A Scottish Sword For Uncle Tom!
With love and a very happy birthday to you, dearest brother Thomas, from Megan, and Benjamin, Eowyn and Cosette.
Posts
Confessions...
I HAD imagined myself zooming down the mountain on a snowboard, similiar to the picture below... In reality, I spun around and around in circles, vexed beyond belief. Nathalie and Josephine felt similarly, so we changed to skiing!!! Today I was very honoured to attend the baptism of Katie's Josephine June, as her Godmother. And now I'm off to writing group at Third Place Books pub, with chocolates for Karen, Maryam and Monica, so they can experience my story multisensorily!
GIRLS GO BOARDING!!
It's TODAY! Nathalie and Josephine are picking me up any minute! Weeeeeee! Down the mountain I'll slide! (Or perhaps, like so many expectations in life, cupcakes, my imagined scenario will be so far from the reality of tumbling down the hill on my bruised bottom...I shall indeed fill you in!) I love you, community of bloggers...
As we clambered over these rocks, they began tumbling into the icy cold river. I was terrified the girls would be hurt or fall in, and looked up to check they were OK. Thankfully, they were. The rocks were falling towards me, and in my maternal moment, I was unhurtable, their wellbeing all that mattered. An enormous boulder hit me in the left hip, causing one of those pains that is so sharp it feels like a scream. I thought my hip was broken and we'd have to be rescued, but my two courageous little ladies and I managed to make our way out, step by step, me limping, them having lots of fun playing in the clay. We have been going to these pools all the girls' lives, and have adorable pictures of them covered in gray clay over the years. A rather cross chap met us on the way out, saying it was his private property, and never to go there again. This really upset me - I'm still wondering quite why, as I'm sure in the summer we, as the whole country neighbourhood does, shall...
Bag End Quotes of the March
When I lived on board LOGOS II, my role as journalist and photographer involved writing a weekly report. I would add a 'general office quote of the week', which quickly became something of an institution on the ship. People would eagerly open the weekly report on Mondays as soon as I sent it out to see what the week's quote was. People would hang around me, (especially on Mondays!) saying witty things, in the hope I'd include them that week. So I begin the monthly Bag End quote(s) with these fond memories from the past. Coco bounced eagerly into our bed this morning, shouting 'SURPRISE!' and awakening us. Bens said "You're a little lark in a family of owls." Coco replied, "No, I'm not the little family lark. I'm the little family surprise!" Eowyn, being an owl, was asleep, but in a more awake part of the day said to me, "I'm alike to you in your ways Mum and alike to Daddy in his ways, so I'm kind of a both-er!!...
Thankful...
I am feeling thankful today ... for many things. In the wee small hours of this morning I held Coco tight - her heart was racing, she was feverish and breathing fast, and leaning against me without strength. She couldn't put her chin on her her chest, and our nurse feared she had meningitis - such an awful, painful disease - and sent us to the children's hospital emergency room. I was frightened. Coco was peaceful, nestled in my arms, and she doesn't have meningitis! I am so thankful for my dear little family - Bens' motorbike accident and Coco's being sick makes me realise afresh how very precious each of them - Eowyn, Coco and Bens - are to me. Yesterday morning they brought me brekkie in bed, and we all snuggled together, and it was heavenly. It's so wonderful having such love, such family. I am thankful for my dear growing-up-family, and the loving ways you all connected with me for my birthday, and for my friends, ditto!! Karen has pics of our party last n...