Life - 21-27 Nov. 2017: Rain, Arctic Blasts, & Feeling Stupid!

The continuing journal of my everyday life  - a record for future generations.

A quiet time  compared with last week's activities, but a brilliant one for blogging. 

Monday 20 November 2017 

Amazing what you get done,  when the main computer is down. Caught up on the domestics,  and tidied out drawers and cupboards. At least I have the I-pad for emails and the Internet.   At last  got round to sorting out on the kitchen table the 160+ photographs back into their folders,  after the Auld Earlston exhibition three weeks ago. 

 No incentive to go out as  dreicht, damp and dark most of the day. 

Tuesday 21 November 2017
We felt so stupid!  D. came and in 30 seconds had sorted our computer problem!!   N. must have caught this little switch on the underside of the screen (which we never even knew was there) - and inadvertently switched it off.   N. felt so embarrassed at calling D. out,  but it could easily have been me causing the fault!

I had three blog posts in draft form, but I finished and published last week’s Journal Jottings and made good progress on Auld Earlston’s “Wheel Women of Earlston” looking at the early women cyclists - and motor cyclists. I enjoyed researching the social history. 

Baked for the Wednesday Club - I have to admit baking is not my natural forte.  When I agreed  to join the catering team for the tea, I thought it would encourage me to widen my very narrow repertoire - Wrong!   I still cannot be bothered spending time on baking, and I would certainly want to eat my fair share of any of it - and that is not recommended for my waistline. 

Nh. round after school and we had an hilarious time playing "Articulate" - a bit like Trivial Pursuits, but  you have to describe or act out the clue for others to guess the answer.  Nh. loves doing the Action option.  I had to act out "Buckingham Palace"   and "Blackpool" which was challenging!! Great fun for us all - I highly recommend it.  

Wednesday 22 November 2017

Lazy morning,  once I had packed my baking for this the afternoon.  Posted the latest Auld Earlston blog. Got my delivery of the wool I had ordered online for the KAS (Knit a Square) African Project - very impressed as it  came in a lovely muslin style bag - took me back to what I picked up working at the Tourist Board about marketing, adding value to a product and wowing the cusotmers - I was wowed!    I love knitting with the variegated/self-patterning wool as you never know quite how it is going to turn out. 

The Speaker at the Wednesday Club was from Stable Life, a very well worthwhile local charity that helps vulnerable youngsters by involving them in  working on the land and with horses. Plenty  of goodies on the cake stands afterwards.  Walked there and back in pouring rain  - it has never stopped all day.  A good night for me on TV  for a change. 

Thursday 23 November 2017

Woke up  to find it was dry with glimmer of sunshine. Our "Walk It" group went across to Tweedbank and enjoyed a walk around the loch and down to the high, fast-flowing river - still plenty of colours in the foliage.

 

 

Home to a good blogging session.  Posted "Women on the Home Front - Service in the Face of Sorrow" with the WW1 tale of Maggie Laidlaw of Hawick.

Friday 24 November 2017

We needed to go into Galashiels for the bank and a cobbler, so we took the opportunity to have lunch out at our favourite place -  Quins.    

Home to another good blogging session - posted "The Gift of a Family Bible"  about my great grandfather,  in response to  the November Blog Party Thanksgiving Challenge.   

Saturday 25 November 2017

Bitterly cold again - 4C. A day off the main computer.  A good news story for Scotland for once - we actually beat Australia convincingly at rugby!!

My favourite Saturday night entertainment - Strictly Come Dancing - I will have withdrawal symptoms when this finishes in a few weeks' time. 

Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Sunday 26 November 2017

Lazy morning.  Fired off a quick  blog on Family History Fun to try and boost figures for this new blog.  We decided to get some fresh air after lunch, but even though we were well wrapped  in hat, scarf and gloves, we soon turned back it was such a chill raw wind - where was the sun we were promsied for today?  Papers are sayng that Scotland is in for some Arctic blasts!   

My favourite Susan is out of Strictly come Dancing - yesm  she was the worst dancer left in, but she was so full of the joy of dancing, a delight to watch and with witty one-liners 

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Other Blogs I Write:

 Family History Fun  at https://scotsue-familyhistoryfun.blogspot.co.uk 

Auld Earlston at https://auldearlston.blogspot.co.uk

Life 13th-19th Nov 2017: Yoga, An Italian Experience & Visiting the "Boys".

A week of exercise, sampling Italian food, visiting Chocolate and Marshmallow (you will have to read on to find out more) and ending  with a frustrating computer breakdown.

Monday 13th November 2017.

Bitterly cold day.  Went to Melrose for the post office (we lost ours in the village earlier this year); also visited the library (in the square and so much more convenient than in Earlston where it is a good 20mim walk away in the High School.  

Of course to kill time before the bus back, we had to go to our current favourite offee shop/restaurant - Marmions - N. had coffee and walnut cake, whilst I opted for a delicious scone with wee pots of butter and jam - none of those fiddly little catering pats that are tricky to open!

Home and made vegetable soup for lunch.  Busy afternoon blogging.

Tuesday 14th November 2017
As one of the Wednesday Club catering team, I was invited to a committee meeting to discuss our afternoon tea policy.  Bit of a waste of time and I am still confused as to how many pieces I should be making - the club has 52 members, so a lot to cater for with sandwiches or sausage rolls, scones, cakes and tray bakes

Allowed myself to be persuaded to keep C. company at a new yoga class in the primary school.  I have never had the slightest bit of interest in yoga, so why on earth did I say “yes”?

I did manage this pose - for a short time until my knees told me otherwise -

 not me in the image I hasten to add.   Courtesy Pixabay 

I was glad I went as a taster, but I haven't changed my mind - yoga is not for me.  I feel  much healthier, fitter and invigorated after going to Aquafit.   

Wednesday 15th  November 2017.

Woke  at 4.25am and could not get back to sleep, so a dozy start to the day.  My equivalent to “counting sheep” strategy did not work e,g. counting 50 states of the USA, 32 old counties of Scotland, composers A.to Z.  Good session on computer on draft of “Women on the Home Front” based in Gd. research work in Hawick.

I have had such a good reaction on my Family History Facebook page  to my  post on "7 Days of My Life", I have decided to create  this separate blog - though it tested my basic IT skills, as it is such a  long time since I last set up a blog.    

Thursday 16th November 2017
Mill Meadow  walk down to the Haughhead Bridge.

Leader Water

 I like photographing trees throughout the different seasons - here I was struck by the lovely shape of the branches. 

WRI  (Womens' Rural Institute) meeting with  the speaker recounting her  experiences of living in Italy for 25 years.  It was in a village about the size of Earlston, 30 miles north of Rome and very much a rural lifestyle in a rented farm cottage, with an erratic water supply, and surrounded by vines and olive trees.   The contrast with here in terms of the fresh food shops available locally - bread, pasta, vegetables etc. - was striking.  J. had brought with her recipes and two of her favourite Italian dishes for us to sample - antipasti savories (courgettes, mushrooms, peppers, aubergines, salami, mozzarella, olives, salami), followed by a delicious raspberry & amaretti crunch cake, which I must try.

Friday 17th November 2017
Into Galashiels for shopping.  The last thing N. said was "Don''t overload yourself" - but of course I did, but so nice to get something different in the food line. So  tea was courtesyy of M & S. (Marks and Spencers) - quiche and salads.  Crocheted in the evening, making decorations for the Church Christmas Tree project - more of that later.


Saturday 18th November 2017

A fine day with glimmers of sunshine,  so I went out with my camera into Mill Bank Woods.  Called into G. on the way to see the latest members of the family -"the boys"  - Chocolate and Marshmallow - two guinea pigs. who are being royally looked after by Nh.

            Peek-a-Boo

On with my walk

Craisgsford Bridge, built c.1737 and once the main road to Edinburgh.

                             Looking down on Leader Water from Mill Bank Woods

TV - Strictly Come Dancing live from the Tower Ballroom. Blackpool, where my parents met in 1936!  Great Saturday  entertainment at home, accompanied by a drink and chocolates!

              
Sunday 19th November 2017.

Lazy morning, sunny outside so we walked up to Speedy’s Wood and came back for bacon and mushroom sandwiches - our favourite Sundsy brunch.  

N. was on the computer when it crashed.  We got a light on the hard drive   But nothing in the screen which we have not had all that long.  I was on such a roll with my blogs and need the main computer to attach photographs.   Just hope D. our computer advisor can come round soon.  At times,  computers call for great patience!!

Life 6th-12th Nov.2017: Chats, Scones & A Fire Engine Visit

A  week typical of my lifestyle, though more TV than usual and fewer grandparent duties;  plus a fire engine visit!

Monday 6th November 2017

We were woken in the early hours of the morning i.e. 1am  by the  continuing bleeping of our smoke alarm - a sign that the batteries are running down, aggravated by cold weather.  I switched the heating on, hoping it would cease and tried to bury my head in the downie to drown out the irritating sound.  First phone call of the day must be to the Fire and Rescue Service to come and sort it. Woke up to a bitterly cold morning with heavy frost (the end of my nasturtiums and geraniums in the garden)  plus signs of sun -  but at least the house was nice and warm.  


Took the bus for the quick 3 mile journey into Melrose to meet a former work colleague for coffee and scones.   As ever we never stopped talking! I never tire of the journey to and from Melrose with the view of the Eildon Hills and the Leaderfoot Viaduct over the Tweed - the Borders at its best. 

Leaderfoot Viaduct

Back home to find N. had a homemade vegetable soup on the go  - just the ticket for lunch.  

Spent the afternoon  on the computer, preparing items for an  Auld Earlston meeting   and then finishing some crochet squares for the KAS (Knit a Square) Project, photographed  the squares and posted the images on the KAS Square Circle Forum page for November. 

             

  

Tea - salad (because I needed to use up items in the fridge) with home made oven chips, followed by a hot dessert - Eve’s Pudding.  

On TV watched It Takes Two - Strictly Come Dancing and  the quizzes Pointless and University Challenge whre I enjoy testing myself against the questions.  Then read my library book - realised that I  am into "comfort reading" and that a psychological thriller with lots of strange,suspicious happenings, is not conducive  to sleep.

Tuesday 7th November 2017
Our friendly Fire and Rescue team made an impressive arrival on their fire engine (after all they were on call) and they quickly fitted  a new smoke alarm.  A day of computer hassles, writing a post for the Auld Earlson blog featuring WW1 memorabilia from the group's archive collection. Spent far too long on it, so I am also going to feature it my own family history blog as well,  where  I always choose the theme of War and Remembrance  for November postings and have exhausted my own family stories.

Lunch - more of the soup.  Tea - mushroom pasta  and  roast peach halves, filled with biscuit crumble.

Auld Earlston Committee Meeting in the evening where we reviewed our recent very successful exhibition and slide show.  Home in time to catch on TV  the second half of Masterchef the Professionals.

 

Wednesday 8th November 2017  
Domestics in the morning and a visit to the hairdressers to get my hair trimmed where I had a good chat with M. about local history.  . Wednesday Club meeting  in the afternoon  more good chats with friends and as usual a lovely afternoon tea of goodies.  Posted my WW1 post on my own blog - have various other titles in my draft folder to work on, after a lean month in October.  

Tea  - fish  and fruit salad.

TV - for once a good evening for me - Pointless,  ITT Strictly, Masterchef the Professionals  where we were routing for the chef from the Lake District -  we always go for participnts from the north of  England or from Scotland - would that now be termed racism in these political correct times!   Then The Apprentice - it is compulsive viewing, particularly the final part in the board room, but it is so false!  The contestants were on a cruise ship and had to plan, sell and present a walking tour of Bruges. My 22 years in tourism hackles rose!  How could they lead a tour when they had never visited the place to do a recce, work out timings  and practice their commentary?     The cruise passengers were conned into paying nearly £100 each - stupid them -  but  I have a strong belief the TV production company would pay that.  

Thursday 9th November 2017
Lovely sunny morning and not as cold - joined the Walking Group  when we took cars up to Lauder  and walked  along the old Lauder Light Railway line.  Easy walking with clear blue skies and beautiful open countryside - very invigorating.  Back to Rhymers Cafe for  coffee and scones, plus friendly chat.   

Afternoon spent on (hopefully) finishing off Anne’s Family History narrative which I began some time ago and I must finish  before Christmas. 

ASDA groceries delivery  - this is such a boon, especially as we no longer have a car,  20 min. ordering on the IPad,  no 18 mile round trip to Galashiels, loading trolley, unloading trolley, filling bags,  etc.    Tea  mini pizzas (home made) and fresh fruit salad.

Usual TV - ITT Strictly good  and not as silly as it can get - I always like the spot on costumes and a good interview with Susan and Kevin, one of my favourite couples. Plus an absorbing  BBC4 programme  on the four Romanov daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra - I have always been fascinated by this period of Russian history and remember a complex spider's web chart I drew at university for revising the causes of the Russian Revolution. 

Friday 10th November  2017
Woke up early so read  in bed and finished my library book.  Lazy morning with a quick visit  from G and Nh. - In Service Training Day so no school and they were going  to see the new Paddington Bear film. 

Short bus journey down to Milestone Garden Centre for lunch.  We enjoyed the visit - lovely first impression as we  entered with the colourful Christmas displays - needless to say we did buy some additions for the tree.;  plus some cyclamen and heathers for the tubs in the front garden which I planted this afternoon.  Another sunny day with clear blue skies, but still very cold - definitely hat, scarf and gloves weather - 5C/41F.  

 Berries in the garden still giving a lovely splash of colour

TV  - Pointless, News, Mastermid and Only Connect quizzes.  On my I-pad  writing book reviews on Good Reads.   I am dreadful at remembering titles and authors of books I read, so this web site is ideal.  I do it for myself, not to get comments and enjoy reading what others think of the books.

Saturday 11th November 2017. 
Domestics  and on the computer drafting blog posts and clearing my e-mails build up.    I have had a great week on my blog.

Tea - usual Saturday winter comfort meal  - eg, poached egg, bacon, hash browns, mushrooms - plus pears for afters.    

TV's Strictly Come Dancing brilliant - even N. is following it, rather than escaping onto the computer.    Followed by the Festival of Remembrance in the Royal Albert Hall - very moving - Britain and BBC at their very best.  

Sunday 12th November 2017 
Sunshine streamed through the house for much of the day.  Watched the Remembrance Ceremony at the Cenotaph - again very stirring and moving.  Britain does this ceremonial so well.   Walked up to the Square afterwards and took photographs of Earlston War Memorial with the poppy wreaths.

Earlston War Memorial in the Gardens in the Square - 

with the White Hill in the background.

Tea - casserole, roast potatoes,  ice-cream and fruit salad,  TV - Songs of Praise, Strictly Dance Off and  new serial  of  E.M Fosters "Howards End".  

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The post first published on my Family History Fun blog on November 12th

was  the impetus to me setting  up Journal Jottings 

Introducing My New Blog

How many of us would like to find a journal of an ancestor, writing about  her (or his)  everyday life?  

Against that background, two recent online postings caught my eye.  We often write about our childhood memories, but what are are we doing to note down  our life today to leave a  record for our descendants? 

• On my Reading List was an entry from Lisa of My Trails into the Past.  She refered to Randy Seaver of Genea-Musing who has started a  meme asking bloggers to record what they have been doing in the past seven days. 

• Jessica Benjamin on We Are Genealogy Bloggers sparked a discussion, seeking  advice on encouraging bloggers to contribute their journal entries. 

I decided to take up Randy's challenge - and  had such a positive reaction to this initial  post,  that I decided to launch a separate blog.

JOURNAL JOTTINGS WAS BORN! 

A Bit of Background Information
i  live with my husband  in the village of Earlston in the Scottish Borders, a rural area of small towns, rolling hills and flowing rivers.  I am retired, but quite involved in my community and with my daughter and family who live close by.  

I will be writing about my rural lifestyle, my day to day life and my activities, plus thoughts on the world around me - TV, News Items etc.,   but not my innermost thoughts on family and friends - they remain my innermost thoughts!  

DO READ ON   and do get in touch with your comments, as they mean a lot to me.  

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