Relaxing and watching the games on the box

The Commonwealth Games are on at present in Glasgow and I must say I am enjoying watching every bit of them even if it is all replays by the time we do see them. As it's going on we of course are in bed sound asleep so when we get up in the morning the telly goes on while we have our breakfast and we catch up with what has happened overnight. 

 

     I think I enjoy the Commonwealth Games even more than the Olympics, and I don't really know why. Maybe it's just an innate feeling of family, some sort of connection with each country, through having all been part of the British Commonwealth or even the Empire at some time in our histories.                                                                                            

 Anyway I am very proud of our little country at the moment, we are doing so well for a small nation.
So last thing at night and first thing in the morning, and sometimes several times in between, we kick back and relax with a coffee and watch a replay of all the excitement.

I hope you are all able to kick back
and relax over the next few days as well.
Until next time,
Diana

A snow day - sort of

Today my GKB and I spent the morning in town at appointments and on the drive home he said to me, "Oh well, it looks like we're not going to get any snow, I think it's well and truly finished". He sounded so disappointed! Being a good wife I suggested if it wasn't going to snow on us then we could take a drive up the track and find some. After all we're retired now and can do this sort of spontaneous stuff. We drove on in silence for a time and he said "Shall we go straight up now and have lunch when we get back then?" What? I was in high heeled boots and not enough layers if we did find some. And it was lunch time! So we went home, which was in the right direction anyway, and had lunch and coffee and then we drove inland on a snow hunt.

This is what it looked like through the windscreen of the car. You are quite right that is not snow although it was trying to happen in the middle of the picture. That is Mount Maungatua in the centre shrouded in cloud. But we were not heading there, just passing by.

Up on the tops it looked like this, snowing in the distance and a little on the edge of the road but nothing to write home about. We could see it happening but couldn't get near it. Yesterday all this was covered in the white stuff according to the news.

These sheep were standing around in it up to their knees and it was falling all around them, but not today! Mind you the wind was blowing a freezing gale and I don't know whether I would have got out in it anyway. Oh yes I would, I'd have wanted at least one picture to prove we'd gone looking. 

This old wagon was at the side of the road by the Clarkes Junction pub, and no we didn't go in for any liquid refreshment, maybe in the summer. It has nothing to do with snow hunting, I just thought it was quite picturesque so took a snap. This is where we turned the car around and started to head home. And it was about here that my GKB said "Hmm, the fuel light has just come on." Pardon? We're out driving in the hills, looking for snow and you didn't check the fuel gauge? But once again, being a nice wifey, I bit my tongue and said not a thing until much farther down the road where I "hoped we'd get back to Outram then". We did, just. 

On the way back there was still a little bit of snow on the ground at the entrance to Traquair Station and it looked quite pretty so I did take a couple of photo's. The page header was taken here as well.

This is the start of the drive into the station and beyond the trees is a beautiful big garden and the homestead. A beautiful home. And you look out onto the rolling hills of the station. It's quite a sight to see. But the snow was all behind the fences and not really enough to do anything with anyway. We did pass one snowman but even he was a bit lopsided and starting to melt. 

After refuelling at Outram we headed home again, for more hot coffee and a biscuit. It was a good relaxing way to spend the afternoon even if it wasn't very fruitful.

Until next time, 

Diana

Sweet sixteen

Today was another cold, wintry day, with snow threatening. Again. It continues to threaten but never eventuates, but it is cold, -5 degs Celsius tonight. But who cares - we didn't - today we had a birthday to celebrate.

Our youngest granddaughter turned sweet sixteen today.

Happy birthday Chloe, we love you heaps.

We went out for lunch after church with some of the family and one of her friends. The snap above is Chloe sitting next to her aunty, then her Dad and her other Granma.

Young Danny was there as well but middle grandson Jack had much more important things to do, he was at the swimming pool celebrating his mates' 10th birthday. That's where I'd be too if I was a 10 year old boy.

After we finished our first course we decided to have dessert. My first choice was for banoffi pie (I love banoffi pie) but someone said 'we have birthday cake as well'. Hmm, banoffi pie followed by birthday cake, I don't think so. So parfait it was. Followed by birthday cake. Red velvet birthday cake. Oh dear, 

I really shouldn't have had dessert, not even parfait. 

I had a tiny piece of birthday cake there 

and brought another piece home to eat later.

 Much to Chloe's horror we sang Happy Birthday to her, 

in a public place. Then it was time to venture out into 

the weather and head for home after a very enjoyable

 afternoon of good company and good food.

Stay comfortable wherever you are.

See you next time

Diana

Looking for Christmas

It's a horrible wet winters' day today. Cold and threatening to snow. If only it would, it might make a cold, horrible day interesting.

We had soup and hot cheese rolls for lunch and then my GKB settled down in front of the telly and I started browsing on Pinterest. As you do. What was I looking for you might ask. Well seeing as my side bar tells me there are only 172 days until Christmas I thought I'd better get cracking, after all I don't want to miss out. But I was not looking for this sort of Christmas idea...

...but rather this sort...

...where you sit around out of the sun with your friends and family after you have eaten your big Christmas dinner/lunch...

...and someone gets a game of backyard cricket going...

...and then as if you haven't eaten enough

 you have pudding, because you can...

...and do more sitting around with everyone while you recover.

Eventually everyone retires to their own homes and you go inside and watch the kitten demolish the Christmas tree, because she is cute and you can't be bothered stopping her.

The thing is I didn't find a lot of summer Christmas ideas, but I shall keep trying. I love the idea of a white Christmas but living in the southern hemisphere that is not very likely to happen. So new summer ideas are what I am trying to find.

Well I hope I haven't scared you by doing a post on Christmas but I thought I'd catch you up on what I've been doing.

Have a great week,

Diana

******************************

 And I have to tell you all that when I had finished 

writing this I went through to the kitchen and guess what 

was playing on the radio? 

"We three kings of Orient are".