A day (? Date) to remember

Today is the birth date of Al Capone Italy, gangster (Chicago bootlegging) which he shares with David Lloyd George (L-PM-Britain, 1916-22), the same day but not the same year the latter being 36 years older. Trivial and useless information but none the less pleasing. No excitement here today apart from the production of a batch of melting moments for Rosie’s Burns coffee afternoon tomorrow. Ahh well, cannot live life in the fast lane every day. Liz and I went for a soggy run along the Loch at Furnace which gave Lucy the chance to stretch her legs and that is about it…Oh I tell a lie, how could I forget the parent forum meeting (the group formerly known as PTA) tonight? Scrub that about the fast lane, how much more excitement can a girl take?…..

A busy week…having fun

This week seems to be turning into my post Christmas rush week off. The above photos are from a morning spent with horses and children messing around followed by an adventure walk from our house with the dogs. This ended with Toby falling in an icily cold stream, which was very funny to all concerned except for him. Sunday saw swimming at The Loch Fyne Hotel and then on Monday Garret and I had a wonderful day off (Thanks, Eleanor for having the girls after school!) at Glencoe where there is good snow cover. I reacquainted myself with skiing, only been once before for a week a staggering (to me) 25 years ago. Garret had his first and only lesson at Glencoe a few years ago. We pottered exhaustingly around for the morning and then after a sandwich that we were both far too nervous to eat we headed off for a lesson. There were two instructors and 5 pupils and after the very first descent it was decided that due to my extreme fear factor (but good muscle tone…I am allowed to boast once in a while) I would get one instructor all to myself. There then followed a very enjoyable, instructive and exhausting 2 plus hours as I was coaxed and cajoled into parallel turns and was eventually taken to a higher steeper run down which I did ski! Well…actually I fell down quite a lot of it, threatened avalanches from all directions with my screams, had a (only one, quite a small one) hissy fit and blessed my lovely instructor all the way down as he patiently skied backwards in front of me catching me as and when required. So, it is back to the slopes ASAP for us! Will post photos as soon as we can manage to carry the camera safely. Horses today with Howard and Myrna riding through the hills on a lovely crisp day…bliss, what a lucky girl I am! Out in a few minutes to jogscotland to maintain that muscle tone.

Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to.

The above seems apt at the moment; as I have just been told by youngest offspring that I am not really old, just middle old. Happy New Year to everyone whereever ye be.
I was going to post a photo of my “post Christmas blow out pre post new year Exercise regime” self but decided to spare you so instead you have the delight of seeing the encumbrances with snowman friend “Stony” plus Ginny and Lucy. The snow gave us a memorable trip back from the sales in Glasgow over the Rest and Be Thankful Pass on Thursday, and provided Garret with yet another story featuring Garret the Hero. These follow a regular and recognisable theme with great skill or courage on his behalf for example the triumph of man and horse at 2006 gymkhana jump off when he and Barra jumped, ummmm, lets see, at least a metre and a half, won the competition outright. I on the other hand was the only adult this year in the novice category and managed to rise above my humiliation (I am very crap at jumping, and the horse does not like it much either) to revel in the third place, the really important thing here is that I beat my children hollow!!! Anyway, back to the weather that we British love so much, Stony is now a distant memory aka “The Snowman” and Toby and I have just been for a run in the hail. So, off for a bath now to try to restore a level of circulation consistent to maintaining life to my lower limbs and bottom….mind you, wouldn’t mind if a bit of the latter fell off! With that attractive thought in mind I am off.

How to get back into the saddle when one has fallen off the horse known as "Blog"

1.Spend at least a month delaying the moment of re mounting and hence make things even worse.
2. Prevaricate.
3. Spend many hours composing witty one or more liners for each days activities then forget them straight away.
4.Apologize.
5. Polish the saddle endlessly, get as far as putting the nummnah in place and then decide that there just isn't enough time today.
5. Grab the pommel (keyboard), mix your metaphors and take the plunge.

Too much water has flowed under the blogging bridge to fill you in (first a horse and then a bridge....what am I coming to? There has been Rosie's birthday, ditto Toby, holiday to Leeds and Essex and then a trip to Centre Parks in Cumbria. Last but not least a new Pup. Ginny has entered our lives much to Lucy's disgust. Tess takes her usual vague interest in all small creatures and acknowledges her when the doggy Alzheimer's button is not being pushed too hard. I will post a photo when we manage to remember to take a decent one. Well, thats all for now. Will try to keep more up to date.

PS. Official note of the start of the Old Mill restoration. The long awaited Cherry Picker (many hours spent trawling the Internet and e bay, Garret became positively dehydrated with drooling over many fiscally unattainable models)) was positioned carefully. Toby and Garret rose steadily and triumphantly to the level of the roof and removed the first of the tiles (before they fall!). Oh, one more thing before I sign off, after the activities mentioned in the last entries three of my toe nails went black and fell off...always like to end on a high point.

Today my address is....

No 1, Achesville.
Unfit-town
County Down..........

The Pros and the Cons

Pro....finished the race (1.57)
Con...cannot get shoe on left foot due to large and impressive (well, to me anyway) blood blister on the end on one toe.

Memo to self. need to practise hills a wee bit more before next year!

First 1/2 marathon tomorrow....

aged forty two and three quarters.Nuff Said.