Hulla balloo

This morning we landed at the Himalaya shop and cafe, a delightful ethnic tea shop full of interesting Tibetan gear, with dead spiritual music playing in the background, incense, candles and the most delicious Arabian tea with fresh mint and cardamon. The owner couldn't have been more hospitable. As the owner left the room Bobo and I sat alone drinking tea, I started to giggle. He looked bemused and I explained it was all I could do to resist doing a billy Connolly tea cosy skit wearing one of the hairy tribal hats on display. And I thought I was so evolved, silly me. Still, the Dalai Lama would no doubt approve of me not taking myself too seriously.

"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cosy, doesn't try it on"

Billy Connolly

My to-do list looked well odd today, "use rickety ladder to get magnetic monkey down from boys' lampshade and pick up half eaten bag of liquorice toffees," to deliver to YS at sports day.

Having belted it along from work on my wee bike, I was famished and so sat on the sidelines guzzling smoothie, and looking suitably perky when people clapped the kids. I seldom know what and when to shout out at sporting events, but generally find it helps when I don't become too absorbed in a magazine.

YS had managed to lose his sun hat on the way to the park, so clearly I was doing him a favour by forcing him to wear my big violet floppy cap. This set off a tremour of teasing from his classmates, "you look like a girl," they said. Unfortunately, the teacher only caught the tail end when he told them all to shut up and got sent to sit at the side for being rude. Oh dear, I was only trying to help. Clearly it was also a lucky hat though as he won the egg and spoon race whilst wearing it.

I caused quite a stir in the playground when I appropriated this t-shirt of Bobo's. "But you're not a man, you're a woman," they cried. No shit, Sherlock lol!

Actually, when I wore it for the first time (to a step class) I wasn't familiar with its origins. I was only wearing it so I could blend quietly into the background and have my lack of co-ordination ignored. Surrounded by fake tanned, Nike crop topped toned bodies, I was mortified when the teacher called out, "like the t-shirt, it's from the Prisoner, isn't it?" at the very moment I was stepping in the opposite direction to the rest of the class. And there I was thinking I was adopting a message from Amnesty International!

Have you ever been caught out wearing your other half's t-shirt? And if so, did you get the message on it, or did it pass way over your head?

I am back from my blogging holiday feeling rejuvenated and eager to blog again. I have missed reading your blogs and commentig. Some days, it has taken all my resolve not to blog, I have missed connecting with you and hearing about what you are doing. It has been worthwhile to stuck to my guns and meet up with old friendsor write letters instead. Now I am in touch with my friends in Edinburgh again, it's time to connect again with my blog chums.

Today is a special day; father's day, stepfather's day and the summer solstice. We are celebrating all three with the boys, beginning with a marathon pancake breakfast, a pile of goodies and a special boy drawn comic for Bobo, then a trip up into the hills for the boys to get covered in clay in the river.

I am finding that I am avoiding the 'real' world, spending far too long blogging and facebooking when I need to study, so for the time being, I am taking a break. A huge thank you to everyone who reads and comments on my blog. I will be back.........