Cor! I think I overdid it a bit in the Gay Gordon's at the wedding, my back is killing. Anyway, we have arrived at our last destination to sleep in the fourth bed in a week. I haven't done that since I was in my thirties!!
The last two days we have been in an Airbnb near Loch Ness to do some sight seeing but to honest it was all about disappointing. The pubs were shut and food sources were scarce so we made the best of it before a better day today.
We went to Fort Augustus to see the Caledonian canal then followed that to Fort William. Unfortunately Ben Nevis was shrouded in mist and driek but the trip through Glen Coe to Crieff was very spectacular.
We are now settling down before the Hogmanay celebrations begin although I may sit out the Ceilidh this time!!
The Scottish Highlands are hugely sparse and I wonder what they would hope to gain from independence. It would be interesting to see if the geographic split of the voting focused on the big cities as the hotbed of separation.
So this my last post of the year, another which has disappointed numbers wise, so lets see If I can be more interesting in 2019. Happy New Year to all my readers, thanks for sticking at it.
Monday 31 December 2018
Friday 28 December 2018
The light fandango
We made good time to Inverness, which allowed SWMBO sufficient time to put her game face on before we got to Achnagairn Castle for the wedding of Ross, aka Llama, and Bryony.
The day went well. Ross used to be in the English National Choir and has maintained good friendships with many of his colleague singers. They are at the wedding end bloc, so the choir was amazing during the service and also later at the reception when they did an impromptu carol concert in the garden.
The wine and beer flowed but I deny that was why I took a tumble during one of the ceilidh band fast numbers, stripping the willow. We got to bed in good order and were raring to go the next day as we dropped number two son off at the station.
We then spent the day sightseeing in Inverness. We visited the castle which was scene of many a bloody battle, and a few gruesome executions, the old town and Victorian market before travelling back along the banks of Beauly Firth. Tomorrow we are off to Glen Affric before a spot of monster hunting on Loch Ness.
Might have a curry tonight though as the village is a bit quiet!!
The day went well. Ross used to be in the English National Choir and has maintained good friendships with many of his colleague singers. They are at the wedding end bloc, so the choir was amazing during the service and also later at the reception when they did an impromptu carol concert in the garden.
The wine and beer flowed but I deny that was why I took a tumble during one of the ceilidh band fast numbers, stripping the willow. We got to bed in good order and were raring to go the next day as we dropped number two son off at the station.
We then spent the day sightseeing in Inverness. We visited the castle which was scene of many a bloody battle, and a few gruesome executions, the old town and Victorian market before travelling back along the banks of Beauly Firth. Tomorrow we are off to Glen Affric before a spot of monster hunting on Loch Ness.
Might have a curry tonight though as the village is a bit quiet!!
Wednesday 26 December 2018
Northern Lights
Christmas day passed off well enough. A trip first thing to check on my mother was followed by hoots of joy at home as the ankle biters tore open their presents. They seemed to be happy with their lot, as did their parents. I got golf related gifts which are always well received.
Dinner was quiet this year with only four adults, but SWMBO still managed to cater for the usual 20 people! We have been eating turkey and ham sandwiches on our way to Perth, just to use the excess up.
Perth you may ask!! Yes we are half way up Scotland after a five hour car journey. Tomorrow we need to be in Inverness for a 13:00 wedding in a castle in the Highlands. That means a very early start and we are just fortunate there is no snow forecast.
A friend of number two son is getting wed. He is best man and we are honoured guests so could not cry off, even with what is happening at home.
We have a Scotland road trip planned on the way back and are hopeful we can complete it. Number one son and family are coming to Scouseland for New Year so we can catch up with them again.
So stay tuned as we continue to venture furtherNorth than I have ever been!
Dinner was quiet this year with only four adults, but SWMBO still managed to cater for the usual 20 people! We have been eating turkey and ham sandwiches on our way to Perth, just to use the excess up.
Perth you may ask!! Yes we are half way up Scotland after a five hour car journey. Tomorrow we need to be in Inverness for a 13:00 wedding in a castle in the Highlands. That means a very early start and we are just fortunate there is no snow forecast.
A friend of number two son is getting wed. He is best man and we are honoured guests so could not cry off, even with what is happening at home.
We have a Scotland road trip planned on the way back and are hopeful we can complete it. Number one son and family are coming to Scouseland for New Year so we can catch up with them again.
So stay tuned as we continue to venture furtherNorth than I have ever been!
Saturday 22 December 2018
Family time
Quite mixed emotions over the last few days in the Weathers household. Last weekend SWMBO and I took number one grandchild, Ava, to visit her cousin, Sofia, in Switzerland where number one son and partner have recently moved to.
There was no snow which was a shame, but the girls went skating, something Ava had never done before, and they thoroughly enjoyed that. Grandad tried his best but was pretty second rate really!!
We had a fine time at the Geneva Christmas market, and a very enjoyable meal in the local village restaurant. We all tried frogs legs and some excellent Swiss wine, before going up a cable car the next day, over the border in France. Again weather conditions were against us, so there was no sign of Mont Blanc above the clouds. Everybody had a good time and we returned home in good spirits to get ready for Christmas.
That, though, was when things turned. Last Monday my mother rang to say she was unwell, dizzy and a bit disoriented, so we had to ring the paramedics. We kept her out of hospital only because SWMBO was prepared to do the night shift and sleep on the sofa in her apartment. The next day after we had left she phoned to say she had had a fall so the paramedics were called again.
This time we took her to our home but it became evident we could not provide the care and support she needed over a 24 hour period. Through one of SWMBO's friends we were able to book mum into a nursing home for two weeks restbite to see if she could regain enough confidence to go self sufficient again. I was shocked how quickly she degenerated after having the fall. The first spell of dizziness was as a result of her taking the incorrect amount of medication but she is now confused and vulnerable.
I saw her today and she seems to be resigned to some time away from home, it will be difficult when we need to tell her it will be more permanent if she cannot fend for herself. An old peoples home is her worst nightmare, and I had always promised I would not let her go to one, but two days trying to care for her showed us it was impossible either at her flat or in our home.
We are hoping she can join us for Christmas Day, but, if not, at least she will not be alone, she is getting three meals a day, has the company of the staff and can choose whether to join in the activities which the care home arrange for them.
It's not the build-up to Christmas we had anticipated but we will make the best job of it we can, as the challenges of young and old all have to be catered for. Talking of catering, I feel a mince pie coming on, ho! ho! ho!
There was no snow which was a shame, but the girls went skating, something Ava had never done before, and they thoroughly enjoyed that. Grandad tried his best but was pretty second rate really!!
That, though, was when things turned. Last Monday my mother rang to say she was unwell, dizzy and a bit disoriented, so we had to ring the paramedics. We kept her out of hospital only because SWMBO was prepared to do the night shift and sleep on the sofa in her apartment. The next day after we had left she phoned to say she had had a fall so the paramedics were called again.
This time we took her to our home but it became evident we could not provide the care and support she needed over a 24 hour period. Through one of SWMBO's friends we were able to book mum into a nursing home for two weeks restbite to see if she could regain enough confidence to go self sufficient again. I was shocked how quickly she degenerated after having the fall. The first spell of dizziness was as a result of her taking the incorrect amount of medication but she is now confused and vulnerable.
I saw her today and she seems to be resigned to some time away from home, it will be difficult when we need to tell her it will be more permanent if she cannot fend for herself. An old peoples home is her worst nightmare, and I had always promised I would not let her go to one, but two days trying to care for her showed us it was impossible either at her flat or in our home.
We are hoping she can join us for Christmas Day, but, if not, at least she will not be alone, she is getting three meals a day, has the company of the staff and can choose whether to join in the activities which the care home arrange for them.
It's not the build-up to Christmas we had anticipated but we will make the best job of it we can, as the challenges of young and old all have to be catered for. Talking of catering, I feel a mince pie coming on, ho! ho! ho!
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