THE GRANDCHILDREN - A CELEBRATION

Ishie (7), Alastair (6) and Harriet (14 months) were over.  Here is a recent photo.

At dinner later and we all had things to celebrate:

Mairi - is now at the half way mark in her pregnancy.  Due date is mid-January 2015.

John -  is finding that getting staff at surgery is turning out better than expected

Iain - has built a new handrail at the back door. It has been unanimously agreed by all ages to that he is "A Good Builder".

Barbara - is delighted to see how they are growning and have such rosy cheeks

Ishie - has earned her Cook's Badge in Grandma's kitchen because she made an excellent job of frying bacon for bacon rolls.  That means she stood and watched her work carefully (despite distractions) and was very tidy and organised in her work.  Watch this space!

Alastair -  has got himself a dandy second-hand BMX bike at the church jumble sale.  He spent a good 20 minutes carefully washing it with the hose and taking the scrubbing brush over every spoke and wheel tread.

Harriet - has now got her first molar tooth.

And while we are on the subject of things to celebrate: 

Indy - had his examination under anaesthetic to look to see if there is any sign of further cancer cells in his eye ... and nothing is evident.  [See previous post to this one.] We see him, and talk to him, every week on Skype.  He too has grown and has now started at a new Nursery.

Everyone - is celebrating!

SIXTY YEARS ON AND STILL SEWING

I came across an "old friend" today ... in the form of a Singer sewing machine!  I worked out that it has been 60 years since I first used this machine!  I learned to sew using this machine and spent hours making  .... doll's clothes!  I guess I was about 10years old (1955).

I see from looking it up (on an American site) that it was called  Featherweight and dates from 1951.  I am sure it had another name ... was it Baby Singer?

These machines were made at the Singer factory  (Clydebank) not far from where we live. I think there are many homes that have or had one.  Certainly they are commonly seen in the Barras (flea market) and charity shops.  In fact one shop is Glasgow has their window display full of these piled in tiers as decoration.

But not this one!  I just loved this little machine and used to walk to my friend's house carrying it as I could not lug it on a bicycle!  In fact, I took it off to university with me but I suppose I left it back at home in the late 60's when I departed to "do Europe".

All through my teenage years I sewed on this funny little machine.  I recall making an outfit for a Sadie Hawkins Day Dance one February.  I took a dress pattern (basic 1920s 'shift')  and made the whole thing out of sacking.  We called it 'gunny sacks' ... never heard that word used in the UK!  I guess they would say hemp sacking.  I also remember how I loved Dan River cotton and when we went to the States on holiday that is what I used to buy with my baby-sitting money... that plus sheet music!

I am still doing both of those things: I love to pick up bits of beautiful fabric in a remnant box say in a Designer's Guild expensive fabric department.  And of course, I never go into a charity shop but I cast my eye around for sheet music!

INDY - HEALTH CHECK

Dawn and Indy and Alastair moved to Oregon in July.  However Indy had a check-up appointment due back in Vancouver so Dawn returned there with him this week.  Through the medium of email and Facebook we are kept very much up-to-date of progress and the outcome ... and the news is very good!  Indy's examination under anaesthetic shows that there appear to be no further cancer cells in his right eye.

So here he is with his Dog-Guitar in the Oncology Department ... a real Rock Start ... or as Alastair says ... a Dog Star!!

WORLD PIPE BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS 2014

Iain and I spent a day at the 2014 World Piping Championships.  We were very kindly given VIP tickets which meant we could watch under cover in a rather nice tent.  We met and chatted with some pleasant folk all of whom have an input to the championships in one way or another.

 Flowers in the table of the hospitality tent.  Lovely food and excellent coffee enjoyed by all.

 Iain is admiring the craftsmanship of the makers of bag pipes, in this example, drone pipes. 

This display of chanters has one new, unusual one: in the centre the chanter has been made such that it is not straight up and down, i.e. it is angled.... a new innovation, it would appear.

 St Laurence O'Toole, Eire

  Bagad Cap Caval Pipe Band,  Pipe Major Hervé le Floc'h, France

 Drum sticks for larger drums.

 Roll out the barrel ....

Practice area

 Tuning up

 Tuning up - lots of technological kit involved