Monday morning, and the sheets are flapping outside, such a jolly aid to shipping. The sea is quite stormy and grey, but the tankers and container ships are able to see where they are going. Apparently this part of the Forth is festooned with wrecks, lingering in the depths, owing to ships that go bump in the fog. We were quite bemused one morning as all we heard weird eerie horns and the bridges and sea were lost in the thick veil. Dramatic days, and each one is different. Needless to say the binoculars are always at the ready. At least they are not focussed on the neighbours!

The lawn is lush; the new mermaid statue is in place.

And all the plants that have been uplifted and taken from house to house are now in the ground.

Let’s hope this will be their last resting place and they can flourish or die in peace.

The kitchen is beautiful, so sunny and light and it is such a joy to work there. The only thing that is missing is a radio. But that is on the list.

I have been down to Wales, and Natasha, Leo and Bonnie took me out and about, building castles on the sand at Porthcawl, gambling all the 2p coins in the arcades, watching Bonnie’s delight at the spring lambs, and walking through the spring fields at Porthkerry.

Leo’s colleague persuaded him to go to Newport to see his sister in a wrestling match, so we all trouped along, the first time for all of us, and although it was a family day, the wrestlers were pretty full on, leaping from the ropes, crashing on to their backs, it was all very exciting.

Bonnie watched it all, and I just hope she doesn’t take her new experience to the play group and start hurling other toddlers about.

Tasha and I went to watch her at the gym, and both of us were amazed at her confidence. She leapt on to the monkey bars, swinging without fear, did balancing, backward rolls and a lot of jumping. What a fabulous facility. She is now a chatter box, and Tasha had a little break as she was very fond of saying, ‘Granny do it, not you, Mummy!’

John’s sisters and Pete came up last week, and it was great. We visited the Kelpies and the Falkirk wheel. Why have I missed this amazing sight?  They are awesome, so dramatic, beautiful and BIG. The wheel is an amazing engineering feat, and I can’t wait to go on it sometime.

We also revisited Stirling Castle, learning about the ‘James’ kings of Scotland, the battles and the intrigues. There is a new play out, called The James Plays, by Rona Munro, and is reviewed as a thrilling trilogy, a high-stakes historical soap full of behind-the-throne manipulations. A bit of a marathon, but reviews are glowing. One friend said when it opened in Edinburgh, one of the actors tripped and broke his ankle and kept on with the performance, doing all three plays with the foot strapped in a bandage.  Dedication, bet the understudy was poised and disappointed he never got his chance!

Gerry, Cathal and Cathal’s parents visited us, and baby Darcey was the star of the show. She is just blossoming, and I can’t believe she is three months already.

John and I drove north to Stonehaven, up on the East Coast for my uncle’s 80^th birthday. It was a ‘surprise’ and he was duly delighted and quite the King for the day. He had all his daughters and granddaughters running after him, and John and I were amazed at the agility of his 81-year-old wife. At one point I thought she was going to leap over the coffee table with the ease of a gazelle. Reminds me of a couple long ago in Glenelg. Ninety-year-old Charlotte was taken into Raigmore with a broken rib. The consultant asked her what she had been doing. ‘Och, Doctor, I was just giving Donald a push to jump start the car!’

Anyway we had a good visit, and old pictures and old family records were out and Mavis and I were trying to piece together the family tree.

John and I had a tour around the farm communities that might have been the homes of my father’s people. By chance, we saw a buzzard sitting on a fence, and suddenly another joined her and started to mate. It was like a documentary, and we were the only viewers. Magical.

The London Book Fair is on and I see my books are being displayed.

Reminds me that I must get writing again. I did get a great review recently for Where the Golden Oriole Sang on Amazon. So nice when people take the time, and also it gives me some incentive to unearth my manuscripts and get going. I have become a flibbertigibbet. I must do better, as it was repeated often enough on my school reports. And I will. BUT, I have the West Highland Way looming, in the very near future, and John and I must continue with our forays up the Fife coast in order to get fitter. So, lots to do and think about. Happy days!