lucky because Bob could not go and I was able to travel on his ticket.  We visited all kinds of wonderful, off the beaten track, places in France.  One of those was Carcassone.  Which is very photogenic, something Alan is rather partial to!

Memory is such a fragile thing, and can be very frustrating. I really do remember being here and I recognize the skyline.  How could anyone forget that?  But that is all I remember. So it is like being here for the first time myself.

There are two couples here that we know a bit better than anyone else on the flight.  One is Rene and Jim Andrews, who attend the same church and whose granddaughter is one of my Rangers.  We really did not know them very well, but offered them a lift to the airport.  Martin’s girlfriend’s mother and her partner also flew to Carcassone today.  We have seen them a few times and hope to have dinner together while we are here.  

Since we got up at 4am and spent the day walking around Carcassone, plus having to wait for the hotel to open again at 3 so we could get in, we are really tired tonight.  But it has been a great day, wandering and looking at all the beautiful buildings.  We also saw what we thought was an otter, but on closer look, thanks to the wonders of powerful camera lenses, we think it looks more like a beaver, but its tail is wrong.....

In our wandering, we stumbled upon the most beautiful and amazing dried fruit shop. When we were offered a taste of the dried strawberries, we were hooked and then filled a bowl with melon, pineapple, strawberries and cherries.  Then we realized how expensive this was!  For about 6 Euros we got 10 pieces of fruit! 

I also discovered a cookie store, which is beautiful. We got a free sample there, but I controlled myself and did not buy any cookies. (yet)

“When you come to a fork in the road….take it” – Yogi Berra

Highlands and Islands

Loch Lomond from Firkin Point

Alan and I were invited to spend a weekend with Jim and Jennifer in Tarbert. Scotland is such a funny place when it comes to lack of straight roads and Lochs everywhere, that it would have taken normal people about 4 hours to get there. If we could go in a straight line, Tarbert is just a bit north of Arran and we think it would take about 2 hours. But without a boat, this is impossible!  Lucky for me, we could not go until Saturday, so there was no conflict with me watching the Royal Wedding!

We sauntered up the road and stopped numerous times to take photographs. Anytime we go anywhere, we take pictures. Alan has been known to stop every 10 feet until someone (meaning me) stops him! So we left Ayr at 8am and got to Jim and Jennifer's caravan about 4:30 pm!  I know this sounds like I am complaining, but I also have a camera and take pictures!  (If you can't beat them, join them!)

Inverary on Loch Fyne



On the way, we stopped for a very short time in Inverary.  This is a darling place and we have spent alot of time in Inverary, but today, it was a short 20 walk  up and down the main street.

A short history of Inverary -  In 1770 the Fifth Duke of Argyll rebuilt the entire town in a more pleasing manner.  To this day, the beauty and symmetry continues, although the buildings are beginning to show their age.  I think the town continues to be owned by the Duke. 

Loch Fyne

Inverary Castle - home of the 13th Duke of Argyll, who is also Chief of the Clan Campbell

Alan and I had spent a weekend with Jim and Jennifer last year in the same area. It was the first time we had seen the Crinan Canal, which goes for Ardrishaig to Crinan.  On this journey, we drove from one end to the other and had lunch on the side of the canal.  I think it must be one of the shortest, if not the shortest, canals.  Lunch was very peaceful, no boats went by while we were there.  Most of the locks are not automatic and it looks like really hard work to get your boat through!

Our next stop before arriving at our destination was the shore opposite the Isle of Jura.

When we got to the caravan, Jim and Jennifer were sitting on the deck in the sun.  It was a lovely welcome!





On Sunday, Alan and I took the ferry to the Isle of Islay.  Being Sunday, we knew it was a gamble because the islands are known for being much more religious, with even ferry service not running until recently.  And it was even worse than we imagined, absolutely everything was closed!  Not even a place to buy a bottle of water!  But it was beautiful and we had a nice walk along gorse lined roads.  We got to the nearest distillery to the ferry - Caol Ila.  I loved it anyway, I have always wanted to see the Scottish islands, so hopefully the is only the beginning!

Gorse lined road on Islay

Ferry between Islay and Jura

Alan had to work on Monday, so we got up early to get ready to leave.  This was the day it was announced that Osama bin Laden was killed by Navy Seals in Pakistan!  It was a wonderful, patriotic feeling for me and a huge relief for the world, I hope!  It is almost a week later now and very disappointing how so many  Americans put a negative spin on something they should be proud of.  If any other President had accomplished this after so many years of the world searching for this man, it would have been shouted from the roof tops how good the President was.  But not for President Obama.  After the initial wave of joy and respect for him, the narrow minded Americans searched for ways to discredit him.  Now saying it was not Osama and all other kinds of things.  Why can't we just live together and respect each other's differences?  It is so depressing for there to be this underlying hate and suspicion in the certain aspects of US citizens of people that don't think exactly like they do.



"Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what the hell happened." Cora Harvey Armstrong

Our Celebration of the Royal Wedding

Our version of a wedding cake!

Call me silly, but the closer the wedding day of William and Kate got, the more excited I got!  I even bought bunting and matching paper plates and napkins!  (they were the Union Jack with a heart in the middle, I also forgot to use them!)  I have very fond memories of a formal slumber party with my female colleagues from Butler Shoes in Atlanta.   We brought our best nightgowns, got up at 3am, toasted Charles and Diana with Mimosas (or Buck's Fizz depending on what country you live in) and ate beignets.  It was one of those magic memories, even though we had to leave for the drive to work before Charles kissed Diana.

This time around, it was a smaller occasion which seemed odd.  But many people in Scotland were not as excited about the wedding as other countries.  In fact, mine was the only house on the street with bunting, and there was no chance of a street party.  (sadly, there was a street party in Glasgow that ended in violence and deaths. Not good advertising for Scotland) 

My friend, Sue, and I decided on a menu for our "wedding lunch".  She was bringing Salmon Wellington for Mom and me, and Beef Wellington for Alan.  I provided the starter, which was a selection of salads from Marks and Spencers. And for dessert - cupcakes!  I was really pleased with my cupcakes and used them as the centrepiece!

With Alan's job having such an early start, he went to bed really early and I just got more and more carried away with preparations!  Complete with polishing silver at midnight!  I used wine glasses Martin gave me ages ago, which I had never used, chilled champagne and used my best dishes, so the table looked wonderful when I finally forced myself to go to bed.  (days later I discovered the paper plates I bought.  They are so specific to the wedding I will have to wait maybe to celebrate the first anniversary!)

Toasting the couple after our wonderful lunch

The wedding itself was wonderful, with the bride looking as beautiful and happy as possible.  We all watched every moment of it. Even Alan watched, but mostly in a different room. Our enjoyment was probably just a bit too "female". 

After missing the last Royal kiss in 1981, I loved the headline on the next day's paper ( I don't remember which paper though)  -

"After waiting years for a Royal kiss, two come by at once!"

Spring time

Since I am usually at work when writing this, I can't put in any photos, so here is one of my favourite plants in my garden.  This Primula is the only thing that has survived our living in this house!  Even when I dug up everything to get out of the way of the builders and this ended up spending a summer on the trampoline.  One day Mom said to me that there was a plant blooming on the trampoline. This was it!  I felt so guilty I replanted it right away!

Here is Corbyn with the bulb he planted at his Montessori school.  We have been told his is the only surviving bulb!

This is the exact view you get from the room that was and still is Corbyn's room.  When he went to bed, it was a bit lighter but I waited too long to take this.  I love these cherry trees and am so happy to have one in my front yard. 

Cows in the fields!

It has been a very busy week.  This time last week, our house continued to be completely full.  However, Whitney was packing and getting ready to move into her own flat.  While Martin continues to job hunt and apply for jobs all over the world.  As much as I complain about not having any time for "me", I dread the day when I have plenty of that time.  As it got closer to moving day for Whitney, I found myself regularly staring down the corridor to the three bedroom doors that, presumably, will be empty very soon.  Two were definites in that.

Whitney moved out last Friday, but Corbyn was not going to join her until Sunday.  As everyone knows, moving is chaos and no place for a 2 year old.  He always stays with his Dad on Friday nights and does not come home until early evening anyway, so that was lucky.  Oddly,  Whitney and I had a day of beauty planned for Saturday!  This was booked weeks ago, long before she knew she would get the keys for the 15th.  I got a deal through Living Social Deals for a hair cut, blow dry, nails, make up and eyelashes done at a beauty salon in Glasgow.  Whitney and I took the train up and walked to the beauty salon, not too far from the station. It was a nice day, but I would not go back.  They were terrific and obviously very talented in each of their fields, but they appeared to be using the same lipstick, mascara, etc for clients which put me off going back. (my cousin sells Mary Kay make up in the States, so I have watched how she keeps everything hygienic and this was not apparent with them.) I did like the way they cut my hair, I am growing it for a cancer charity and was very worried they would not listen, but they shaped it well and that was a relief! 

We went to Yo Sushi for lunch, we both really love sushi, but neither can eat raw fish. My niece in Atlanta introduced me to sushi years ago and showed how it is not all raw fish.  Since then, I have been really hooked! 

Whitney was a bit short with me about silly things on the way home, which did really hurt my feelings as I felt it was completely undeserved.  But my hysterical weeping reaction took us both by surprise.  I actually cried, although inwardly so as not to mess up the make up (which was really, really difficult because I could have easily sobbed and howled the way I felt).  It was way over the top and it took me a few hours to realize it was not her rudeness, which all mothers get from their daughters, but the fact Corbyn was moving out!  Suddenly I was not going to see him everyday and know all of his experiences and facial expressions. The way he ate what he thought was a grape and turned out to be a black olive and the face that went with that relevation!  All those things would not happen around me on a daily basis.  And I was completely heartbroken.  How can grandparents cope when their children move to Australia or a partnership breaks up and they are not even allowed to see their grandchildren?  I know I am so lucky and ridiculous in the way I reacted.

Whitney had plans for Saturday night and it had been arranged a while ago that we would babysit. Which was very special as the time for our house to be Corbyn's home was coming to an end.  He was really tired from being with his dad and went to bed easily and quietly.  Very nice for him (and me!). 

Saturday was Corbyn's actual last night here in his home, but he spent the night with us on Sunday, as he will every Sunday so I can take him to the childminder when Whitney goes to work.  Again, we had a nice evening together. Alan and I played Playmobil boats with him, transferring a load of "coal" from one part of the ship to another with a big crane.  Playmobil has always been the best, my kids loved it and Corbyn loves it. Although I wonder if it is actually my husband who loves it because he has collected a huge amount of it since Corbyn was born!  (plus searching out the things we already had!)

On Monday, Corbyn and I drove to Karen's house, as usual.  On the way, we pass two fields that had cows on them last Spring and Summer, but in Scotland, cows do not spend the winter outdoors, not sure about other places.  The fields have been empty through the winter.  On this day, suddenly, there was livestock in the field, but it was sheep. Corbyn was happy to see them, but they were not what we had been looking for!
As I dropped Corbyn off, the tears returned since I realized I was now a "normal" grandmother and might not see him for a week. 

Then I got my life back!  As much as I have suffered at the thought of being alone (if you can call living with 3 other adults being alone).  How much I would miss Corbyn and all that emotional carry on.  Life is so much easier with him not there.  We don't have to tip toe around the house when he is sleeping, if I start something, I can leave it lying when I get up and leave the room.  Freedom again!  Not to say I do not miss him, but it is not the painful longing I expected.

This is Thursday morning and we decided it would be much easier for all if I just picked up both Whitney and Corbyn and took him to Karen's then dropped Whitney at work.  As I pulled in front of their door, it opened, Corbyn ran out and said "Hello MawMaw"!  I got a big hug and all is well with the world!

To top this off, the cows have returned and Corbyn was delighted as we drove to Karen's. He shouted "Hello Cows".  Last year, he just mooed when he saw them, but he has the words now to greet them (and me) properly!

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." - Epictetus

the joy of little dirty hands

Living with a two year old has its own daily, hourly, secondly....challenges.  He is like a sponge grabbing knowledge and experience at a pace no adult can even strive to keep up with.  The beauty of living with 4 generations is - Corbyn gets passed from one person to another when the energy levels get too low.  Fabulous time for all concerned. 

Corbyn and his Mum were out on a walk when I got home from work.  Then he was playing with his wheelbarrow and just enjoying being outside. But people can't stay outside all the time.  Let me rephrase that - Adults cannot stay outside all the time, two year olds would live outside!  As the soft touch grandmother, when it was decided he had to come in, I came up with an activity I have been waiting to have a chance to do with Corbyn - we planted seeds!  This is not his first time planting - he planted sunflowers last Spring and has got a bulb on the go from his Nursery School.  (In fact, his bulb is the only one left alive!).   But this was OUR first time and I was really excited about it. 

My neighbour had given me a littl seed propogator on Saturday and it seemed the perfect size for Corbyn and me to use.  We filled the tray with compost.  I tried to get Corbyn to get his hands dirty.  He is not really good at that, hates the feel of dirt or sand.  (that is very surprising to me!) But he did get brave enough to touch the soil a bit and spread the seeds around.  We chose a butterfly mixture of seeds, they are supposed to be planted where they will live, but that would not be as much fun for us.  Corbyn seemed to understand these seeds were not the ones the birds are supposed to eat.  He even called the propogator dome top a hat, so the birds would not "eat".  Let us hope the seeds do not take too long so he does not get impatient!

Another interesting thing about my grandson and then I will stop!

He seemds to use sign language, just a bit.  I think it is his own interpretation of signs though.  He and his Mum watch a children's show where they do use sign, but he never seems interested in signing.  But with things like "eat"  he motions his folded fingers toward his mouth - miming eating. 

One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides.  ~W.E. Johns, The Passing Show

One in - One out

This week shows what a fantastic location we live in!  With Prestwick Airport just a 15 minute drive away and Ryanair still offering good air fares, it is relatively easy to get to Europe.

My daughter, Whitney, went over to Paris with a friend and had a great time. She does not really fill me in with details, but I do know they went up the Eiffel Tower.  Something I have never done.....even after being in Paris 3 or 4 times.  The first time I went, was after a summer at the Goethe Institute in Rothenburg ob der Tauber.  A friend I met there suggested treating ourselves to a few days in Paris before going home.  She had lived in Paris while perfecting her French.  (Helene was a French Canadian and worked as a translator in their Parliament)  We saved our funds and had an amazing time there.  However, we did not go up the Eiffel Tower due to the extreme cost!  The last time I was in Paris was with Alan and I told him we HAD to do the Eiffel Tower.  And it was not the cost that stopped us this time, it was the really long queue. We were only there for the day, impossible to spend over an hour in line waiting.  Maybe next time.........

While Whitney was gone, we got a whole day to spend with Corbyn!  I had loads of plans - like planting seeds and playing with new outdoor toys I had bought.  None of this happened though.  Two year olds move really fast and get disappointed even faster.  We were outside before I realized the toys were still in my car.  So that will have to wait.  And the potting soil I thought I had seen, was top soil.  So we have to wait for this too.  So being 2 was an advantage.  Corbyn was unaware that he missed out on all the fun, because he was having too much fun to notice!

It is a pleasure to watch Corbyn develop.  This is something parents do not have time for because they are too busy making their child safe, healthy and socially acceptable!  Grandparents are not burdened by such responsibilities and have the option to sit back and watch.  With Corbyn actually living with us, we are able to watch and listen much more than "normal" grandparents!  What is fascinating me just now is hearing Corbyn work on making an "L" sound.  He used to say "Bay yee", for our dog's name - Bailey. Now he is making an "L" sound but you can literally hear the tongue working around the letter.  It is absolutely amazing.  It is not just the dog's name, but words like pillow and hello. Such fun to listen!

Martin left last night for Italy, he is working there this week.  I don't know the details, but he will be filming school children on a skiing trip!  Sort of making an advertisement for the company to show other schools.  He intends to get a bit of skiing in as well.  He and I went to the Newmilns dri ski slope on Saturday so he could get a refresher on skiing.  I hope he has the chance to practice and really enjoy where he is this week.  (I must admit to being a bit jealous, I used to love to ski but have not done anymore than dry slopes once or twice since I moved to Scotland)

"The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway."  ~Henry Boye

Mother's Day

In the UK, Mother's Day is this Sunday!  There is a history of Mothering Sunday here, which is associated with going to your mother church in the middle of Lent.  This tradition started when so many people left home to work in other areas and, so I am told, only had that one day a year to go home. 

It has always been a confusing time for our family because, to me, Mother's Day is the second Sunday in May.  We have gone back and forth about when to celebrate Mother's Day, but I have learned that when it is postponed to May, typically the family forgets.  So a few years ago, it was decided to go with the flow and keep to the UK date.

Now, my daughter has asked to change the date to May, but only for this year!  She is going away to Paris today for the weekend.  It should be a fantastic time for her, but she realized after the plans were made that she would miss Mother's Day.  Lucky for her, being a dual citizen, she can choose whichever day suits! So all the Mothers in my house: me, Mom and Whitney, will celebrate in May.  Although, I have already bought the cards for the day, since there will be none available in May.  This change is not happening to Alan's mother though. She has always had Mothering Sunday as her Mother's Day and it would not be fair to ask her to change.  And it makes it easy, since both mothers in our family (mine and Alan's) will have their own special day.  My mother will have to share with Whitney and me, but it will be really nice when it does happen!

Getting ready for Spring

In the UK, it is officially British Summertime because the clocks went forward last weekend.   I have lived here for 25 years now and it still confuses me because it is certainly not summer yet!  However, the weather lately has been wonderful.  So much so, that I have bought all kinds of seeds and pots to plant with my grandson, Corbyn!  His mother is going away for the weekend and I get to spend more time than usual with Corbyn.  So, we are going to get our hands dirty!  I am really looking forward to it.  I know he has planted things at his child minder and also at the little nursery school he attends, but I have never done this with him! So it will be fun!!

Whitney is getting ready for her and Corbyn to move into a flat.  I have not seen it yet, but it sounds very nice.  Of course, I will be very sad to see them go, but I understand that it is time for this to happen - if not really overdue for them to have flown the nest!

Martin is still working hard on completing his university work prior to graduating. He is always so busy with so many different aspects of his life.

Alan started a new job at the airport, just for the summer.  He had retired in October, but I think he was just home too much. 

Last night, I went to a sort of gardening talk with my neighbour and some of her friends.  I didn't know what to expect and, if she had told me we were going to plant seeds and transplant seedlings, I would not have looked forward to it.  Haven't we all planted seeds and transplanted seedlings?  Well, yes, we have, but not correctly!  It was a very interesting meeting last night and we all agreed to meet again next week.  There were only five women and James, the gardening expert, who talked us through how to prepare compost and how to treat those little baby roots on seedlings.  That is not the reason I am fired up about planting with Corbyn though.  That was planned last week!

As a result of being rushed, all of us were on our own for dinner:  I had a bowl of porridge, Mom made one of her freezer meals and I have no idea what the others did!  That does not happen very often!

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. - Albert Einstein

Catching up with myself

I have thought about doing this blog for a long time, and then at least put in a title.  However, it appears that our household make up might soon change and the title may not be as appropriate.  I will start from the beginning though:

In November 2010, my daughter, Whitney, returned home after more than a year on her own.  It is truly a sign of the times, because it was financial issues that brought her home, just like so many people in her generation.  I have heard this generation referred to as the "Boomerang" generation.  It is really tough out there on young people just now.  But we were happy that she was able to come home, and that she brought a delightful addtition to our household by the name of Corbyn.  He was born on January 23, 2009. 

Prior to Whitney moving in, my mother was living in Alabama on her own in a beautiful, but too large house.  It is in the middle of the country, 1/4 driveway to the street and 5 miles out of town.  Leaving Mom dependent on her car.  In July, 2007, Mom had a bad spell and realized she was probably on very limited time to remain living on her own. From then on, until November, we all worked steadily to get Home Office approval for her to come to Scotland to live with us.  This was not as easy as just moving home.  Not only is there loads and loads of paperwork invovled in emigrating to a different country, she also had more than one lifetime's worth of belongings and paperwork to sort out, in addition to selling her beautiful home.  In September, Alan flew a week before I did, to join my cousin, Mary, who was helping Mom sort and pack.  Once I got there, we worked constantly in the week we had to try to get as much as possible sorted, given away, packed or whatever was needed. We spent many hours merely shredding documents.  Mom even had income tax forms from the 1950's when she was married to my Dad!  That is what I meant by more than one lifetime worth of memories and things to deal with.  This was a very stressful time for Mom and all of us, but had to be done. 

In addition to all the packing and selling of her home, Alan and I had to find an architect and builder to put an extension on our house so that Mom had her own territory.  While waiting for this to be built, Mom lived in a little house owned by a friend of a friend.  The building process was so long and so busy, but in the end, she got a cute little living room, with French doors and a tiny bedroom.  The bathroom is in the middle and it all white with a bit of silver trim on the tiles, very pretty.  Living with this, I realized I should have asked for doors that slide open as she cannot use the French doors:  they open in and she has too much furniture blocking them.  Mom moved into the house about July 2008.

The above describes people who have recently moved into our family home, but not the ones who have been in the house all along:  Alan, Pat and their son, Martin.  Martin is the oldest of our two children but has been too busy with studies to have the time or money to also leave home.  It  is a joy to have him in the house, partly because we almost never see him!  No that is not true!  He is very nice and also very quiet. Being very busy, you almost have to make an appointment to speak to him and it is always a treat when he has time to eat a meal with us.  Unfortunately, Martin is almost done with his studies and there is a real chance he could find a job and leave at any time. 

All in all, it is quite an honor to have 4 generations in one household, with grown children still comfortable enough to stay at home.  I don't think there are many families in the world who can consider themselves this lucky, even though there are times I have to remind myself through gritted teeth just how very lucky we are!