Unexpected visitors

Andy's cousin Dougie dropped by for a visit. Dougie and his wife, Fiona were moored at Largs Marina and had been sailing around the West Coast enjoying the recent wonderful weather...

They had moored at Millport before visiting us and had experienced their own unexpected visitor.

 

 Imagine their surprise when they woke up to find a seal sunbathing in their dinghy.

It seemed quite at home and had obviously decided that Dougie and Fiona's dinghy was a more comfortable place to kip in than the usual rock formation he/she looks for!

Vistors are always welcome at our house but when the visit is a delightful unexpected one, it always adds to the pleasure of the day.

Whether that is a Dougie/Fiona combo or a seal commandeering a room with a view!

 

 

Talking about unexpected pleasures, Andy and I were invited recently to Pirate Island by Rosie. This is a smaill extension of the beach on the walk to the Pencil in Largs that the grandchildren have named "Pirate Island".

Here is Andy and Rosie posing for the camera and then a celluloid record of Rosie taking charge of the adventure... as she does.

 

That was a treat for us both and then I got the treat of supporting Murphy's football match at Bowencraig. Yes... it was an unexpected pleasure for me watching 6 year olds running after the ball. It took me back many, many years to when I watched Kenneth and Gordon in their Colts strips.

Murphy's football team photo

Playing football, fighting pirates is tiring, never mind the dancing, gymnastics, swimming and riding bikes... but not for us ancient ones, who are now the spectators, enjoying watching the children at play.

Or chillin' out after another busy day...

... and just in case you doubted our grandchildren's pirate adventures, here is another unexpected visitor to our shores!

a trip down memory lane... and taking the ferry!

 We went abroad folks! Took a family holiday and took the ferry to Arran...

wind-swept and interesting

I know ... how lucky are we! We actually managed to get on a ferry.

Kenneth booked a fabulous house in Brodick that managed accommodate himself and his partner Natalie; Gordon, Murphy and Rosie; Andy and myself and even an overnight visit (or two) from Andy's sister Chrissie and an overnighter from Andy's brother Robin. 

Great fun was had by all... apart from a ferry cancellation that resulted in Chrissie staying an extra night. However we all agreed that that was an added bonus to our fun.

We enjoyed a lunch out at the Wineport. Good food and even managed a family game of charades... Well we did have the whole backroom to ourselves ...

 Football in the garden was a frequent occupation, even in the rain. Yes surprisingly, it did rain. but most of the time the sun shone...

 

 

Proof of sunny days as there was lots of entertainment for adults and children to be had by playing crazy golf,  swimming in the pool at Auchrannie and a trip to Blackwaterfoot to jump the waves. Well the last one was the children. I am not quite up to jumping the waves... yet!

My mother-in-law used to hire a house in Lamlash for two weeks every August and various members of the extended family visited, including ourseves, especially when our boys were young. Weather was the usual variable Scottish offering but the fun always included golf... crazy or otherwise!

As I wrote in the blog's title,  this visit was a trip down memory lane as the ferry we were lucky to travel with then, was the same one we went on this April ... 

 

 "Deja-vu"  - The same ferry to Arran...  just different weather conditions, photo starring Andy, Kenneth and Gordon on the Isle of Arran ferry, circa 1980s

The Vernal Equinox

 

I love this time of year. A time when we all get to feel a little excited about the possibilities of change.

There is always an anticipatory feeling of what could be round the corner. I usually think of it as how we feel when getting ready for a party where all our favourite people will be in attendance. 

Or getting to go on holiday to a favourite resort and thinking of all the good times you have enjoyed in the past ... and looking forward to experiencing even more of the same or even better!

This is when we find oneselves at "sixes and sevens", a very strange description of flux I know, however the following definition sums up this specific time of year, perfectly.

Let's help the sun choose to enlighten us...

Peace...

Well... the sun is shining in Largs today!  and boy does it make a difference. There was an accompanying cold wind ... brrrr ...

but our granddaughter, Rosie and myself, managed to persuade Grandpa to take a walk to the beach to search for shells...

 and surprise surprise, there was an abundance of them.

Rosie loves the fact that although she brings a full bucket home to wash, with the next visit to the beach, the tide has brought even more of the beautiful shells she likes to collect.

We even encountered three dogs on the beach this morning that came to say hello. We think they must have been part wolf due to their "huskieness", but Rosie and the dogs still became pals and that added to our adventure. 

We were so close to home... but still managed an adventure.

As Rosie was our little ray of sunshine this morning, I realised that this Snoopy quote couldn't be more appropriate to our situation.

As, due to all that's going on in the world just now, we have all been struggling to find any kind of sunshine in our lives.

No matter how distant we live from war, earthquakes, poverty and chaos, we need to know that we can still make a difference.

Spreading sunshine can be as simple as donating to the varying charities that are stretched beyond measure. However we can always use the power of thought to reach out to the displaced, lost or grieving. 

Not necessarily to send sunshine but to focus on Peace.

Wherever and whoever we are, we all need peace in our lives...

OM, shanti, shanti shanti.

Celebration

 Last year, a friend of mine gave me a beautiful book to help me focus on blessings. Helen knows how I love poetry, so the combo of verse and blessings were perfect for me and I appreciated both the thought and the gift.

And the title of Bless the Space Between Us intrigued me.

The book is full of inspiring, insightful messages, beautifully written. Words that touch the deepest of emotions and calm the most troubling of times.

One of my favourites, that I return to regularly, is "For Celebration"... and as today is my husband, Andy's birthday and we are celebrating together, as a family, it seemed like a perfect gift to pass on to others.

As the words help us appreciate the many blessings, we share in our lives, I thought I would share this special poem with you ...

 

 Many, many, thanks Helen. 

... and many, many thanks to John O'Donohue

 

Here is a photo of some of my many blessings... 

Who knew....

 so many surprises this month...

some welcome and some not so much!

First of all, the welcome ones. Murphy and Rosie came to stay.

Hallowe'en in Canada ...

A couple of angels!

    

 and Christmas in Scotland. 

 We have even made it cold enough for our Canadian visitors with the temperature dropping below freezing. Brrrrr!

 Tree up but loads of things to do before Santa comes...

 However if  I remember the Christmas story correctly, the angels always arrived early...

 "Super delighted" with my double surprise, as the Canadians say...

Question - what do  I, say? 

Answer - They are "Awesome"!

 Now to the unwelcome surprise. I took a tumble and have manged to "jigger" both knees. You will be acquainted with that well know medical term  - "jiggered".

Right is worse than left but both are challenging my moving around and of course interfering with shopping... and with Christmas looming I shall have to do a special letter to Santa (Andy) to help me out.

I may decorate my elbow crutches with tinsel to cheer myself up. Alternatively Christmas pudding earrings have always made me smile in the past. Not real ones of course...

... thank goodness there are children around to help me watch the mega number of Christmas movies on TV and work at embracing the spirit of Christmas with wishing you

                                                "Peace and Good will to all!"

Words of advice

 

Well... 

while searching for inspiration regarding an Aloe Connections monthly newsletter, I came across this advice. Strange though, as I wasn't aware that I was needing advice, but then when do we ever!

 There is no name attached to the words of wisdom, but there is a sense of someone who has been there, done it and proudly wears the T-shirt.

It also helps that the background picture is calming...

So what about words of advice?

I have always been aware that unsolicited advice is never welcome and even when solicited, it can be challenging to swallow. 

As a physio, back in the dark ages, my advice was often sought and sometimes even taken. Nowadays, my advice is rarely sought, but when it is, a whole new relationship develops. The one with myself, as advice is always personal due to one's own experience!

Invariably, I have to quote Dame Maggie Smith who famously said " My dear, I never give advice, I only have opinions!"

Now maybe that would be a great quote for a T-shirt...