News & Updates from Mary MacBean · Page 2
My daughter and I went to visit Crathes Castle in Aberdeenshire last weekend. The 16th century castle and its extensive grounds are run by the National Trust for Scotland. I love poking about in old buildings, so this in itself was a treat for me.
The walled garden was huge and beautifully maintained, The photo shows how peaceful it was - or rather how peaceful it would normally be.
It just happened that we arrived at the same time as the winning car in the Scottish Rally Championships, Grampian Stages.
The whole afternoon was punctuated by the sound of the rally cars arriving at the finish in the castle grounds.
Not what we had expected, but it added a whole new layer of fun to our day out. We finished the day by driving home through the Cairngorm National park, rather than by the main roads. The scenery was magnificent, but the road was pretty challenging in parts.
This was the sight my graddaughter woke up to a few days ago.
Her daughter, Niamh, who is almost 2, had opened a pot of Sudacrem - one of the stickiest, greasiest substances known to man - and painted herself, her chest of drawers and some of her bedding with it.
The furniture and clothing washed with a bit of effort, as did the child. However, her hair took 4 washes to return to normal. Her mum made her keep her hood up when they were out to hide the big greasy streak.
The strange thing is that when she put the photo on Facebook, lots of other people replied that the same thing had happened with their children.
So the message is - keep baby cream well away from toddlers.
Last weekend my daughter and I went for a walk in the grounds of Brodie Castle which is near Forres in Morayshire.
The castle was the ancestral home of the chiefs of the Clan Brodie for many generations although it is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland.
The castle sits on an estate of over 70 hectares which include some beautiful woodland walks, gardens and a huge pond.
The weather was ideal for a long walk through the woods and around the pond. We particularly like to walk along the long driveway to the castle, imagining what it must have been like in times past when horse-drawn carriages would bring guests to stay.
We didnt go into the castle this time, but plan to do that soon.
My new great-granddaughter Amelia Rose made a dramatic entrance into the world this week. My granddaughters labour progressed so quickly that they realised they didnt have time to get to the hospital which is only about a 15 minute drive away.
My daugher phoned for an ambulance.
The ambulance control person stayed on the line, giving my daughter instructions on how to deliver the baby, if necessary, a prospect which neither she nor my granddaughters partner relished.
The ambulance arrived very quickly, however and they headed for the hospital. They only made it to the end of the road before the baby arrived. Thankfully, mother and baby were both absolutely fine, father is recovering.
The paramedics were wonderful although they admitted that in all their years of experience, this was the first time it had happened to them.
The babys birth certificate now has her place of birth as the back of an ambulance and the name of the road!
The photograph is of the baby meeting her big sister Niamh for the first time.
Last weekend my daughter and I went to my nephews wedding in Aberdeen. Everything from start to finish was perfectly planned. The venue was superb, the ceremony was beautiful and the bridal party looked amazing. We had live music throughout the day starting with a string quartet at the ceremony.
During the excellent meal, there was a hugely entertaining performance by a company called Secret Opera Singers, posing as hotel staff.
In the evening the band played everything from Scottish dance music to pop music from the 50s onwards. It was wonderful to get together with my family for such a happy occasion. It was a special day well all remember for a long time.