Evee

Ian in France phoned me the other day. He's settling into his new home, but still has lots of work to do to it, and the annexe next door. He has a bicycle and is apparently riding around the countryside getting to know his way about, and waving to all the locals - and they to him! He's not too confident with the language yet, but I think he will do alright. I think he should invite all his neighbours for lunch... or supper! Could be fun!

I met Norma for our regular cup of tea the other day too. I had her pictures (probably a February blog!) printed out to give her as a belated wedding present, and she loved them! Thank goodness for that! Eventually she came back with me to Peebles to see the exhibition at Joe's Art Gallery. I had told her about the exhibitor who makes silk screen prints of her pictures of wild animals - oh, and Posy the cat! They are just gorgeous! Take a look!

Apart from the cuteness of her animals, I love her use of blank space. The hare, bottom left, is actually looking at a couple of snails that have left pale snail trails (!) on the right of the picture. However the owls are positioned at the top of a long empty canvas, to demonstrate the fact that they are high up, I adore them! I think they are a "must have" as far as I am concerned! (Thank you Leslie.) Catherine has named the owls, Gilbert and Josephine! The hare is Melrose and the hedgehog, bottom right is Evelyn! I'd have called the hedgehog Robin, after my dad, who was nicknamed Hedgehog because of his sometimes prickly chin!

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Back from work now! It was a really quiet night! Of course the pouring rain could have had something to do with it, I suppose!!! A few of the diehards came in for their cigarettes, as they always do, but it wasn't until the last half hour that folk started to drop in for anything else! Typical! It wouldn't matter what time we closed; folk would always leave it till the last minute to come in!!!

Anyway, I have had to phone Qantas airline tonight to change one of my flights, as there wasn't going to be enough time between my flight from New Zealand and the internal flight in Australia. The call was diverted to Australia where I spoke with a young Aussie called Todd who was really interested to be talking to someone in Scotland! He got my flight changed without any bother! Painless, it was!!! So now I have plenty of time between flights - a whole night in fact, so it's to be hoped there's an airport hotel or motel with a room vacant that night! The bride and her family will already be in Adelaide where I'll be joining them in the morning now! I visited Adelaide about 30 years ago but to be honest don't remember much more than the park and a lake that was so dry, the fountain workings, a twisted mass of metal pipes, were quite exposed!

Then I called Margaret, one of my cousins in Auckland (see the layout of 16 March, I think - the one about "just another few layouts"). I think I gave her quite a surprise as I haven't been the best of correspondents over the last few years since we first met. She and the boys haven't really got into the computer thing yet, so mail between us goes by pigeon post - you know, those big JUMBO pigeons! Don't know if they are still 747s or something even bigger, but I'll be finding out before long! It was great to talk with her anyway, and she seems really pleased that I am going to visit! She and the boys are lovely.

I'm on holiday now for 6 days! I had some time to be used up before the end of March, so this is it! I really will have to use the time to get organised properly! Lots of tidying up at home to do too before I set off on my travels. Tomorrow though, I am going up to Edinburgh to look for a dress to wear at the weddings! No black, Sally has asked of her lady guests! Oh dear! Most of the things I wear are black based, perhaps with a coloured pattern! So Edinburgh tomorrow, and perhaps even a trip to the Dunfermline shops! They're not bad there!!! I could go by train! Oh yes, I like that idea! Crossing over the Forth Bridge... great views!

Well, if I'm to make the most of the day, I had better get to bed now! It's actually 1.51 a.m. Thursday now!

Talk again soon!