small steps

Hi all, well resisted posting a blog on April 1st and pleased I did because it was a funny day and I needed all my wits about me and not spreading them over the page for your perusal...

So went to see a Photographic Exhibition at Dunoon Burgh Hall... it was some works by Robert Mapplethorpe an artist who not only did sculpture but mainly black and white portrait photographs... his work at the Burgh Hall was definitely interesting and the new exhibition room with all the temperature control stuff was most impressive... Would I have any of his work on the wall at Milton probably not though the light and shade he captured on the muscular torso of one of his works may just sway me lol



only kidding but the light and shade in his work was phenomenal and made me realise how bad at taking photos I really am...



So after the exhibition went down to Milton to see how she was getting on and well if I am honest I was a bit disappointed the roof is only slated at the back so far which I had hoped it would be finished now its been 3 weeks since they started slating....The windows are not in and well she isnt water tight yet... my wee garden is desimated and I knew it would be but will all the bulbs and flowers around me coming out I| was hoping Miltons would have braved it but sadly they are flattened, stood on and pallets of building stuff all over them...

The new bit of wall which effectivly halves the size of our downstairs and main bathroom is up and though this was out of our control it did make the room seem very small and that was a bit of a blow... they gave us the dimentions for the shower tray etc and we bought as adviced but it didnt look like they would marry together correctly so time will tell....And I know that sometimes things look real small but when got into they are fine but I think seeing the wall cutting off the rest of the area that was to be our bathroom made it so final and visable instead of imagined...

Still next door has had to cull 4 big trees due to high winds so we have a much better view of Holy Loch from up the garden so can now see myself up at the top of the garden sitting and knitting... well once the garden is reclaimed... my goodness mother nature doesnt need long to run amok does she... Hope all who have offered gardening help meant it.... There is no way i will be reclaiming it this summer with this operation to take place in the middle of proceedings....

So left Milton with a bit of a heavy heart made all the worse because they had left 4 de humidifiers going but no one had gone in to empty buckets and all four were over flowing all over the flooring again and some of the insulation was sitting in pools of water.... as I say not a good day to have popped in....Still phone calls made this morning to explain why we broke into our own house and set about emptying water buckets...


My lovely hubby had a photography course in Glasgow for the evening so he dropped me off at Xscape for my free skiing hour... a reward for passing my level 4 from the centre... this was to be a totally solo session, no kind rob to help me do up the hard to do/hefty ski boots or more to the point to help me pull them off when over... And no instructor to give me guidance or courage...So I went in booked to start at 6 o'clock and had a quick change and got set up...

At first it was my prudent decision to go only half way up the hill on the poma or button tow.... I found by 4 wee trips down again I had my ski legs and decided to be brave and go all the way up.  The young snowboarders saw my hesitation and were so encouraging and kind and I had a real laugh and joke with them.... I can truly say that not all my skiing was graceful or even in total control but it was great fun and the hour flew by... it was 5 to the hour so the last tow up for me and I knew I was getting tired but still made the daft decision to go to the top... well I set off okish and was doing ok quite controlled and even a wee bit elegant for me anyway.... I should just like to point out that in my 3 lessons I have had I have never fallen over and the one attempt at getting up from a prone position was not pretty and needed the help of the instructor...So you can guess what's coming................... I know I was tired and I should have known better.... but

Well I was avoiding a ski class and ventured over to the far side above one of the snowboard / ski jump areas.... seeing I didn't have enough space and time to turn before the jump I foolishly decided to go across the top and turn down the other side.... Big Mistake past the jump its a narrow gulley and steep............  and well turned in and turned sidewards thinking side of jump would stop me............ bigger mistake sandy's ski's just climb the slope and are about to launch me up and off the blinking jump talk about panic I fell down deliberately and disappeared into the gully... silence nope no one saw me and so that's good.............. 5 mins later when I am still trying to get up again..................10 mins later and I finally got my ski's near enough my bottom so my hand could try and release the binding and no strength.... I was just about to have to heave my self up the slope on my side and start shouting a wee HHHHHHHHEEEEEEEELLLLLLLPPPPPP When the binding gave and I was without one ski... which tried to make a bid for freedom but no way ho say was that going to happen...I managed to get up using the ski as a pole and after one attempt with my left thigh disappearing into the chopped up snow I was upright with one ski on and one ski off.... now how do I get the blasted ski on ............ in a deep gulley with two different angles of slope away from me..... yep I promptly side stepped down the gully onto the main slope till I found a levelish area... quickly plonked ski onto slope rammed my boot in and took off down the now nicely gentle slope pretending I was meant to be doing all that before... so I got of the slope a full 20 mins late but alive and having had my first ever fall.... it wasn't elegant but by gum it was a damn site better than if I had launched myself off that ski jump.....lol  

Upstairs sitting with a nice warm cuppa tea it all seemed so easy again but I have to admit to taking wee sleek-it looks at the offending jump and noting not to take that route again.... lesson well and truly learned...lol


Here is a quick wee video of me on my second lesson

The rest of my evening was uneventful with chats with young boarders and also some wee neds who liked the look of my knitting and in fact had a nice wee story to tell about their Granny knitting them jumpers for Christmas when they were wee.... they were only 16/17 LOL....Then Rob arriving to pick me up and make a quick dash for the 9.30 ferry...

Dinner was a quick foreman Grill chicken breast with a jacket potato and some mean chilli chutney... who needs lashings of butter I ask you..


And so my wonderful hubby doesn't feel left out here is Rob on his 3 rd lesson he looks more elegant for sure