Hey, Pesto!

Grab a cuppa and pull up a comfy chair as I witter on aimlessly at you. Again. You lucky people.

An entirely unrelated picture of the boys sporting their new bow ties.

“What a week.” The statement many of us utter – I certainly know I do – when we’ve been faced by a series of minor inconveniences and presented with one or two tasks you would rather not do. Hearing someone exhale dramatically and utter these three words can fill one with dread. Hearing about someone’s “what a week” can be akin to them regaling stories of their previous night’s dreams (something I also do a lot, Poor Paul).

Nobody really wants to hear about it.

But, with the new age of blogs being delivered straight to your inbox, you now not only get this from family and friends In Real Life, but also some random bloke on the Internet. What a time to be alive.

Okay, so I’m being somewhat dramatic, something I dabble in now and then. I am very aware of how lucky I am to have the job I do, the colleagues I have and the flexibility afforded to me. I find much of my work interesting and engaging (though gives me huge dollops of imposter syndrome, as I’ve mentioned before). But all that being said, if someone offered me the position of Man of Leisure (or Head of Washing Rugby Players) I’d be outta there in a flash! However, as neither position is likely to crop up any time soon, any my mortgage advisor has informed me that our mortgage provider won’t accept pictures of the boys in bowties as payment (boo!) I must continue valiantly.

To be honest, it hasn’t been a bad week at all, just a bit tedious as I’ve had to do lots of bureaucratic admin, which when you seek creativity is somewhat dispiriting. However, reflecting on this week for today’s ramble has been a positive experience. Whilst it’s easy to focus on the negatives, or to fantasise about The Green Grass Over the Fence (although that rugby job sounds okay, doesn’t it?) you run the risk of actually missing all of the little joyful things that have happened. And to me, life is about those little moments of delight that occur within the crevices of an ‘every day week’.

So today I will share with you my four of the little moments of joy.

Auntie Beth came for dinner

We didn't take pictures of us hoomans, but we did get castles and Logie.

We know all too well that social media comes with many pitfalls. It sucks away our time as we doom scroll, it sends us spiralling into despair as we compare our lives to those who are presenting the best of their own and can tempt us into all sorts of purchases we never knew we needed (and probably don’t!) The good outweighs the bad though. It’s brought us all together for a start – and writing this little blog has become one of my weekly highlights, as you’re always so lovely to me. It also has brought new friends into our lives, including Auntie Beth. We met through Instagram, and when she was visiting the area we met up for a coffee. Afterwards we both admitted a tiny pang of apprehension beforehand, wondering “but what if we don’t have anything to say to each other?” Five hours later, we realised our worries were entirely unfounded. We’ve stayed in touch, and become good friends, and it’s as though we’ve known each other for years. So, on Thursday, she popped over for dinner, and it was such a lovely evening. Forgetting all of the things that was dragging my mood down, we went for a walk then back home to a hearty casserole, homemade ice cream, lots and lots of laughter and the boys got all the cuddles.

‘Tales by the Tide’

In seeking creativity more creativity, I was thrilled to announce a new book club I will be hosting with my pals at Ocho Inveraray. If you’ve followed me for a while on Instagram, you’ll know that one of our favourite places for brunch, or an evening meal when they host their supper clubs, is Ocho. Nestled on the banks of Loch Fyne, Ocho is an imposing old building filled with character and charm, and decorated beautifully, creating a cosy and uplifting space. When you step in, take a seat looking over the water, with the fire crackling in the background, you just instantly feel the strains of the week washing away. And the food is always delicious. We are very lucky to have Ocho on our doorstep. So when I was asked if I’d like to buddy up and host a book club, it was a no-brainer. We’ve decided to call our small, cosy book club ‘Tales by the Tide’ where a small group of us will come together over nibbles and cocktails to natter about the wonderful worlds we delve into. The first being Stuart Turton’s ‘The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’. I’m about halfway through, and it’s brilliant! (thank you everyone who recommended it to me).

My basil is growing!

You might remember a few weeks ago I potted up some basil seeds. Well, March has served us very well here. Despite the frosts and cold evenings, we’ve had lots of mild, sunny days, which means the conservatory has felt like mid-summer, and been the perfect environment for germination (is that the right word? Hatching, is that better? I’m new to this, forgive me). As I took off their clingfilm, little Basils were sitting there smiling up at me. Next time you visit Auntie Beth, it’ll probably be pesto pasta on the menu! I shall, of course, keep you posted on progress.

A quick cuppa at Gill’s

Belly rubs!

We find ourselves drawn to the Crinan Canal and we try to visit as often as possible. I can see us one day retiring down there. For now, Keeper’s needs us, and there’s lots we want to do. But there’s just something about that area that feels very special indeed. So, for now, we spend as much time as possible down there. Yesterday we headed over and our trip was accompanied by the added bonus of a quick cuppa with our friends Gill and George. We popped in with some chalk paint for Gill to sample (we love to chat paint colours and it gives Paul and George a break!). As ever, it was a lovely afternoon of conversation and laughter, lots of belly tickles with Gypsy the Jack Russell and me leaving feeling very inspired. I am considering taking some of the rooms in Keeper’s Cottage a little lighter. I’ll let you know how that goes once Paul’s read this far! He will be thrilled no doubt.

So there we have it. Four little moments of joy nestled amongst the week for which I’m very grateful.

I hope you all have a lovely Sunday. The sun is shining up here on the West Coast, and I’ve got an energetic Golden Retriever nudging my elbow for W-A-L-K-I-E-S. So I must dash. The beach is calling.

As ever, thank you for following along and reading – means the world!

G xx