A Perfect Day

You know those perfect sorts of days; I mean the ones where everything just seems pretty great?  Well I had one on Saturday which requires its very own blog post.

Last week was great down in Devon with plenty of sunshine mid day and just the right amount of cool mornings followed by even colder evenings.  Cool, crisp and clear making evening walks a joy.  So when we woke up on Saturday we were greeted with true Autumn beauty. 

Even better was waking up in our magnificent new bed.  The much longer for, lusted after fluffy new mattress made our dreams come true.  So when we woke up to sunlight in a cosy new bed we woke up very happy.  TH was heading off to meet a organisation we could volunteer with in Exmouth so Daisy and I tagged along for the ride and took advantage of it being the first weekend I could walk her on the beach as it was after summer season. 

I wore my skinny jeans a t-shirt and a jumper and carried along my Barbour in case it felt chilly outside.   I looked my welly boots square on and then turned to pick up some flat ballet pumps – the one only slightly wrong thing with the day!  When we got to Exmouth TH popped right along to his appointment whilst Daisy and I trotted along the beach.  I’ve not walked on sand since we arrived in the UK in April, so I had totally forgotten how much sand fills up your shoes.  We walked the whole length of the beach and then back again just as TH was getting out of his appointment.  It was no trouble that I took my pumps off at one point and just started to carry them, and it was lovely for us to stop and look out at the sea (well, until Daisy started to cry and dig a hole right next to me).

Once we had met up again we took a leisurely walk along the sea front to a café where we sat in the sun.  Daisy sat under the table and TH got the breakfast whilst I went for a burger.  We both got tea, and I had a milkshake too.

After we polished off our brunch we headed home again, my cold had caught up with me, so after a bit of reading I went for a nap and woke up to the sound of the doorbell going.  TH and been battling his own cold that afternoon whilst I lay snoozing, and so had ordered us some delicious Chinese food…..just in time for Strictly to start.

A great day all round!

Having Moved

When we moved out of our old place we got to stay at this great hotel...much grander than we are used to!

We sat by the fire and ordered afternoon tea...

TH had to take a few calls so i got started on the cake

We had a quick look into the bar at supper time, but seeing as Daisy Dog was allowed in the drawing room we had supper there too.  I'd been looking forward to that steak for ages!

The next day I had a walk through the walled garden and found some chestnuts.

It was such a perfect way to start our new adventure.

Bennachie day trip

London Calling

The Husband and I are really quite different when it comes to organisation. There are list people, and there are those that like the uncertainty and sense of adventure. The first group of people are more than happy to plan every spare minute and create list after list detailing where exactly they will be on any given day at any given time. I am one of these people. The second group of people have within their midst’s my husband. I don’t understand him, and he doesn’t understand me-at least when it comes to this.


I am more than happy to take on the responsibility for big events and holidays, and with the everyday running of the home we just muddle along, I guess like every other couple out there.

We are planning a trip to London for our anniversary in October and have already booked the flights. The accommodation needs to be found and paid for-but we really are on a budget as we are going away in the Summer and have made preliminary plans to head off in Winter too. The months of these events are getting closer and I am counting down the pay days! With this in mind we decided to start searching for a London Bed and Breakfast. We thought that this would be a dependable way to find a cheaper option. I found the website good to use as I really like it when a site has lots of options to narrow down a search (…this is a godsend to list makers)

There are a few places that we like the look of and seeing as we are really just looking for a place to lay our head between visits and tours we are more than happy to forgo a free shower gel! The locations are great and that seems to be the thing that matters most to us anyway. Whenever we’ve went somewhere before we’ve always ended up eating our tea at an interesting looking place we have found while out and about-so we never really make full use of hotels. It’s just a matter of picking which area we like best… Right, just need to get The Husband to ‘sign off’ plans and we are go!

Ferris Bueller Has Nothing On Me

Days off mid week are utterly delicious. They are like stolen gems of time and are enormously more fun than a week-end. Those are simply days off for working all week. These are the days spent chasing those chores that slipped away when you came home too tired. Week days spent lounging are like a month of Sundays-rare, but even the thought of them make your toes wriggle with delight.


Tomorrow is one such day. Tomorrow is for hanging washing on the line outside, a big pot of tea and the papers. It is for a big breakfast and for a jaunt into town. It is for a look around the delis and charity shops. It is for tea and cake where ever we wish to visit. For garden centres and gardening. Tomorrow will be good.

Needing a break

This weekend has been so mixed up and very tiring-physically, emotionally and mentally. There were some unpleasant things on Thursday which meant that TH and I had no Valentines to speak of, and spent Saturday driving to Edinburgh in a bid to sort ‘things’ out. We have hopefully done as much as we can, and the rest is completely out of our hands. I hope I don’t seem like I’m speaking in riddles or trying to be very cryptic, I just wouldn’t want to say things about my family, yet I really need to get some things out.


All of the bad, sad, scary and infuriating things aside we did have a drive to the capital and we did go the long, lazy coastal route which made an awful journey a little better. We stopped off at half a dozen coastal villages and spent lunch time at St Andrews which I love unequivocally. I don’t know if it because it is a University town and I always feel better as soon as I am at my own alma mater. It was time well spent as we almost forgot what was going on and it was nice to look into all of the different charity shops and boutiques. It made me think back to the time we took The Nephew down to St Andrews as an impromptu trip due to it being a nice day outside. Being there reminded me of nicer times and although I can neither will myself out of these trials or study my way to a solution, I feel like one way or another it will have to be gotten through and so I had better hold tight and get to that point.

When we finally got home it was a little after one, so due to an early start on Sunday when we sat down in the afternoon we collapsed into the sofa with cups of tea and were dead to the world in ten minutes. I hope better weekends were had by all!

Edinburgh

I love Edinburgh, I always have and I can't imagine ever finding it boring.  We went out when it was cool and crisp and very, very peaceful.  I wouldn't want to take little Daisy Dog out when there were lots of people, so had planned the trip around lots of lanes and parks...

We walked up and down lanes....

Daisy and I walked along Princes Street Gardens...until her legs could carry her no more...

so we hopped on a bus! 

Please re-direct mail to here, I love it!

Always a Good Time

Will be posting shortly on an amazing trip to Edinburgh with TH!  Just getting some pics together...went a little 'snap happy'.

Chance of a Get-Away

When the adverts for Summer holidays start being shown on TV all that I want to do is get organized. This year we are hopefully going away with another family, so I can’t be the only person in charge of this like I normally am and love being. This means that not everything is in my hands and I can’t start envisaging a nice break.

So when TH got offered the chance to have a couple of meetings in Exeter and one in Edinburgh I jumped at the chance to head off with him. It means I get to investigate a new place with Daisy Dog and have lunch and shop in a new area.

TH had to organise the venue and let me tell you it was not all a bed of roses. Once we got started it became a doddle, but I had started off by trying to ‘google’ them and I was going insane with it! He will have a meeting room, we will have a nice dog friendly hotel as central as can be-so that I don’t get lost!

Its not a mini-break but its my chance at a break from work. I find that as soon as I get a day off normally I manage to fill it with boring house-hold chores. This way I will be forced to get out and about.
I can’t wait to take some pics of Daisy and I roaming around a new location!

Valentines Escape

What a busy and most exciting weekend!

Upon finishing work on Friday I was picked up by TH and taken away to a lovely five star luxury hotel. The Marcliffe at Pitfodels is such a real treat to go to, and I’ve never, ever been to anywhere like it. We had such a spacious suite and a beautiful view out over the hills, fields and river Dee. We had fizz on arrival, fruit and chocolates from The Highland Chocolatier.

I spent the first hour wondering around and sitting down every so often to try and take it in, knowing fine well the weekend would pass in a flash-as it has done.  Spying the First Minister, taking tea in the drawing room and looking at the art work and floral displays took up much more time than I ever thought it would!

We went out after unpacking (i was much too concerned for my new silk dress and its scrunched up arrival in my over night bag), and headed straight into town to get some nice food and catch a movie.  When we came back we lounged around for a while and then headed for bed as i was constantly going on about making the most of our time there!

The next day we got up and had brekkers in the conservatory, and then took tea in the drawing room before going out to one of our favourite antique shops on Royal Deeside.  We headed back again for High Tea and then i nipped upstairs for a little nap before we had supper in the big conservatory.

It was the loveliest trip i have ever been on.  I have never been to anywhere so fancy and loved every single minute of it.  Unfortunately the trade off was that TH took me there to celebrate Valentines day, but also to keep me reminded of our trip while he heads away for a little while with work.  It was, however, a wonderful weekend and will never, ever, ever be forgotten!

Edinburgh Love

When we went to Edinburgh an awful long time ago The Husband had to go off to work and Daisy Dog and I got to go exploring....

 This is just a car park...its the car park right below Arthurs Seat and across from Holyrood Palace and Parliament, therefore, much more exciting than just a car park! 

Up, up, up we go all the way to the top of Arthurs Seat!

So pretty, in a busy capitol city, but a place for Daisy to run about! 

Aaaand back down again.  Looking over at the Balmoral Hotel, which used to be called The North Britain hotel...named an awful long time ago after the Act of Union. 

 

The beautiful palace...just having a wee look in!

Just round the corner, i think i only took this picture because i liked the lamp post!

Our lovely Parliament...um, maybe the building isn't to everyone's taste!

A lovely bookshop, its just round the corner from the National Library...a must see...

I love this city..... 

It's full of so many pretty buildings to look at... 

We had a good nosey around everything, poor little Daisy Dog and me, snuffling and rummaging about everything. 

Edinburgh trip part two!

I've been a bit all over the place recently and haven’t been updating as much as I’d like to. Whenever it’s a teeny bit sunny I go outside in the garden and whenever it’s a bit rainy I make my way out to the caravan to paint and do it up. TH has been a bit ill recently and so I’ve been taking on more of the caravan related work. It’s all well and good but I'm not very DIY minded to its been a massive learning experience.

I haven’t even had the time to update this blog and I’ve been meaning to share the Edinburgh trip TH and I went on a little while ago.

This is my very first little step….so as to ease me back into blogging….will be lots of pictures!