February News 2015

DivingDaughter took part in her first diving competition on the last day of February this year so the Boggy Brae dwellers trooped over to Edinburgh to watch her and her diving pals. We did not arrive quite as early as planned because Toad and Toadlet, once again, made the mistake of following me. They know what my sense of direction is like! Actually, I maintain it is quite good, it just doesn't kick in until I realise I've gone the wrong way.

So! we got onto one of the buses DivingDaughter had specified. The only problem was that it was going the wrong way. It is about thirty-three years since I swam in Edinburgh Commonwealth Pool (when I was pregnant with DivingDaughter, as it happens) and twenty-nine years since I lived in Edinburgh. That's enough time to have forgotten a lot. However, half way down Leith Walk I had a classic "hang on a minute!" moment, dived down the bus stairs and asked the driver to let us off which, with a bemused sigh, he did. We crossed the road and caught the bus going the other way. Toad and Toadlet had a jolly time being amused by my directional incompetence while I smiled serenely and suggested they look things up and make travelling plans in future. They'll catch on eventually ;)

The diving competition was fun. The diving club was set up for kids who dive in a lot of competitions, so they got to judge the adults' performances. Sweetie bribes were mentioned in hushed tones but I don't believe a word of it. The scariest-looking dive from my point of view was the one from the high boards where, with their back to the pool, the diver's toes are all that is actually clinging to the edge of the board. They then just lean backwards, dead straight, into the dive. That wasn't one of the dives DD did. She is a relative beginner in diving terms but we were still impressed with her cool diving poise. Watching diving close-up instead of on the telly really helps you appreciate the skill, nerve and muscle control required.

From the pool we walked in drenching rain to Rigatone's Restaurant on Clerk Street. Jo hadn't eaten there before but she had seen a Vespa parked in the restaurant window so, obviously, it was a good place to go. Her instincts were right. The place was fully booked from six o'clock but they fitted us in with delicious food and fast efficient service. I have not drunk any wine for quite a while because even a small amount has tended to give me a headache over the last year or so, but I really fancied a glass of dry white after watching the diving. I had some with my wonderful cheesy pasta and no headache, so that was nice. Now all I have to do is reproduce the ideal wine-drinking circumstances of train travel across Scotland, leading the family astray in Edinburgh, walking in drenching rain while sharing a brolly with Toadlet (quite a dangerous exercise; Toad walked behind and apologised to those affected by Toadlet's poor brolly control. She may be able to drive a Landcruiser but she can't drive a brolly on a city street yet without putting the eyes of passers-by at risk!), eating delicious pasta prepared by someone else... then I can enjoy another glass of wine.

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I spent a good deal of February making items for my Etsy shop. I made several commissioned items that didn't go through the shop, such as this coffee table mat. The specifications were "mossy, earthy, and a splash of colour".

 My younger grandson turned two in February so I sent two placemats for his birthday

and then another two for DerbyshireDaughter's birthday ten days later. All the mats are washable.

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There is a grey heron making quite a racket at the top of the cypress tree in the bottom east corner of the garden. I wonder if it has been looking for frogs in the pond.