Pow! And my October holiday started with a bang.

I'm going to start this particular post with a story....Way back in 2000 my mum bought a video a very special video that most of us in my family adore, from the acting to the music it holds a special place in our hearts. Why I hear you ask? Well, when my nephew was about five years old he saw this film for the very first time, and whenever he visited my parent's house, this would be his film of choice. He would cosy up beside us, and he would watch it a couple of times through. On one particular day as he was visiting, we put the film on, but half way through my mum decided to make some tea. So, of course, I followed to have a natter, my mum asked my nephew if we should pause the film until we returned but he said no. So, off we went to make some tea and have a natter and on the way back to the living room my mum stopped and waved for me to come closer but to be quiet. As I peeked around the corner of the door frame, there was my little nephew doing a pirouette and then leaping through the air just like the actor in the film (yes, we've all been there, jumping off the sofa pretending to be Baby in Dirty Dancing and Patrick Swayze or my sister is going to catch you. Lol!)   Well, in an effort not to embarrass him my mum and I had to try and stifle our laugh and scurry back to the kitchen with scalding tea in our hands, and to this day he still doesn't know we saw him.   So when I heard a work colleague talking about said film as a musical, I thought 'Hmm! I wonder if I could get some tickets and surprise my mum.'  You see my mum, well, she's had a challenging year and had just been given the all clear in mid-September, so I thought what better way to celebrate than going to see this unique show on the year of my little nephews 21st birthday. You see that film on video that I was talking about earlier was none other than Billy Elliot. My mum and I went on Saturday just past to see it, and I'm still in awe. I want to cry and laugh at the same time (I'm crying* as I write this post, that's how much it's affected me.)  The show was incredible; the actors were magnificent, and I still can't believe that my mum and I have been to see Billy Elliot the Musical. How cool is that?

*With joy, I might add.

                                    

xoxo xoxo

Questions You Should Ask Before Toasting A King!

 

 

Yesterday (14th of April) I celebrated my 45th birthday. Seems like only yesterday I was celebrating my 21st. Anway, I was going to write this post yesterday but I didn't have the time, what with opening cards and presents, responding to well-wishers on social media and then getting ready to head up to my favourite city; Edinburgh. The only similarity with turning 21 and 45 is that I spent both birthdays in the capital  (I lived in the city for 8 or 9 years) however, my 45th was a lot quieter and a bit more of a sober affair. I did celebrate this birthday with a few drinks and a meal but I didn't want to ruin my big treat of visiting the Vaults (subterranean city of Edinburgh) through a company called Mercat Tours. I wasn't sure what to expect on this tour and before participating in it I thought I knew a lot about Edinburgh's (dark) history, but boy was I wrong. Starting the tour in 1685 my other half Paul (dressed in blue standing against the wall) and an American friend (Brad) learned the hard way.  You do not toast any monarch during 1685, with a dram or ale, especially the King (Charles II). With jeers and abuse from the crowd, Paul or John (as he had to select a Scottish name of the time) was frogged marched with his friend Brad to a local statue.  Here they were first whipped, salt rubbed into their wounds and then one by one Brad's ears were nailed to the statue,  his spouse was then ordered to pull and tear him away.  Paul (John) suffered a far worse fate; his tongue was placed in a clamp until it started to swell in size and a blood blister formed on the tip (this didn't really happen to him). His wound we were told would then explode showering the crowd in blood. Bleurgh!  If that wasn't enough he was then cut from ear to ear resulting in a grin that would remain with him for the rest of his life. Poor Paul (John) but it does make up for the time I was put on trial as a witch for innocently holding a broom for a woman so she could sort her shoe at the Edinburgh Dungeon.  So back to Mercat Tours, we were then shown the site of public executions; a doorway of the reconstructed Mercat Cross of 1885  that now leads to St Gile's Cathedral. The stairs didn't exist during the time of the executions, which we were told were of a hanging variety (kick the bucket and then custom built gallows).  Saying goes that these stairs are now haunted by a young man who escaped his first hanging when one of the gallows trap doors jammed and the crowd took pity on him and rushed to free his body from his execution.  He was later executed when the crowds were dispersed when met by armed guards from both the castle and church. Now, when I looked at the door during the story telling (19.00) I never saw what I now see in the photo (taken at 21.30); a faint cross in the middle of the door.  How spooky!

This isn't the only spooky experience of the night. During the Vault visit to one of the rooms my left hand started to tingle and tickle and the hairs on my arm stood on end. I don't know why or how this happened, I just remember thinking- Oh! that's odd.  The second room I entered I kept turning around to look at a particular corner of the room because I could smell something sweet. Paul kept asking me what I was doing but I couldn't put my finger on why the corner of the room was drawing me to look. The tour guide overheard me saying I could smell something sweet (no one was standing beside me) they then announced a young woman had been murdered in the same corner. My face at this point drained of colour and I went quite pale.  But, the last room really freaked me out.  I was the last person to enter and I couldn't stop staring at the ground, I felt a tightness in my chest and I then felt a blinding headache come on.  I really didn't like the room at all and wanted to leave.  We were then told this was the 'blood room' where poor women were made to give birth in awful conditions. As soon as I left the room the feelings subsided and I even managed to down a glass of wine whilst listening to ghost stories at the end of the tour. Would I do one of their other tours?  I most certainly would and will be when the summer arrives.

*** I don't know why I experienced the sensations I did, I do believe in ghosts but I never thought I would be as tuned in as much as I was. Was I scared? I wouldn't say so, but thinking about the last room as I'm writing this I feel somewhat panicky and breathless.  Now that is scary. This is a birthday I won't forget in a long time.

   xoxoxo

2015...with a bit of Christmas and crafting thrown in!

May 2015 -Summer 2015

September 2015

November 2015

 

December 2015

 

Ninja Turtle

Purple Minion

Knitted Fairisle Hat

Christmas Eve

Mini mincemeat pie (using up the pastry)

.Rosace a l'orange

Garlic Focaccia

Gifts from Nursery Children

Some of my Christmas Presents

My childish love of the Moomins

Bean, Bean doing a fine job of opening her pressies

First time trying lobster

New Years Day

Chevy '57 #2 cocktail

 

2015 has been a bit of a whirlwind for us both, what with me changing jobs to be closer to home, and adding a new addition to our family in the form of a crazy Rhodesian Ridgeback girl, I feel like our feet have hardly touched the ground. I've had tonnes of time to craft and made quite a lot of different items, however, I couldn't find my mojo to blog about them.  Perhaps it's because I've had a lot of mixed emotions especially towards the latter end of the year about decisions I've made and losing another loved one to cancer late in November...heck at one point I  even considered cancelling Christmas as I felt too emotional.  Even a trip to the Christmas Market in Edinburgh on the 23rd did nothing to lighten my spirits. Usually, this event gets me in full swing for all the festivities to come, but nope...all the beautiful German stalls of previous years have been taken over by cheap tat and duplicated stalls, which left us both a bit sad. In an effort to capture any Christmas spirit we both locked out the world on Christmas Eve, we put on some Christmas movies, listened to Christmas classical music and made our traditional Mincemeat Pies; we've been making these together now for nearly three years.  I think the latter activity gave me the slap around the head that I needed to make me realise that I should be happy and thankful for what I have in my life.

Christmas morning was relaxed, Paul and I don't rush into opening our presents, we prefer to have breakfast first then we each decide which present the other should open first, then second and so on.  We then spend an hour or so looking at our new gifts while sipping some Bucks Fizz (orange juice and sparkling wine, another tradition) and watching Christmas T.V.  Then, we both get dressed and prepare the Christmas dinner together.  We opted for a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings, the only difference this year was our starter. Usually, we have smoked salmon pate and a prawn salad but this year I wanted to try lobster.  I was worried it was going to be too fishy, but it was actually quite subtle in flavour and enjoyable to eat. Would I have it again? Mmmm! I thought it was a bit pricey and I have to admit I did miss my smoked salmon pate and prawn salad...so I don't think this will be a tradition for next year.

Talking about traditions, we have both decided to start a new tradition in 2016...instead of opening all our presents on Christmas Day,  we will keep one main present back and our stockings so we can open them on New Years Day.  A much better way to celebrate than being hungover.

What Christmas Traditions do you have?  I would love to know.

Squirrel  xoxoxo

Hanging My Head in Shame

Hello everyone, hope you're all well and enjoyed your Christmas and New Year.

Happy New Year From the Capital of Scotland (Edinburgh)

I wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who purchased a bag or dpn case throughout 2011 and I hope I go on to entice more customers to buy my wares (fingers crossed).
On a sadder note:
I'm not even going to apologise to my little blog for neglecting it,  I think that would just be too much of an insult and I'm not even going to make up excuses, other than to say I'm eating, sleeping college at the mo.  Need to find a happy medium between college and home life as I didn't really have a home life before Christmas and it resulted in me becoming ill with stress again, just a tiny glitch but one I need to remedy.

On a kind of happier note:
 I've picked up the needles again.  I haven't really knitted since September and I've really missed it, so my New Years Resolution is going to be one I can't break and that's to knit more. Well it's better than saying I'm going on a diet or I'm joining the gym as I would definitely break those two.

A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE AROUND THE WORLD FROM HERE IN BONNIE SCOTLAND - LANG MAY YOUR LUM REEK ♥