And the winner is......................

......................Not telling you yet!!

That's because we have to go back 17 years to a cold and grey March morning. It was the day of Matthew's mum's funeral. My Dad looked after Lou and Paul, while Peter went to school. (just easier that way!!)

But unknown to us, some miles north of Glasgow, in a quiet little town called Dunblane, a nasty, crazed man walked into a school, killed some of the kids in the youngest class, their teacher and left the rest of the school and the community stunned and I shock.

One boy called Andy hid. It wasn't his class, but still, he hid.

Meanwhile, we were busy grieving.
We got back to Matthew's Dad's about 3 and by then, it was obvious that "something" had happened that day, but just what we didn't know.
The tragic events unfolded over the next few days and they made just about every parent in the country give their kids an extra hug in the morning.

When I took Lou into school the next day, I took one look at the teacher and thought "how are you gonna stop a mad man from hurting my child?".
But to be honest, it was most likely the safest place that she could have been.
And anyway - I think this girl would have been like a raging bull if ANYONE had come near her kids!!

So, life went on. We moved house, the kids grew up and we heard more about this guy Andy.
From Dunblane.
And he seemed to be able to hit a ball with a tennis racquet and he seemed to be good at it!!

Then last year - after years of trying, Andy got to the finals of Wimbledon - great! And even tho he didn't win, it was ok - he'd got there.

Then a few weeks later, he was back there, Olympic Final - and he won GOLD!!

Yes - getting there.

Then a few months later - he won the American Open.
Not just got to the finals and hey, did not bad - HE WON!!!

So we now get to a lovely Sunday afternoon in SW19.

The scene it set.
In the final again, but somehow, he seems different.

More ice, more fire  in the blood.

It took 3 straight sets and just over 3 hours to WIN!!!

But what is it with us Scots?!?!?!
Why do anything the easy way, when doing it the hard way is preferred??? (hand us a whip and we'll flog ourselves between games, twice between sets!!)

But win Andy did, in style!


He did an interview recently, where he talked about "that" day.

I'd like to think that he did what he did today for those kids who never got the chance to grow up a fulfil what they could have done.

It would be easy for him to say "oh, look at me, what I went through".

He could have turned to drink or drugs, but he didn't.

He hasn't forgotten those children and hopefully Dunblane can celebrate tonight along with the rest of us.

It's a ..............................

.................Girl!!!!!!

It is official - My friend Linda is now a Gran!

Congratulations!!!

But I don't think i'll be joining the club anytime soon!!!!


Linda's daughter Candace has given birth to the loveliest, cutest, best baby the universe has even known! Her name is Cara Linda, she was born on the 10th of June at 11.59pm and she was 7ib 7oz.

She just forgot the bit in the script where it says she was meant to be born on the 11th, which is my dad's birthday.
But I have a sneaky suspicion that my dads told he to be born the day before so they could party 2 days running!!!!

I have not met Cara yet, but we did meet up with Linda today and passed on some goodies and we had lunch. But I can't wait to meet Cara!!

My resolution this year was to try and blog more often. I will try, but i'm not going to just blog "had a cup of tea" - there has to be a story.

Life takes a busy turn over the next few weeks - Peter and Matthew are away off to Kielder on Monday - yah!!! Peace, quiet and long lies!
And at the end of July, Peter off to Dalry again to visit the animals.

Paul trying hard to find a part time job - to help fund (drumroll please).................... Going to University!!! Yes, he passed his HND and is off to Napier in September to study for his BMus. He has decided to commute to Edinburgh, so that will be fun. I may suggest that he entertains the passengers and pass the hat round to help pay his bus fare!! A novel way of singing for your supper.

So on that note, i'm going to go and veg out before I do a mammoth pack in the morning!!

Change.................

...................Always change!!!

Well - there have been a couple of changes over the past few weeks.
Louise has spent the first night in her new flat - she only got the keys 4 weeks ago, but with getting the carpets, cooker, washing machine and trying to sort out the central heating, it's taken her all this time to actually get in and stay the night.
Mind you, I thought we were going for some record with the boiler - 4 guys in less than 4 weeks. One day I had to wait in - I was really glad when Matthew arrived with milk and proceeded to make a cup of tea. My hands were curled round the mug sooooo hard, I thought I was going to break it. It was the only way I could get any heat into me!!!

She left with some of her stuff (there are still things in the ironing pile that she'd like me to do. Huh - she'll be lucky!!) . Her comment as she left was "see you Monday".

Why Monday - well, it's Paul's birthday and she can sniff out pizza before I even think to order it!!!

But we've had 2 visits today - one to pick up a letter she meant to post. (tho why she couldn't have phoned and asked if we would post it I know not!!)
And the 2nd visit was this afternoon was with bread she'd made in her bread maker and to make sure the cats were ok.

Now, we could have been lying in massive heaps on the floor, but as long as the cats are ok................


The other change is that one of the Enable team left and we were at the leaving party.
Ashleigh was the first member of the team we met as we started our journey getting support for Peter.
She won it for me - I'm not too sure what it was - - I do know - it was Ohana - and Lilo and Stitch.

Ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind.

So off we went with a pressie in hand - a mug from the Disney shop with Stitch on and really looking forward to a good night.

As you can see, a good time was had and Peter insisted he wear his Mickey hat!!!

Louise was working the next day and had said she didn't want to stay out too late. So I went off to the loo, came back and found her hitting the dance floor.


Like - WTF.......................!!! You have a 12 hour shift tomorrow.

You have to be up at 5.30 am to get to work and it'll be about 8.30 pm before you get home!!

Suddenly I felt old!!!

But it was a good night.

Ashleigh has been head hunted by Donna - yes, Donna with the shoes!!!]She has been well warned not to poach any more Enable staff - I quite like the ones we have just now!!!!

So now i'm heading to bed, to hide under the covers and wonder just how I got a 20 year old son !!!!

Spring has sprung.................

..................Well - almost.

And it seems to be a time of change and new beginnings - or at least the hope of them!!

The first thing to happen was that Louise was offered a flat by the local housing association. She has wanted to strike out on her own since she got a taste of freedom when she was house sitting for my friend.
She put her name down on one house list, but to be honest, we felt they were worse than useless - they told her that her chances of getting a place were zero to negative numbers. They only seemed to be interested if you were on benefits or had some addiction problems.

[this is where I do my disclaimer!! I know not everybody who lives in one of these houses has addiction issues or on benefits. And I also know that as a society we have a duty to care for those less well off/able than us - but puleeezzzze - don't knock down a youngster who is working hard and trying to set out]

About a year ago, Lou put her name on another HA list. Not really expecting to get anything and thought nothing more.
Till she got a message on her phone asking her to get in touch with them.

Would she be interested in viewing a 2nd floor flat??
One bedroom.
Would she?? Like - when can we go?!?!?!

So we did a viewing and it looked great. The HA have just put in a new kitchen and bathroom, put some new doors in and replastered the hall.

As we looked round, Lou could begin to see how the flat would look with furniture in it. (even over the pile of wood in the bedroom, which, we were assured , would be moved before she got the keys!!!!)

By the end of the day, she had decided to take it.
The shower still had to be put in and the place tidied, so she didn't get the keys till last Friday. (was on night shift and had to get up and go and sign forms!!!)

She ahs spent the past couple of weeks looking for cookers/fridges and washing machines. And carpets and lino. And sorting through stuff she already had.

Oh, coupled with several visits to ikea - to get inspiration and make lists and lists of lists!!

I said that we'd buy her a lot of the things you need to move in, but don't realise till you open a drawer or a cupboard to get it - tin openers, trays for the oven, utensils and the all important corkscrew!!!
between all that and 2 bags of essentials, I hate to think what we've spent!!

Just imagine you lost all your kitchen stuff and had to replace it - not just the things you think of, but stuff like washing up liquid, bleach, laundry stuff................

So she got the keys on Friday. I was tempted to sing that song about going back to your roots, because the flat isn't that far from when we brought her home to after she was born.

It wasn't until yesterday afternoon, when I looked out the bedroom window and realised that I could SEE the building we used to live in.
So she IS going back to those roots.

I will take a week or 2 between shifts and getting things ordered and moving stuff before she really gets in. The HA have given her some vouchers for B&Q to help buy paint and things - which we didn't expect. But it will be well used and a BYOB party may well be organised. That's a  bring your own BRUSH party!!!!

But tonight she's gone off to see Meatloaf with Andrew. She says she is coming home - she has too much to do in the morning.

Mmmmm - since when did she get so grown up?!?!?!?!?!?!

The other thing that has happened is that Paul had an audition/interview for Napier University in Edinburgh.

 For over a week, my hall looked like an outpost of Ikea with Mozart and Brahms as the piped musak!!!  

Paul headed off and did his stuff.

Came home, said it went ok and since they were auditioning others, it would be a couple of weeks before he would hear.

24 hours later, an e - mail - he had been given an offer of a place in 2nd year of the degree, conditional on passing his HND!!!!!

So, it's been another rollercoaster couple of weeks here.
And prob for the next few as well!!!

We need to work on Peter about Lou moving - he just can't "get it" yet!


Linda did arrive here for Dinner last weekend and we had a good time catching up. I think it was most likely the only calm time i'm going to get for a while!!!

New Fangled Technology...............

....................and middle aged auld brains do NOT go together!!!!

We have - after more than a year, bought our new desktop PC.
Decided to bite the bullet and just go for it - we had some money, so why not.

Mind you - 5 days after ordering said PC, the washing machine went kafutt, so we had to get a new one - quick smart, or the washing would be walking out the door. So the past 10 days or so has been a tad expensive for us.

(look on the bright side Julie - at least you had the money to buy both!!) 

Hey - who said that??
And who changed my font????


Our shiny new pc has windows 8 installed.

Would be fun, but since I've had to change my password FOUR times and it still won't let me into my Microsoft account, I am getting a tad annoyed.

My brain has turned to mushy gunk and Matthew and I are heading to the local divorce courts tout suite!!

I'm feeling rather OLD and tired tonight.
Don't know wh
Yes, I DO know why - Peter is needing to go to respite.
And I need the rest. Not to go off gallivanting, but just not to have to rush of a morning or try to make sure i'm home on time.
And just have time to come to in the morning without someone playing with the cats (who wriggle and meow like crazy and me constantly telling him to SHUT UP when he chatters away.

My eyes are heavy just now. I know I Have get up in the morning to take him to college.
Then to town to go to the bank and buy some new jammies for him.
Then home to sort out his packing.
And maybe collapse in a weary heap.

I know, I know - i'm lucky in that Peter isn't a heavy load physically and his health is fairly good, but it's the constant chatter and stuff that grinds you down. And the fact that people look at him and think "nothing wrong - he looks ok".
It's only the middle of March and it feels like it should be at least April - we seem to have done so much for Peter since Christmas - the Psych visits, the toe nail getting done, the dressings that still need done

My Jar of nice things hasn't had anything added to it for a while. Not that anything bad has happened - just nothing nice that I want to add.

BUTTTTTT - drumroll and ta da - Linda is coming down to Glasgow in 2 weeks - actually - less than that now!! She's landing on us for dinner (cheating - going to buy meatballs and pasta from Costco!!! Can't waste good drinking  c....................

Chatting time - we can't waste good chatting time.

So we are counting the sleeps - 3 till respite............................................

The Haven comes to Glasgow.............

..................Yes, Linda was in Glasgow and we met up for lunch!!

It's funny - any time i'm with Linda now seems to be spent on "Skye Time!". A slower pace and a bit of quiet for us both. 
I dropped Peter off at college and headed into town. For some reason (maybe because i  - in my head - had switched myself to the slower pace) - the buses and the cars and general hubub seemed to be so much noiser than usual. 

I wanted my peaceful place!!!!!!!


So we met just before 12 and headed to the Enable Office. I needed to check up on something and Linda was keen to meet some of the folk we talk about. So intros done, a bit of chat and we went off for lunch. They knew JUST where we were going.

KIMBLES!!!

Linda has heard me talk about the place and i always get her box of choccies from there when we go to visit. They have a deli as well as the choc shop and a cafe. Food is gorgeous and the menu is good.

We opted for a bowl of soup each (sweet Potato and Chilli - not too hot, but enough of a kick). 
And we had a cheese and fruit platter to share. Well - it was a bit different from a sandwich and it was yummy. Normally it's served with oatcakes, but we asked if we could have bread instead - no problem. 
It was sooo tasty and the chutney was delish!!! 

No - i didn't take photos - we were too busy scoffing it all to think of feasting YOUR eyes on our lunch!!! But i MIGHT do it next time!!!!
We also had some apple, pear and grapes on the plate as well.
And we sat and caught up and generally enjoyed!!

Next thing we knew, Peter and Lauren had arrived at out table. They had been at art class and decided to pay Kimbles a visit for tea. Best bit was that the grown ups paid!!! It was nice for Linda to meet Lauren as well and she caught up with Peter.

But our time went far too fast - we could have spent another 2 hours there and it wouldn't have been long enough. 
It was nice in the middle of all the bustle to have a bit of calm!!!

Mind you - at one point we heard a noise - it sounded a bit like gunshots (but was prob just something falling!!) Linda said "that sounded ominous". My reply was that i didn't really care what the noise was - i was enjoying my lunch too much!!!!

So that is us.
 Peter's toe continues to improve. We were at the clinic on tuesday and they said we could just continue to dress is on our own till the wound heals up. Plenty of dressings and the clinic phone number if needed, but to be honest, we're most likely just as quick heading to our GP.

I will leave you with the thoughts of our bread, cheese and chutney!!!!

Up before the crack of dawn...........

.................... What am i saying! It was WAY before the crack of Dawn.In fact, Dawn still had the sense to be in her bed snoozing peacefully and was showing no signs of even thinking about wakening up!!!

S Day had arrived.
Surgery.
At last - going to get Peter's big toe nail seen for for all time - hopefully!!!!
We had yet another post op assessment and met the surgeon 2 days before the surgery. 
She seemed to be ok, but Lou and i began to get a bit worried that she may not quite get why the procedure should be done under a general rather than just letting our GP do it. Had that deja vous feeling for a few moments, till she asked "So, what diagnosis does Peter actually have???"

We explained and she sent one of the staff off to get a form for her to fill in. She explained that this form just meant that she could talk to us about what was going on. (should have told her earlier that the guardianship already does that!!!!!)

So Friday morning - up early and got ready.
One son to be dropped off at Strathclyde University for a boozy musical weekend and we headed off to the hospital.
Now, we were early, which was great - it meant we got a parking space near the door and thankfully we didn't need to pay!! 

Off to the Day Surgery Unit. Now - i have to admit, i was a little worried. This is the first time that Peter has had anything surgical done in adult services. We had been assured at the first pre op that there wouldn't be a problem about us being there with him, but i did wonder how much would actually be passed on.

The Nurse came to get us and said that only one of us could go through, so off i went and lou went for a cuppa. The girl did say that they didn't seem to have any notes for Peter. I fell off the seat laughing - this was a regular occurance at Sick Kids - the mystery of the case notes!!!

So they had to take details again. we got the portable dvd player set up and watched Cinderella - much to the amusement of the staff!!!! They checked it was ok for Peter to wear his jammies rather than the regulation gown - it was.

So a stream of doctors - check that Peter knew why he was there, draw an arrow on his foot to the toe that needed done and the anesthetist to make sure Peter was ok. Man, what it is to be popular on a friday morning!!!

9.15, the nurse support said Peter would be going round to theatre soon and she gave me a stylish sack like gown to wear. After checking there were no sneaky cameras to take photos of me in such a thing, i put it on. Off we went, with Peter, Jack and Gus Gus (the mice from Cinderella) and the Cheshire cat!!!  

Cannula in and anaesthetic given  - i went to get Lou. The nurses said to come back in about half an hour. So we went for another cuppa and waited. 

Why does time ALWAYS go so slowly ??? I felt i'd been away weeks and it was only 10 minutes!

SO we went back - Peter not out of theatre. Which got me freaked because they said it would be half an hour tops!!! Lou came back to the waiting area and we  - well, waited!!
A while later, they got us in - Peter still tubed and sedated, but we could wait. 

And wait!!

Eventually, they asked me to go through to recovery. Peter was out of it - zonked!! Usually he's out of the anaesthetic fairly quickly, but this time he wasn't. Till they told me they'd given him a dose of medazolam to help relax him!! No wonder he was zonked!!!!!

When we got back to the bed bay and put on Cinderella again - that made Peter open his eyes fairly quick.  He had something to eat and drink and then put on Toy Story - yup - he was on the mend!!!! 

We got out mid afternoon, armed with painkillers and an appointment to get the dressings changed. Peter asked for some ice cream in that kinda voice that said "i've been in the wars mum - i need goodies!!!"

Quick dash to the shops while Louise got ready to go off to work (matthew had already left for his night shift).

So after Lou went out - we were on our own. To be honest, we w ere bothe shattered, so I sent Peter off to bed then headed myself.

So our weekend passed in a haze of painkillers for Peter and ironing for me.
We even attempted a shower this morning - half a roll of cling film over the dressings and a plastic bag!!!!

Calum was in today, so they had a dvd fest - Fawlty towers and goodies to eat.
Toe still a bit sore, but he gets the dressings change in the morning, so i'm hoping that we can get rid of the mad shoe thing he has to wear and get the trainer back on.

But i'm telling you - i will be in bed early tomorrow night and not out of said thing till at least 10 am the next morning!!!!!1