Earthquake!

Sorry, no pictures, and I have to admit I did not know there had been an earthquake until Gudrun told me! When she phoned this afternoon and said that she had heard on the news that there had been an earthquake of circa 3 on the Richter scale in Shetland, that it had occured at 5.30am in the morning and some Shetlanders had described it as a train hitting the house, I suddenly remembered - I did wake up with a start to a kind of bang/concusion just at that time. I remember I thought that there must be a gale blowing and that a flaan of wind must have hit the house (when there is a strong gale the wind seems to smack solidly against the walls and roof of the house) or that a door of the glass porch must have blown open. I lay a wake for a few minutes listening but the wind was not strong enough to create what I had heard. I almost got up but all was quiet and I fell asleep again!

If that was a wee earthquake, I don't fancy a muckle ain.

New Zealand Again

Three weeks of, mostly sunshine, lots of fun, no cooking, lots of meat, scrabble, swapping slurs (banana head/rhubarb knees) with Molly, getting to know Madeleine, achieving par in one hole out of 12 with Nick, vineyard visiting with Beth, pushing swings (endlessly), trying not to watch to see if Molly and Madeleine would collide on the trampoline, lots of good coffee, wine a late evening dram, and many 'catching up' conversations. This is a picture of a good mother (her turn for the lie-in).This is a picture of an inattentive father ... engrossed in Neil Gaiman's fantasy that I brought and read on the flight. Note that the kids can actually get out, it's only a safety net.

This is Madeleine training for the 'short drop' in the 2012 London Olympics. Seconds after this picture was taken she broke the world record.

Meanwhile, Molly was training for the 'cheeky smile' event.

And I came home with my Xmas present from Beth and Nick, a lovely coffee mug that I can put my hands around on a cold morning. I also brought two bottles of Stonecutter Merlot (after a bit of sampling at the vineyard ... one we opened and drank with Sorley, Gudrun and Wendy ... and Maya! The other I will keep for another special occasion.

The visit would not have been complete without one bon mot ... from Molly. I admired her new haircut and asked her what she thought of mine. After a moment's inspection she said 'It's gone!'

Madeleine's favourite expression was 'Wha dis?' She also has a wonderful sulk worthy of a Hollywood starlet failing to win an Oscar. Hence ...

Wha Dis?

Wha dis?

Like a Jamaican girl,

lazily, warmly.

she holds out a fruit, then

overcome with shyness

black lashes close over lowered grey eyes,

and her hair slides over her face

like yellow grass in the wind.

Wha dis?

Only two years old

but we cannot wait for a contrary breeze

to uncover her smile,

or a pout

if we do not promptly answer the question.

This is an improved version Beth & Nick ... thanks for such a lovely time.