Thank you Bethanne!

And Andrew, who both gave me inspiration for starting again. Although, Andrew, the winter has been as long and as brutal here as it has been in Nova Scotia, so the gardening hasn't really started. I am assuming you won't want photos of weeds...?

And as far as what we have been up to lately, as it is a year after Mae's last birthday the focus again for our Easter holidays was another big day. Mae is 9 today! Holy Crap, I have a 9 year old! So, we visited the same friends who visited here last Easter, she had the same two girlfriends over for a horse riding party this year, and not only went to watch the synchronized skating competition, she was in the opening ceremony! So not much and a lot has changed.

The coolest thing for me this year is to see Mae learn bagpiping. She is on the chanter just now, but has done 6 months almost and knows two tunes! I think that is the best thing ever, as although I am not musically gifted at all, I know the bagpipes are one hardcore instrument to learn. Her teacher is 77 years old, charges nothing and the kids who he teaches win tons of awards. So she is pretty lucky, The neighbours? Not so much.

Erm...hello out there?

I know it's been a while. I am working on it. Requests? How not to make this next post sound like a round robin.....

Gr8

Mae has had another great birthday fortnight, with lots of visitors, skating, ear piercing, pottery painting, bear building, pizza and cake eating, and so on and so on!

The Mitras were here first and as usual, it was great. The kids had a fab time, the Easter Bunny magically knew they would be here, and I learned something new about the coastline of Spain. We had a great meal at a local Indian restaraunt and saw the Canadian Syncro Skating team close up! I even got the whole team to sign Mae's new skating bag!

Then she had her local party with Lizzie and Kristina. Lizzie loved the profiteroles, I will make them for her birthday when it comes!

Part of this party was to get her ears pierced with the girls but the day before she thought that maybe she wouldn't be able to go through with it so wanted to do it then- and she did go through with it but when the girls held up the mirror for her to see the new ears she wouldn't look at it! It reminded me of studiously avoiding the mirror when I was having my c-section!!

oh my dog

Oh she is so lovely! We are exhausted but for no good reason, really! She doesn't beg, bark or whine (yet), thank god, but we have also found out she is fine off the lead in a park, doesn't mind other dogs, and plays football! Geoff put her in the kitchen last night and she didn't make a sound- so far she is brilliant!! SOMETHING is going to go wrong, maybe when she is left alone when we are all back to work in a few weeks, because who wouldn't want this sweetie?

Can't wait until Saturday!!

Happiness is a new hoover

I can honestly say that I am really happy to get rid of my old Dyson. They were all the rage when we got married and I thought, yep-looks good! But the first time I vacuumed with it and realised that all the dust and crap in my carpet would now be on show? Gross me out the door.
I really really hate dyson vacuums. So the day Geoff came home with ANOTHER, smaller one, because it was 'such a good deal!'? I almost cried.

But my big one is now broken beyond (my) repair! And as for the one upstairs, the small, good deal one? It would have been tossed down the stairs the other day if I hadn't just painted the walls.

And now, I have one of these beauties!

Sebo vacuums are supposed the be the best. It's heavy, but I love it. It's got a bag (no one can see what a slut I am when it comes to housework), it's got a turbo brush, it's got an extra long hose. And NOWHERE on it, does it say Dyson.

I would also like to add something here: this excitement is purely for the technology. I am not defined by housework, therefore this is not a luxury item. It's a neccessity, with a computer component system. But it still makes me smile.

There's a Party in my Pantry!

My latest project is to get the great hunk of a drier out of my pantry and use it the way it was intended. And I figured pantries are such a mundane thing, just a space to store, of all things, stuff for the kitchen! BORING! So we had a party!!

It's not quite done, but almost. I love it. I stand there looking at it sometimes. It make the kitchen a less mundane place....

Alright Alright!!

I know I am a total slacker but I've got nuthin' really, so here, hopefully is a google map of my favourite house in Dumfries.

The Christmas Story

The story for us, not the original! There were no virgin births here, although I haven't checked the shed...

We had a really nice, peaceful Christmas, although I think Mae missed her cousins a bit- she is looking forward to a trip to Edinburgh that we may make at the end of the week. We had a great time though, with Lilian and Ross, thanks for coming! As usual, Lilian was helpful in the kitchen (and I only burned my eyeballs when I sent everyone out for a walk) and Ross entertained Mae with her Lego and even Just Dance on the Wii!




Mae asked for dolls from Santa this year (yes dolls!) and LOVES them! How crazy is that? But she was also pretty excited about her Justin Bieber pyjamas!

And making sure were not too age appropriate in the house, she got a couple of Sing-a-ma-jigs, which are the cutest things ever. Me and Lilian also liked them (see below!)

I got some posh slippers, no seeds in them yet from feeding the birds.....

It was grand. I hope everyone else had a great time and spent it in their pyjamas.

Berry Chrithbas

We're all a bit sick but getting better- how did my mom do it for so many years? Christmas, a time of peace, but only when I am alone in the kitchen, preparing roast potatoes. No, I am really looking forward to it, and thank god for Buckely's that's all I can say!!
Mae says it doesn't feel like Christmas at all, and by the looks of my outdoor lights they will be fully under water by New Years! Hopefully we will get the snow that is passing through Nova Scotia at the minute.












How sad having to even tart up the house plans- but next year I promise I will have a mantel!

It's beginning to look alot like, well...

After living in Britain for 14 years I have finally got the Christmas tree topper that I have wanted all these years! Almost exactly like the one we had growing up, and it suits our 1948 house perfectly! Thanks Etsy- all the way from California!!

It's freezing, wet and very very windy outside, which is generally Christmas in Scotland. It feels like we have had no summer at all (because we haven't) and Mae has picked up a new hobby. Skating. She loves it, and that's great, but I wished she enjoyed something more like scuba diving in the Maldives. I guess at least skating is accessible here......

She's really quite good, especially going backwards! I couldn't really do it well as a child but I don't mind it now; maybe I'll even get some skates from Santa myself......

Trouble

Dear Santa

Is it true you put coal in people’s stockings?
I am very sorry about night times.
I dint mean it.
I will try harder.

I am only going to ask for 3 things this year.
I would like a fuzzfling and a cabbage patch doll and finally a frosted drinks maker.

DON’T FORGET THE PEOPLE IN AFRIKA!

Love Mae

My Beautiful Neice

Happy Birthday Lovely Pants!!

My Best Friend Ever Forever

Sharon is Awesome!! Really, she is the coolest person I know. I don't even mind driving four hours to her house on the far north east coast, and when I get there she and a few girls have got runny noses. I don't mind catching their colds. It's all worth it!

Boke

Just last week we thought it was going to be a

And then Mae got worms.

Hence the title of the blog, which is Scottish for puke, bark, vomit, etc.

But they are gone now (fingers crossed and NOT in mouths), so life is a bit easier.

And she chopped her hair off! It looks great!

And we are so busy with stuff at the moment, Geoff is hopefully finishing his dissertation soon, and I will be so happy when it's done, it will be nice to have him back at weekends after two and half years. Maybe we will get away for a nice weekend....

And at Christmas, we may be eating some brussel sprouts from the garden. The tomatoes, below, just popped up out of some compost I spread earlier in the year- anyone want to make chutney??