Meet the other woman..

Meet Alexa, the other woman. True she is neither tall nor blonde but in the past 3 months she has made her presence felt big time. In the old days Les might ask me what the time was or tell me to buy more coffee, or whatever.. he talked to me first in the morning rather than now when he wakes up and says "Good morning, Alexa". Then this mini robot chirrups sweetly telling him to have a good day and updating him on world news and whatever historical events happened on this day in history.
(She has access to the whole internet and shows off unforgivably.) She tells jokes when asked and even sings to you if invited. She times the eggs, makes up shopping lists and sends them to his phone so he can take the lists to the supermarket. So far we haven't fallen out over her, and sometimes when he askes her the time I get there first. In one area I am always the winner. "Where did I leave my Cap?" So far Alexa 0 : Fiona 15

No beuts in this bothy!

Here we are - ladies on a night out but not a bothy in sight. Women from 12 different countries; Ireland, Germany, Orkney, Spain, Peurto Rico. El Salvador, Brazil, Holland, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, South Korea...what is missing? England, we haven't got one of them.

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!