I think I'm a Buddhist

The evidence?

Well, there's Samye Ling, a lovely Tibetan Monastery in the hills of Dumfries and Galloway. I love visiting there, it's so peaceful. Plus, yaks. (cool)

Next? Well, earlier in the year I read 'Mao- The Unknown Story' as I have no knowledge of history (any era, area, philosophy of, etc) and was quite interested in China's history.

The book is a slog, but very interesting. I took me about two months to read. An average sized book usually takes me 4 days to a week. Ususally when I read a book it leads to other ideas and a quest for more knowledge. In this book it was Tibet and Taiwan, history of.

Also for the longest time I have been wanting to connect with a 'cause'. But nothing really spoke to me. There is/was:

Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Christian Aid, Send-a-Cow, Bernardos, NSPCC, Mind, Shelter, and so on.

Last week, when browsing in a cool bookshop with Sharon (check her blog) I came across a book called 'For Tibet with Love' (a Beginner's Guide to Changing the World).

It's written by Isabel Losada and is a personal story about her quest to change the world. It's funny, emotional and true. I like her. It's the kind of book that I would liked to have written.

I won't tell you any more, I will just tell you to buy it and read it. Soon. Now.

So she has started an organisation called Act for Tibet. And the very last bit is when she gets to meet the Dalai Lama. And she asks a question about the courage to change the things that you can. (To me this was- what do we do? and who do we do it for?) 'But how do you know the difference? Between what you can change and can't?'

And the Dalai Lama says (and I quote):

'Through experiment. Research. Calculate what you can acheive on a mental level, then experiment.'

I really liked that. I can identify with that. And now, more experimentation.

Happy Birthday Geoff!

Holy Birthday month! Loads of Birthdays, and new arrivals.

Geoff isn't a fan of Birthdays (why? He got a great new bike), but my view? One year closer to Enlightenment.

Dammit Days

These are the opposite of salad days. A term coined by Mae, as in 'Mum, when you are at John and Sharons it's my dammit days'.


I bet Sharon is having more of a dammit day than us, Mae!!

What's Eating Gilbert....?

From the land of Sawney Bean. Reduced to dogs.

Ode to Heather

Well, I am comfortably ensconsed in the Reid household, no baby yet, so shopping, cafe-ing, watching movies and chilling with my new best friend, Heather.

Only a year ago this little girl wouldn't come near me, now I am being mentioned in grace at dinner, being shown how well she can wipe her own bum, sitting on my knee at dinner and wanting me to put her to bed.

On the other hand, each time I call Mae in Edinburgh I get hung up on- 'no time to lose! I am going to the park! Daddy how to I hang up the phone...?'

Maybe I will stay here.....

Birthday Business

Well, October is the month of birthdays. Dad and Penny are here, both of whom are celebrating their birthdays.

Geoff's birthday is this month as is cousin Seans.

And we are waiting for a new birthday of a very special person. Here is the before picture.

Here is Geoff on his birthday bike, with his new birthday glassess (for those of you who know racing, he looks like a handsome Eddie Jordan.)

And here is Mae helping her grandpa blow out his candles. She, as usual, drew a picture of him and her ice skating in his birthday card. Grandpa was skating with a walking stick.

And as usual, dad brought the weather with him again. Here we are after a long tartan-y day in the tartan capital, Moffat, looking at the Devil's Beeftub. Does anyone want to know why this area is called the Devil's Beeftub?

Two questions

One, why do we have toenails? They are the stupidest part of the human body.

And two- why is there no house numbered 13 on our street? I just realised this after the people at number 15 lost their cat. Then I tried to figure out where their house was- it is where number 13 should be. So, number 15 is unlucky, right? Because it is the 13th house! Stupid planners. Would somebody not BUY the house called number 13? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

somebody answer these questions.

Free Burma

Unite

let's all get together and support the peaceful revolution in Burma.

Now I can die happy

Today I was in a room with 7 tonnes of honey.

Happy Birthday Mom!!!!

And thank you for sending us this rainbow!

And another thanks to Sharon for a nice day on Tuesday. Here are the girls nice and quiet, sat in front of a movie. Sharon and I were on our third G&T. Yes, she is 8.5 months pregnant.

Handling in the ruck

I watched my first rugby game tonight. What the hell. It makes American Football look like chess.

But it's the players themselves that are fascinating. I just want to look at them. It's a weird compulsion, I know. I apologise.

I don't believe it!!!!

So this weekend we went to Cream O' Galloway- the best ice cream in Britain. For those of you who have tried Cornish ice cream, it doesn't compare. Yummy. Here's Mae having a double chocolate.

She almost finished it......

Then we went to the David Coulthard Museum. He is a Formula One driver who is from the area, and Mae was so excited. We are in deep trouble. I really think she is going to end up a girl racer. She ran around the place saying I don't believe it! then ran up to the woman at the counter and asked if she could touch the cars. That's when the woman said she could pick one and sit in it- I can't tell you how happy she was!! See her looking at all the memorabilia? I really don't get it, but hey, she must get it from her Papa...

And here's a pic for Rita- here are the fairy earrings the dummy fairie gave Mae. Thank god they are slightly painful- they put Mae off real ones. It won't happen anyway. I used to hate my dad for saying I couldn't have earrings until I was 16- then I got shot in the earlobes with those evil guns and I realised he was right....

Later

Well, it was a long drive over to our holiday home, thank goodness it was broken by a nice ferry ride.

We also stopped at a tea room, where the dummy fairy left Mae a note and a pair of fairie earrings, telling her that she no longer needs her dummies. I am surprised how well she is doing, only a couple of not very bad nights.

Our farmhouse was great- near to the beach, cows in the field, nice and clean.

The water in Ireland smells and tastes like peat. I really like it, earthy and warm.

The beaches were fabulous, even the one with a cow on it. It was a bit scary and some silly people went very close to it and sat down, at which point it stood up and scared them away. Never mess with cows, that's my motto.

We went to a fishing town, Killybegs, and Mae thought it was great; in fact, driving into the town and seeing all the boats in the harbour, she said (very slowly, for effect) 'frigging hell' (that's not too bad in Canada, but in Britiain that word is extemely rude.

The Giant's Causeway was fantastic, but a long day marred by an incident in a local playground, where no one would play with Mae and she got quite upset. Put me off Northern Ireland altogether (that and the fact I was raised Catholic).

Also, we went horseback riding! What fun, Mae got Monster and she really enjoyed it. We might have to do that again.

I would go back, it was lovely, we got lucky with the weather and after maybe Canada and Spain, we will!

We went to a Leisure Centre for a swim, and I had said to Geoff that in Ireland you have to wear swimming caps at the pools (a friend told me)- so we got there and the woman said they were 4 euros each(!) although they have diposable ones we could use. I said that would be okay, but they were shoe covers! So I took them, and Geoff and I had these things on our heads as well- obviously Mae could carry it off but I had to go get us proper ones, it was so funny! Thank god we were the only ones in the pool!!

I have more pics but am having issues with them- they will follow!!

More later

about our holiday. it was great, horse riding, beach walks, the Giant's Causeway, etc etc.

And the dummy fairies visited. Mae no longer has one (although she did want to call the fairies to discuss the situation. We didn't have coverage in Donegal, thank goodness...)

We're on our way, from misery to happiness today..

uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh!

for two reasons:

1. I quit my job! (apart from being poor it is a really positive thing). I am so happy not to work there, I won't go into why, if you know me you know why. So, I am at home. I just about got a kick in the ass out the door on my last day, but Jane made me this lovely cake, which is based on an art installation in the gardens of the house. Very thoughtful!!

2. Holidays from Saturday!

And so an early Happy Birthday to Heather, who is three on the day, we are sorry we can't make it- but look- this is what she is getting:

I must say, I am the best non-official auntie for this. (plus a good mom; Mae got one for nothin')

Sayonara!!

busy week

Mae started school, John and Lesley were here, Mae started Jumpin Joeys-and this weekend we were going to go to Lilian and Ross's to have a train ride- but we are all exhausted and getting sick. Kaibosh.

But- we are going to Ireland in a week- wahey!!

ESP

Today Mae and I were having a laugh, as she discovered a way to make purple 'doggat' (I think she means Dog Crap- she got this from her childminder- 'don't step in the doggat!') out of play dough.
I was killing myself laughing and said something to her, can't remember what, and she started laughing and said 'mom, you're so funny- you're tickling me with your brain!!'
Then we laughed even harder! Crazy kid.

I, Sudoku

for those of you that know me well, I hope you were sitting down when you read that.

Bokasso

I coulda been a contender.....

Okay, maybe not balancing a chicken on a quad bike, but I could certainly win the best crazy animal from vegetable category. I am for sure entering the Dumfries Show Home Industries competition next year and as many categories as possible (except vegetables, of course).

What a great day out- shame about the foot and mouth outbreak down south, which meant all the sheep and cows got sent back home before it started but apparently this area was hit terribly last time and the farmers involved in the show are devastated it's out there again. You know all those photos of me and Mae at Dalscone play farm and Mabie farm park? They were working farms before that that had to diversify to survive....scary.

But even without the sheep, which is what I was looking forward to seeing it was great; there were car dealerships there with plenty of cars with their lids off (convertibles, in Maespeak), and diggers and cranes and quadbikes and even a windmill!

But you know what the best thing was? We bumped into loads of people we know- I love it here! It's great living in such a friendly town (not today though, when Mae had an unspeakable tantrum in the shops- Social Services are probably onto us already...). We bumped into people that I have worked with, exhibitors from Dalscone who said hello as they see us there all the time, and spoke to a family about their rescued greyhound for about 20 minutes. This really may not seem much to you, but I was at WHSmith bookshop in Kingswood once a week in Bristol and the woman there NEVER acknowledged that she knew me. IN 5 YEARS!!! I wanted to tell her she was the reason I was leaving Bristol, but figured she didn't give a shit....

I ramble. And rambled with Sharon and Bethanne on Thursday, which was really nice. Sorry Bethanne, about forcing you to eat kids food....it was so nice to see them and their hair. Mmmm.