A Wintry Day

Well blow me down !!!! Or was that just the high winds in the mountains once again. Had to slow down on the road on the way back from a housesit on the Bells Line of Road to visit the in-laws and had to stop behind a long line of cars. What now?? Over the last year we've have many stops on this road, with pot holes being filled, tree trimming by the electricity people, whole sections re-tarred, new line painting, electric people again - replacing poles and then this time, cleaning up the remnants of yet another tree which decided to lay it;s life on the line - LOL - and lie across the road to try and trap the unwary motorist. Alas, poor tree - you were reported by a vigilant local ! No laying down on the road and resting when you could be someones firewood. Never fall down here where it's been freezing cold and the locals trying to keep warm - you gave them what they wanted - your fine bark upon their fireplaces :)

The heaters are cranked up high and by the smell in the air and the pervading mist of smoke, many fireplaces must be burning brightly in the hearths, thus keeping their owners warm. I love the clicking sound of my own oil heater as it hums along keeping my toes toasty and my brow sweating. LOL. Sometimes I think his Lordship likes being hot - never mind warm. I sometimes think that too hot equals getting sicker quicker, because when we venture outside the brisk wind and icy air sucks the breath out of us and chills us to the bone.

At least the wintry weather is kind to my lavender plants. Have four different types in this collection of twelve and they look good for much of the year. The deep hues of purple come out during Winter. Nice to look at and even better to smell. And the decline of bees although noticeable in the mountains seems not to be too effected within this patch.

A little break between 'sits' and work and so we are busy mending and erecting new fences for parentals, visiting friends, parents, children and grandchildren and tending to the needs of some of our relos who are not in the best of health at the moment. News of births encourage - a little girl for Shiri & Lloyd, a little boy for Rebecca and another grandson to come for me before the year is ended.

And of course, I have to write and let you join in :))

Life goes on and so do we. Enjoying the moments.

Miles of Smiles - Lady Di

What Does One Say ??

I had a friend ask me yesterday about my 'Title", to which I asked what would you like to know? She then asked 'Well, how did you became a Lady?'

Of course I stated - I've always been a Lady as this was found out at my birth !!

You know there's a couple of differences when a child is born - it's a BOY or it's a GIRL !! That's the way announcements go. Well, she spat a little of her coffee, not LadyLike I'm afraid, and belted out a belly laugh, another not so LadyLike thing to do. After her little splutter and cough we chatted about the title. I told her about my mother in law being born in the Highland Barracks as her father was one of the Queens Guards throughout the 1930's. My friend was so impressed, after I told her the title was placed upon my grandfather-in-law. After ummming and ooooing, I couldn't keep from smiling myself. The story about Grandad is very true, alas the Ladyship and Lordship he passed along was not.

   I thought I would add a recent portrait of myself here :))

 

i CAME CLEAN HERE.I showed her my papers, and explained how I inherited a title upon purchasing a plot of land in Scotland, thereby becoming a Scottish Landowner. With our plots of land, we are able to plants trees helping our 'scottish roots' take hold in a grand way. What other way can we help our future 'children' if we do not look after our Earth, and restore the highlands to their former glory?

Terribly impressed, she asked when we visited our land last. I was able to show her photos on the internet - thank you Lords and Ladies of Glencoe. My pictures included my pets, and forbears, and the remnants of our castle :)

 

My Pet - 'Coe'  

A portrait done of my highland cattle

I have added some 'family' portraits here so you can see what glorious lineage I come from.

Jane's possible portrait

Our highland cattle has eaten everything but a few sods of earth. We purchase a special tree every year, to be placed on the highlands, and each time it's in one of our families names. Quite some time ago, both my Lordship and myself FOUND WE do come from titled persons, alas they did not pass them down to us the right way as there was problems in the past. Lord Stephens great Uncle Harold's Grandmother 'Jane' was a titled Lady herself. Though she was never known as such. Back in the years gone by, when a child was born early - now known as premature - that child was deemed to be born on the wrong side of the blanket - and possibly illegitimate and not the child of the supposed sire. I believe after the death of the original Lord, the first born son and the second and only other child born entered into a family dispute. This dispute ended up with all entailed being taken by the Chancellory, and the titles died with the parent.

 

As you can see - this castle is in good repair

Alas this castle is not - not even anywhere near me :))

Lord Stephen of Glencoe my Lordship

Not the reason for becoming Lord and Lady H though. I found a website by chance after looking up or what I call trying to find the Scottish roots of Steve and myself. I thought what a great wedding anniversary presie for His Lordship !! Always one for unusual or presents that one would not necessarily buy for oneself person, I deemed this to be perfect and went on to purchase same for myself - another little story there - joint anniversary presies - and one plot for Lord Nathan, Lord Brendan, Lady Kobe and little Laird Jordan :))) Usually I send Lord Steve up in the air in a Helicopter Lesson, or a Portrait (cartoon like) of him sitting on his motorbike, with one of our Schnauzer pups behind him, sword in hand and a cheesy grin, and the latest - a trip and luxury stay (c/-coupon buying - the canny Scot in me)  to the Great Ocean Road.

Me as a wee Lass

 

 

So Ladies, Lords and Lairds of Glencoe - What do you tell the people who ask you ?? I would love to see your written responses - so go ahead and add them here for all to see. It's actually a GREAT story to be told to all.

 

Many smiles - Lady Di

 

Another Milestone - Around my Neck -- Happy Birthday Lady Di

Who said birthdays are fun? Some certain hubby rubbing extra year in face at every occasion - wait buddy cause you've only got a few more years till your next large milestone birthday - OKAY !!! Hear me buddy!! And I WILL write about it on my blog in October - hear me? Anyway at least he remembered and left my birthday presie I selected and laybyed for him to go get so he could say he bought it, only to have to go and pay and collect - then he leaves it in a drawer at my Mum;s home !!! So I did a little retail therapy of my own, some nice new sheets - in a lovely purple shade of course, chocys, oil burner, neck pillow and a yummy mega chocolate birthday cake later - I came home :))

Had just spent a couple of nights with my daughter as her navy hubby was away and had a little girl time with her and hubby just had to go to his sports club on Saturday - my birthday - so I said, go - stuff around and I will go visit my nephew and nieces (adopted by me by choice) and have a cuppa with their Dad as well, Mum was at work :(( shame that - we always have a great chinwag. Then the shopping where I bought an enormous amount of fruit and veg :)) Except when I got home and opened the apples - there was mega soft bits on them - shame veggie shop - shame !!

I had a presie from my bro and sisinlaw - gorgeous stuff she made me - decorated a bag, a triangular doorstop and a hand made wood and glass display for my wall :)) Thanks Nique & Baz. Funniest thing is - we are decorating the same bags :))) So much of our craft at the moment is exactly the same and we live hundreds of kilometres away from each other - amazing again that soe of the items are so close in making its scary lol

This pic is sooooo true LOL

My kids rememberd me this year too - thanx for the sms's - I am soooo worthy of them. Hubby came home and rushed off to have a shower - let's go out and have dinner and go to the movies - so I checked the movies - went through them and stated them out loud - nup not that one - his Lordship says - nope that;s a kids prgram - funny that since it's school holidays again - nup, nup, nope, oh yeah that one - Snow White and the Huntsman. Soooo grown up. So dinner we had - lovely steak and a beer at the pub - yep - the pub and then went to check in at the cinema - WT????? A two hour wait, so we headed back to the pub, which is closest to the cinema and waited for a bit before deciding that 9.25pm was another 1..25 hours away and journeyed home. Have tried again to see it - another two hour wait - must be my old bones - can't walk quick enough to get there so miss out LOL



I particularly like this one - thanx a lot!!

A great quote I like is - The best way to remember your wife's birthday is to remember it once !!

One I made up is - Your birthday lasts 366 days a year - as you never age a day till the next birthday !! Who goes around saying I am 50 years, 8 months, and three weeks and 4 days ???? So 50 for all that time is very good huh? And once you reacdh 50 you are legally allowed to go backwards My choice and I am sticking to it !!!



Am so lucky to have friends, personally, on Facebook and via my Blog. have have heaps of well wishes - it's been awesome - so thank you all very very much -  mwah !!!! Life isn;t so serious when you can chat to a friend. I wrote to a lady only a month or so ago - and feel we have a lot in common already. I know when I am writing I can share funny anedotes, stories and read what you say and hope I respond with care, lightheartedness, fun, concern and all the emotions I feel from your notes.





Well it's time to be off and enjoy another round of cr** on the television and then off to bed.. Am doing some craft whilst I 'watch; - can cope well that way. That's a noisy square shape with pictures flashing on and off in it - at the moment there is a cougar that just caught a large bird and is crunching on it - lovely - :( glad I have already eaten my dinner.......



Dee

A Storm's A Coming.....

hmmmmmm. Just heard on the news channel that the mountains of NSW are going to experience a storm. DER. The television is already mucking up, so we are getting our candles and torches to the ready. Water in the jugs - yes its electric but I have a gas stove and pans to boil water LOL.. And a large bucket or two of water for the loo cause that also requires water - funny that.

So have had dinner and a nice cuppa and might have to go to bed early, cause as soon as there is any thunder - the electricity will be turned off so as not to blow up all our electricals. That has happened before.

Only last week whilst  we were off enjoying ourselves the power went out due to trees falling on lines and an accident on the main road. Unfortunately that buggered up the fridge/freezer and we came home to a mess. A smelly trully awful mess, meat was soooo off and everything else in fridge disgusting too - luckily for us, garbage day was the following day. So there wasn't anything left to eat other than what we keep in cans, luck has it I have rice milk and that is in long life containers and hubby drinks his tea black :)) Have to make a claim on the insurance - about time I got something back after decades of payments.

These pics above were taken during and after the last been 'storm' we had. A carpet of white made it look like the Snowy Mountians instead of the Blue Mountains.

Going to investigate getting some more stuff for the puta and so I can blog more - you know it's old age - you know - the gigabyte thing. I only have 3 gigs a month and the way I am writing and using the computer I will need to increase it as soon as possible. Maybe I should send hubby to Telstra again as when he went today he got positive results after complaining of the 30 messages from Telstra saying his credit was less by the call, though they promised him a longer usage time. Although I reckon I can rock this little boat all by myself. I said to him, behave yourself and you get good results. LOL.  He came back and the first words to me were - I behaved myself and I got results. He was only gone 25 minutes too :)) So we are hoping in 21 days time we don't get messages all day long about running out of credit - cause I know he will do his block.

Going off so my puta lives to tell another blog tomoz

Nite all - Dee

Challenge of the Ladies of Glencoe

Swords to face !

Sgian-dubhs in the socks!

Skean-dhu to the ready!

Mattucashlass - ouch - (tis double blade) to the fore!

Dirk in the hand!




Alasdair Ranaldson MacDonell of Glengarry - 1812



Alas my plot to be the winner of the Highland Competition, has attracted many newcomers!!!            I shall have to outwit and outsmart my components in this. And with the help of my weapons of choice - my words - I shall be in the running for the chance of a lifetime holiday visiting my land with my Lord at Glencoe !!!!

I suppose thats ok. A little competition in one's life
is good for the soul.

But TO WIN - is the ultimate achievement of words.

I see now though, I shall have to keep my words close to my BLOG so that you can follow me
to help that I may win my trip to Scotland. Watch my
fingers as they write about my life as a Lady of Glencoe
and in turn see me crowned the winner!!! I have been challenged to
a 'Blog Off', so read my words!!

Check my links on the right hand side of my blog for more information on you too becoming a Lady, Laird or Lord of the Highlands of Scotland. When you become such join me and my other Facebook Glencoeans at https://www.facebook.com/groups. You shalll be welcomed with pleasure



For more info - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sgian-dubh