Inver

'Keeping Up With Magda' by Isla Dewar Isla Dewar always writes about everyday life in everyday kind of situations. Based in Mareth a Scottish fishing village where everyone knows everyone and their business. A close knit community with the hub of it being the Ocean Cafe, run buy 'don't mess wi me' Magda, who would not confess to having a big heart. She tells things like it is and you take it or leave it. Jessie Tate comes to the village and rents the flat above the cafe and is soon sucked into the way of the village, but she is trying to come to terms with a great loss in her life. She can forget having a life of complete peace and quiet and is woken every morning with the morning rituals of the village, Magda playing her dated rock'n'roll at full pelt while opening up the cafe, Granny Moran feeding the seagulls, the constant ongoing work on the pier. Will she decide to stay or find herself back to her old life in the city? A book filled with wonderful, down to earth characters. Laughs and tears along the way and moving at times too. A short read but worthwhile. 4/5

Glad the Queen is back.

AS predicted...nae footie....we even had wee bit snow overnight and very cold and frosty. Have to be a heatwave overnight for any games tomorrow! Unlucky with the cup competitions...and as you say concentrate on the league and win it...

Doubtful there will be any footie played here this weekend.....frosty

Anyone Scottish for me....ideally I would love to see Kathy Grainger get it, but I think Wiggins would def be a worthy winner.

Yes it was a bit strange....wasn't quite sure how it was going to end, but I almost felt like it finished abruptly. I received in the post today, Bookring via Bookcrossing....'My Dear I wanted to tell you' by Louisa Young.

Yeh and heavens knows who will be in the pot to replace Robinson....shame our too big sporting teams and without managers now..rugby and footie..!

£80 for two tickets at Pittodrie to see Scotland lose to Tonga.....! No wonder the coach resigned today.

Same here.... although yesterday was nice, cold and sunny...ideal for watching an diabolicle performance of rugby from Scotland...no wonder the coach resigned today!

Just finished 'Her Fearful Symmetry' by Audrey Niffenegger. Not as good as Time Traveller's Wife, but good ghost story.

'Her Fearful Symmetry' by Audrey Niffenegger This one had been on the TBR pile for quite sometime and had forgotten I had borrowed it from my sister. She did say once you start it you will be hooked and she was right. The opening chapter starts with the death of the main character Elspeth and was very touching. This sets the scene for the book. Elspeth had lived in a flat overlooking Highgate Cemetery in London, but after her death she leaves everything including the flat to her twin nieces, whom she has never met, with two conditions, they live in the flat for a year and on no account must they let their mother cross the threshold. The girls didn't know of their aunt's existence until the letter from the solicitor arrives. They depart for London slightly against their parents wishes but they are both keen for the adventure. They do everything together and have never spent a day apart. Everything is new to them, never having been in London before and they set out to adapt to a new way of life. Living next to a graveyard is strange but exciting. The neighbours appear a bit of a hotchpotch of characters, an obsessive crossword writer who never leaves his flat and his wife leaves him, to their aunt's mysterious and elusive lover. Slowly they learn secrets about their aunt and eventually they are aware of a presence in the flat that they assume is Elspeth. Valentina is more receptive to her presence and they eventually communicate via writing etc. and both get used to sharing the flat with a ghost. I don't want to give too much away, but this develops into a ghost story with a lot of feeling and sensitivity. I was accepting of this and found it quite comforting, but then I felt it got a bit far fetched and silly in parts. However it didn't deter finishing. There were a couple of twists towards the end that I wasn't expecting too, which added to the suspense, although I was slightly disappointed in the ending, but not quite sure what I was expecting. All in all an enjoyable read but not quite as good as 'The Time Traveller's Wife'. 4/5

Hope weather is OK this weekend. Andy & 'Dale have footie tomorrow, but we won't be going...change of venue and the shape of the ball for us. Off to watch Scotland v Tonga at Pittodrie. Thermals on for that one I guess...due to be cold there. Hopefully no snow unlike that last time we went!. No Sunday footie for U'15's, Banchory trying to get their Scottish Cup game played or they probably would have been playing us in another cup. Have a good weekend.

Goodnight Mr Tom always makes me cry too book and film. My Andy used to watch it over and over I think because John Thaw actually looked a bit like my father-in-law. JT was so suited to that part.

Hiya Julie...nice to see you popping in again...keep well.

Been waiting patiently and finally House of Silence ~ Linda Gillard is available in paperback....been on to Amazon to order it. Also had a journal entry made on Bookcrossing for my bookray. Finally reached the last reader.

House of Silence now available in bookie form...just ordered mine.. https://www.facebook.com/diane.will.92?ref=tn_tnmn#!/LindaGillardAuthor/posts/499963780034228?comment_id=5572121&notif_t=share_reply

bad luck there Sedge....3-2 not too bad then all in all. Was a cold and frosty morning today, so wondered if footie was cancelled, but no call to say so. We trundled out to Inverurie and there were games on, although they were delayed by 1/2 hr, ref was nearly calling them off apparently. Ours did go ahead and they were playing the top of the leaguers. Down 4-0 at half time, not to bad and then they picked up a bit in the second half, defeated 7-0 and unlucky not to score with the last kick of the ball, which the goalie saved. Andy wasn't expecting them to win, but as per normal they gave away soft goals at start of game....ho hum. Glad I had my thermals on though was very cold, but beautiful sunshine, but no heat in it. So glad our tea ladies were there with their flasks and tea and coffee for halftime.

Did you win? Andy and 'Dale drew 2-2, as per normal could have won it by more, had the most diabolicle ref, weird decision making and they sent one of our guys off, for what we are not sure. One of our coaches asked why and he said he couldn't tell him, asked again if he had sworn at him and said the same! U'15's away game tomorrow, pretty chilly up here so hope there is not any frost overnight.

I couldn'dt possibly comment....I am a Scot...

Yeh...they do like they have been up to mischief don't they...

You are doing well. I have to laugh, some of your team names down there sound more like rugby teams! Andy quite happy today. Celtic v St Johnstone....he posted this on Facebook. He lives in a wee dreamworld sometimes....lol. St Johnstone draw 1-1 against Celtic at Celtic Park, Barca lost. Therefore St Johnstone are better than Barcelona''

Congrats on the huge win Sedge....great when you can muck up the favourites run in... ...hope you weren't too vocal with your cheering of the missed pen! Go for the win tomorrow Andy and 'Dale beaten 3-1 in a cup game today. Think if was a sort of consolation cup thing for those that were put out of the main cup. So many different cups they end up in I can't keep track...lol. Quiet day tomorrow for U'15's as they should have been playing Banchory in a local cup, but Banchory have a Scottish Cup tie so that takes preference, so we have a day off.

Feel free to pinch it...