The view from here

I have come into to work to sort out my photographs, I have no access to a user friendly computer at home (sorry apple) plus I like to sit at a desk, so here I am.

So much to write, but Leyla the ticking time bomb is also with me and will need to return home to be fed very soon.

The holiday?
Well as I am the worlds eternal optimist, I booked the place on a whim. Scotland is my absolute favourite place in the whole wide world, I should add a proviso to that. It is my favourite place to be on my own in the whole wide world. I should state for the record that both Leyla and Kitty were brilliant, especially if you factor in miserable weather and the sheer isolation of the place. Despite this they played Scrabble, walked miles uncomplainingly, painted, played DS's watched DVD's and read books. If asked I think they would admit to quite enjoying the whole experience especially the horse riding and kayaking.
Mother however was a very different kettle of fish, caustic, irritable and and rude. Her litany of will and won't do's could fill a post all of it's own. She managed to spoil Kitty's birthday and was generally tolerable only because Lucy arrived for 5 days during the middle of the holiday. All I got from Emin when I wailed down the phone that I wanted to come home early was "She's your mother" and " She's an old lady"
The main problem was that she does not like Scotland, she had been unbeknownst to be been wittering on for weeks about her fear of midges! (There were virtually none) rain isolation etc.

• she does not like to stand
• she does not like to walk down hill
• she does not seem to want to play or interact with the girls
• she does not like criticism yet dishes it daily
• she appears to be in constant pain
• she finds it hard to read
• she is tired of reading
• she can't see very well
• she does not like the rain
• she is bored
• she does not like the book she is reading
• she is sick of drinking tea
• she likes very little of the food
• she will not be going back

Despite this I managed to enjoy some of it, the house was lovely, just like a Toast catalogue, the views were a slice of heaven, so what was the problem? Well I had borrowed Emin's car, his pride and joy and the house was half a mile up a very bumpy dirt track through 4 gates that needed to be opened and closed EVERY time we went anywhere. It rained a LOT and so it was a VERY muddy so I spent the holiday vomiting with fear in case one of his new £440 pounds worth of tyres got a puncture, did I mention the rain? Oh and it was sheep shearing week which meant 500 miserable fuckers were herded down the road I had to drive up, shitting all the way making it it so vile to drive up and down I wanted to cry. Did I mention the rain?
Actually it was not too bad we had rain, we had mizzle, we had drizzle, we had wind, we had sunshine, all in about an hour.
BUT I did draw, I did manage to get some good photographs and I really enjoyed playing scrabble with the girls.

I am post dating some images for you but may not write much, I am instead trying to clear out some cupboards at home and tidy the garden and go to the gym and maybe visit some galleries.

Thank you to all of you who have commented in my absence I may hijack daisy's laptop and catch up with your blogs over the weekend.

Oh did I mention Daisy? NO JOB she has turned into a parody of a teenage slob and her results are looming over us like the sword of Damocles! I will be back next week.