Walking in a winter wonderland

OK, so not quite yet but the smell of snow in the air here has sent me running back indoors to blog quicker than you can say "Where's the snow shovel?"!

Today we got our first winter weather warning of the season with up to 4" of the white stuff forecast for tonight and tomorrow.

We've heard rumours of folks already skiing here in VT and the mountains definitely look snowy enough for that to be true. Sugarbush is opening this weekend a week or so ahead of plans so it looks like a great winter is headed our way.

For our folks coming out at Christmas, it looks to be shaping up for a white one so don't forget your moonboots!!

We have some piccies of the house etc that I'll get posted up here soon with a quick update on what's been happening here since we moved back in September.

Stay warm, wherever you are!

UK visit - Part 4: Hello Durham/Goodbye UK

While Adam winged his way back to Vermont, his folks delivered me (Jayne) safely down to Durham for a few days with family and friends before I had to head back across the Atlantic too.
Mam T had cooked up a feast and we had a lovely lunch before Mum and Dad L headed back down the road to Devon, stopping off to stay overnight in Tadcaster with Adam's Uncle Malcolm and Auntie Angie.

Mum and Dad L with Mam T - Dad T had already had to leave for a bit of a late start at work

I managed to have a good and well overdue catch up with bestest buddy Claire, and her two lovely kiddies Eve and Baby William. It's a shame to have missed Andrew but I s'pose someone had to get some work done. ;) THANKS Clairey for coming and getting me, and trundling us to yours and back again. It was wonderful to see you and to at least be able to try and catch up with everything... so much has happened! Loved the laughs, especially when you laughed so hard you looked like you were driving round the round-about with your eyes closed... EEEKS! I can't remember what was so funny now, can you?? Reminded me of that time in school when we'd nipped down to Durham one lunch time (probably to get a new top for the next school disco or summat) and for some reason we ended up stranded in the middle of the road with traffic on either side of us and all we could do was clutch each other and laugh - can't remember what was so funny that day either!? We really ought to be more careful, especially since we're all grown up now and everything. :))

Anyway, here are a few shots I managed to squeeze out of the camera before it's battery ran out of juice altogether...

The delightful Princess Eve in her splendidly appointed (and very pink) bedroom. Such a cherub and so grown up since I last saw her.

Baby William kicking back in his cot - it was such a pleasure to meet him, finally! Gorgeous.


William and his Mammy, Claire.

A nice cuddle with Auntie Jayne... aww.



Also on the social calendar was dinner with Mam and Dad T, Nana and Auntie Minnie at The Hobson, who by the way do the most enormous dumplings we've ever seen. Yum! Can't get mince and dumplings over here, and certainly not with proper chips either. Actually, the pic below is Dad's dinner - I had mash with mine of course... mmmm, I love mash I do!

Mam T with Auntie Minnie (my Nana's sister if you were wondering)



Dad T with Nana... unsurprisingly (not) with her eyes closed, as always! :)

We were quite stuffed and hadn't even finished our dinner but decided the steamed ginger pudding and custard couldn't be missed. Pretty good it was too - one bowl, five spoons!

Pondering over the picture round... We'd had such a lovely time we decided to stay for the pub quiz. We won a bottle of wine in the raffle, some free booze tokens for summat else and a few quid for coming second... Bonus!

Next was a visit from Auntie Ann, and we were treated to lunch out courtesy of Uncle Joe, who didn't come along for fear of too much girly talk. He's so wise, tho I was sad to not see him. Thank you both lots and lots. It was so nice to have each other all to ourselves for a few hours. As Auntie Ann said to me it doesn't happen very often these days. Great chats and so good to see you Auntie Ann... wondered where my 10p mix-up was mind... Teehee! Probs cost about a quid these days. ;)

Me and Auntie Ann, having our nice healthy lunch of salad and tuna sandwichs... although the chip in Auntie Ann's hand gives away the bowl of chippies hiding behind the menu... Rumbled! Well, it was a treat.

So, next was a visit by Mel. What a lovely surprise that she decided to drive all the way up from Liverpool to basically have a cuppa, have a chat, walk her doggy and then head back home! Thank you Mel - it was so lovely to see you and it couldn't have happened if you hadn't driven for three+ hours there and the same back again. HUGS to you.

Mel and Mr Darcy

On my last day in Durham I had another lovely surprise in the form of Kirstie, who drove all the way up from London to see me, and to spend the rest of the w/e with Claire and the family. THANK YOU Kirstie! It was such a treat to see you - it's weird how it always feels like just five minutes since we all sat down for a gossip, even tho it's been way too long really. Hope it won't be too long til next time... maybe our next trip back will take us via Heathrow and then we can see you without you travelling the length of the country... we may even invite ourselves to stay with you - aren't you the lucky one!! ;) Anyway, I'm sorry my camera battery gave up before you arrived - it would have been lovely to have a new piccy of us girlies together.

So after another lovely day spent with Kirstie and Claire and the kids it was soon home time and time for yet more sad farewells. Boohoo. It never gets any easier. Mam picked me up and then it was a mad panic to get packed and head back up to Glasgow ready for my flight back.

Mam had booked us into a hotel right across the road from departures so it was nice to get there, have a good sleep (ish!) and not to have to rush too much in the morning. Got all checked in, headed back to the hotel for brekky and then met up with the Garvens who'd driven in to wave me off... more boohoos when it was time to go through security.
:( Even Willie did an on-time wave (it seems he normally does it five minutes after someone has gone...), and Wee Jim voluntarily gave me one of his lovely cuddles. Aww...sniff... :`(

Not that it makes up for the traumatic goodbyes, but I got to fly back business class (on air miles of course), so I was soon feeling more relaxed about things once I got that welcome mimosa down!

Thankyou everyone for making our trip back so enjoyable, and for making it possible at all.

Lots of love all round and see you again soon we hope.

Some specific big thank yous not mentioned here already:

To Katy and Jim for the airport runs, other trundlings and looking after me/us all so well. Much appreciated - we can't wait to return the favour whenever you head Stateside.

To Wee Jim and Willie for being so adorable and everything else that little nephews should be.

To Mum and Dad Lock... we're wondering how many miles you clocked up this time, and the split between Rosemary driving and John driving? Seriously, thanks so much for travelling us about almost literally all over the country. Made the whole trip possible in so many ways. Looking forward to Christmas with you!

To Mam and Dad Thompson - thank you for all the trundling too, and for sorting the airport hotel, and for getting us set with a UK cell phone for next time (actually, Adam has it in Ireland right now... send us the bill!) and for everything else. Looking forward to Christmas with you too!

UK visit - Part 3: at the Garvens again

After a sad farewell to all at the wedding do :( Rosemary, John, Adam and Jayne headed back to Auchinleck for a couple more days with the Garvens before Adam had to return to VT.

Katy chats with the Locks Senior, while Willie wonders what he can get his hands on...

Uncle Addie gets one of Wee Jim's lovely cuddles

On a walk down to the farm Katy stops to pick some blackberries for Willie...


... Thank you Mummy.



Look Auntie Jayne, some straw!




Some nosey young Ayshires

One, two, three... weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!



Jayne had managed to pick up a yucky cold and was feeling pants, so Adam and his folks went on a jaunt to see our friends Jo and Willy's new ice creamery http://www.ayrshireicecream.co.uk/. Plans are very impressive and the new ice cream parlour/farm shop/tea room is looking wonderful.

After Jo sent the Lock party home with a mere 5 pots of Ayrshire's best (!) we can totally vouch for the fact that they make very delicious ice cream in an extraordinary number of flavours. Well done guys and good luck with the business venture.

All too soon it was time to say adios to the Garvens :( and deposit Adam at Glasgow airport before the remainder of the Locks headed down the road to Durham.

UK visit - Part 2: Bob and Amanda's Wedding

After a marathon road trip up from deepest, darkest Devon Adam's folks picked him up from Liverpool and, after collecting Jayne en route, we all arrived in Aberdeen the night before Bob and Amanda's nuptials.

I will save the details for anyone who wants them and dive straight in with the long-awaited pics of Adam in a kilt. Very fetching I thought [-J] and somewhat liberating too by all accounts... oh dear!

All the paraphernalia... it took an age to get everything all strapped on and fastened up!

Ta-Dah! Worth the effort tho I think you'll agree.

The beautiful church, quite in the middle of nowhere


Everyone arrives

Adam and Marcus share a moment between ushers

Bob strides purposefully up the aisle before everything begins

From this pic you'd think it was an anxious George getting hitched not super-smiley Bob!

Mr and Mrs Robinson coming back up the aisle after the wedding ceremony

The lone piper (Well, not quite lone. That woman never budged from his side and got in the way of every shot!)

The bride and groom

Now boys, control yourselves and leave my husband's sporran alone!

Kelly is thrilled to find out the evening entertainment takes the shape of a ceilidh. Yeeeaay!

Adam getting his groove on with Ju and Karen

Oh yes, things are hotting up now...

Okay, now who said people in posh frocks and kilts might get into trouble on a bouncy castle? Not this lot (well, not on these pics...)

Waaa-haaaaaaay!

"C'mon, let me help you back up dear wife."

Bob demonstrates how to bounce in a gentlemanly fashion... very good.























Adam and Marcus demonstrate how to bounce in a most ungentlemanly fashion...

Errrm... what do you mean there's no pic?? Ah well, I didn't think anyone would really want me to post up the extraordinarily high number of 'bad' bouncy castle shots... tho I'm open to offers. Bidding to post (or not to post) starts at $5.

OK, so here's one to be going on with... don't even ask.

Adam and Marcus had to be a couple in this dance... The feathery fascinator in Adam's hair, so kindly donated by the mother of the bride, denotes him as the laydaaair. Badly timed really since this particular dance required the ladies to be whisked off their feet in a 'basket' move... I think Marcus and George's backs have just about recovered now...

And on they twirl... must be some new record for extreme ceilidh dancing. Notice how everyone else had stepped back to a safe distance.

We were treated to a fine rendition of YMCA by the newly weds, Amanda's brother and another friend.

YYYYY

MMMMM

CCCCC (Okay, so they all got the C round the wrong way, but heck, who doesn't?! Note to self: tip to the left when next doing the YMCA dance)

AAAAAA

Bob and Amanda join the fun bus with other revellers at the end of the night.

It was a really super day and we're so glad to have been there to celebrate with the Robinsons on such a fine occasion. So good to see everyone too and can't wait til next time...

We have loads more pics so anyone wanting any can just drop us a line. Please note that a certain amount of 'flash' photography that took place towards the end of the night may be censored or embargoed.

UK visit - Part 1: at the Garvens

We both flew back to UK on the same flights, despite having originally booked entirely different ones (don't ask!). Adam's next stop was Liverpool for a conference, but Jayne stayed in Scotland at her sister's to spend some time with Katy, Jim and the nephews - Wee Jim and Willie.

In non-Brit style the weather was quite lovely and a grand time was had catching up and playing with the kids. Plenty of garden time gave lots of opportunities for action shots - here are just a few...


The last time we saw Willie he was still very much a babe in arms. Now, not only is he walking but he's climbing and sliding too! Love this sequence of pics...

No doubt Wee Jim and Willie get up to all sorts now they're so grown up and mobile... here they are checking out the peas and what-not in the garden.

Wee Jim stuffs an apple into his mouth (no, I don't think it all went in) while Willie makes a sharp exit out the back of the trailer to go pick one for himself.

Next stop.... Aberdeen for Bob and Amanda's wedding.