Look! It's a red one

Look! It's a red one, as a red squirrel dashed across the road as we neared our destination. Looking for a week of country peace, this was a good start. We have come to stay in deepest Galloway, no noise except for birds, bees and cows. No technology, except for an iPad and a camera, but, as there is minimal internet those don't really count. Oh, and for noise I should have added in the gentle clicking of needles and the scraping of a knife tidying up plastic model kit pieces.

 

 

This was yesterday, not the 1950's. The road entrance was slightly blocked, by a herd of cows that weren't at all fazed by a large, black car. William actually had to get out of the car and shoo them away.

 

Prior to getting here we went to Culzean Castle were they were doing a reanactment day, Bruce's men to Vietnam. Some military vehicles were shot to add to Williams reference library, and I was shot by him while doing so! Someone actually recognised the camo I was wearing, Swiss Alpenflage, turned out he was ex Swiss army himself. Best camo ever for photo stuff, masses of built in pockets, and most people don't even realise it is real, plenty of odd stares, but not the same as when wearing British army stuff.

Plenty of flowers here and today as I was sitting quietly knitting a hare hopped up beside me and sat watching me while I watched him (or her). A smallish one, so I think this years crop. Didn't have a camera to hand. Lots of bees and insects as well.

 

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!8 Years

Jenny's 18th birthday. The youngest one is officially an adult. Having cleaned and hoovered the house and garden, tidied up, bought and cooked an awful lot of food we were finally there. I think the party was a success.  Jenny seemed to enjoy herself anyway.

Thinking back to the other major occasion of her birth. She always was awkward. Having threatened to arrive for weeks before she should, and having had me in and out of hospital like a yo yo, the day finally came. Lower segment Caesarian section using a spinal anaesthetic. Should have taken fifteen minutes, maximum. But it seemed to go on and on, and I could feel the anaesthetist getting more agitated 'Should I top up?' 'Again?'. Eventually the fateful words came 'I can't do this, can you call the consultant'. You could have heard a pin drop. The theatre sister was frantically shushing him and making gestures to the orderly. The anaesthetist politely said ' the patient, and her husband are awake'. The consultant came, order was restored. Jenny was hauled forth into the world and the registrar (now reduced to helper) said 'You have a boy!'. The theatre sister said 'I think you need to review your anatomy lesions, SHE'S beautiful' .

Baby and Adoring Dad

Cakes, cakes and more cakes

It's Jenny's 18th barbecue tomorrow, and today's job was baking. 

- lemon drizzle

- lemon and almond

- Victoria sponge

- dense chocolate cake

- carrot cake

- meringues 

I  started at 8am, and have just finished, 9 pm, although I still have some icing to do tomorrow.

We are also having muffins (3 types), and , of course, all the usual barbecue food.

I also managed to finish and block the Love Potion 1 Shawl. I am very pleased with it, lovely and cosy, and very soft, mixtures  of silk and merino, in greens and blues.  Now I can cast on something new, oh, the choice!

 

Birthdays and Babies

Today is my father-in-laws birthday. I have made a cake, plain, 'cos that's how he likes them. He's a grumpy of codger, so I hope he appreciates it. We are also having a Chinese and Mo and Macy are meeting us there as a surprise. It's a bit of a bittersweet occasion as its likely to be the last birthday that he will really appreciate, although dementia is very unpredictable.

The Chinese was good, comes from a very tatty looking carry-out, but very tasty and the cake went down well. Good thing, as I had to get Nicky out of bed to go and get eggs and butter. Organisational skills are not one of my strong points! Cake making is though. It would be a disaster if I was at home all the time as I would do non-stop baking (as well as knitting) and would probably put on all the weight I have so effortfully lost, and more besides.

Macy is 18 months old. She was born on her great grandmothers birthday so is named after her Macy Lily. She was tired when she arrived and not up to being social with strangers, but eventually became more enthusiastic and took me around the garden to look at the flowers. I even got a daisy picked and presented to me.

Grandmum and Macy

F-in-L was in a really good frame of mind. Very pleased with the small party, and very attentive to Macy. He's come around a lot to her as initially he didn't approve of her, he's definitely of the generation where any partnerships should be of the regular married type, and all else is anathema. It's interesting how social mores change, up and down like an old fashioned swing.

Great granddad and Macy

That reminds me of the fair I used to go to as a child. It was always in the big field at the end of the street, and came at the end of summer. Very decorous in the afternoon, but got wilder in the evening and I wasn't allowed to stay late. They had a merry-go-round with horses painted gold, and swings with the two person boat type seats that you pulled back on forth. My father used to take me on those.  They were the most exciting thing I'd ever done, you could see right over the trees. I don't think you ever see them nowadays. One year I fell off the roundabout, and had to limp along the road to my aunts with blood streaming down my leg. If a child did that now I expect there would be a great fuss made, law suits threatened, and the like. Then it was just 'now get up, and go and clean up' and I didn't even get my sixpence back. 

Old Fashioned Excitement