Thank you Donna for the lovely graphic.

Good Morning, I thought I would do a earlier entry today while I am waiting patiently for the sun to warm up the temperature outside as it has been a bit nippy this morning with a north wind. Its not all that windy but it is cool so I hope the sun does its work and I can get out with my book shortly. I have been busy on my view Book journal this week and have managed about 10 entries so far trying to catch up on all the books I have read this year so far, am up to May so I am nearly there. Thank you if you have been over for a visit hope you enjoyed what I have written.
The family will be home this evening from their holiday in Cyprus. Chatted to Richard on Friday morning and he said it had been over 40 degrees last week. As you know Richard was a racing cyclist when he was younger and still trains on his bike. When he is on holiday abroad he usually hires a bike but with the weather being so hot this time he has had to go our at six in the morning so he is back before it get too hot about about nine o'clock. When they were there in the spring he said it was lovely. They are the only people in the complex at the moment as the rest of the owners are at home just now as they know it is too hot . My sons Mum and Dad own the villa they are visiting and he said it was just a stones throw from the beach and they do have their own pool too so they are lucky. Ellen's swimming has come on a treat and Richard says she is never out of the water just like her dad and this Grandma when she was young.
Think thats about it for today will try to get some book entries done while I am waiting for the temperature  to rise. Have a lovely Sunday.    Love
                                          Joan

Here's the address of my new books journal......

http://journals.aol.co.uk/jaymact1/joans-musings-book-journal./
Tags:

A Childhood Memory.

                                 

Good Afternoon, not a bad day here a bit cloudy but very close with an odd spot or two of rain but nothing very much.  Have just come back from the dentist not me this time but Stuart. He  had been for his check up a couple of weeks  ago and had to have a filling redone today as it was a bit slack. This got me thinking of the terror I used to have of going to the dentist when I was a child. I used to attend what was know as the school dentist these two words give me the willies even today.  I was still at primary school at this time and used to go alone on the tramcar to visit this torture chamber. The year must have been about 1951ish and I had all my fillings of which I had many done when they eventually got me in the chair without anaesthetic. I got myself in such a state that by the time it came for my turn I was in the loo with sickness and diarrhoea it was horrendous I used to miss my appointment and have to wait again it was such an ordeal I can remember it so clear. One other thing that is very clear in my mind I had to have five teeth removed under gas and I heard as clear as day The Saber Dance playing in my head it took a long time to discover what the music was but again it is so clear. After a few of these visits my parents eventually took me to a private dentist and I was a lot better but I did have a fear of the dentist for many many years but now I am glad to say I am OK with it and go every three months for my de scale and polish not bother at all.
Sorry to tell this tale but I wondered if anybody else had to go to 'The School Dentist'?.
Bye for now have a great evening. Love
                                                      Joan.

Happy 2nd Birthday Dear Journal

                               

Good Afternoon J-land, today is the second birthday of Joan's Musings two years ago today I saw the word blog on my home page and clicked it and the rest is history so here I am 382 entries later still going strong and hope to do so for a long tome to come God willing. When I was counting the entries just now I noticed that this year I have been very irregular but I have not had that much to say of late but will try harder the next few months of the year to make amends.  I would like to say thank you to all who visit me give me advice and keep me cheerful when I need it and thank you for letting me read all about your happenings it keeps me going many a day. Thank You.
You may or not remember that Stuart gave me a 'Reading Notes' note book at Christmas and I have kept it up faithfully with all my reading, that being so I have started penning another journal about my reading and writing a review about each book, I am able to do this because of the  little book Stu bought me. It is not ready for reading yet but I will send you the address when I get it up to date it will take me a day or two yet to get all the entries done.
Have been watching the Tour de France today as they are in the Pyrenees today in a long mountain stage. The scenery is spectacular. Again the tour has been marred by drugs as one of the main contenders has tested positive for blood doping. It is such a shame as these riders that are clean work so hard all year for this event and this happens. Most newspapers don't report every day on The Tour until this sort of thing happens then it is front page news it would be nice if they reported the positive side to this great event.
That's it for today will have to get downstairs to see the guys climbing the next mountain The Col De Marie Blanc.
                                           Love,
                                             Joan.

         

                                  Col De Marie Blanc.

Alls Well

 Good Afternoon, just relaxing today after the trials and tribulations of changing the modem on the PC.  Did we have a day of it on Wednesday we ended up barely speaking for a while but did get it sorted eventually. We have had Broadband for the two and a half years but it was not very good so when wonderful AOL offered to speed things up we were all for it. We did not know we would have to change modems. Remember we received one in the post on Tuesday and thought it might help to speed things up on the PC as lately it has been very slow. On Wednesday morning we started the change over. We put in the disc sent with the new modem and it said to move so that the modem and the PC we near to the main phone socket. Our PC is in the study upstairs so we thought we would try it up here first as it would cause a big upheaval to move everything.  After much plugging in etc we tried got to the test page we failed so the only thing we could do was to take the PC and the monitor and all the cables downstairs. Had to make room downstairs so after much flitting of the furniture we were ready to start again. By this time it was lunchtime so we took a break which was well earned. After our lunch break we tried again and this time when we got to the test page all was well. Now we had to take everything back upstairs and hope it would work. I was frightened to look after we got it all plugged in again but low and behold all was well and we are whizzing along now PC so much quicker and AOL has not speeded things up yet that won't be till August so we were tired but happy that we managed to get it done all by ourselves even if there were a few harsh words here and there ha ha.
Today we are just relaxing and watching the Open golf from Carnoustie which is only about forty miles away from where we stay. When we lived in Dundee and the Open was there many years ago we went to see the practice rounds and saw Jack Nicholas when he was in his hay day I think it was Tom Watson that won that year. Hope the weather does NOT get to good as it makes it too easy for them and I do like to see them struggling a bit (must be a bit of a masochist). Stuart has just phoned me up here to say the sun has come out at Carnoustie and the wind has dropped for the moment. (We have a intercom system for upstairs downstairs it helps with my hearing not being good and is very handy.) Think that's about it for today going to do a bit of surfing since we have such a good speed going at the moment. Have a great weekend.  Love,

                                                 

Lost in Cyberspace.

                

Good Afternoon, for the last few days I have been lost in cyberspace. Last week we received a letter from wonderful AOL about upgrading out broadband connection. Our line is not good enough for this upgrade but we are being upgraded to the 'New' Silver connection, in August. When we switched on the PC on Sunday morning it asked Stuart to sign a new contract which he did with no problem. Later on Sunday along came me and tried to sign on and that's where the trouble started. A box came up for me to sign but you had to lag off to do so and if I logged of it did not know me when I came in again confused so were we. Stuart phoned after we had tried everything we knew and was told I would have to have a new screen name and password.  When he came off the phone we did this only to discover that I had lost everything I had on AOL including my journals,emails address book, buddy list, and favourites. Stu made another phone call and the lady went off to check things out for us and twenty minutes later never came back so Stuart hung up we then said we would leave it tonight as we were both up to high doh and past it.  When we went to bed on Sunday night I could not sleep thinking about it as I did not know what I was going to do about emails as they were mounting up all the time you know what its like with the alerts they mount up so fast and if I never got back to my email what would happen.
We had our day out yesterday as usual to St Andrews the rain and when we got back we thought we would give it another go.  Stuart phoned again and this time the girl seemed to know what she was doing and reset my password and now all is well. I don't know how this happened as I had not forgotten my password as I have been using the same one for years but there you have panic over. The thought of loosing all my work especially my journal which will be two years old next week was too much to bare, never mind alls well now we think except..........
When we came home yesterday from St Andrews there was an note from the postman saying we had a parcel to collect, that's strange we are not expecting anything at the moment we said to one another. As you can only collect in the morning Stuart went down to the village this morning to collect it. What was in the parcel A NEW MODEM what fun we will have to install this now and hope it will not require any of AOL's  one line wonderful help or  I will need a bank loan  to pay my phone bill. Well I think that brought you up to date with Joan's Musings for today yesterday it would have been Joan's Anger.  If you never hear from me again you know I am lost again in cyberspace.Bye for now.      Love                                        

A Bad Day.

                 

Good Afternoon, Now you may be wondering why I have a picture of  a Rottweiler  at the top of this entry read on all will be revealed. Stuart and I were out for a walk for a paper and some odds and ends from our local supermarket. It was a lovely morning and as I was not needing anything very heavy we decided to walk round. On the way back we were walking along nice as you like when the enormous Rottweiler jumped up on a low fence barking very loudly at us. I got a bad fright and jumped on to the road this woman appeared in her dressing gown and shouted at the dog. Stuart said it could have easily have jumped the fence which was about two and a half feet high and she said it could not I said I thought it could well at that point the woman launched into the worst abuse I have ever had to take in my 64 years on this earth she called me for everything and then told my to f off. I am not used to this kind of language and have never been spoken to like this ever before. It has really upset me today and three hours later I am still fizzing.I love dogs and am not normally scared of them but I had a bad experience when I was a child and it came rushing back to me today when this dog lunged up at me. Sorry can't think of anything else today hoping writing it down will help me,   Love
                                                             Joan.

 

A Mix of Some Pics.

Good Evening, just a wee entry to let you see some pictures I have taken over the last week. Will be back tomorrow when I have more time in the meantime have a good evenning.     Love Joan.

T in the Mud.

                 

Good Afternoon, It does not seem possible that it is a year since I wrote telling you about T in the Park our biggest music festival in Scotland.  As with Glastonbury we too have bad weather so we too have a sea of mud.  This year for the first time The festival will run for three days, yesterday being day one. Well someone told the weather they were trying to squeeze in an extra day and that did not please it one little bit. The rain poured down in torrents all day and it was not till after teatime that it cleared up a bit.  Today has been fair so far.  With all this rain the car parks (the surrounding fields) were waterlogged and had to be closed as the cars were all getting stuck in the mud yes it was that bad. Hope things are better today as the festival goers pay a lot of money for tickets and some travel from far distances.
Do you remember me telling you about our car having been bumped in the garage last week well guess when we had to take it in yes you've got it 'bring it up on Friday' says the man from Arnold Clark great we think.  All went well up we got early yesterday morning and delivered our nice Focus to the said garage. Our courtesy car was a  Fiat Panda I don't like Pandas but that was all there was so that was what we had to take.  We had a quick coffee in Perth and thought we would just go home as the weather was awful. We left Perth for our 20 minute run home at 12 o'clock and yes you've guessed right again we got stuck in the biggest traffic jam I have ever seen up here in Scotland the traffic was tailed back 10 miles and it took us two and half hours to get home. We did not any water in the car or any food, we always have water in our own car but this courtesy car had nothing in it just what was in my handbag a packet of chewing gum. By the time we got home I was absolutely desperate for the loo and some lunch in that order.  The guys on the motorway that had been drinking were lined up at the side of the road again no camera it would have made good viewing for you but this old lady here managed to wait till she got home, I did see one girl heading for a lonesome tree but it was a bit exposed for me and a bit wet as it was thumping it down by this time. This is the third time this summer we have been stuck in big big traffic jams. The first one was coming home from our holiday at the Forth Bridge the same place as yesterday last week because of roadwork's and the yesterday think I will stay home form now on. 
Can't hear much noise now from Balado but it will get louder later on. 
Been watching the tennis over the past week or so but have found it a bit disappointing with all the interruptions for rain it did not flow well at all I think the weather is out to spoil everything this year.
Think that's about it for today but do wish all the riders in the Tour De France starting in London today well for the next three weeks and just over 2000 miles on their bikes.  Have a great weekend. Love
                                              Joan.

Then and Now

                                  

Good Afternoon have been out sitting in the garden but have been driven in as 'Rain stopped reading and painting' this afternoon. I was reading Stuart was painting the newly opened poppies, however I have been meaning to do this entry for some time but have been having bother trying to put a scan into my journal this is my second attempt today so here goes.
About twenty years ago when we were still living in Glenrothes Fife a disused graven works was given back to the region as the company had finished working it. The regional council took it over and have created a nature reserve. The first  one when they had just started planting trees etc

                   

Birnie Loch 1990.

Today it is very mature with trees and shrubs and many wild flowers and is host to lots of birds insects and small mammals including  Otter. It is a wonderful place to visit in the winter and you can walk round  this loch and Gaddon the adjoining loch which is now in the process of becoming a mature loch as it is five years behind in the planting plan.

               

               

 

This is how the Loch now looks or at least it was a couple of years ago. Have searched all My Pictures and this is the best I can do but I will take one next week when we are there just to round things off. Sorry this entry has been a bit confusing but had alot of bother with the size of the old picture coming off the scanner but think I have it right now.  Have a great evening Love,      

                                                                                          
       

             Good Afternoon not that there is much good about it but at least nobody has been hurt in the last latest terrorist attacks. Up here in Scotland we do feel a bit safer and are surprised at yesterdays attract on Glasgow Airport. Looking at the scenes this morning watching all the poor holiday makers queuing up many hundreds of yards away from the terminal in the pouring rain it is all so sad. Maybe they (the terrorists) have not caused the carnage they hoped for but the upheaval the last few days here and in London have been terrible. I shudder to think of what it will be like today at the Concert for Diana, trying to get in there,  will take forever.  I do hope it all goes off ok. Enough of this its too depressing.
Was at Ellen's Dancing show last night it took place in Perth Theatre out seat was terrible upstairs and at the side I could not see a thing unless I sat forward in my seat but still we did enjoy watching it. Snow White was the theme so there lots of characters and they were all good.
Finished my book this morning so am going to start another new author tonight Karin Slaughter wonder if she is any relation of Frank G Slaughter read some of his book years ago, she writes a bit likes Patricia Cornwall so will see how we get on with her. Enjoyed the book I was reading(Sue Grafton S is for Silence) my only complaint was there was an awful lot of people in it and it jumped back and forward from 1953 to present day al lot and I had to look back occasionally to help me remember who was who but on the whole a enjoyable book with a lot of humour too.
I have found this wonderful new radio station maybe you have already found it but if you like 60 and 70's music this is for you will leave the link at the bottom of this entry.  Radio 2 has become far to modern for Stuart and me and we did listen to Saga radio a lot on the TV but that stopped a while back and have really missed it. If you link to this station there is a choice of areas I am listening to the Glasgow one on the PC but on the TV its a general one but really enjoyable too it is now called Smooth Radio.
The rain at this moment is just lashing down and is so bad it has messed up Stuart Satellite signal right in the middle of his motorrace but never mind he will just have to watch it on terrestrial. Tour de France starts next weekend in London I think it is the first time 'The Tour' has started in London will be well worth seeing.
That's it for today hope things get better all over and I wish you all a peaceful Sunday ( oh that was a big clap of thunder and a abig flash of lightening  I don't usually hear thunder but that was very loud and made me jump) bye just now.
                                       Love

    http://www.sagaradio.co.uk/        Hope you enjoy this as much as we do.