Still putting the jigsaw pieces together!.....................................................join me on my journey.

Changing over

I am in the midst of creating a new website. My new blog is up and running the link is here:
http://web.me.com/joanmac/Site/Mise.html
The old one will remain online for a few months.

Feet up.

We have had a busy weekend and are now sitting with our feet up.
Yesterday we went down to Carlisle to catch up with the family after their holiday in Wales. Having now seen both sons I decided to put some photo's together.

Today we have been watching the Race for Life in town. We left at 8-30am and didn't get back until 1pm so we are rather tired. But it was good to eventually catch up with Tim, Erin and the boys.
We have been invited out for a meal tonight so we can relax this afternoon. Dougal is knackered!!!

Walking in the city.

Just back from an evening walk around the local estate, the gardens are lovely at this time of year.....lots of ideas.
Dougie and family are back from Wales having had a heat wave.

So none of the MP's will face any criminal charges....nothing new there then.
I see the new Cabinet or almost new still has some sleazy characters in it. For GB to stand in front of the camera's and say he did not want to get rid of the Chancellor was a down right lie.....so much for his Presbyterian back ground. The whole day has been a complete shambles for Labour. He says he is not arrogant in fact he kept repeating the fact, me thinks he protests too much!

Moved to the city.

It is only a week since the family left and we miss them.

Since they left we have made the most of the good weather, trips into Helensburgh at night for an ice cream, toured South of Scotland and now here we are in the city for nearly a month.....we do get around!

Touring!!!

Yesterday we had a day out or should I say we went touring for a day, something we haven't done for a while. And some tour it was taking in 6 shires!
We headed South for the Leadhills, somewhere neither of us had ever really been before. Leaving the M74 at Crawford we headed for Carronbridge.

As many of you know we live on the Firth of Clyde so it was amusing now to follow it to its source. The countryside was at its best with glorious sunshine.
From Carronbridge we headed for a favourite coffee stop at Thornhill, although I had been there on many occasions Ray had never really explored it.

As you can see there is really only one street, a common feature with many Border towns. The main street offers a variety of specialist shops.....if you have the money!!!
We then headed for our favourite place Castle Douglas. Believe it or not is was too hot to really enjoy the visit. A picnic beside the Carlin Loch in the shade was very welcome but we baked up town! Fortunately for Dougal we had loads of water and the shops supplied more for any dogs needing a drink. We had to buy ours!

Our journey home took us to the sea where I enjoyed a paddle and Dougal had a refreshing swim. Eventually we arrived home in time to have a few Martini's on the deck, the perfect end to a perfect day.

Hot or what!!!!!

Over the past few days we have baked and enjoyed every minute of it. Later on this week we move up to the city for the rest of the month then down to Largs for a few days.
Kev, Sammy and the girls will soon be on their way back to Germany.

Dougie and family are on holiday in Wales at the same place I took them as kids......history repeating itself!
The expenses row roles on with GB promising a new code of conduct......that's a laugh this is the same man who as late as January did everything he could to stop the expenses being published AND they have already watered down the agreement announced by the Speaker before he resigned because of complaints by the MP's. So I guess it will be up to us at the ballot box to sort it out.

The ultimate love.

63 years ago today a young woman lay gravely ill in a hospital in Canada, she had Encephalitis and she was 8 months pregnant. The decision she made that day was to give life to her baby knowing it would further endanger her own life.
Every mother gives life to her child but not every mother has to make the decision of choosing between her life or her babies, it is the ultimate sacrifice of love.
I was that baby! and as I lay in a cot beside her in the isolation ward she fought and won the battle for her own life.
It was only through writing my mothers story that these facts came to light and reminded me of a comment my Aunt made many years ago, one that only now do I understand.
As I sit in the sunshine today over looking this beautiful panorama contemplating these revelations I feel humbled. My only regret is that I never knew this while Mum was alive. It seems incredible that it is 10yrs this week since she left us.
So today it is strawberries and champagne to celebrate not just my birthday but to remember the mother who was determined I would live.

Like father like son!

The chatter box!

Upstaging the bride!

This young lady tried very hard to upstage her Aunt on Saturday.

Tomorrow she will no doubt be center stage here, time to move everything that is breakable!