G is for Gairloch - ABC WEDNESDAY

ABC WEDNESDAY - round 3

a cove at Gairloch 2007

I was just thinking that this time last year we had just returned from a late summer trip to the North West of Scotland.

Ben Eigh 2007

Of course, it was dull and mostly wet, but we had a great relaxing time.
We stayed in a log cabin for 5 days in Kinlochewe,
under the shadow of Ben Eigh on the shores of Loch Maree

We walked a lot and watched the wildlife, including skuas, G-uillemonts, G-annets, cormorants, porpoises and seals whilst on a boat trip out into Loch G-airloch.

Loch Gairloch

The nearest town was G-airloch, where we visited the fabulous Hillbillies Cafe for morning coffee and afternoon tea and sometimes just for piece of lemon meringue pie. With its adjacent book shop I was in heaven, food and books, what more can a girl ask for....

Bealach na Ba, Skye

We took the car up the world reknowned Cattle Pass and then down to Applecross, something we did when we were younger before we had the children and had regaled them with tales of the steep and winding drive up. At the top, where it is so cold and blustery even in August the view over to Isle of Skye and Bealach na Ba was amazing.

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An appointment with the grindstone

I'm getting a wobbly tum and my thoughts are turning towards apprehension ... so I thought l'd blog it out! The thought of getting back into the groove, gives me palpitations not the virtual kind, real ones! LOL

I have only worked 6 days since 27th July as I take the bulk of my holiday allowance during the summer hols. I want to be home with the kids, they don't necessarily want me home at all, they are 16+ and 14 yrs old. I am probably in the way!


I like to make the most of this time, even though they usually are asleep, hunched over laptops or talking on the phone in their rooms. Just being home with them is the thing for me, of course they don't see it or even get it, it's probably not even on their radar! I've always been home with they go out to scool and there when they come in, untill this last year when I accepted more hours, we now overlap a bit, but they are older, so it's fine all round.

I didn't have my kids until my mid thirties, I lost early in my first pregnancy and then had ten years of fertility problems. We had been together 17 years and I had given up hope but suddenly conceived naturally, twice! So I guess I am a bit too protective and grateful, even scared I will miss something. I am already privately fretting about the empty nest thing, even though my daughter is only starting sixth form this week. I know how fast it all passes and another term is in part another term nearer to a new start for me, for them, for us?

So it's obvious I don't welcome change, but it is the only thing of which we can be sure, so l'm trying so hard to look at this in a 'glass half full' frame of mind.

I am so happy to watch their journeys from my role with a view, it is just tinged with a sadness that I find hard to express, it is so innate.

So tomorrow I return to work at the museum. I also return to Curves after a 6 week break and I shall pick up the healthy eating regime again, as all have lapsed in favour of toast with butter over muesli and fruit, sandwiches over pasta for lunch and practically anything over salad and meat for dinner. My jeans are too tight again.

I must regroup physically as well as mentally to have the stamina to cope with the juggling of house, home, kids, pets, garden and all the added slam dunk! mishaps and problems a mum deals with in the course of her day/week/month!

It is such hard work and I know l'm a much nicer person to live with when I don't have to juggle it all. Much of the juggling is, I have to say what I do to add to the pressure, the little extras and the standards we set ourselves.

In fact I would go as far to say, at the risk of having lots of fraught and vocal messages in my inbox tomorrow; If most of the women who juggle home and work, be it part time or full time, and they were offered the real non-judgemental, no recriminations, guilt free choice to either stay home and be paid a 'carer' like allowance in respect of the value of that role OR go to work and continue with this kind of fraught and yes even marginalised rol e... which do you think the majority would choose to do?

I'm just curious as to whether I am just a, 'very odd middle aged woman in some kind of crisis', or a 'normal middle aged woman in crisis'!

Stroppy, southern strumpets!

I feel so laid back... I'm practically horizontal!

We set off in good time, as Lynn called to collect me, a treat to be driven (and l still wasn't ready). We were chatting so enthusiastically, that 40 minutes later we whizzed past, (in case James reads this, he won't but ...) by that I mean elegantly and sedately drove past the turn off and then 5 miles later turned around. Our 'treatments' were not until the afternoon so we knew it was okay to be fashionably late.


'You were meant to be here for 10am did you get lost?', said the manageress, as we presented ourselves at reception in smiles of expectation at 10:10am! This was not the start we hoped for! Trouble follows Lynn and I around, I think we appear to be a couple of stroppy southern strumpets, to the dour Cumbrians and it usually leads to a confrontation!


Our first treatment had been moved up to 10.30am and the next at 11.30, we later realised to accommodate a residents recent booking for 15.


'Well we did book this in April!' l said, ' and no one has called to confirm or alter anything!' the mangeress turned away unimpressed but still smiling.


When she returned Lynn poured oil on the troubled Bassenthwaite Lake waters by saying, ' I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot, lets start over!' and tea promptly arrived which we dutifully consumed. With a strong whiff of 'miffed' in the air, we hastily changed into cossies and our fluffy robes.



Two treatments of nearly two hours; a full body polish and a facial with 'eye lift' (nip tuck) later and I was almost asleep, unable to get off the couch for the reeelaaxxed sensations throughout my entire body and atrophied bottom!



My skin feels like a new born's, my face is plumped up and glowing like an uncooked sausage, but looks better than that honest, and is now blemish free with the whites of my eyes shining healthily!
We adjourned to the lounge and a gallon of water, our light luncheon was served, I chose cajun spiced crusted salmon fillet on a ceasar salad (with a big Brit twist obviously), Lynn chose a chicken version, it was Yummy and we chatted and chilled some more.






The down side of our treatments being in the morning was that we had the sole use of the swimming pool, spa pool, steam room and sauna but we didn't want to wash all the creams, potions and lotions off! So we gently steamed and spa'd, refused all the rest and had some alcohol and chat on the terrace, not once dipping into our books and mags. We had a 'high' tea (and that was just the cake stand) and then our last treatment at 5pm was a pedicure. Bliss!


A new Spa is being built next door to the current coach house block and will be open for guinea pigs, sorry paying volunteers to work out the kinks in January '09, these two guinea pigs are pencilled in for the works...


Northern tip of Bassenthwaite Lake

Photo Story Friday - Relax to Order!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

It's Friday today which means tomorrow is Saturday (duh)

so I am thinking and getting excited about my day out at an old Manor House,

for a

SPA DAY

Armathwaite Hall

a belated birthday treat to myself

I've never had a spa day and I really cannot wait.

I'm going to be pummeled and prodded,

smoothed and scrubbed

soaked and steamed

filed and painted

and even dined and wined

perhaps!

My girlfirend and I have had this booked for months and so am thinking where we are going in the Lake District, of which we live on the edge.

Outstanding view, overwhelming mountains

abundant streams and lakes

if this doesn't relax or chill me

nothing will...

august 2006. s.wilson
august 2006. s.wilson

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

'Wonderful tonight...'

I wanted to share a little of the excitement and joy I experience with my small online business.

Sara's Attic

I have had a vintage clothing shop online since 2002, after my passion for vintage fashion went into uber-drive!

Sometimes customers send pictures and share their 'story'.

This is the story of Hayley and a stunning mid 1980's Frank Usher gown.

I had the dress in stock for sometime and was about to take it off the site to turn the stock around to keep it fresh.

The dress is a strapless column gown, in an asymmetrical style in contrasting post box red and jet black. A large sash bow to the side of one hip.

However Hayley contacted me from the United States asking about the dress and postage. She was considering it for her Senior Prom. I furnished her with the relevant information, and subsequently posted it to her stateside.

A few months ago my day was pleasantly uplifted by her email and the photographs of her all ready on the night of her school Prom 2008, at The Regency Center, San Francisco

I think you'll agree she looked,

'WONDERFUL TONIGHT!'

Sara's Attic

Hayley & Jason

ABC WEDNESDAY- F is for FRUITS...

... the F-ruits of my labours!

http://mrsnesbittsplace.blogspot.com/

This year is the very first year, since the 'Great Storm' of 1987 that I have had a greenhouse, actually I now have two! In 1987 I slept through the nights storm vaguely aware that my husband went out to see to a banging door. I was unaware that the greenhouse glass was a goner and the now empty door was banging in sorrow at the loss.

When I got up for work the next morning my husband slept fitfully on and I left the house, driving slowly, taking note of the branches and foliage rolling about in the great gusts of the storm's afterglow! I eventually had to turn back as a huge tree was blocking the Ashford road from Canterbury. At home, a pot of tea was brewing in expectation of my imminent return and my husband was amused, ' You went out after last nights storm?' Ummm, so I had slept through blissfully unaware, and obviously someone had not appraised me of the situation!

I digress! One of the upsides of our move from the country into town and bungalow bill land, is that we have inherited two elderly and rather unused greenhouses. I have mentioned them before in previous posts, one is 'my den' and is used to store my art equipment, craft tools and various other bijoux pieces of vintage booty! The other greenhouse has also been a blessing and a sanctuary, I ave sewn and potted, fed and watered, nurtured with voice and touch and life has surprisingly sprung forth to my delight. Whenever I am distressed, angry or in need of solace, I hit my den or the house vert . Rather than hit the gin or chocolate, I take either a painting brush or a pair of secateurs in hand and create some 'art' or attack a helpless bush!

I have had succulent strawberries, sweet caspiums/peppers/three varieties of tomatoes; plum, cherry & beef (only one beef tom survived, the rest fell off, were bruised and then rotted). I have chilli peppers, though no one has tried them as yet so I think I may save them in oil, any tips welcomed! I have rocket and assorted lettuce leaves a plenty, spinach, all gone, I would have to grow an acre to fill a pie, let alone a bowl of curried potato and spinach Yum!! More blackcurrants for jam making. The butternut squash, haricots beans and cucumber plants have yet to do anything other than flower, they've probably had it now.


I'm sure I was misinformed as the flowering cucumber plant looks so much like a sunflower! LOL! Oh the joys of a greenhouse or two!

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Don't forget to stop by Mr. Linky at Mrs. Nesbitt's place, to see "F" posts from all around the world. And....we'd all love it if you left comments, or, even better, if you want to join the fun.

Womens' Wisdom

This was sent to me recently by a friend, who obviously knows me pretty damn well!

Women over 50 don't have babies because they would put them down and forget where they left them.

A friend of mine confused her Valium with her birth control pills... she has 14 kids but doesn't really care.

One of life's mysteries is how a 2-pound box of chocolates can make a woman gain 5 lbs.

My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely.

The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoes.

The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don't know what you are doing, someone else does.

The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends.

Just when I was getting used to yesterday, along came today.

Sometimes I think I understand everything, and then I regain consciousness.

I gave up jogging for my health when my thighs kept rubbing together and setting fire to my knicker's.

Amazing! You hang something in your closet for a while and it shrinks 2 sizes!

Skinny people irritate me! Especially when they say things like...'You know sometimes I forget to eat!' ......Now I've forgotten my address, my mother's maiden name and my keys, but I have never forgotten to eat. You have to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat!

The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing and then they marry him.

I read this article that said the typical symptoms of stress are eating too much, impulse buying, and driving too fast. Are they kidding?

That's my idea of a perfect day!