My Birthday cake.

Not many of us can make a cake and do a crossword at the same time. And whilst wearing a scarf (birthday gift). I am trying to make chocolate whirls, unsuccesfully, with a butter curler. The icing was ganache, still to be made in the picture, which I thought should go hard? It did manage to stay on the top but quite a lot pooled down the sides. It still tasted scrummy. For making the cake and the icing I used my birthday gift of an electric whizzer. How exciting is that!

Well, I just cannot believe that it snowed again today. Blizzards. Fortunately not settling but not pleasant. Strong wind. Back to burning liquid gold (oil).

We have a couple of Belgian chaps in , with a gun each, hoping to bag a few deer. So far without success. Unlike the last time when we had four corpses in our shed. They go out before dawn. Return for breakfast and then go back to bed. Back out at dusk. So we are tiptoeing around all day....

Having finished decorating our bedroom I purchased a new light fitting. The current one is mainly black and does not go at all. So I have bought a gold one. Because these chaps are in we cannot fit the new one as it means turning off all the lights....But my new orchid looks very tasteful (yes, another birthday gift) sitting in the corner.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Doesnt look too sure about this one! A new experience.
This afternoon we had our meeting of the Best of Banffshire and Buchan Bed and Breakfasts.
After the meeting we had a wine tasting experience. As I was driving, I was very good and didnt do any tasting. Mike made up for this and tasted the lot, including some Port. This was after being assured that the total wine tasting would add up to one glass. More like a bucket.
Of course, after all this imbibing, everyone was more than ready to put in and order for a case - or two - apart from Lucy who announced she already had fifty bottles..........
She always, always manages to do this, "Been there, bought the t shirt." Or in this case, the wine. And for once, not from a car boot sale! I look forward to my bottle of Merlot - a very expensive Merlot - and as we know the person doing the presentation perhaps I will eventually have 50 bottles on my wine rack. At the moment my wine rack holds the fire blanket and some Schloer (yeuk) and two bottles of ale, oh and quite a few cobwebs. And their inhabitants/creators. Bottles of wine never, ever get as far as the wine rack as they have to go past me and a glass......

Do not feel old enough,

to be a Grandma.

BAarn owls - close up.

Last night at our meeting it was my turn to do grace. A brilliant (tho I say it myself) non religious, non sexist, non political one. Later I gave the vote of thanks to the people who brought two of the above, and another one which I think was a Little Owl. Does anyone watch Come Dine With Me? The one recently where the hostess brought out her pet snake and it pood all over the dining table? I thanked these guests for not so doing, but then had a funny feeling that owls also eject stuff from the other end. Fortunately they didnt do that either, and being silent were a vast improvement on the humans around the table.
On a more serious note, these owls and others actually assist children with special needs. Particularly those with Autism or ADD. A worthy and very interesting project.
Unfortunately they didn't want our Parrot, Phoebe, to add to their menagerie, but knew a man who would. So if and when we downsize there may be a good and tolerant home waiting for her also.
A much lighter mood this week altho I was not impressed at a certain person who kept starting up, "Happy Birthday to You..." as I am trying to give them up.

Zachary.

Growing up - as they do. Wonder when I ever will.

I still get upset at what people say and do. I listened to a man this week holding forth, at the dinner table, about his political beliefs and his boorish assumption that everyone else held the same view. I found it difficult to eat the meal and left as soon as I could. If it happens again I shall speak out, but doing this in a way so as not to upset anyone else is causing me some mental stress. I have always looked forward to my weekly meeting with friends, but this man has put a pall over that.
Later in the week my husband was at the sharp end of other peoples comments. When you do voluntary work some people seem to come for you like a bull terrier. I am not explaining this very well, as I do not want to identify or spell it out, suffice it to say that we were seriously discussing moving as far away from here as possible, we were both so fed up.

However, I have continued the painting of our bedroom and it really does look lovely. Just the ceiling to do now, a job I hate!

More vet visits. This time with Puzzle. Nasty bite so on antibiotics. We strongly suspect Sith had had enough of being stalked by Puzzle and put him in his place rather more severely than necessary.

Hoping this week is better than last.

Pheasant in the spinney!

It is Spring - at last - gorgeous sunny, still day.
Apart from Mike losing his glasses in amongst the shrubs bits he was hacking back, the day has gone well. We did find them eventually.
I shot off to diy shop first thing and bought large tin of paint labelled Malt Chocolate, slightly worrying as I began to paint as it appeared to be pink... Fortunately has dried to a lovely colour, fitting in nicely with the curtains. (Dark Brown and gold. ) This is our bedroom, my bed-sit, which has been sorely neglected. Managed the longest wall and half of the next longest wall, terminated where it will be under a curtain so any joining in bits wont be seen, before I became totally tired out. I dont seem to be able to do as much as I used to...But I do enjoy being up a a ladder and transforming a room with just a coat of paint. Only down side is I hate ceiling painting and as this colour transformation continues I can see it has to be painted also. Actually looking forward to tomorrow and more transforming.

Smile!

Fairly busy week. Guests in one night, but a twin, so worth having the heating on!
Weather improving, not actually had the heating on in the day.
Clothes hunting not successful.
Had my hair done and despite a trim, its still halfway down my back. Still not sure whether at my age that should be so.
Did my 'job' talk at Rotary and had them rolling in the aisles.
Last night was more Rotary as we hosted the Primary Schools Quiz. I thought the questions were hard! We held it at the Indoor Bowling Club. An amazing place. Imagine a bowling green inside! And packed out with people using it. The quiz was in a large room off the bar and lounge.
I had to have a few puffs of my emergency inhaler as we had to move all the tables and chairs.
I disappeared at the end, I just could not face putting them all back and by then there were plenty more helpers. Nicola and I some how landed up with all the physical jobs, collecting and handing out the answer papers, then setting out the buffet, then clearing it all. I had not had anything to eat since lunch time and we had to be thare at 5p.m. Also threatened not to eat any of said buffet as it was for the kids. Fortunately they didnt seem to like the egg sandwiches so I had a couple of them when the kids had finished and burped all the way home.

Update.

This was the scene about two hours ago. Now its all sunny, blue skies and the snow melted.
We missed out on the tons of snow that fell just a few miles away, more benefits of being fairly near the sea. We did have sleet and the high winds. As my frequent readers will know I hate the wind. But we survived.
Our viewing on Friday I have already referred to. I really cannot understand people who view when they have obviously no interest in the house whatsoever.
We had a chap in from Vermont over the weekend. Ancestor hunting, castle and standing stones, so we didnt see much of him.
Sith, the black cat in the lower photo, has been to the vets. Coughing and sneezing, antibiotics and back on Wednesday.
I bought myself a new swimming costume. The one I had - and never wore - became too small as I have gone up two dress sizes..... Consequently I am also in dire need of new clothes, now down to about three outfits in all. Not good. I had a quick whiz round where I normally buy day to day stuff, New Look and Asda, but they all seem to think Summer has arrived and everything is short sleeved. As I currently am wearing leggings and track suit bottoms and three layers on the top, and a scarf, I am not quite ready for the bare arms.
Our swimming pool has reopened after being updated (?) so I really have no excuse and intend to call in and find out the best time to go and not be mowed down by screaming brats, sorry, the future generation.
I am also trying to find out if there are any art classes close by. Plenty in Aberdeenshire but not many in this neck of the woods, if any. Presumably they expect everyone to be out fishing on the North Sea or ploughing a furrow. The latter has just restarted, something to watch in the fields - at last. Though it is muck spreading at the moment so if it were warm enough I would not be opening the windows.
Our ducks, both laying, so Spring cant be far away. Actually starts on 21st March, my 61st birthday. Hope by then someone has made an offer and I can seriously look forward to my next project - a 'new' house.