Thank you Ds Design for the lovely graphic.

Good Morning, thought I would make an early start today before Stuart gets back from his art class and we have lunch as I have a busy afternoon ahead.  We have to do the nursery run today that means a trip to Perth and back to collect Ellen.  She is no bother at all she is usually tired when we get in and she just likes to climb up on the sofa and watch Tom and Jerry or the likes while she has a drink and a biscuit. She has her box of toys she plays with the favourite thing being you know the gold balls on a long string we use at Christmas well she will play with that for hour sit can be a skipping rope or a magic circle what ever she likes.  We don't have here too long as Richard or Lisa will pick her up and being Friday they both finish early so I will have to be smart with her tea.  It has been a lovely week weather wise up here dry and the sun has been shining most of the time.  I looked out of my front window yesterday and my prized violas were all lying down for want of a drink I don't think I have ever had to water pots at this time of year before so the weather is surely drier for us as well. There was a email circulating this morning about emails and I have been meaning to say that before I started my journal I never had any emails unless they were junk now I always have a full mailbox and I do enjoy it you feel so special when you hear the lady from AOL saying You've got email. Thank you to you all for making me feel special. Well I had better go and see about lunch as Stuart will be in a 10 minutes. Wonder what he will have painted today think it was going to be a Still Life. Bye for now. Love

                       

 

 

 

Tuesday.

                                    

Good Morning, this is one of those days when you sit down at the keyboard and have not got the slightest idea what you are going to write about.  Its all been very quiet up here the last few day.  The family are home from there holiday in Majorca and said they had a lovely time. We have not seen them yet but will later in the week. On Sunday it was a lovely day up here and we pottered in the garden and sat reading for a while it was great, not hot, you did need a sweater on but it was very pleasant.  Yesterday we had a trip to St Andrews and again it was a lovely day we had a nice walk and did a bit of shopping.  I have been using a new product this last week called Johnson's Holiday Skin Body Lotion. You use it every day and very gradually you skin turns a light tanned shade.  Its not like the tanning lotion it is more subtle than that. Its selling at half price in Boots just now)  We go on holiday to Brancaster Staithe in Norfolk a  week on Saturday and I did not want to look like a milk bottle if I took my jumper off which I hope to be able to do.  Have started to get things ready and making the usual list.  We had a great list on the PC and all we had to do was print off a copy when we needed it but the last time the PC crashed we lost it so am having to start again. Its not for clothes and things its more for items like the rucksack the torch item like that that you are liable to forget.  It is a lovely sunny day here after early morning rain but it is very very windy which is spoiling the day a bit.  Just come back from the hairdresser having a trim, she, the hairdresser has just come back from Lanzarote and she was complaining that this terrible wind that blew all week and they could not sit out. What a waste all that sun and not being able to sit in it. If we get nice weather on holiday the cottage we are staying in has a small courtyard garden at the back and is very sheltered that is if I get time to sit depending on what the bird watching is like, it is usually very good at this time of year. I always come back very fit as we walk so much on the reserves. Well for a day that I did not have anything much to say I think I have waffled on long enough. Hope you all have a lovely day. Love                          

Saturday.

Good Evening, as Stuart is watching the footy I thought I would share a couple of pictures I took last night in the evening sunshine round the front of the house.  Do you remember back in January I bought two round containers reduced to £1 each well this is how they have turned out. I am so pleased they are both in full flower with these lovely Violas. I really only bought them for the empty container but thought I would leave them in a sheltered spot to see if they would flower again. I think I got my moneys worth as they are selling them just now for £9-99 each and they are not so nice as mine.  Been busy today we or should I say Stuart cleaned out the shed and made so much room we has enough space to sit and have a coffee (Been watching too much of Monty's gardening program on a Friday). We then loaded up the back of the car and made a trip down to the Recycling Centre or the Dump in old money, so job well done old lawn mower and strimmer away and a few other odds and ends that had accumulated over the last months. We just have a small garden and don't have room for any rubbish but always found it hard to remember when the Recycling Centre was open. I had a thought and put the opening times on the computer so any time I need to know its there, great. Well am feeling a bit peckish so will go and do some cooking have a good evening. Love

Sara made this graphic for me.

Chi Chi Chi Chi I Love You Very Much

                                         

Thank you all for having a go at guessing who I was in the picture. All got it right and was the only one yes I was Carmen Miranda. I made the headdress myself out of a elasticated valance and stitched on all the plastic fruit I had a great time doing it. When I was a little girl I had a bracelet with a charm on it of the lady herself, don't know how I remember this as I was only about 3 at the time but I can still see the bracelet in my minds eye. I went onto the net yesterday to look for a picture of her and found her website and there she was singing away. She has been dead for over 50 years and is still very famous in Brazil. Me, well I have put on a few pounds well more that a few but that's high blood pressure for you and HRT but will keep trying to get them off again. So its off for my porridge and a coffee. Have an nice day. Love

                                               

The ladies Club.

                        

                                    

Good Afternoon everybody, sorry if I have had your alerts going crazy but have had a bit of trouble with this old picture.  In the 70's and 80's I was a member of a Ladies Club in the new town where we used to live. There was not a lot to do in these times and the ladies club was very popular. We had talks, quizzes, outings and parties etc.. We had great fun and the last I heard it was still going strong.  Great fun was had at some of our events and the picture above is a Halloween party. This is just a few of 'The Ladies' all dressed up for our party. I am in the picture, but I am not going to tell you which one is me. I want you to guess. I remember another time I went dressed in my wedding dress with added bows as Little Bow Peep oh! the memories. I was surprised when I thought of the dates I was looking for it just does not seem that long ago to me. Maybe calling ourselves ladies is a bit dating but you could not call it a 'persons club' could you? I served on the committee for many years and finally became Club President but it was a great confidence builder which stood me in good stead later in life. Don't think I could get up and speak in public now but I did enjoy it back then.

Today has been a rainy day here but I think the garden will have been glad of the drink as we have had this very drying wind these last few days. Well I think I had better go now and see what we are going to have for our tea, this entry has taken me ages to do and the time has just flown by. Hope you all have a great evening don't know what we will watch tonight as I don't see much on maybe we will have to watch a DVD or a tape.  Bye for now.

Graphic thanks to D's Design & Cab Creations.

This and That and Goldfish Bowls.

Good evening very late for me to do an entry tonight but Stuart is watching the football and Holy is finished so I thought I would take this opportunity to do my journal as it is a few days since I last said a word or ten. First of all thank you all for wishing me better from this cold it is much better now and on the way out thank goodness. Had a phone call this afternoon saying that my new blind is ready and will be fitted tomorrow. I am delighted at that news as these last two weeks it has been like living in a goldfish bowl, everybody that walks past seems to look in, I been out to the pavement and you really cannot see in if the lights are not on but it does not seem to make any difference they still look. I have felt like waving to them sometimes in fact one of my neighbours who is known for her nosiness waved in as she passed. We have always had a blind on that window for that reason but we have had to wait till this one was ready as Stuart did not want to put the old one up again and make extra holes in the new window frame. We went for a run in the car yesterday and I must admit the countryside is at last coming to life.  Everywhere we went it was daffodils and more daffodils and some blossom trees all looking spectacular in the sunshine. Today up in Perth the beautiful Weeping Willows were just coming out I did take pictures of them but deleted them by mistake silly me will try again next time were are up in Perth I think that's about all my musing for tonight so I will goodnight and God Bless. Love

                                      Joan.

 

Easter Greetings

              

 

Good Afternoon, first of all may I congratulate you all on your Easter entries these last few days they have all been lovely and very thoughtfully put together you are all so clever again well done.  This is just going to be a short entry to wish you all a very Happy Easter. I am not very well I have this streaming cold and am feeling pretty rotten hope it goes away soon as my wee nose is getting a bit sore.  Again have a great Easter and hope the weather is to your liking.  Love and

                        

                  

                

                       D's Design 

Good Afternoon, Have been having a busy day catching up after all our gallivanting this week.  We had someone coming to measure for new vertical blinds for the big window this morning arrived early so unusual nowadays but was good as we had other thing waiting. After a quick coffee  Stuart had a appointment for a badly needed haircut he has curly hair so it had all gone wavy and curly at the back but it has been so cold who wants to get a haircut. I went in the car and had a wee walk round the village while Stu got shorn. We then went to our local recycling and did the glass box boy was that full. Back home and the last load of washing was ready for going out.  When I got up this morning there was not a cloud in the sky so I did all the bedclothes on our bed so by now they should all be dry.  We have just come back from our walk it looks lovely but it is still cold and it is blowing a gale out there so for once we did not enjoy it at all I have a sore leg (old age I think) and Stuart had a pain in his chest with the wind I hope, he says it going away now so I will keep my fingers crossed that's the end of it. Just rambling a bit as I have nothing much news worthy to tell you today. Not expecting any visitors over Easter as Richard Lisa and Ellen are on their summer holidays in Majorca at the moment and still have another week.  They are not keen on it hot so this time of year suits them fine as you can do more. Well am off to try to plant some Dahlia seeds to bring on on the windowsill.  One thing more about my new windows sorry to go on but the frame on my kitchen window is about 2 inches less at the bottom and I can now see most of the garden out the back as I am working away before I could only see the top end as I am on just over 5 feet tall  did not think of this so it has been a bonus for me. Bye for now hope you are having a lovely day.  Love

Sara made this on for me.                     

A Little bit of this and that.

Good Evening, just wanted to let you see my Hibiscus again remember I let you see pictures of it a few weeks ago well this is what I came down to this morning is'nt it beautiful I am so pleased with this plant this is the third time of flowering in less than a year.  You can see outside on this picture it was taken during a downpour and the wind was blowing really hard to it was quite a mini storm, the two young lads across the road were out trying to repair a car and they were soaked to the skin and to make matters worse they have an empty garage thought it was silly but who am I to judge.  Have been out and about the last few days as the weather has been a lot nicer in fact until the rain at teatime it was dare I say it Spring like. Will leave you with another picture of my prize plant I was trying out the macro setting on my camera and I was pleased with the result. Goodnight and God Bless. Love Joan.

               

Just dropping in to let you know that I have updated my Bird watching diary. Love Joan.

http://journals.aol.co.uk/jaymact1/JoansBirdwatchingDiary

Thinking of Paris.

                                                  

  

This morning Stuart was watching The Paris Marathon and it set me to thinking about a holiday I had 50 years ago. As you know my Mum and dad had a motor bike and sidecar and this was one of our holiday.  The runners this morning were running along The Bois De Boulogne and I remembered that is where were camping while we were in Paris.  Unfortunately while we visited the city I was unwell with badly swollen glands something that has bothered me all my life especially on holiday it must be the change of water and i still get it till this day. I was trying to remember what the camping site looked like was my memory was very vague it was not till Stuart said that was 50years ago that I saw the reason for my bad recollection.  I can still remember gong up the Arc De Triomphe and dinning out. It was all so impressive in 1956 to a young girl.

       Have been very busy today getting started in the garden Stuart got all the spring pruning finished that i stated yesterday. I managed to get all the patio furniture steam cleaned so we can sit on it again as it has to stay out all winter due to lack of space.  We even managed a coffee sitting outside in the sun the first of the season a bit later than usual. Better go now and get tidied up as I still have seeds I want to get started on the windowsill. Have a lovely day. Bye and love,  

                       

Thank to D's Design for graphic.

What a week

                  

Hi  everybody, thought I would never see the end of this week, however all work now completed it all went very smoothly and the weather stayed fair on Wednesday so we stayed dry if frozen.  The week started with Stuart trying to get an appointment with the doctor to see about getting and injection in his shoulder for this Arthritis. The Doctor that specialises in this procedure was off on Monday so he managed to get an appointment for Tuesday.  Off he went on Tuesday thinking he would get the injection but no he got a prescription for it, the chemist had to order it so he had to collect it on Wednesday.  On Wednesday he phoned the surgery to make an appointment for that day (as is the way with our surgery) only to be told by a machine the surgery was closed for a training meeting till 11 30am. Stuart phoned back then to be told that the doctor he had to see was finished for the day. Great. We were however able to make an appointment for Thursday morning at 9 10am.  So at last we were all sorted out.  The injection itself was very painful and he was not allowed to do anything for 48hrs after it but he would not have been able to and his arm and shoulder was so painful. The picture above of him with Ellen shows his high colour he was like a beetroot all day but he is not so bad today. The day the windows were fitted went like a dream and not to messy the guys were very good and tidied up most of their mess. What do think we are very pleased and the big window in the lounge is not cold any more.  Unfortunately my vertical blinds are about 6 inches short so I will have to replace them. We had a false windowsill fitted and that is no longer in place so therefore the blinds are short. The blinds are not all that old as they were new ones we fitted about two years ago but still it will just finish off the window nicely and our bank balance lol. I will try to get the pictures of our holiday in as soon as but they are needing a bit of editing as with the weather being so bad they have come out a bit dark and I will have to brighten them up a bit. I am now going to have a rant about inflation.  Do you remember the good old days when a visit to the loo was a penny, well the price up herehas just gone up to 30p that's 6/0shillings in old money which I think is absolutely ridiculous what do you think. I was in Pitlochry last summer and it was 50p there lets see if we can find the most expensive loo in Britain. So I will leave you and see if I can get in the garden for an hour if it a bit warmer than it was this morning. Bye for now.

                             

 

More plants for free.

                                  

Good Afternoon, lovely day up here for a change sun has been shining most of the day but there is still that cold North Westerly wind but still at least it is dry.  Stuart was out in the garden this morning for a wee while.  We had a Holly tree growing in front of the lounge window that had self seeded and we wanted to save it before the workmen come on Wednesday, as we wanted to try and grow it in a pot. So that done he had a fine potter around while I was tidying up in the kitchen so it surely must not have been too cold as Stuart cannot stand the cold these days with all the tablets he takes to keep his blood thin. After lunch, gee I have kept him busy today, I got him to remove a false window sill we had built along the floor in the lounge that will not be of any use once the new window goes in.  There were quite a few dead spiders at the back of it but being dead they did not scare Stuart as he has a thing about spiders.  It would be lovely if we could get the grass cut but the ground is far to wet at the moment I think there was a lot of rain here last week when we were away. Back again Stuart just call me down that was the rain on and I had a washing out so we had to run out, me and my big mouth saying the sun was shining. I will say bye for now am going down to watch last weeks Desperate Housewives we taped it while we were away. Have a nice evening. Love

                             

Sara made this sig for me.

The Painting

                    

Hi again for those who have been asking no these paintings are not Stuarts just prints I found on the net and liked.  Love

 

                                                            

Hi I'm Back.

                             

 

Hi everybody just a short entry today as I am very busy trying to get all the washing and ironing done and all up to date before the workmen come on Wednesday to do the double glazing.  Just had a break there my next door neighbour has just been in and said she will leave us her key so we can go and sit next door while the workmen have all my windows out as the weather up here is still very cold. I thought that was very nice of her but she is that kind of person always very kind and cannot do enough for us. Our holiday was lovely and I will post the photographs in the day or so. The weather was absolutely diabolical we had rain more rain snow turning into blizzards a little bit of sun and more rain and wind.  On one of the days we were going to go for a walk from the car, Stuart got out first and he could not even get his coat on the wind was so strong, we had to give up. We were hardly out of the car at all but had lots of runs and picnics but were not able to get out much at all. I said I would like to see the snow on the mountains before I left well I got my wish and how as you will see when I show you the pictures. Well I will have to go as we are going to visit our son and his wife as it is his birthday today 37 can't believe it. So I will say bye for now and have a peaceful Sunday. Love