So...what's next?

With the excitement of the wedding and Peter's visit now over, it's time to turn my thoughts to getting organised for our holiday to Harris and Lewis.  I don't have much time, we leave on Thursday!!  It's come round so quickly.  One minute it was six months away and now it's a few days!  But I am not complaining, I can't wait! 

In the past my priority when packing was my photography gear, now it's my painting materials, particularly on this trip as we were meeting up with my American blip pal Patricia (you can follow her Scottish adventures HERE) in Stornoway, then spending the week together in the stunning holiday house D and I stayed in last year.  

Patricia is a retired art teacher and one of the most wonderfully creative people I know, so I am looking forward to spending time in the outer Hebrides with her, painting and learning as much from her as I possibly can.

I started an acrylic painting of tulips in a vase a couple of weeks ago and I am desperate to return to it as I want to have my first proper go at applying thick acrylic paint with a pallet knife to complete it, but it will have to wait till I return, as only watercolour paint heading to Harris.

Because we are picking Patricia up I have to be mindful of the amount of stuff I am taking as don't want to have to tie her to the roof due to lack of space in the car!  So my mind was very focussed and I think I have managed to pack the bare essentials.  And for the first time in over 10 years, I won't be taking all my camera kit with me.  I will have my camera with its kit lens (EF 24-105mm) my nifty fifty lens and at a push, my 85mm lens as I am hoping to capture some portraits when I am there.  I have a smaller camera bag somewhere so need to dig that out and hope everything fits in it.  If not, either the 50mm or 85mm lens will be left behind.

Alan had a great pool session this afternoon. He was literally squealing with delight.  Oh and apparently when we are away next week, he and his team and going to be having wild parties and inviting everyone!  I am hoping he's joking!  lol

I was so worried about going away when he was so under the weather a couple of weeks back but he really has turned a corner.  The blood tests that we discussed with the dietician (Vitb12 levels being one of my concerns) have all come back normal, so that's good, however what did become apparent was he was having a bit of a colitis flare up (although his ileostomy in 2016 effectively cured his colitis, a small part of his large intestine is still in there and it flares up occasionally) so last week he began a short course of steroids and the difference in him is remarkable. He's back to his usual cheery, energetic self, wanting to go out, having fun and generally living the life of Riley.  I am so relieved.

Oh and after having no voice on Saturday, half a voice yesterday, I still only have half a voice today!  It's getting better though.

Oh and another lovely thing to happen today is receiving a message from my friend Lin who visited last week with her new golden retriever puppy, saying she is so happy with the slate painting I did for outside her house, that she is organising afternoon tea for D and me in a lovely Perthshire hotel, because I wouldn't take payment for the slate!  Honestly!  What a woman.  There is absolutely no need, it was a gift and I tried to tell her that, but she is insistent, so that's something lovely to look forward to when we get back from Harris.

And with that, another day has gone!  Will do my best to get round journals tomorrow!