Weekly Round-up

Yesterday we had our local Agricultural Show.

There was live music from the local Melodeon band

And gorgeous cattle

I would have taken this guy home with me. Adorable.

My kids asked if this was the kind of car I drove when I first passed my test.

They got no dinner last night. That'll teach them.

Oh well, I suppose I'd better show the sheep too.

Here are some Texels being judged.

I am only kidding about the sheep. I love them really.

Well, not these white faced ones. But I do love the Big Brother's Blackfaces.

Here are some of them in a pen, waiting to be judged.

And there were Strongman events.

Up, ...

Up...

...and over!

And here's the Maide Leisg 

(literally translated: The Lazy Stick)

We even had horses and Indians.

Sadly, I saw no cowboys.

I was glad to speak to one of the volunteers in this tent.

Help for Heroes is a charity set up particularly for servicemen who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan with injuries. They do a great work. 

The wee guy bought a gun. Can you believe it? A gun! 

He has plenty guns, but this is the only money he spent all day.

Here's the Builder....yes, the Builder...playing at battles with 

the wee guy.

What chance do I have??

Don't you love the old tractor, though?

Okay, enough of all that.

Total change of subject:

The girls went off to camp today. I feel lost.

We pray that it would be a time of blessing for their souls. This we want more than anything for them.

I miss them already.

Tomorrow, we'll be a much smaller family, and all our vegetables for tomorrow's dinner is from our own plot.

I don't want to bore you, but isn't that amazing?

It's been a difficult year in the veg plot, but this makes it very worthwhile.

How good God is to us.

Have a blessed weekend.

Worth a Listen

Ephesians 1 is one of my favourite chapters in the Bible.


A few years ago - I was actually in bed recovering from a flu - I put Ephesians 1 into the search on the Sermon Audio site. This was one of the recordings that came up, and I heard this man for the first time. It is the testimony of Dr Richard Bennett and is worth a listen.


Dr Bennet was born and brought up in the Republic of Ireland. He became a priest in his young adult life. His testimony is such an eye-opener. It made me so thankful for the upbringing and the spiritual heritage with which I grew up. And yet, it shows so clearly that God will find His own regardless of where they are - physically or spiritually. 



3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
 ⁵ Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
 ⁶ To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
 ⁷ In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;



Precious.

Preparing for the Show

Big Brother's sheep are going to the local agricultural show on Friday.


Tonight they are being manicured and pedicured, and they are getting their hair done.


Think I'm talking nonsense??


Well, just have a look at this.

The Builder's sister is so much more croftified than I am.

Here she is blindfolding the sheep. That way he doesn't get stressed.

Here he is getting brushed.

The dying process....no, that's not right, is it?

Ahem - the dyeing process (sorry, Big Brother) 

And here they are with the dye all done.

Doesn't the big one look like he's gonna start dancing?

Too weird.

I'll let you all know how the show goes.

Oh cringe! What a blunder. I've just called all the sheep 'he' in the above photos.

I'm not THAT stupid. I do know that sheep are 'she' not 'he'. It was merely a slip of the tongue.

I'm not going to show the Big Brother this post. He really would chase me off the croft.

Living on my Nerves

Oh dear me. It's official. He's driving legally. On the roads. In the town. 

I don't think my nerves can take it.

We bought this car because it's easier to insure for a 17 year old driver. 

Insurance companies do not like 17 year old boys. 

There are reasons for their dislike of 17 year old boys. 

When I was young (my kids laugh at that phrase: 'When I was young....'. They reckon I say it ALL the time. It's not true, of course.)

Anyway, when I was young, I thought we should be able to drive legally when we were ...oh, probably .. about twelve. 

Now? Well, now I think the age should be around twenty-two. At least.

Seriously, this is scarey. And I think I need a brandy. Except that it would probably make me throw up. I don't know how anyone can drink that stuff. 

I'm rambling. I know I am. It's my nerves. When I get very nervous, I talk non-stop. That's what I'm doing just now. 

B-R-E-A-T-H-E

Okay. I'm more calm now. This is what calmed me.

We had our own baby carrots and broccoli tonight.

We also had our own red onion and coriander. I must tell you all about my coriander. But I can't get my thoughts together right now.

I'm not kidding. I'm not ready to be the mother of a 17 year old. When I was young (there's that phrase again)..... When I was young, the mothers of 17 year olds were.... kind of old. And I don't feel 'kind of old'. 

I have got to go. I'm rambling again. I need to go and talk to some vegetables. I need to feel calm again.

I love you all. And please stick with me. I will be calm the next time I say 'Hi' to you. Promise.

Catherine's Cakes

Catherine decided the other day she would make some cupcakes to sell. 

Here are some of the ones she sold today. 

Chocolate, Lemon and Strawberry Cheesecake 

She is now tired ... but happy!

Never Off Duty

Whether he's around the house, at the beach or in the peats, this wee guy is never off duty.

Here he is yesterday. In the peats. Camouflaged.

There could be dangers lurking, apparently.

Gun at the ready. No time off.

And we definitely needed protection whilst driving home in the trailer.

This is What Happens....

This is what happens when folk come and stay with us for a holiday.

They're sent to work!

A dear friend from the USA was with us for a week, so we took her to the peats.

Here they are being lifted.

They're put into little 'wigwams' with a 'bonnet' on top! This lets the air to the part of the peat that was lying on the ground, and lets the air circulate.

They will not take long drying now.

We did allow her some socialising too.

Only a little.

She is here with another two Americans living in our village.

(They're everywhere these Americans. And you have to watch them: once they come, well ... they just don't want to go!)

We also took her to the beach....

....and allowed her some fun time with our kids.

In fact, we sat and had the BBQ, and she played with the kids.

We're thoughtful like that.

I have to tell you all, it was cold. 

I don't mean that it was a nice summer evening with a gentle but cool breeze wafting in from the sea.

I mean It Was Cold.

In the 50s F; 30mph winds off the Atlantic.

We nearly froze.

We ran on the spot to try and keep warm

It didn't work.

Of course, when you take kids to a beach, the temperature changes nothing.

They climb....

Who are these kids on the rocks?

That's dangerous.

Their parents are clearly hugely irresponsible. Clearly.

Mmmm

They play....

They.....WHAT!

My baby and my niece. Boy, they are hardy. 

I could hardly take the photo for shivering, and I had my jumper, cardigan AND jacket on.

No kidding.

And they see how far they can go into the sea without going blue with the cold...

And some decide to be REALLY brave. Or mad.

Aaarghhhh! He did it! 

I don't know who this is, but he did.

Oh, I do know. He's my son.

He gets his bravery from me.

Obviously.

Someone's Gone!

Someone has stopped following me :-(


You may have gone because you are:
a)  Scottish
b)  a Northerner
c)  a Yankee or Mets supporter
d)  sensible


It may be for some other reason. Please let me know. I did tell you that I need you all. Me and my lonely life...


Tell me what to do to bring you back and.....well, I might just do it!

My Boy's Birthday

Today is my boy's birthday. There must be some mistake. There is nooooo way I am the mother of a 17 year old. Is there?


Well, it appears so. 

For starters we had some prawn cocktail and

...smoked salmon with lemons.

We also had a fruit medley - mostly consisting of melon and grapes, because that's what Catherine likes. She was boss in the kitchen today!

I don't have photos of the main course or the dessert.

The main course was Chicken Parmigiana from the Pioneer Woman's site. Catherine has made this a number of times, and we love it. Tonight, however, seeing as Gran and Grampa were with us, we didn't serve it with pasta. It's not their 'thing'. We had roasted vegetables and new potatoes. 

Our own potatoes? Oh, thank you for asking. They were, seeing as you ask. The children do not believe that the many conversations I've had with them over the past months made any difference. I beg to differ. They were delicious. And it's all because I was so nice to them.

For dessert, Catherine made brownies and chocolate sauce. We had it with white Italian ice-cream and fresh strawberries. Don't ask, 'cos they weren't our own.

Here's Catherine giving DR the cake she made. It was a Red Velvet cake with cream cheese icing.

We covered this part of the kitchen wall with 'stuff' today. 'Stuff' that spoke of DR.

I'll try and explain some of them.

Home.....someday! This is his dream. I tell him when it comes to it he wont want to leave his Mum and he'll live right next door to me when he marries.

Oh well, a woman can dream!

This is him on his 1st birthday. And then on his 1st day of school. This was before we'd heard of homeschooling.

He can now drive.... legally. Not that we'd ever have allowed him behind the wheel of a car before now. I think I'll say no more.

I must apologise to any Northerners for this. I don't really apologise, but I wish I could explain. His heroes are Stonewall Jackson and Robert E Lee. His all-time greats.

I know this flag has been adopted by *some* undesirables, but the fact remains....we're Rebels.

Please don't fall out with us, Yankees. Pleeeeeeese.

Oh, the photo is of Ronald Reagan and Maggie Thatcher. 

You know, I should really have left this photo off this post. The flag will send the Northerners running; the photo will send most Scots scurrying for cover. Most Scots would not have Maggie on their Christmas card list. Let's just leave it at that.

Here's the Birthday Boy himself. He's wearing a Phillies cap - just to prove he loves the North too.

I suppose this will send the Yankees and the Mets scurrying. I'll have nobody left reading my blog. Please don't leave me. I need you. I live a very lonely life. 

Please don't go. I do love you all!

So, DR, happy birthday. I couldn't have wished for a more wonderful son. 'Yet one thing thou lackest'. If it was possible, I would give you this gift. But that is God's to give. There is no doubt that more than any other thing, I wish Christ for you this year. God bless you, my dear son.