Olympic weekend friday

wow well if ever I want a lot of organisation skills I think I will employ the logistic company of the metropolitan police to show me how its done... the Olympic torch relay team we had access to on Saturday at Inverness were totally awesome and never again should anyone british think it is only the germans who can do things to the second... these guys will give them a run for their money...

Anyway back to my thoughts and musings of this wonderful family and regional and even national occasion of the my daughter carrying the Olympic torch..

As you all know I have had a gallbladder operation and making really good progress this weekend was going to be a challenge this soon after and well if honest it was... but with my gorgeous Rob and both his and my mum we managed very well... We set off for the first leg to Fortwilliam around 10 am on Friday, calling in Miltons garages for the cover for our deck chair which I would need to stop me having to stand around a lot...

 The excitement in our cars was palpable and when I popped into see the guys building Milton and hand on some info about worktop deliveries they needed they helped to fuel the excitement by indulging this doting mom...lol So with flags attached to the cars we were ready to set off only instructions from me was we will need lots of stops for stretching my sore body...

And we were off, I was sat in the passenger seat of the the Seat... with a load of pillows to lean back on and my crow waltz scarf to knit .  The mums were in the toyota Janet driving this section getting used to the automatic and my mum having the rare chance to be a passenger so we set off... First rest point is going to be Inverary for coffee via our local amazing garage The Cot House..

We made it to Inverary and I have to admit to being glad the pot holes on the roads of Argyll are legendary but if I am honest I hadn't realised how sore they would make it for me...Rob did a lot of swerving around when traffic and safety allowed but even so I was glad of the stop... So we parked at the front car park had a wee wonder up and down the street and then popped into The Bramble cafe which array of cakes was impressive... none of partook though as the next stop was to be The real Food Cafe at Tyndrum and the food there not to be missed...


So after a nice cuppa we set off again in convoy but this time Mum driving and leading the convoy this came about more because she was first out the car park but she drives this way such a lot they were only convoying to keep me company at all the stops... So a rather sick feeling sandy arrived at the next stop.  The real Food Cafe http://www.therealfoodcafe.com/ and I can say yes it is a chip shop take away but it is so so much more... the couple who opened it saw a niche in the area for good food, the green welly is just up the road and fills one area of a travellers needs but this also gives locals some lovely food reasonably priced too... they only cook as you order so the food is always totally fresh, they source their fish ethically and sustanably, they buy from local estates the venison and the local butchers for the pies etc...this is not takeaway chip shop food it is much much more...there is a wonderful woodburner for those cold days and well its well worth a visit trust me..

So what can a low fat eater get there... I had a gorgeous venison burger which was really really tastey... the mums and rob had the small fish suppers and well they were raving about the fish so a wee flake or two no batter found itself into my mouth and wow it was delicious...think this week it was coley..nom nom... so we stopped for a wee time and then after finishing our freshly squeezed orange juice set off for only a few hundred yards I felt it was time of another photo of cars and flags so what is known as Emily's layby had to be the next stop...

Then we set off again and made it to the glencoe visitors centre... This was not the time for more tea as we were chock full up. So a wee dander around the gift shop and I managed to pick up something for an envelope swap later this summer so a very useful stop it was indeed... there was also the wee free exhibition centre there and we took a wee look... Now been many times and sometimes the exhibits are not something I would be too worried about seeing again but have found some absolute gems sometimes and well this was one of those times... they were exhibiting some photography finalists photos of wild life and well amazing is all I can say... we spent a good half hour looking round reading the snippets about why and how the photos were taken and well it put all mine to shame.... still I am a point and shoot kind of girl not a study the area/lighting and patiently sit for what will be the shot.... wish I was more that kind after seeing these photos they were wonderful... even the german wasp (which I have real issues with as the wee beasties always sting me) was stunning sat on a sunflower in extreme close up...stunning.  




Leaving the centre and returning to the carpark what did we see but the Jamie and Claire tour car... wow Janet and I had to have our photos taken with the car and we had a wonderful chat with the woman who was leading the tour very nice she was too...I wish the ladies taking the tour lots of laughs in all the familiar places though dont think any of us really knows where lallybroch was really situated... 

So we now pushed on to Fort William and negotiated the horrendous traffic got the mums booked into their B and B's and made it to corpak where we were staying with a lovely lady called Mary...who kindly opens her home to people who come to see the world cup MTB downhill series... did we land on our feet there...mary was so kind and made us very welcome and well do love a B and B which will let you loose in their kitchen to help your selves to tea and coffee so none of those wee carton things for oldish pasturised milk.... just good fresh out of fridge cowy goodness... bliss..

Needless to say straight from dinner it was into to bed for me and lots of lying down, wish I could say I slept well but I didnt... still it was so exciting I was never going to sleep.... 

mother of all invention

lol so today I was left on my own for a wee while something I was asking for and awaiting with delight... however didn't really get it organised correctly... yes I had Rob back to fry the mince and put it into the oven for me.... but forgot he wouldn't know if there was enough for the extras we are feeding tonight.... My mum has gone over the water to meet with Moira and collect the IKEA kitchen bits we need and also then on to airport to pick up my lovely mother - in- law Janet.  Who is up to be in on the Olympic torch excitement...  So the mince is cooking away but started to smell really cooked you know... so I opened the oven and . ..... disaster I saw the size of the casserole Rob had put in... nope that wont feed four but is too heavy for me to lift out... so what to do?


Well I have decided that I am getting better at thinking out of the box...or is it just that I have an odd thought process anyway I don't have a clue but in the end... I managed to get some more mince from the freezer and slowly defrost and fry (need to get rid of even the tiny amount of fat that butcher steak mince has in it for me) and without lifting anything too heavy got another small empty casserole into oven, the mince into it while in there, then the gravy made in small amounts added to said casserole... then I managed to put a lid on to both casseroles and shut the door.... if I have it all right there should now be two lovely tasty casseroles of mince and gravy for the workers and travellers when they get in the flat about 8.30pm, mum prepared the potatoes and will be switching them on when she gets her... so I am happily proud of myself for working out what to do and not just sitting down and crying as I am apt to do at the moment... no idea this tearful thing would last so long...its a week today since I gladly gave the incinerator my gallbladder for fuel....

So my time on my own wasn't as calming and relaxing as I thought and wished it had been but I survived and didnt do anything silly woo hoo

Fort William and hospital lol

Sorry not posted for a wee while but had lots on as the array of photo's on this post will show....Firstly we went to ten under the Ben at Fort William.  This is a wonderful endurance race which is 10 miles of off road mountain biking which goes on for 10 hours... this in the past was a massive quagmire of mud and wetness but this year the forecast looked good and we set off in Vinnie for the weekend.  Vinnie wasn't going to be slept in at night but was acting as one of the support vehicles for the riders, he looked after food, keys, water and me of course. 

 When Rob and I arrived at FortWilliam we went straight to town and I bought a sun hat for the weekend.  And very st tropez I thought I looked too what do you think?

Also along was Vinnies wee pal Victor driven by the ultra fit Kathleen, here is victor playing host to Kathleen Sarah and Bessie, and very nice that salad looked too nom nom..

The day was a great success for all the riders from the Cowal Peninsular Team Diva Descent came first in their category woo hoo go girls

the other girl team first timers at this discipline all of them also got a podium place and we were all there shouting and cheering for them.. "three spare tyres and a flat",  The girls from Benmore outdoor centre were hard core they slept in tents at the venue before and after the event.  And trust me the midgies were awful.....I was totally bitten to death...  

Here is team Mouse..... which isn't their team name but was the nick name they collected over the weekend.  They also achieved a podium position so we really did well.. The other teams who didn't get podiums were amazing but were against some of the top of the top so did us all proud anyway.

This is the lovely set of chalet's we were lucky to take over again this year but don't be fooled we were not able to sit out side at all or open a window..the above mentioned midgies obviously had been starved for a year and decided we were good food...lol  On the plus side in hiring these chalets you got free membership to the Glen Nevis hotel spa and very nice it was too we partook of the facilities twice over the weekend and must admit swimming in the pool with the site of Ben Nevis Framed in the window at the end of the lane was awesome.

 Now I bet you are wondering why I am brandishing a ball of yarn at Tom who has his bike up on a mobile bike stand?  Well Tom had originally had his stand on the decking and yep it happened that pesky wee bit dropped down between the boards...so with the help of a magnet curtsey of team mouse and my yarn a wee fishing trip resulted in a happy Tom and a mended bike phew.






Well after the weekend I was straight into Inverclyde for my gallbladder operation... this pesky wee organ has been giving me a lot of trouble over the last few months and was very much an organ not required any more.  So Wednesday saw me over the water on the 7am ferry and before even into bed my trolley was there and I was down into the theatre waiting area... now bet you wont guess what happened then?   Yep a nice young man came and stood next too me said hi and then introduced himself as Ross who I spoke to at Fort William only the day before, another cowal mountain biker... he was a sight for sore eyes took my mind off the approaching journey to theatre... (yep it was also fire alarm testing day would you credit it!)  Still I am totally indebted to all the staff especially Mr Alani who performed a minor miracle and managed to remove my gallbladder by keyhole..... it turns out that yes I had gallstones but my actual gallbladder was very challenging (his words) and was oozy and nasty so had to come out.... this made the removal a bit more of an issue but he managed it and I am so so grateful...  I was a wee bit surprised at the eviction so early the next morning but was back in my own bed by 10 am the morning after the operation so its now just a case of doing as told and getting better each day....  I was in so fleetingly but in that time met some amazing staff and I am in awe of how much they get done with what appears so little effort... the analogy of a swan serene above the water and the frantic swishing of legs underneath...

So it is now 6 days post op and I am doing well, team sandy sitting ie my mum and Alison Titmus are doing an amazing job and I am so so grateful to them for their patience and kindness and the straight talking they are giving me when I fall into tears for no apparent reason.... they are a great help...

I have had a wee lovely gain to my flock this wee one came from my wonderful hubby and has a nice wee bleat too.





 While all this has been going on Milton is marching on to completion.  She has had her final scaffolding removed and is now awaiting painting and coating to be applied.. there are still a door and three windows externally needed to be fitted and numerous jobs internally but we are informed we should be allowed access to move around the 22nd june... (thats woolfest time) ..... eeek Rob would be moving with out me but he likes that idea as he is worried I would end up doing too much... who me? never...



Here is Miltons Kitchen starting to take shape...

Last night I decided to get out and go up to the castle gardens and watch the lighting of the beacon for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations... if you look closely that is Rob and I there on the top half way along on the right..... thanks to Catriona for the photograph, Robs haven't been down loaded yet but will be added next time..

I hope this finds all my friends and bloggits happy well and that you have a good summer

knitting mojo gone

So as you can see today was the day that I noticed my knitting mojo had got up and gone... This to some will seem a minor thing... But there are those out there who know quite how rotten this is... Knitting/spinning to me is my Long Drag on a Cigarette or A large G and T... and some more.  Since I taught myself to knit oh 5 years ago its been my constant companion.  It has come everywhere I have gone whether holiday, doc app. or even the cinema and theatre.... What I hear you shout you make that clickety clackety sound in the cinema?  but no I often don't actually knit as the film is on but have found the waiting before it starts a good few rows worth...

Now knitting isn't only about the actual item made though that is very very nice by product... nope for me Knitting is about the feel of the action while doing it, and the feel of the yarn, each yarn feels different and this sensual experience is vital to the overall good feeling knitting produces in me.  Its about the feel of the needles in my hands... this again is so different to my earlier foray into knitting when I started knitting I learnt to knit as my mother and granny did... oxter knitting the act of holding one needle under the armpit (oxter) and the other needle doing all the work... very early on I realised that this wasn't going to be relaxing for me...


 All I need to say is that needles are not long enough for me to be able to use them correctly this way... my womanly upper body makes this too difficult... its also why I can't play pool or snooker they just get in the damn way...lol ... So oxter knitting wasn't going to work so what next... OK so I started to teach myself to knit with the needles down near my lap... this was really alien to me at first but now I love it.... To be brutally honest I have to admit that at first my tension was rubbish and well there was no rhythm but after time i managed it.......

Now I love it, the feel of the needles the yarn passing through my fingers all make me relax and calm......   And if I really want to feel the highest pleasure then I need to pick up a set of double pointed needles and a nice alpaca mix yarn and knit me some socks..... oh just writing this has give me the intense feeling of where's my needles?  lol



So perhaps the mojo isnt lost just a bit put aside with all that's been going on... So I aim to post this blog, finish preparing the Thai infused chicken and jacket potatoes and accompanied by nice fresh salad with green beans.   Cook the dinner and after dinner tonight will be a wee dash of relaxation ie Knitting with ..... oh think I will have a  wee Pink Gin too... nom nom

Inspiration

Inspiration...what does it mean?

an inspiring or animating action or influence

something inspired, as an idea.

a result of inspired activity.

a thing or person that inspires 

a divine influence directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul.

the divine quality of the writings or words of a person so influenced.

So why is my Blogg entry today called inspiration I hear you wonder..... 

Well I am feeling particularly lethargic the last couple of days cant quite say what's the matter health wise but just not right....

Think its very much to do with the M.E. kicking in after a particularly difficult few weeks with the gallstones and the rebirth of Milton... aka the conflicts between us and the builders and Architects... anyway while resting over the last couple of days with no energy to read (holding a book gets hard and concentration is zilch), and not even being able to sit up much so no knitting has been happening also, I have just let my mind wander over the way things are and what has been happening around me and also with in the circle of my friends..

And well have found so many people who have inspired me....some to do better at coping with things when they come along.  Some in a crafting sense inspiring me to do more and try other crafts.  In fact I am surrounded by inspiring people, places and animals and well I find myself feeling very lucky.

So what should I do now well I am not inspired to get up yet as its cold, wet and my energy levels are rock bottom...the cold which looks like its been coming hasn't quite that may be because I have bombarded it with Manuka Honey and lemon and tons of fruit to keep my vitamin C in take high, or whether the feeling of heaviness and shaky limbs is a bad attack of M.E. I don't know and really don't care as long as I am trying to do all I can to be better it doesn't matter what it is.

So what has been making me inspired........... 

If I say Facebook you will think me mad but its not just my family and friends but the regular posts of pages I have liked which have been particularly inspiring to me lately for example www.skyebatiks.com

This company is a small friendly run shop in Portree on Skye which has been a favourite shop of both rob and I for years and when I found them on Facebook it was like finding an old friend... they post most days new pictures of their amazingly colourful skirts/shirts etc and just seeing one of those pictures transports me there and makes me smile and feel all warm... the girls there also tend to post wee pictures of the view from the shop and so I get to see the harbour area and the Cuillins also all year round.

What a lovely way to keep their customers aware of them but also make their customers feel part of their every day life.... I for one am always excited by the colours and textures in their posts.

However they are not the only crafting page I have liked oh no there is also, 

which posts a different free crafting idea/pattern web site every day this is always interesting not that I do many of the suggestions but well all ideas are welcome and go into the wee brain box to become inspiration later on hopefully lol.

I am also lucky to have friends who do some truely amazing artwork like Jane of copper top cakes here is her link on facebook http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.156845941023974.30886.100000957085264&type=3

and let me tell you her cakes are amazing creative creations just look at that angelic face.  

I was lucky enough to meet a very quiet calm lady last weekend at a wedding of a friends brother she was the official photographer and well she didn't order people about in fact she looked and acted so calm and unobtrusive I was most impressed she let the bride and groom be the stars of the occasion and her photos were stunning. It was nice to meet you Jacqui Paterson and if anyone is ever looking for a lovely photographer please ask me for her details she is amazing.

Thinking of people who have inspired me this week alone well there is quite a list which covers the wonderful girls and friends at Once a sheep, Karen the owner has created an inspiring shop which has allowed lots of fibre fanatics gather and support help and inspire each other to do more..... These girls and Lewis (mustn't forget Lewis who is a superb knitter) are one of the highlights of my week and even when the pain is bad just being in their company is enough to make it worth the ferry trip over to spend the morning surrounded with laughter and friendship and well of course all the goodies in Karens shop.   And even better now Karen has got the online shop open so if any of my friends don't know about the amazing once a sheep shop please go and take a look at her here http://www.onceasheep.co.uk/............ gives of an evil wee laugh at the enabling I have just done. lol

I am always inspired by the hard work my two daughters are always doing one as a mum and full time night shift worker and the other the Uk and Ireland Marketing Manager for Royal Canin who also finds the time to be a downhill mountain biker, part time open university student, and will be carrying the Olympic Flame this summer in Inverness....

My hubby Rob who I adore and well I do believe he rather likes me too, works damn long hours being a driving instructor not a job I would have the patience or skill to do, but is always happy funny and well helps make it exciting to wake up in the mornings... ok enough slush from me ... 

However this week along with many other weeks two girls have really been an inspiration to me... they are both fighting the big C in their own way one is a young girl of 8 who goes to my granddaughters school and has been having some tough wee days, her mum posts on facebook some of the trials this brave wee thing is dealing with... Sometimes I think Leigh her mum is in a very lonely place in the night when she cant sleep but seeing the support she has had from all corners of the world has been tear jerking at times but well makes you remember that no matter how much pain the dratted gallstones are giving me... they will soon be gone and I will be getting on with my life, my heart is hoping that wee Aillidh will be getting on with her life soon too.

The other lady who is a constant inspiration is well my daughters childhood friend and adopted sister, is Lucy... this girl has lived her life so full it makes your head hurt to try and work out where she hasn't been and what she hasn't done however she is also having a huge fight and is doing so with determination, pig headedness and grace which leaves me breathless... However she has decided this week to start writing a blog and I am looking forward to reading all of her fun madness and inspirational writings.... if you are at all interested keep a look out in blogland for memyselfandanumberofdiseases-sg.blogspot.com I for one am happy that this inspirational strong gorgeous woman is able to share with us what she is doing...

The inspiring people above are really only a wee taster of the amazing people who are on my facebook friends list there are many many more some who have been included just by being part of Once a sheep, you ladies know who you are and thank you for being so inspiring to me and supportive and well being there fighting for your health you deserve to win, like all the other people who have their own personal challenges going on in their lives... 

you see life isn't easy it isn't even fair but it is life and well its the people we meet along the journey of life that help us to be good well rounded human beings and well I feel very privileged to have so many in my life right now who inspire me to do the best I can whether it is in crafting, caring, friending or even just plain old living.... 

So perhaps this isnt my normal type of blog and well if honest it is not what I expected to write today but well I am feeling a bit in awe of all the fighters out there who are unsung heros and heroines.  Thanks for being in my life inspiring me.

time flies when you have fun.......does it?

So as you may see by the date of this post and by the title I am contemplating time ....... whether it goes fast when having fun...........or drags when not...

Well last weekend saw us all packed and off to Glentress on Friday night, it was a nice evening clear skies and lots of glimpses of a beautiful almost full moon.

If none of you have been to the 7stanes site at Glentress near Peebles well it well worth a visit with the family lots of lovely walking and also some nice family trails along side more adventurous ones, very friendly people and a good social gathering place...here is a wee link to the site..http://7stanesmountainbiking.com/Glentress---Innerleithen  I love seeing families come along and out come the wee ones on the wee ist bikes ever and they bomb around the Eagles nest car park, definitely worth parking there as its central to all the fun, near the wee skills loop, walks go off from there and well there are benches for watching some of the fun and just having a nice wee sit and picnic....

Any way we found ourself with only one other camper parking in the carpark for the night, our fave spot was free so wee reversed into place popped the top and opened our sleeping bags and climbed in.... I had been warned by Joanne that the weather was to be very cold at night and she wasn't wrong it was Blinking perishing..................I know I am not known for feeling the cold but I can tell you at 3 in the morning I was so cold I very nearly woke up Rob and said OK take me back home to Dunoon and the cosy flat...............AM I GLAD I DIDN'T!

Morning found us with a weak sun shining on the Vinster and we hopped out of our sleeping bags and into our biking clothes, porridge on the stove top and cuppa tea and we were set... it was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday morning on the trails but all the better for us as we could ease into the biking.... I had looked back and it was November the last time I had been to G.T. and much too long out of the saddle.... (I continuously ask myself why I leave it so long to sit on a bike as it always means a sore deriar after the first hour.....lol so after playing on the Teenage Kicks for an hour with Rob and Nancy the tandem it was time to have another cuppa at the side of Vinnie...



To say it was chilly is about right, after a nice cuppa it was back up to the top or Teenage Kicks for some laughs and a look at the Rock garden a wee rocky section with a right bend at the bottom... this wee section has eluded us for years firstly the Green Cannondale just didn't have the clearance and to be honest though Nancy does we are always enjoying the last kicker before the rock garden that we never position ourselves correctly to master it... So this was going to be the weekend we did this... I was confident we could do it Rob was a wee bit cautious.... Anyway it wasn't happening Saturday as the snow flurries though not lying were making it not idea conditions..... We got chatting to a couple of nice lads who were complimentary to our biking skills well think its complimentary when a couple of teens say " MAD you really are MAD"  then say never thought you two would manage that...lol I do love being a 54 year old fat lady who gets wee lads to think again about what they perceive... good for them and definatly good for my ego.... that feathering of my ego makes the pain and hard work getting back into biking after a break all the more doable...

We had a really nice spicy lentil and tomato soup back at Vinnie and I rested for a wee while so Rob could go play with his solo bike... the cold still got to me and well when it was about 4 I suggested a trip down to the forestry centre below with the hot showers on offer... good move.  After warming up in the shower and a wee sit in the sun beside our Vinster it was time to go mooch around Peebles, the walk around was good for me as I was feeling a fair bit of pain again and one of the gallstones had done a move around and well wasn't too sure it was going to settle...

The evening was spent in The Glentress Hotel chatting to a lovely family of sisters who had come biking to Glentress for first time as a birthday treat for their brother... nice group and such a laugh... we also had a wee chat to the owner of the Hotel and well was sad to hear that things financially had been very tough the last 3 years and if he hadn't won the franchise for the Cafe he would have had to pull out of the area... that's so sad but it was also a bit difficult because we really support the girls who ran the Hub and made Glentress so successful and who had lost out to that Cafe and so went out of business.... to be honest the Forestry really didn't do right by any of them when they built the new centre and well it should have been possible for both business's to survive... G.T. has changed with the new set up and the old gang of riders are not going any more and that is a massive regret to us...We loved it so much the fun, the chat and the company that the girls from the Hub generated is sorely missed... in the past you would be able to go to the cafe at 6pm and have a lovely lively time all passing on tales of the days exploits... that doesn't happen the new Cafe though totally wants and tries to provide the same experience as well as suiting the casual family visitor, just doesn't and it was all the more noticeable this weekend when we went down for a shower and found an empty car park at only 5pm everyone had gone... such a shame... still for Rob and I and our limitations on skill and energy G.T. is still an awesome venue... though we do miss the old gang of riders..

That night saw me going to sleep in thermal biking tights and base layer and with the addition of a cowl I was an extremely warm and cosy bunny...

Next morning saw 4 parties waking up to the sun in the car park and a nice dry day again... I have to say that I was totally surprised all Sunday with my biking, I managed to bike all day and was only too tired by the end of the day... woo hoo longest session for a while and yep we managed to look at the rock garden and decide it could be done, once again snow stopped us trying but we did do the drop off we hadn't before and its was really easy...lol

I am including a link here of a lad who did the run before us with a helmet camera and well you can get an idea of what fun it is from his footage..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa-UxpbL55U

We had a lovely day and managed to do so much, we had cuddles from Foo as Lindsay and Chris were at G.T. for the day with Napier cycling club.  I have to say my daughter is so stylish and I am in awe of how she always looks so trendy and fit and well almost glamourous when in her biking clothes and I am not at all surprised she has been asked to be a tester for the new designer of women biking clothing  www.ananichoola.co.uk.

We also go chatting to a lovely couple who had a fawn greyhound girl which reminded me of my wonderful lad Red..

Turns out these lovely people are involved with Greyhound Awareness league (www.gal.org.uk) the very rescue society we got Red from and one of the charities we try to help when we can along with Royalheart greyhound rescue(http://royalheartgreyhoundrescue.freeforums.org/) and Scottish Greyhound Sanctury (http://www.scottishgreyhoundsanctuary.com)... these three charities are fairly local to us in Scotland and well they will be the first people we will be contacting when Milton is finished and we can finally get our selves a hound again... I cant wait and really am looking forward to the company and walks.... and sharing a duvet in Vinster with...lol no idea how all three of us will fit in but hey ho we will lol


So was last weekend fun?  Oh Yes, Was I shattered for the rest of the week?  Oh Yes!  Can I wait till next time? No I wish I was doing it all again now....lol

and did you notice this didnt get posted when written ops went into drafts by mistake lol

TGIF

hurrah its Friday and the start of the weekend and for once Rob isn't working Saturday so we have a proper weekend... don't get many of those these days...

So after a busy busy day yesterday cleaning Vinnie out and repacking him... today I put up his bunting again and added those last wee touches that makes a weekend away in Vinnie more fun, the wee box of Word Bluff in the drawer, the box of wet wipes for all eventualities and well a couple of packets of haribo for energy while biking...lol

So it was Friday and on a Friday at this time of the calendar month it means Ardentinny.  The lovely ladies of the village of Ardentinny do a massive baking during Thursday and open up the wee hall in Ardentinny for soup and sandwiches and of course cake.... OK so you guessed I wants partaking of the cake or even the soup this week all had some sort of naughty for gallstones in them but it was an impressive array of cakes and 3 amazing soups,  Chilli and parsnip which I had hoped would do me but alas the cream had been added so none of that for me... there was a Ham and potato soup and also a lamb broth all looked and smelled awesome and by the happy faces around our table the tasted awesomely good too....

Here is Joanne and Ali's hand at the beginning of the morning while we were waiting for Moira and family to come.

Jo was modelling dry shampoo.... I know odd but in fact Ali and her had had a conversation mentioning dry shampoo and jo hadnt heard of it before so Ali as ever helpful found some and brought it along... couldnt resist taking the cheesy posed photo...lol after this we settled down to some serious knitting waiting for Moira kirsty and John...

As you can see there was a wonderful selection for the girls to choose from while waiting for the soup to arrive...lol

After Ardentinny I called into Milton and showed jo around the site, not sure what she thought but well it is coming on promise will we be in situ in 5 weeks.... not in my opinion we wont...lol





Back to the flat for cake baking to try out the dreaded flat oven on a fat free cake and well what do you think?








 Received this thorugh the post does anyone know what it is?

THE WONDER BAG!!


A wee treat with some birthday money its a cosy for a saucepan for starters..... but oh so much more...

Now this weekend I am trying out The Wonder Bag, this was a present to myself with some birthday money and well I am so excited if it does all it says it will and I have no reason to think it wont then I am going to be one very happy and excited bunny by the end of the weekend.... I first heard about this from my mother-in-law Janet she knows how I love one pot cooking, and the enviroment and well also we have a camper and she thought this is a must have for Sandy and Rob....

So how does it work, its along the lines of an old straw/clay oven from years and years ago... you first boil the ingredients for a soup/stew or many more things, if it contains meat you simmer for 15mins, if its all veg based you simmer only 5 mins.  Remove pan from hob place into Wonder Bad  cover with provided lid, pull tight and set aside.... 8 hours later your food it cooked and ready to eat... wow no extra gas use... my sort of cooking and ideal for Vinnie camping.... it is also useful for picnics as it will keep things frozen for up to 12hours or cold for much much longer..... I can see many uses for this... its been used for some time in under developed countries and when I purchased mine another was gifted to someone in an African nation courtesy of me... Brill.... I am so excited... its going to be used to cook porridge over night and then keep the bolognaise and chilli hot while we are biking over the weekend.... Watch this space for a review after the weekend...

On that note its time to go and get the already cooked food out of the freezer and pop it into ............The wonder bag for the trip to Glentress this evening..

Have a great weekend and will be chatting to you all afterwards... take care