We ARE moving!

It is with much excitement and trepidation that I can announce we are moving house!! Excitement because it is much bigger than where we reside in the burbs at the moment, but utter fear and confusion because I cant believe we have only given ourselves ten days to do this in!!!

Can’t wait to start showing off loads of pictures and start decorating it….I can’t believe it; I have a garden and a spare room! Wow, I'm living the good life for sure now!

Shhh its a secret...

Tomorrow is a very exciting day!! The husband and I are having a peak at a house we may be moving to.


It has been our dream for a long time to move to a larger house, and to do that in this are you must ‘accept’ that a move further North or South is inevitable. Luckily it is also our dream to move further out into the countryside – so no compromise on our part what so ever!! We are so blessed to be in this position and I am so enthusiastic about this prospect.

We are looking at a small cottage in a village quite a bit ‘Up North’; it is by the sea and has a lovely little harbour. It is also quite near a ruined castle and it is well known for all of the walks in the area.

The husband and I have been looking to move to an area that has its own pub and little shops, and quite frankly a really nice ‘feel’ to it, so this place (on paper) looks perfect-and seeing as we’re in a good position and eager to move this seems like a fantastic opportunity for us! Seeing as we currently live in a teeny tiny flat in the burbs I think anything at all will seem like a massive adventure.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high-but to tell the truth, I'm letting myself fall into this completely as I'm happy not to be too focussed on babies at the moment…although if all goes well I'm sure my nesting instincts will go into overdrive in this place!

Anyway, for now I am happy to go with the flow and take pleasure in any little thing I can.

I hope everyone has a fantastic Fathers Day!

Sheila x

I have been..

I have been reading some of my Birthday presents..

Eating big bowls of soup, it really is much too cold, wet and thundery for June…

Catching up on house work….

But still having a sit down with a nice mug of tea (and not feeling guilty for not tidying up the flour that went everywhere after making a cake over the weekend!)...

And going on a long drive and playing with Daisy Dog..

Yes, life is good!

x x x

I am inspired!

I am completely and utterly inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s ‘IF’. Although I have known of this poem for a long time, it has only recently got into my soul and I would love to memorise it. Although I love it so, I am not too sure how long it would take me to remember all of those lines!

Just when you need it

I didn’t really know where to go from the last post, I was sort of hiding on the sidelines wondering if I said too much, and if I would have upset anybody. When I finally plucked up the courage to peek back onto this online world I noticed a comment from a lovely and kind person (Amanda over at http://meandyouat22.blogspot.com/) going through the whole ‘wishing I had a baby’ thing too. Not only was I extremely touched by this sweet move, but I feel so completely happy to know that I haven’t hurt anybody with my comments, especially as I know I’m not the worst off person in the world.

I would just love to say that the comment really made my day and was like a giant virtual hug!!

On to some other things though….slightly happier...well… I have turned 25! I was sort of fretting about this age as I thought I should have had a full time career, a child and a home by now, but no matter-we had a lovely day!! I got many beautiful and thoughtful presents. My Grama and Mum bought me gift vouchers for a beauty salon (are they trying to tell me something?!) At least now I can get rid of these horrible split ends!!

We got two cakes, one was a set of pink sparkle packed cupcakes, yes there are only two in the picture, but its only because we had a couple to ourselves before i could find a camara!!  The other one was a surprise, i think because the husband had already bought the candles and wanted to light them up-so he had a get a cake that wasn't just pure buttercream!

Though i do have to say, my Birthday was not the only one that was celebrated!!  Daisy Dog had a Birthday 'party' the day after mine!

The husband

Yet again we are in the midst of another gout attack. The husband is in so much pain and I can literally do nothing to help at all. The heated blanket is of more use than me, which is a pain as I see him in agony and all I can think is how I can hover around him. Things are a bit rubbish at the moment, work is being a pain (I love the patrons though), I'm saving for holidays and although I know it will be worth it-its such a pain being stony broke at the moment, plus-and this is the super big one, I am dreadfully jealous of any Mother I spot….terrible, I know.

Its not that I am a mean person devoid of compassion, I'm just terribly broody and having my teeny niece about me has only made me think of having a child of our own that would grow up with said niece. I do have another niece and nephew, however they are 16 and 13 respectively and we never expected to be an Aunty and Uncle again. Add that with the fact we thought WE’D be next for having a baby. URGH- I hate feeling like this. I do try to think of the fact that I am only 24 and so have plenty of time to become a Mother…I think I was born at the wrong time, I have always been ready for marriage and babies.

The husband has been absolute bedrock during this time, and I only wish I could now be there for him. Its horrible seeing him so sore he is nearly sick, I am just praying that he gets better and when he can walk again we’ll try to eat as healthy as possible and do anything we can to make sure this doesn’t happen again.



x x x

Would you like to see some pretty things?

I bought these beautiful pictures from a thrift shop a little while ago now. Aren’t they lovely? I can never drag myself out of bed early enough - on a weekend where I am not expected to go to work – to go to a car boot sale. If I was assured I would get the same amount of lovely things later in the day I would happily wander around noseying in at all of the stalls, however I am not assured this, or anything of the sort, and so I am only really left the opportunity to go looking around various thrift shops.

This is a really cute Bunnykins picture i bought, i couldn't get a close up enough picture though that would come out all right!!  Its lovely and soft and floaty!

It is normally my plan to go and visit these each Thursday, as I finish work at twelve and I'm free to look around town for a little while until The City gets too much for me. I have got this down to a fine art, firstly I arrive in town and stop at one charity shop which normally has very good books in it, then I walk through the beautiful old Georgian houses (which have invariably been turned into offices), to get to the West End area and all of town which has three of the best shops-and I mean out of all shops- around!

They are positively jam packed with all manner of china, pictures, books, and old leather suitcases-one thing I simply can not get enough of!

On another visit I picked up a beautiful old jar, the kind that penny sweeties would have been kept in. Sadly it’s just OXO cubes now!

I have picked up more china than I can think of, let alone mention, but I will only show you a couple as I would write forever on that subject…and may possibly do later!

Sorry about the lack of ironing!!  I promise i will improve one day...but for now there is china out there i dont own!!

Bye for now, hope everyone is doing well!!!

Hooray, hooray, today’s a happy day!

Hooray, hooray, today’s a happy day!

 We have got our confirmation and paid everything for our trip to the Lakes! Well…I will need to save much more, and should probably have started saving much earlier, as I want to take a fair amount of spends for all of the lovely things I know I will see.

 Unfortunately in my immediate area there aren’t too many independent shops, and so I find myself going crazy for them as soon as see one. I know I went much too crazy at the Country Living Christmas Fair last year…but its no good telling me as I know I will do the same this year too.

Anyway, for now, I am much too happy about the Lakes. As our only get-away of the year I fully intend to get very much into it. Last year we were happy campers in the only week that wasn’t a complete wash out. My amazing husband does work right next door to the MET office, but he can take no pride in his ‘networking’ skills on this occasion, only his great luck. He simply announced two weeks before we bundled everything in the car that we were heading away.

Although I do admit I would much prefer it if he announced these things followed by tales of the peaceful bays and sandy beaches of the Med rather than stories of Army days gone by in the Lakes. Well, until I am whisked away on a foreign adventure I will do much more than ‘make do’ with the Lakes, I shall positively revel in them!

 

I am grateful I feel like this, as it would be so disappointing to only take pleasure in things that cost lots of money as I'm sure I would be in a constant state of dejection and despair. Or as the lovely Sophie Dahl put it-melancholy, oh I do love it when I'm reintroduced to a word! I adore her ‘language’.

Well guys I think I'm off to search lovely AND tearooms OR cupcakes now on my favourite search engine! Bye for now.

Birthdays

Its my Mother in Laws Birthday soon!! Hooray. Luckily I don’t have one of those scary Mother in Laws and I am grateful that we genuinely get along…and no, I promise I'm not just stating this for the purpose of BlogLand!

The husband and I put a lot of thought into this Birthday as its such a special year. Flowers, jewellery, chocolates – all things that went through my head. An experience, spa day, or trip - all rejected by the husband too. The more I look for things the more I spot things that I want and plan to buy myself over time, or request for my Birthday at the end of the month, however none of this is getting me very far. I am hoping that all of my kind deeds I may ever have done revisit me in the form of suggestions by lovely Aunts and Sister in Laws…oh well, fingers crossed!

We will be heading to The Old Mill Inn which is a fab place to eat, drink and be merry!  Its on the Lower Deeside Road which is a really pretty and leads to lots of lovely tea rooms out on the Western Road-so lots and lots of beautiful scenery!


Now I must get away and think about this further!

Time for tea?

As Winter slowly rolls into Spring-do I have to remind you it snowed here last week?- I find myself hurrying about like a caged animal. All I want to do is go out and walk. Hills, paths, roads, patrols, routes and old railway lines beware, I will wear you out! I feel like a big snuggley bear that has spent much too long wrapped up warm in a cave. I am done with hibernating, I want to get out and DO things.

The husband, how might I say this politely, is not like me…not at all, what-so-ever. He is much too fond of comfort. Now I agree with him to a point, and we do have our fair share of expeditions, but I inherited the walking gene and there is nothing I can do but pray our children will do the same. The husband, bless his heart, quite rightly asserts that walking should only be done ‘to’ and ‘from’ places. These places can be sights, scenes, gardens or venues, but certainly not “Oh, what do you think is down this path?”

I can think of nothing better than setting off down a lovely looking path...just wonder where its leading to?

We sat and the husband watched bikers go by...he would have rather been there with them!

As you can tell, there needs to be a compromise, and luckily I have a husband who not only indulges my fancies for cake and tea, but positively encourages it. Thus we find ourselves travelling over the Cairngorms for “a nice wee cuppy” (this is purely me, anyone who knows the husband would be without socks due to laughing at the thought of him saying this!). So, this is one of the first tea room ventures of the year…may there be plenty more.

It looked a bit like Spring for a little while at least!

Hello again

Hello again blogging land, I'm so sorry that I was away for much too long. It seems I have fallen back into my old habit-I do apologise!


I really shouldn’t do this as I know that I adore looking back on old blogs and thinking “Oh I remember that”. I love to get a real feel for things, and blogging is a sure fire way for me to do that. I don’t really keep photo albums and the wonderful other half being the techno genius and first born that he is got us a electronic photo frame that we can easily email pictures to. It’s great as we practically hand our cards like Yuppies-but only so people can send their lovely party pics-as you know its much too hard to take pictures unless you really are in the moment!



It would be great to tell you that the HH household has been all go in this long absence, but unfortunately I can not. The most that has happened is a couple of thrift shop finds and our trip to the Lakes is finally organised…but more of that later!

Well, for now folks I guess that’s all!

What ifs....

Life is full of 'what if' moments. 
Sometimes they can make you feel better for what you have and every so often they make you feel worse. 
Yes, you think that it has made you stronger. 
Yes, you believe that you are the person you are now because of it. 
But, honestly, in the moments after that sudden saddnes, thats not what you feel.

I had a sad moment this week.  It made me think 'what if', it made me feel sorry for myself and it was a shock.  It made me even feel sad for who i was for a moment.
Now, now i think back, i'm calm and i really have thought it all over.  I can see it really was meant to be. 
I am lucky. 
I think i am naturally a lucky person, and normally things go quite well for me. 
I dont often feel so down and i am exceptionally lucky that it passed.

Now i am free.  I can look forward with hope, once again.  I will look back at this and be thankful that my life took this course and no other.

Most of all, i am constantly aiming to feel happier within myself-dispite these 'what if' moments.

x

I have a confession…

I have a slight confession to make. Of late I have been so caught up in something. It has taken over every aspect of my life. I have changed my life. I have not acted the way I normally do, and I have not been ‘kind’ to myself.

Although everything I have done is aimed at a goal, we have so very little control over it, and so we are taking a very big gamble.

I have been thinking for a little while about this. I keep wondering what sort of person I will be after this part of the journey, what will be left of me, or indeed the old me?

In an attempt to regain my sanity and rid my self of periodic despondence I have decided to try to fill my life with lots of new skills and try to fulfil all of those New Years Day promises I make.

So this is my new promise, the one that I will be exceptionally accountable for. I will try to get back to the skills I used to have, and I shall foster some new ones.

I have a couple of things I’ve wanted to make for a while, and I have just put it off. Part of it is because it’s so connected with the ‘thing we have been so caught up in’. Hopefully I will be able to start showing the progress…and believe me, it will be slow! But I am proud and enthusiastic about my new route, and my new way to look at life.
Thankfully for me, so much of my thinking gets done while walking, and with a little Pup I walk a lot. I am hoping this new found clarity will stay and possibly permeate the blog…but that may be asking too much at this point in time!!

Back to normal!!

hy oh why do we have to go back to normal again?
Back to work, back to chores!  Its not even like Christmas was only a month ago!!  How hard is it to think of that?  It is a tad depressing!

 The HH household has found itself in a bit of a muddle this morning.  It turns out my wonderful other half is a wee bit less organised than me and hasn't managed to get all his holidays in order.  We may not be getting our lovely Lakes get-away...however we are living in hope and praying that everything works out one way or another.

I have been trying to get into a cheery spring time mood...

I have filled the house with lots of flowers.
Tulips are my favourite flower-right up there with pink roses...hint, hint for Valentines day!!
Ive also been thinking of all things heart shaped and Valentines Day related!! I am so utterly excited about that much at least...get ready for lots of heart shaped things to come!!

x

Is this the start of Spring i see?

Now is this the start of Spring i see before me?

Im so happy to witness the snow melt and the ice slowly fade away.  I adore Christmas, and the onset of winter actually cheers me up.  However, January is a tad depressing.

I love Valentines, and so that is why the next month in the year is redeemed, we then go on to the lovely husbands Birthday month and Easter time.  You can easily see why January is all alone and gloomily not counted with other rainy months!!

It is so cold!

Oh my goodness, how can it still be this cold? Snow covers the ground, little spikes of ice hang and glisten from roof-tops and trees.

We have had snow up here from before Christmas, and it just keeps coming.  Crunching under foot and causing havoc for poor Daisy-who keeps tripping up on frozen foot prints.

The lovely husband and I popped out to Elgin and Huntly for his work. I really just sat in the car and waited for him to drive away before revealing that the dog and I were planning to come along. We set off happily only to find that one of the tyres had burst and we had to put a new one on. I tried to help as much as possible, but I’m never really that good at these things.  While he was at his meeting Daisy and I had a walk around the park.  The poor ducks don't have their pond any more.

Daisy Dog and I had a wonderful time wondering around Elgin in the snow. 

We then went off to get some food before travelling to Huntly where I managed to have a peek into some charity shops!!  I didn't buy a thing as i had some chores to do.  I went in to the bank and had to tie the dog up outside quickly.  One of the wonderful women in the bank went and took her inside though.  She ran around and even got an appointment with the Manager, who was more than happy to see her!!

It’s managed to make me so tired, just sitting in the car being driven around and having leisurely walks.  I dont think i could be as healthy as this Post Man.