A Catch up for the Coronation

It's been... A bit up and down the last few weeks. So, I'll start at the beginning:

The ups? Caught up with friends and we've started a new campaign boardgame called the Animals of Baker Street. It's super cute aesthetically, it has a great game mechanic and we all love our characters. I'm really looking forward to working through the campaigns over the next few months! 

Hubby and I went to see The Ocean at the End of the Lane in the theatre, as a belated anniversary date. 

Just go. Go and see it. You will thank me. 

Then after that, my Manchester based sister managed a sneaky trip up for the bank holiday. She's had a lot in her plate, between the after effects of covid and ill health in the greater family, she really needed a break where she could hand over the car keys and put her feet up for two days. She wanted to have a quiet day at mine, and then spend the second one giving the wider family a surprise visit. 

I had the family come here, neice and nephew leapt out from under the table and there was delight all round. I showed them round the House of The Binns, which is where I'm planning my neices photoshoot of her prom dress.

Then sister went home, visiting Stumpy at the Five Sisters before leaving (I was in work at that point, jealous isn't a strong enough word!)

So, the downs? I'll start with the biggie - after the bug surprise get together, my mum messaged to say she had covid. So I've spent half the week as a headless chicken trying not to panic at all the vulnerable people I've been about. (My mum is fine, otherwise that would have been the primary concern!) 

No, back to the start. Missy injured her shoulder - nothing serious, but it's been short walks and bed rest for 3 weeks now, and she's getting frustrated. Her health behind the scenes isn't spectacular, but it's being monitored and I'll update when I know what's going on. The vets assure me it's nothing serious, but it's hard not to fret. 

Big sister is struggling with a full plate owing to I'll health in the wider family and her own health. Sound familiar? Unlike my other sister, big sister doesn't take time out for herself and then ends up off loading to you in a 2 hour long phone call. Every attempt to get her away from the house to have time to herself doing something she wants gets cancelled because of the family. 

Which included today. I did not intend to do very much with the Coronation today (we have my friends coming tomorrow with the neice and nephew to have a Coronation themed lunch), but I did want to do something a little more than being stuck in my same four walls again.

So I ended up having a sewing day and listened to the Coronation on the radio. It was a productive sewing day (grand unveil next week) and I got some magic props made for my nephews party. I cheered up in the end, but it's been an odd run for me.

Still, adventures are planned for next week when Missy should be fully recovered (she already is, but the vet said to give her a week longer than we feel she needs). We also have a certain little Pouty McPoutface coming for a girls weekend, so even if it all goes wrong, there's bound to be a funny story to tell! 

Lady of the Manor

Just a quick one this week! Hubby was working, so Missy and I met up with a friend at Newhailes for market day. We both went in promising to be good and not spend any money and, well, two sets of cashmere wristwarmers and a slice of cake later, I'd broken my vow. Missy got herself some goats ears and a snuffle ball and my friend got herself wristwarmers, a hat, a headband, a cake and some bread - so I think we broke even! 

Needless to say, there was some great stalls at market day. 

My friend and I had lunch together, and a nice walk before finding some deck chairs in the sun and chatting away. It was good to just catch up and hang out. Missy seemed to be a minor celeb, she conned the dog stall out of (almost) all of thier free samples as she looked similar to a dog they once had. Then a very small, very tiny little toddling baby wanted to say hi as we relaxed in the lawn. Missy (after the parents asked permission to approach) ate the proffered grass much to the babies absolute delight and allowed the child to pat her. Then we had an older group of kids (about 8/9 years) ask to say hello. The Main Girl and her two token boys quickly formed a wee circle about Missy who just lay there and enjoyed the hugs. The girl told me all about her old dog (who Missy looked just like) and then told me about her cats. The boys piped up about thier cats too and, as swiftly as they arrived, they were off again.

I'm very used to this now, but my friend still gets caught off guard now and again about the magnetic powers of a quiet, relaxed dog bedecked in Disney. (Missy was not in her token pink, for Spring I've had her in her Winnie the Pooh collar and it was the Disney dog lead I had picked up that morning).

We laughed about it and carried on solving the riddles of the universe sat on pink deck chairs, holding take away tea and Missy snoring in the sun.

Sunday was a Lead the Way walk at Murieston. Despite 5 tickets sold, only one person arrived. I handed over the goody bag and explained the usual choices of lead or no lead and was told that Gizmo, the rescue Jack Russell, was fine so long as Missy didn't really approach at him or bark or anything. 

And I knew at that that they would get along brilliantly. Gizmo, a classic Jack Russell in size and appearance, was immediately enamoured with Missy who played hard to get, passively sniffing in his direction now and again whilst he steadfastly followed her and sniffed every blade of grass Missy sniffed. 

The hour was over in no time and, with promises of more dog walks, we went our separate ways. 

I spent the rest of the day in the garden. April is a busy time where a lot of industry is done with not very much shown for it! Still, the potatoes and peas are showing thier little heads, and I have a dozen little tomatoes huddled up in the greenhouse. All is going to plan! 

There was another friend visiting that evening and board games were played. Truly, a perfect little weekend! 

That's a Wrap on Easter!

It's been a very strange week. Firstly, the in laws arrived on Monday for the theatre (the Music of Harry Potter) on the Tuesday. They stayed until Thursday which was meant to be my day to reorganise the house for our friends and thier twins to come stay.

Except on Monday we found out one parent had covid, and by Wednesday, so had the other. So our action packed weekend with the neice and nephew was cancelled. I won't lie, I'm absolutely devastated for the kids, they were so excited to come over, but after the in law visit, I was gubbed, so a long weekend to myself to get on with jobs was just what I needed. 

And of course, it wasn't all work and no play - I scheduled in several nice dog walks. Firstly was the House of the Binns. This site has been on our radar for a long time (I mean, bins? So what, is there a wheelie bin collection or something?). But it hasn't been advertised as dog friendly, until now. My friend works on thier social media team, and informed me that dogs were allowed, on lead, and they had to be good with livestock. 

Missy checks those boxes, so I met up with her on her lunch break and she got some nice photos of Missy for use in the future socials. After a short walk, I said cheerio and did the 1.5hour parkland walk. 

Absolutely worth the effort. Stunning views (who doesn't love a folly?), a good solid walk somehow new for Missy, and now I have ideas to pass onto my friend for site improvements. A very good day! 

After our solo adventure, hubby joined me on Saturday to the National Museum of Rural Life. As with Fridays adventure, dogs had to be on a short lead, good with livestock and not permitted within buildings. It finally happened, I started to feel "Eastery" (like Christmassy, but for lambs and bunnies and the start of nice weather).

I had lost my springtime zest with the cancellation of our neice and nephew (like Christmas, children really make the occasion), so was delighted to be cheered in the soul again. This site offered a working farm (yes, I triple checked the number of piglets, Missy was besotted, as always) with a historic farmhouse set up as in the late 1800s which hubby and I took turns to look about. The farm cat kept a close eye on Missy, and we joked about having her show that her pockets we're empty - no piglets or lambs had been smuggled away. 

Then at the other end of the site was a farming museum of the area, which again, we took turns around. My visit was brief in the museum, but there was lots of interesting things to see and read. My favourite was a wall mounted row of horse drawn ploughs, the further away the more modern it was.

I think all my neices and nephews would enjoy this one, so I expect we'll be back again! 

Lastly, today was Traquair House, my brothers suggestion. As above, on lead and not indoors, but with less emphasis on farmlife (although there was a pig, which Maisie did not like and barked at whilst Missy nearly took my shoulder out its socket in her earnest desire to say hello to it). My mum also came along and sat out of some of the dog walking in favour of visiting the house.

My brother was initially disappointed that all of the Easter events were for kids (I agreed, I think a grown-ups race through the maze for eggs would have been hilarious) but at the same time, didn't take it to heart.

We did get in the maze towards the end of the day, and it was definitely a highlight. Probably one of the best hedge mazes in Scotland (which dogs were allowed in, always a bonus! Maisie tried to swim in the river and took umbridge at the Easter Bunny (a very tall man in taller stilts), barking at him once his back was safely turned towards her.

And that's it, that's the week! I did get on top of the house, and the grass has had it's first cut. The greenhouse is packed with tiny pots of mud full of potential, eagerly awaiting the summertime. 

Not a bad rescue of the weekend, it I do say so myself! Although I think I'll take Easter Monday off to recover! 

Until next time! 

A Paws for Prom

Well, we did it. Two Sundays (and about 2/3 hours during the week), and the impossible happened:

Neice got *the* prom dress she always wanted. 

It's satin. It's teal (the bluest shade of teal, but it's definitely green in certain lights). It has lace up back. It has a sweetheart neckline.

Insert your favourite fan girl meme or gif, because we had it. Eldest neice is absolutely delighted. 

It was a bit too big of a sewing challenge for her, so I did do the bulk of the sewing, but neice cut the pattern and the fabric and had a good try at sewing before admitting defeat at the slippery texture of the satin. So I'm calling it a win.

With the in-laws due next week, my evenings have been spent tidying up all the odds and ends of projects I have lying about, which is the most effective form of cleaning! Missy has been well and, with the arrival of the sun, has relocated herself to permanently sunbathing. It's funny watching her magically appear, panting away before flopping on the cool carpet whilst outside is barely above 6C. I don't think it'll be long before her fur goes red again!

Wee Ben was certainly more pleased to see her than she him today. I think she's worried we'll have him for 2 weeks again (whereby she doesn't get bed privileges on the slow mornings)! He soon swayed her round and they were cuddled up sleeping on the sofa together.

Although, judging by the photo below of the fright he got from her, I'm not sure he'll be so pleased next time! 

Until then! 

The Lurgy and the Cursed Ticket

It's been a WEEK. 

Firstly it was a busy run with 3 days in the office, where I held 6 interviews and and had an in person all team meeting. I'm not used to the socialisation anymore and was wiped out by the Thursday.

Then came Friday. I blame the office and hubby blames my metabolism, but either way, Friday was a write off. Down with a vomiting bug, I accomplished nothing. I fell asleep during everything I tried to watch, dribbled on my book in slumber and couldn't even manage to stay in the bath. (To be fair, when hubby queried how "cool" it was, he was right in that I view a bath as "just right" when you could boil a lobster in it, definitely not wise when unwell, no matter how sore the kidneys).

I did shuffle around a dog walk, feeling like the undead, and apologised profusely to Missy at the shortness of it. She had gotten bored of the duvet day hours previously and had abandoned me to sunbathe in the window. 

Which leads me to the Cursed Tickets. We'd been offered cheap tickets to the Music of John Williams Concert as my friends aunt and uncle could no longer go. Excellent. Then I got ill and there was no way I'd have been able to survive the trip, let alone the concert. We. Asked. Everyone.

Friends - other commitments or not feeling great. Family - all ill with various maladies. Hubby even tried to fob them off on work colleagues who deemed them cursed and wouldn't touch them.

Even my friends mum almost pulled out due to a bad ankle injury (she did go in the end), but truly, cursed.

Then Saturday, after being put to bed with a new teddy, some rice crackers and sugary ribena, I woke up right as rain. 

Typical. 

Missy did not approve of my emotional support shark taking the sofa!

Saturday we'd promised to see friends, so we kept it a short visit. Our friend with long covid really needed a wee break from the kids (his wife is away visiting family), so we took them on a dog walk and to a very nice playpark, returning them absolutely exhausted. 

Then today I had my eldest niece round for a big sewing project: her prom dress! I am flattered she thinks so highly of my skills, and, halfway through, she's absolutely delighted with how it's shaping up.

It truly felt like spring today with the clocks going forward. At least, it did until it snowed. 

Can't win them all! At least I managed my gardening in the sun this morning, there are grand plans for the fruit and veg this year - Good Life, here we come! 

La Fête des Mères

 

Another Disneyland Paris trip down - so I'm feeling decidedly French at the moment! 

Its been a busy few weeks - the leadership course I've enrolled on at work has kicked off and I found myself shortlisting candidates and coordinating interviews for a summer intern position. Then I had my niece round Friday afternoon to sort out one photos for her art project and to make a start on her prom dress. I shall update progress reports on that accordingly! 

Following that, I had a very quiet Saturday before going to my friends on Sunday to crash over in preparation for an early morning flight. 

Key notes of the holiday:

Friend 1 is cursed. She broke her toe 3 weeks ago and both flights were delayed, our return journey had to undergo safety checks having struck a bird. 

Friend 2 is as bad for people watching as myself. Her favourite past time quickly turned out to be watching the character interactions as we waited in the queues. She also had an overwhelmed mini meltdown meeting Stitch for the first time. She was more composed for our second attempt, and managed to get some photos where she wasnt crying out of sheer overwhelmed happiness.

There is no such thing as too many layers. I peaked at 5. Just because the forecast says 11C, doesnt mean its warm, the parks are awful for windchill. But saying that, if you find a sunny spot, practise your best cat impression and bask. It will be glorious. 

We clocked in a whopping 11 meet and greets, covering 17 characters in the 3 days. Friend 1 did not do well with the rides, so we fell back on meet and greets and had a whale of a time. 

Following a very late return, I was glad to have Saturday to myself. Hubby was working and, though that meant both dog walks, I was quite happy with that arrangement. We'll, at least until Missy decided that she had got over the excitement of my return and gave me the cold shoulder/side eye for the day. 

She forgave me this morning and arrived from her morning walk with a card and malteasers for me, as is tradition. We followed the day up with getting some errands done about the house before going to explore the Banchory Village (aka the abandoned insane asylum). It's slowly getting smaller and smaller as the developer is progressing with rearing down the original buildings. I will be quite sad to see it go. 

We popped by Dobbies to get some new fish and adopted a new tree for the garden. I was told 4 fruit trees meant an orchard, so I'm 1 down with 3 to go! (it's a cherry tree, which brings us full circle to Disney for those in the know) 

Time to get organised for a busy work week! Until next time!

Rosettes and Butterflies

It's been a busy wee day! To start with we went to Muirfield Riding Therapys doggy fun show (the first of hopefully many this year). We put Missy in for Veteran (8+), Best Rescue and Fancy Dress. I'll tell you now, I did not envy the judges at all - all of the dogs were absolutely gorgeous. Missy made some new friends, including Wilson who was a fellow competitor for Veteran:

Neither of them placed, but we had a laugh waiting on the judges. They did take it very seriously, asking about breed, age, health and so on! It's the first dog show I've done whicj was indoors and, whilst the sun was out, it was very chilly, so we were glad of the roof and, even better, the heating in the viewing gallery. There was tea and bacon rolls to buy, as well as some stalls selling nice doggy bits (Missy fleeced the lady selling liver treats out of most of her free samples). 

Then came Best Rescue. Whilst I always maintain that I honestly don't mind if we win or not, deep down of course you think your dog is the best. And this is was gonna be another hard one for the judges as I eavesdropped on the sob stories. I kept my rapport with them short and sweet, she was a stray, we're not entirely sure who chose who, she really just wants cuddles and calm and a full belly, so much so, we've been doing carehome visits with Pets as Therapy. Well, I like to think I sold her well, but truth be told, Missy did her best flirting with the judges and lo and behold, we placed first.

After that, we had two categories before fancy dress and found ourselves chatting to the other "champions" who were waiting in the last category, the champion of champions. We found ourselves in good company as we alll fawned over each others dogs and wished them well at the end.

Of course we never won fancy dress, that was always going to go to the kids, but I was floored by the creativity of the costumes. We had Beauty and the Beast (a Vizla), a collie surfer dog complete with cardboard surfboard and baby shark plushie and the winner:

A pony! For a competition held by a riding school, it was absolute genius. 

Next year though, I may have to "borrow" a niece or nephew. 

Then it was champion of champions, which went to a family with spaniels and then we were done for the day. Our friends had recommended Archerfield Walled Garden to us the previous week, so we drove over and decided to stretch legs there rather than bother the ponies in thier paddocks. 

There was a labyrinth, a willow tree walk and a fairy walk. We mooched about for an hour or so and then headed back home.

A busy day, but very good fun!