Scooter-tastic and Veggie-fabulous!!

roadrunners dance poster

scooters at Balloch 1

Ah where to begin? It’s been a bit of a busy old week and weekend…but it’s been really good. The weekend there was hubby’s scooter club summer gathering at Balloch followed by a Mod dance at the Admiral Bar in Glasgow. It was epic. Took the kids to Balloch for a wee while to see all the scooters (there were about 100) and play in the park. They stayed over at my parents whilst me and hubby went to the dance. It was Northern Soul, Ska and 60s music all night. I was on the dance floor for a good bit of the night and it’s shameful to admit it but my poor ole body was a bit stiff and sore on Sunday. Was well worth it!!

I’ve had a revelation recently and it’s amazing it’s taken me (an omnivore) to the ripe old age of 42 to find this out: vegetarian food is fantastic! Yup, there you go. I’ve said it. I’ve recently been purchasing a fair few veggie/healthy cookbooks recently – I’ve been wanting to cut down on sugar and fat so started with a gluten and sugar free cookbook, then found Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbooks and then went on to Alicia Silverstone, Lukas Volger and then Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I must say all the recipes I’ve tried so far have been fantastic. My favourite? Hard to say. I love Alicia’s pumpkin bread recipe. Caulipots are lovely. But the big hit – with me and my hubby – is Lukas’ Thai Carrot Burgers. They are amazing.

gwyneth paltrow

isa

Anyway, enough of me chattering on like a budgie about veggie food. I’m not planning to go veggie or vegan. However, I do want to cut down on meat consumption: for health and for the planet (meat production – especially beef – ruins the Earth and uses up way too many resources; veggie production, esp organic, is not so nasty). Anyway, now I’ve discovered those carrot burgers, I doubt the beefburger will have the same attraction!!

So how are you all this week? I’ve just been trundling along as usual marvelling at how fast my life is whizzing by. I can’t believe it’s nearly Christmas already. Do you remember when you were young how long it seemed between summer holidays and Christmas? Now, it feels like I blink and the weather’s changed and folk are putting up their Christmas trees. Am hoping to be super organised this year. Normally I get all my pressies in by November, but this year I also intend to have all my Christmas gifts made and cards written by then too. Anyway, we’ll see how that goes!!

It’s getting very autumnal outside and the heating – our new heating – has been on and is working brilliantly. Still have to get to grips with the timer, but we’re getting there. There’s been a lot of nonsense in the press about when you turn your heating on and the arguments it causes in some families. It’s cold outside = heating on in our house, end of story. Honestly, do they have nothing else to talk about??

The kids have already been planning what they want to be for Halloween (a Stormtrooper (the girl) and Green Lantern (the boy)). I’m just going to buy them in again this year as I don’t have time to make them and the bought costumes are cheaper anyway.

So that’s us up-to-date this week. Well, apart from today. Me and hubby had today off, the kids were at school (they did not get the bank holiday). So, we went into Glasgow for lunch at the Millennium Hotel on George Square (nice food, but a hotel that’s badly in need of redecoration…which is shocking cos it’s meant to be four star). Before lunch we went to see RIPD – Rest in Peace Department – starring Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges. Let’s just say we were full of hope for the film, but left feeling that we wouldn’t bother watching it again. It could have been so much better. Anyway, I enjoyed getting out with my other half…we don’t get to do it very often, so it’s a real treat.

Right, that’s me for this week…even though technically I’m into the next week. Til next time.

Dawn xxx

I’m on a bit of a red vibe today

lovely old car – reminds me of the Milky Way advert…the red car and the blue car had a race, but all blue wants to do is stuff his face…

I love red. It’s such a cheerful colour, so am going to intersperse this post with photos of red. Like this one…

Poppies

The blue of the picture above is very like the sky outside just now. Thank goodness. We’ve had some mental storms around here over the last few days, but none, am sure, anything like the people of the US are experiencing. I can’t believe it’s been seven years since Hurricane Katrina struck. It’s a poignant date in my mind because it was around that time that my lovely friend Katrina was diagnosed with cancer. She died around three-and-a-half years ago, but she’s definitely not forgotten. Every time I hear Hurricane Katrina mentioned on the telly, I think of her…my dear dear much missed friend…and remember the impact she had on our lives. She was warm, friendly, witty, clever, generous, sharp, shrewd, a character. Just wish she was still around so she would know how much we miss her.

Circus tent

There’s a lot being going on in the DarkIsle household, but nothing of real interest. It’s been mainly housework type stuff and going to work. I view my week very much as being in blocks: the three days I work are all about work…getting the kids ready, getting lunches ready, ironing work and school clothes, travelling there and back, the work itself and then the exhaustion at night when all I want to do is flop on to my sofa and watch telly.  Then there’s the rest of the week: the two days I have when the kids are at school and I can do what I want (well, except for housework type stuff cos I really don’t enjoy doing that!!) and I have peace to just sit and think. These are joined by the weekend when the house is full of noise and fun and games and siblings fighting and it’s generally just a bit mental. S’good though. Out of all the days, I love Thursday mornings the best cos that’s when I write this blog, catch up on telly (and can actually hear it!) and have some me time. Nice.

red scooter

There was one thing that happened this week that made me very happy. My friend James took all my files off of my poor old dead laptop and put them on my external hard drive. I am happy – REALLY HAPPY – cos I managed to get my missing files of the adult novel I was writing. Yippee!! No rewriting those chapters again!! It’s such a relief! On the DarkIsle front, I have no news, but am still hopeful the third book will be out for Christmas.

Right, I am off to watch Once Upon a Time, Republic of Doyle and the Hairy Bikers in Mississippi…yes, I watch dross on telly, but with all the nonsense that goes on in the world,  I like to cheer myself up with some light watching!

Dawn xxx