Losing Our M&Ms and Eating Our Marbles.

Becky and I have come to the decision that we're both losing our marbles. Well, more than we already have. Discussing what each other had been up to in the holidays so far over a kilogram bar of Galaxy in the garden, we got comparing day to day events, soon finding out that we were both running our lives by lists. Rather ironically as at the time I had a To Do list the size of the phonebook scribbled on my wrist, with the words "Post It Notes" being top; and Becky had numerous pieces of old envelopes filling her pockets covered in hurried hand writing and makeshift maps to where her keys lay.

I'd noticed that over the past few weeks I've slowly been losing my memory space, often wasting half of my time searching for a pen that works before I forget what I'm to remember and the other trying to remember why I needed it in the first place. Becky was quick to agree saying she'd never forgotten what she was doing halfway through doing it as much her life before. NewScientist suggests this is in fact a sign that our brains are working, but I think with the lack of school and therefore the lack of need for concentration is taking its toll and we're turning into zombies when doing mundane tasks. So much so, we forget even doing them in the first place.

Another suggestion that Becky made is that our "highly intelligent" brains are simply making room for all our "highly intelligent" thoughts. Pah. The inverted commas around highly intelligent are not just there for aesthetic reasons, we're the type of people who have their Hallowe'en Costumes already planned and who eat M&Ms in alphabetical order of colour. [Vinnie Van Gogh and Einstein here we come, and for those who wonder depending on your brand of course, its Blue, Brown, Green, Red then Yellow.]

It's all good though as the weathers brightening up, we've had a barbeque and I have the obsessive compulsive antics of Duror in The Cone Gatherers to keep me somewhat sane. :P I'll start properly worrying when I find myself lost in Tescos, trying to buy Post It Notes to remind me to buy Post It Notes...

The Great British... Summer?

As I've said before, my holidays have consisted of the Cotswolds and Worcestershire for as long as I can remember. The weather is always gorgeous and sunny with no sea breeze to put a chill in the air. However, this year tells of a different story. The Midlands of England are currently under water from numerous burst rivers and days of heavy rain, motorways are backed up beyond recognition and millions of homes are without power. This years Holiday is going to be a rather interesting one I can tell you that. I will try and blog it all the way, if I can get to an Internet cafe that hasn't flooded...

Here's the Holiday 07 Plan-
-Get there with both cars intact and dry.
-Cross Evesham Bridge without being swept away.
-Hope that Sedgeberrow hasn't been swept away.
-Remember my ridiculous amount of books.
-Read some of the books.
-Bristol.
-Bath.
-See Aunty Fairy whos 99 in Taunton.
-Find an Internet Cafe.
-Read something Poolside.
-Bourton-on-the-Water, even if it may be Bourton-under-Water.
-Cheltenham.
-Resist urge for Wellies.
-An Arboretum.
And goodness knows what else.

Over the past few days I really have done nothing. Its terrible. I've never known a Summer holiday to be soo dull in all my life. Although, saying that it gives me plenty of time to read and draw, cannae complain. Although I frequently do... There's just nothing to report! The exciting-est thing that's happened to me in the last few days was getting stung by a bee upon discovering a hive in the hedge. The bee's werent too chuffed either...


On a lighter note, Larbrax beach the other day. Lovely.

[VOTE SUSAN COOKSON FOR BEST ACTRESS IN THE NTAs 07.]

Edinburgh Escapades

Many moons ago, my Grandad's sister and family emigrated to Australia to start a new life in the sun. 30-odd years later, they returned to Scotland for a couple of weeks to catch up with everything they've missed. Like the rain, the accent, the family, and.. well, some more of the rain.

Personally I had never been to a Family Reunion style event before, so the prospect of this one rather interested me, but the same time I was rather skeptical. My brother and I were undoubtedly going to be the youngest there and the Australian relatives hadn't seen my dad since he was my age, but my skeptical views soon vanished as we arrived. Edinburgh has long been one of my favourite cities

The hotel looked lovely (above) and was indeed lovely once we were inside. There had been a mix up with where we had originally booked, so we were transferred and to be honest, I think we got the better deal. :)

This sunny disposition carried on through out the day as we wandered around the city, in the sunshine and took in various touristy places of interest like the Museum. (Seeing as we'd failed to go there each time we'd visited prior.)


The evening went very well, the family were lovely and I think everyone had a good time. If I had of been thinking ahead, I'd have taken a picture of the waffle I ordered for pudding, it was the best waffle ever! According to Glen anyway. When not eating there was an odd mix of Australian and Scottish accents flying over the table, which created a very strange atmosphere, almost as if it wasn't really happening. We all enjoyed it anyway, and it was nice to catch up with parts of your family you'd never otherwise have known about. Rather sad though too as my grandad didnt get to see them again, having died when I was knee high to a grasshoppper. (The only other thing that annoyed me utmost was the fact that due to one person mishearing an introduction, I was called me Emma. ¬_¬ I am now the proud owner of a name badge.)

The following day, the sunny weather had disappeared, I swear it was because I'd thought about blogging, and the rain had set in. Giving up on the hope of shopping, a trip to the Royal Yacht Britannia was planned; however we still managed to get soaked as half the tour was outside on the decks. Formidable Scottish climate. The Australian lot who visited were saying that its in the mid 30s degree in their winter. They were amused to hear we're lucky to get that in the summer...

Speaking of weather; as I mainly do on this blog, then again I am Heather with the Weather according to James, my mum and I were watching the news this afternoon. Amongst the usual weather reports came a special bulletin were shocked to see that residents of Sedgeberrow, the small village we are going on holiday to deep in the heart of the Cotswolds, had had to be air lifted to safety from their rooftops by the RAF! Pershore and most of Worcestershire are suffering extreme flash floods, with thundering rainstorms flooding the landscape. Lets just say, my wellies are packed..

Having discussed the weather situation with James over MSN, saying that he'd best watch the news for sightings of a Scottish girl wearing brightly coloured wellies rowing in circles in the middle of a field, he suggested that I blog it if it does happen. With pictures captioned as follows-

"And this is me trying to row."

"This is me failing to row and cursing heavily at the person who invented floods and boats."

"Me giving up eating a Moaoam waiting to be rescued."

"This was the super cool helicopter that saved me and my bright wellies."

"Oh and there's me waving to a nearby film crew.."

"There's me falling out of the helicopter into a tree..''

"Oh, that was as I landed in my boat, even further up a creek without a paddle."

And so on and so forth. I really shouldn't jest, I could see it happening to me. This may not make sense to anyone else, it will resonate with Shaun and James, but the reason there is an injoke about rowing is all donw to one day we spent in Angew Park. Two Boats, 6 people, 2 English random people with oars, and a whole lot of Maoams resulted in a very fun day. Which I will blog about later in the summer.

Gardens, Cakes and fishing. What holidays are made of. Aparently..

Its Thursday the somethingth of July, and we're almost one week into our Summer Holidays. I think this is about as looming for 'us children' as the same is for 'them adults' to be told there are only 169 days to Christmas. Possibly. Who knows.

It seems every time I write to my blog, the weather takes a turn for the worse; its another grey, dull day in South West Scotland. The rain's come out to say hello, which may be good news for plants and gardeners but not someone who's trying to organise a barbecue. It seems that everyone round here are pinning their hopes on it brightening up sometime soon and those who haven't, have sought solace in a warmer, sunnier country. Wise people. However, there are only... a few weeks til the 4th of August which is enough for me. (I have lost all sense of date and time having left school and not having to write them in the margin every hour, so apologies for bad date and time references.)

But ne'erheid! I'll just brighten up my blog with the odd holiday picture and sunny coloured words. Like lollipop. See, you're smiling already...

A lot of my photographs on this blog will come from this place and other gardens in the vicinity as they are my mums second, third, fourth and no doubt fifth homes. (Both my mum and my Granny Anne are frequent garden-goers and gardeny people.) So! There it is, Logan Botanic Gardens. Very beautiful place, with a lovely walled garden with adjoining wooded area which I lovelovelove. The Acers are mine by the way. And the Eucalyptus'. Oh oh oh and the Zantedeschia Aethiopica, Arum Lilies. The basis of my hat design this year, "Arum Lilies for Life lolz." Very long story...

Haha, this was Logan Botanic Gardens too, same day if I remember correctly. If you're wondering why my mum and I have really odd expressions on our faces, which you probably haven't noticed but I'll tell you anyway. You know that funny thing that happens when you mix the Older Generation with 'new-fangled' technology? You most probably do. Well, next time, try giving a Granny a Digital Camera and watch as she struggles to see though the tiny retro viewfinder rather than the luminous LCD scene-screen. Its a rather funny yet bewildering sight to the likes of my generation who have been brought up on LCD TFT High Def 9.8-mil pixel technological cornflakes.

From technology to something simple. Fishing. Personally I've never seen eye to eye with anyone that fishes, its just not my thing. But I like this photo. Port Logan I'm sure, and my dad fishing. I think the fact its silhouetted makes me like it more, and its seascape which immediately gives it +100 Brownie Points. Its not that bad a photograph for one taken on my lifeline, sorry, my mobile phone. I use it for communication like every other person would, but its first and foremost my Walkman and my Camera. *Lovelovelove*

This picture had to be posted sometime and today is the day. Everyone, meet Lara Harvey's 15th Birthday cake, created by myself and Becky! Ahh, good times. This was the heaviest thing to lug about on a school bus in a massive big blue tub I tell you, but also the greatest. Why is it an Ambulance? No, Lara doesn't want to be a nurse or a doctor or indeed and Ambulance. We asked which kind of cake she'd like and she said an ambulance one, like the one on Casualty. So, we went forth and used unbelievable amounts of cake and icing and created that, exceeding everyone's views who were expecting a caterpillar style log cake. Everyone liked it and needless to say, they ate it! Shockingly. Best bit about it was definitely the look on Lara's face, and getting to eat all the left over icing. And the middles of the mini rolls we used for wheels. Yummy. >cutting the cake< (Shaun, note the Maoams in the background :P) I must move on, or I'll go into hyper-drive with memoirs... *Row row row your boat.. or dont.*

The reason for all these mainly pointless but funny photographs etc is because I havent really done anything newsworthy over the past few days, except going to Glasgow shopping and pottering around in the garden. I promise my next post will have some theme or direction to it. Honest. :)

Have a good holiday!! x

Schools Out, Summer's In.

May I ask just before you read this blog that you play the music bar down in the right corner of this blog, so the music plays quietly in the background. Its bound to make you feel summery, even if you dont like Electric Light Orchestra. :D

Our school term ends tomorrow, thankfully as this has been the longest term I've ever known in my 5 years attendance. Possibly due to added strain from Exams, new Fifth Year expectations, Timetable changes, Award Ceremonies and goodness knows what else the term has dragged on and on and on and I dont know about anyone else, but I'm in desperate need of a holiday...So, in preperation for this years mere 6 week break, I have got a heap of good books, plenty of paints and other arty things as well as my blog to keep me occupied. Fantasic. Also have a weeks holiday in the Cotswolds *love* so that should be an interesting bunch of Blog Entries.

Having pondered how to keep the entries new and different, I've decided to blog what I draw or what pictures I take. So for every blog post, there will be an acompanying scribble or photograph.



Looking out my window, I've been struck with a feeling of Irony. Instead of the sunny, glorious nights where a barbeque can last well into the early hours of the morning, days spent intirely on the beach in the sea, getting a tan. Its grey. Cold. Uninviting and certainly not Summery. The rains battering off the windows, the winds whistling donw my chimney and even the dogs are refusing to go out in it. Typical Scottish summer? Most probably. If you were to forget about dates and time, you would be instantly transported back to a November night where all that can be done is the making of hot chocolate and snuggling up with a good book. Doesnt sound such a bad idea. Instead I have my blog and a cup of tea. Close enough.

Newspapers and weather[wo]men have reported that there is only to be one good day to be classed as our summer this year, July th 15th. As bad as this is, it gets worse. I'm out that weekend as my relative are coming over from Australia for a party. So, whilst everyone is soaking up the sun in Stranraer, I'll be in Edinbugh undoubtably freezing and swaping G'Days with relatives. How fun. But anyway, I must not moan any longer, must think happy thoughts. Sunny summer sunny summer sunny summer sunny summer...

Thats not only hard to imagine but hard to say too.

Summer 07

This site will run alongside the Summer Blogs of those interested in Mrs O'Neill's Writing Log Club.

The idea is that each of the members keep a blog over the summer, to encourage creative writing and also for a little bit of holiday feedback. Personally, I think its great, hence my involvement for people to showcase their views and writing styles to other bloggers they know.

All we need now are a few more members, so if you wish to join up and contribute, or just even to try it out, contact either myself or Mrs O'Neil via our blogs or Writing Logs on wikispaces and we'll get back to you with any answers to questions you may have.

Most of all, have a great summer! Only 2 days to go for mee. :D