March Visit to NZ

After a rather long delay in Auckland we arrived at Sorley's about 9pm, 48 hours after leaving Nick and Beth's. Surprisingly, we slept well and set off with Sorley for Cullen the next day. Over the week, three trips to Betty's house (one with Sorley and the gardeners' van) and helping Elizabeth, Nigel, Louisa, Tim and Karen, we almost emptied the house. It was very difficult to know what to do with all the material Betty had gathered. I have taken the family (historical) photos (one suitcase and one large box) which I will eventually scan and, Sorley suggests, put on a website. Sorley has taken 4 large boxes of Betty's papers (writings etc) for Jamie and Tim. Nigel is taking the films and I will ontact the Museum of Scotland to see if they will take them. I have also taken some Shetland films which I will give to the Museum here. The slides and negatives alas we have ditched. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of them, many not good and many not labelled. I looked around for things people might want, but not much really. However, I have taken all the books with family signatures (Betty's, my father's, grandparents etc. When anybody is home they are welcome to look at them and take any that are of interest. Betty kept everything and there are many letters (copies she kept) to institutions, domestic services, banks, papers etc etc, complaining about something at great length! The best (?!) were dozens of missives and replies to and from the Readers Digest re Prizes she had won (just reply and your lucky number will be yours type of thing). Her replies were along the line of ... 'I'm just an old widow living on my own, though I have written 5 books etc etc, and I can't afford the time or money answeing your questions ... please just send the money'! Sorley and I made two journeys with the van fully loaded to the tip and swept the garden path clear, while the others painted the living room and hall, and Nigel some of the outside. Very sad to see Betty's home reduced to a few pieces of furniture but I think we have kept what will live on.

We had a great holiday in NZ with Beth and Nick and Jamie and Helen briefly. Molly is such fun and a real challenge! Madeleine is just as perfect as you would wish a baby to be. I had great games with Molly in the garden, usually recovering dolls flung over the fence after a long lead up with a Molly monologue along the lines of ' ... oh, poor Dora ... she's lost ... poor Dora ...', then wham (!) she's over the fence and Molly is crying for her. She had her birthday party when we were there and at times it was obviously just too much for her. See below! Molly also took to Thomas Fraser and demanded I took her up to dance each time, usually accompanied by half a dozen favourite dolls ... kinda exhausting but fun.

Madeleine was just beginning to take an interest in all around her, especially Molly.

We had a very brief week with Jamie and Helen which was lovely. Can't remember another 2 hours I had Jamie to myself (when he took me down the river), which was great. We ate out a lot ... well, it only cost us 1/3 of what it would here!

Lastly, we had the week with Sorley. He was on holiday and it was really good to be with him so much. The weather too was fantastic, frosty mornings and then calm sunny days with the temp sometimes nearly reaching 20! It's all spring in Aberdeen, daffodils everywhere, cherry blossom, lambs and everything green and fresh. We made plans for the 'chalet' we intend to put up at Bousta, hopefully by 2010. Ben was fun (even though he beat me at cribbage and pontoon), even took my hand walking across the carpark to the pub where we had a meal, that is until he suddenly realised what he was doing! Ella is a bundle of fun, sometimes puzzled as to where Ben has gone!

Not far away!

After finishing the job at Cullen, Mum and I had morning coffee with Douglas ... the chairs he makes are amazing. We swapped NZ stories ... especially about food, wine and walks! Then we spent a night with N&M in Edinburgh and saw Jim, looking well. On the way back to Aberdeen we stopped at Dollar and had lunch with Dorothy (who already has a Mary Gibbon picture on her wall!). We spent much of the time swapping info about Jamie and Helen, adding it all together and surmising ... won't tell you what! She looked well and it was good to catch up with her again. maybe when we have the 'chalet' up we will be able to show her Shetland. We left with what I thought was plenty of time to get to Aberdeen for the boat at 7pm. But, I forgot it was the Easter Weekend and the Tescos at Perth was like Hampden at a Cup Final and then we hit Dundee at rush-hour ... after pushing the wee car beyond the normal limits, we just arrived about 6.30 and were the second last car on! How I enjoyed my half pint in the bar!

Back in Shetland the temp is half what it was in Aberdeen, daffodils just out, but just how we like it. Mum relieved to be back where she knows where everything is (and me). No progress on extension except that the insulation and slate for the stove base have arrived! Lots of mail, mostly junk, but one poetry mag has taken 3 poems and another (Chapman, the doyen of Scottish based poetry mags) has asked if I would alter one (Wheelbarrow) and resubmit it ... hhmmm.

Luckily, from scrappy notes, Jamie's instructions for doing the blog are still readable and I haven't forgotten my password ... so here you are.

Now, with the washing done (hoovering to come) and a coffee at hand, we are settled down to listen to, guess who ... Thomas Fraser!