Brand New

I was down in the Kingdom of Fife today, minding Ida while Arlo was at school, and Mummy was working from home.

To give Mummy some peace I took Ida out, and we went to the park where we had a hilarious time; "Granny, push me on the swing and say - Ida - don't come back - that's what Mummy says". So there then followed about 10 minutes of me pushing her as high as I possibly could, with the instruction "Ida, don't come back!" and when the swing came back toward me I had to feign complete astonishment and disbelief, and command her to go away and not come back. She thought this was unbelievably funny, and her mirth made me laugh, until the point where my voice was just about packing in!

After a wee lunch in the Potter About café (pasta for her, baked tattie for me), we jumped in the car and went to fetch Arlo from his brand new school. Ida was delighted to show me the nursery playground, where she had been for a visit last week. She starts proper this week.

When the weird siren thing sounded that the day was done, out came my big P2 grandson, clad in the brand new uniform and shoes, with the new term haircut. No doubt like his Daddy before him, and certainly like his Mummy's cousins and Uncles in their day, he emerged from school looking like the proverbial cat dragged through a hedge backwards!

Breeks falling down around his ankles, sweatshirt on its way up around his oxters, socks like two crumpled balls of wool sticking out of his shoes.

Oh my wee boy - how on earth have we arrived at P2 so fast? Anyway, off we went to the Library to stock up on bedtime stories, and then to the bakers to get them both a wee cake for after tea. Back home, Mummy had finished working and was making their cod in butter sauce, and despatched them out to the garden to pick some peas. My cue to come home.

So now, scrambled egg and toast inside me, glass of wine in hand, I'm away to give the First Minister the chance to verbally thrash Alistair Darling - please God, let him do well this time.

I saw his 'Ice-bucket challenge' with Nicola Sturgeon earlier today, and think that probably was the best thing he has done to disabuse the stupid perception of him as being 'smug'. If you haven't seen it, you MUST check it out - especially if you are one of those who are considering voting No just because you don't like him - I think this might let you see the man in a new light.