Reflections.

Another year almost over.  Not one for New Year Festivities, I tend to be tucked up in bed way before midnight, and yes the wine has a lot to do with that!  I do know my failings after some considerable years.  But I am (almost) grown up now so can do what I like.

Traditionally the DP and his siblings commence to block up the phone lines as soon as Big Ben (in London) has chimed in the New Year.  And they all hit the Malt.  Cant stand the stuff.

This year the DP is being the Lighthouse Museum's Official Photographer at a wedding there.  So I shall be unplugging the phone before heading to bed.

The Happy Couple have today had to face pouring rain and gales.  Should set em up for life.  Now it is calmer and dry.  So their fireworks should go off with a bang rather than a fizzle.

Just hope they have warned the Shipping.

So, reflections on the year past.  

Well, its been a full one!

Kids Activities have been great fun.  We have done Pirates, Sea Birds, Halloween and Creatures of the Night - including Santa.

Kids of all ages had great fun.

Art group = educational.  Who wears silly hats and who doesnt.

Museum of Scottish Lighthouses.  Interesting.

Officially announced as one of three new trustees.  Still the only woman......

House is still standing as is the Shedudio.

Depicting beautifully the seasons.  Our wee hoose in the winter and the shedudio in the Summer.

All in all its been a lovely year.  Like everyone there have been downsides.  But now its time to look forward.  

I guess one major item of this year is that I have become an artist, still a small a....  But selling.  Still in pleasurable shock about this.  Along with this come the scary commissions.  

Bloody nightmare they are.

So this is on the drawing board for 2014.

As soon as I get permission from the photographer.  Although there is no way anyone would recognise it as being from that by the time I have finished with it.

FUN!  Lets hope 2014 is the same for all of us.


 

 

I'm back!

Amazing what one does when no longer connected to the internet.  The Dawn Patroller and I cleared and cleaned the kitchen cupboards.

We moved in here in April 2011.  We moved lock stock and barrel and just shoved everything in.  Then along the way I began to realise that we were no longer doing bed and breakfast and catering for the masses.  So - I suggested we did a clear out and make things work more logistically.  The picture above is all the different flours for all the different dietary requirements of b&b guests.  Gluten free, lactose free, the Americans were the worse with all their intoooolerances.

We have clear shelves!

Items grouped together in a sensible way.

And a lot of stuff to recycle.  Though we still have three toast racks.

I also painted the dull downstairs bathroom with sunshine yellow paint.

Whilst we have been off line the DP has amassed a huge amount of pictures.  I have still yet to wade through them.  However, these are the ones he took last weekend.

Cruden Bay, versus the Vikings, the 1000 year anniversary.

A thousand years ago they came from the sea - this year they came from the pub.

They are back!

Fridays Fine Knitting.

A gansey is the name given to the traditional hand-knitted pullover worn by fishermen fishing for herring off the costs of Britain, particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The garments are supremely practical for the purpose – more flexible than a jacket, but robust enough to keep out wind and light spray; knitted by the womenfolk, often elaborately patterned, it is easy to imagine why these jerseys became so popular throughout the industry.

Knitted on the finest needles.  No way I would attempt this!

Ethel, featured on Landward, 7p.m. on BBC 2 in Scotland, knitting a Gansey.  Her first was knitted after she married,  Ethel was a herring girl.

And some old herring girls with their knitting.

Ethel is now passing on her skills to the primary school children in Fraserburgh schools.