The Prodigal Parcel.

OK, I know prodigal doesn't mean either lost or wandering aimlessly but this is a blog, not a dictionary. It's just that like the prodigal son, that which was lost is found and there was great rejoicing in a homecoming of that which was lost. Sister in law Gwen sent a special birthday gift from Greece and unfortunately I left for home the day before it was delivered. The postie's note said I had three weeks to collect it but unlike everything else in Spain this timing was exact, when we returned we missed it by several hours and it was on it's way back to Greece. Of course the Cowans had left Greece by now sailing off into the sunset. I regularly went to ask the post people as sometimes they do a second attempt if they cant find the sender. Sometimes it goes into a warehouse in Madrid for a year or two, I have become friends with several post people and then about three weeks ago, for some reason, I decided to pray about it. My sister in law had told me it was a special gift because I had been ill so long, so I prayed it would not be wasted and that it would turn up. About 4pm that very day Gwen phoned to say it had been returned to Scotland! (Should have prayed earlier I suppose!) I was over the moon when I got a note saying I could collect it at the Post Office. Imagine my joy after waiting 35 minutes in the queue to be told "¡Mañana!" After waiting 7 months another day wasnt going to kill me andwhen I tried it on it still fits! Very happy, thanks Gwen & Ron.

                                          

Ribadeo from the air...sorry to drone on

Clear skies here, thought we´d let you see some of the views, sorry about the lack of English!

Ceilidh-on!

 The

same

social

two

step

strutted

out 

in

Orkney

in 

Galicia

in 

Madrid

 in

Bulstrode

in

New 

Zealand

 in

Stirlingshire

in 

Edinburgh

in

fact,

what

always

makes

me 

wonder

is 

why

it 

goes

on 

for

so

long?

A travel blog.

I hate to sound at all like a commercial traveller but we had a night away to celebrate a year post chemo and the gorgeous front covers of Les's first two novels which arrived the same day. Les had no idea that I had booked a wee room on the most northerly point in Spain but as we travelled into the unknown he got super-excited. We had unexpectedly gorgeous weather, great views and fantastic food all at a very reasonable rate from most hospitable hosts. I refuse to advertise but email me if you want details!








 

It's been a long time, Mary Berry!

It has been ages since I sat down to blog. Life has taken over. The team on the great Bristish Bake-off do one show per week, I have to do four. Here are two of the groups (all consenting adults!) The results are as varied as the personalities, the only thing that never changes is that my scones/buns/shortbread is the worst in show!

The obstacles set before us..

Saturday I was preparing a sermon for Sunday, including the verse  "let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" so I was ticked to look out of the kitchen window to see a race starting from the square (top photo). Later I took my notes down to the boat, wondering why the streets were so muddy. Turned the corner to find out there was skip full of mud and runners having to leap in and out of it as part of the race. Confirmed my next verse "I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them."  So I kept away from the mud gladly! Big shout to those who finished the Heroican race in that heat, a shower well deserved!

A not so quiet night..

So. it has been ages since we told you anything and for most of the time we too have been in the dark as to what was happening, but eventually it all came good and we made it to our 35th Anniversary so we celebrated, first with fancy dress and later with the kids in Edinburgh. The fancy dress paid tribute to the number of nights we had spent in casualty over the past year and because kind friends gave to charity we raised five hundred pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support in Orkney. A worthy cause!