26th October...the first snow!

Okay, so there is no actual snow on the ground but it was fluttering and that's really all you need.  Funny that one second we are out on a clear afternoon walking the dogs in the delightfully chilly autumn whirlwind of leaves and 10 minutes later it's snowing.  It didn't last very long but just long enough to give me great hope that winter (a proper one) is heading back to Stirling.

Here's question for you...snow, is it a blessing or a curse?

Me:  Blessing!  I totally dig it!

Hopeful for a cold winter!

I'm going to try and make up for lost time...shame on me for not having posted anything over the summer!  I thought I would post some pictures of things we've done and places we've been around Stirling and around Scotland...who knows, may be something nice for you to so too!

David's family house is in Port of Menteith which is about 25 minutes due west of Stirling.  The house sits above the Lake of Menteith - not a misprint - a lake not a loch.  The lake, on its own, is lovely to visit and the island that sits in the middle of the lake is home to Inchmahome Priory a must see (in my opinion) if you're in this neck of the woods.  A few years ago, the lake froze over and it was brilliant!  Having come from California, it's quite unsettling to stand and walk on a body of water...to hear the cracking, one thinks that the end is near and that falling through the ice is inevitable but I'm so glad I got over that because I was able to bring forth the inner roller skater in me and try my luck with ice skates...I may not be very good but I have a great time!  

Since we had such a lousy winter last year, I'm really hoping that we get a truly cold winter so that I can practice my twirling again!  

A great way to spend a long weekend with friends is to go exploring...come home after a day of walking, ice skating or curling, grab your mugs of hot chocolate, and curl up in front of the fire with your pals.

Okay, so it's been a while!

Although I promised last time to blog more (which I didn't), this time I really mean it!  I can't harass my husband to do his blogging without doing my own.  Now just time to figure out what I need to catch up  on.  Last time I posted I had just planted the hanging baskets - which turned out beautifully by the way - but now we are well into Autumn and there isn't too much happening in the garden these days.  But with the cold weather comes the opportunity to wear your jumpers, get in front of a fire and make some homemade soup or just have some lovely store bought stuff and eat it with a gooey cheese toastie!

Here at Newholme, we are in the process of updating some of the rooms and here is picture of our latest update:

We're not changing a whole lot because we love the 'old' feel of the house but look at what a fresh coat of paint, some new linen and pillows and few bits and pieces do for a room.  We are really looking forward to continuing our quest but we have clients in for the next few weeks so it's got to go on hold for the moment!