SUNSHINE!

It has been a while since my last post. In that time life has continued as usual.

Events of note:

This week I bagged my first munro!

Yesterday I helped at the Glasgow Rainbows' 25th birthday party - great weather and a very enjoyable day for the kids! (I enjoyed it too)

We've been to a Eurovision party - I was Germany and he was Romania.

Today my friend has come to stay as she's working up here for a week - lovely!

10K- Never imagined myself doing that!

We had a crunchie split between us at 6K and the promise of another at 9K (didn't eat it though).

Our target was to beat the time set walking by Michelle McManus! (we did)

I am so surprised by how much fun it is. You get a real sense of cameraderie and people were our all along the route cheering us all on. There were musicians too set at every 500m(ISH) which meant you wanted to carry on to find out what the next one would be.

I really enjoyed it.

For training we'd (my friend and I) been for a 10k walk the day before as well - which we did fairly fast actually. I really enjoyed that one too, but for very different reasons - beautiful countryside, seeing a train come under a bridge we were on.

Another fun weekend - I have a charmed life at the moment, eh!?

Westerton Woods

We have been to the woods with Brownies tonight. We got the train (always exciting) and went just one stop to Westerton where we met some friends who showed us their woods.

They had organised a treasure hunt and trail for us - which was absolutely brilliant.

On our way home, 22 very happy little girls chattered excitedly about the fun they had had. (One was picked up before we left - 23 came on the trip)

It was the first Brownie outing for 5 girls, and I am delighted that we were so lucky with the weather, and that the woodland group were so clever in their planning of the walk.

They made a secret code for us... I'd hate to let the secret out, but it spelled a very cool message for Brownies!

Weight Watchers

I have been doing Weight Watchers for a year.

Over the year we have got through Christmas, several parties and celebrations, and a long trip to America. I put on a few lbs but nothing disastrous.

I decided at the start of the diet that I was happy to do it, but would not do it at the expense of having fun with my friends.

It has been easy to work that out. Even when on occasion I've splurged - this weekend I went to a party where I drank FAR too much wine, then had a McDonald's Big Mac. Somehow the diet is still working! I tracked it and dug over the front garden to make up for it. I am being more careful today, but still managed to lose 2lb this week.

Love it.

And We're Back!

I am going to bore you a little bit with some holiday photos.  Can't resist!!

We started the holiday in Memphis - which was good fun!  We stayed in the Vista Inns motel - just off Beale Street.  I had read a few reviews about people feeling threatened in the 'dark streets' walking round the corner back to the motel.  We felt perfectly safe.... but we live in Glasgow and I wouldn't really wander round parts of MY city on my own unless it was broad daylight.

We went to Graceland - much better than expected!  I have more respect for the Elvis phenomenon having seen people's reactions to his home.

Memphis is a city that's difficult to visit without a car.  2 days there and we felt like we'd done everything we wanted to, but we heard good music and ate good bbq pork and enjoyed our visit.

After picking up the hire car at the airport we drove to Vicksburg.  I had been nervous about this part of the holiday, but I loved driving in the USA!  We stayed in Cedar Grove Mansion Inn.  I have linked it's website but it's a bit misleading so don't expect any of the extras.  It is a beautiful house and our suite was lovely - very old and atmospheric, a little creaky and full of character.  I woke early and sat on the porch watching the sun come up over the gardens.  The sounds were lovely and it was quite exciting for me seeing all the different birds & animals.

 


We left and took the Natchez Trace Parkway after a trip to the National Military Park in Vicksburg (really good - worth a trip).

The Natchez Trace Parkway made a much more pleasant drive than the Interstate - so I am glad we took that route.  We stopped a few times - saw a waterfall and the Sunken Trace which is where the path has been worn down by footfall.  It was lovely.  We also saw more new animals: wild tortoises, turkeys, hawks, porcupine... lots.

From around Natchez we headed across back to the main roads and drove directly to New Orleans.

New Orleans was as good as I remembered.  It is a beautiful city - unlike anywhere else I've been.  The pace is relaxed, the people are friendly but not intrusive.... it's just amazing.

Music oozes out of every nook and cranny in New Orleans.  We stayed in the Creole Inn in the Fauborg Marigny area.  It feels like staying in a village.  There are lovely cafes and bars, and the walk home from the city centre takes you past a variety of old colonial wooden properties, each one with a unique feature. I really love it.

We spent a few days seeing sights - we visited the swamps - we took a trip up to City Hall... And that's us married.

All in all - best holiday ever!!!

Trip

On Thursdsay we go to America!

Am I excited?? Just a bit!!!

We fly to Memphis on Thursday (10hr flight... sure it'll be worth it though...!).

We hire a car and drive to New Orleans with a stop-over night in Vicksburg on the 8th April.

We spend a week or so in New Orleans.

We fly home.

There are SO many things I want to see. SO many places I want to go.

I will post photos - no doubt about that!

What's been going on

Well if I needed any further confirmation that the Blogging magic has gone it is in my current situation.

I am angry with my mother. Because my blog is public - and the parents know of its existance I can't post about it here.

What is the point of a blog when you can't write what you want?

So the options are: start up a new one and don't tell any family (it was my bro that let it slip that I had this one)... or stop... or carry on as I am occasionally posting without any personal information or anything meaningful.

I don't know which I'll choose.

For now - I will be away for a few weeks and I will post on my return, perhaps.

Au revoir x