Shadow Man...

When Penny arrived this morning she sat with me and went through the photos of the horses from yesterday and named them for me, apart from the foals who haven't been named yet.  

A morning of household admin, then lunch followed by an afternoon in the studio for me, working on a new painting.  Composition and drawing completed today, painting begins tomorrow.

D went to the driving range for an hour then went straight from there to Dundee to meet Alan's pal Andrew and his mum and bring Andrew here.  He is with us till Wednesday evening.  It's our third attempt to have him here this year, as the first time he was due to come Alan was ill, then the second time Andrew's mum was ill.  When he arrived he wished me Happy New Year :-)))

Never a dull moment when he's here.  Within an hour of his arrival he had  his diary all coordinated with more planned get-togethers this year - a late summer visit, Busted concert, Enchanted Forest....as well as a summer holiday next July.  He certainly doesn't let the grass grow :-))

I had planned to make his favourite Malteser tray bake for him arriving but got engrossed in my painting, so will make it tomorrow. Hopefully there will be some left for him to take home on Wednesday! 

We've enjoyed a lovely sunny afternoon and evening but D says when he picked Andrew up in Dundee it was dull, grey and on the cold side.  Andrew said it was the same in Aberdeen so was glad to be here in the sun.  Spent a few minutes deadheading the flowers in the tubs before D watered them.  Such relaxing tasks.  

Bought two books to take on holiday (see extras) and they arrived this afternoon.  I vowed I would not buy any more books until I'd gone through the absolute mountain I already have waiting to be read, but this author is a friend of a good friend and the books are based in Cumbernauld where we lived for 22 years after we got married (and where I spent chunks of my childhood visiting an aunt and uncle)  They come highly recommended by my friend Carol as she says I will recognise the slightly disguised places in the book and "the essential teenage experience that is common to us all."

I couldn't resist starting the first book this evening and despite only being a short way in, I have laughed and cried and nodded in recognition.  Oh I am going to enjoy these :-))