Are three legs really better than two?

Hey what's the point of having a blog of your own if you can't use it for a few bragging rights. My 7-soon-to-be-8 year old boy won his three-legged race with his friend on Wednesday at the school sports day. To win was great but what amazed me was they made it look so easy - literally it was a walk in the park for them. They got their rhythm together and were clearly simpatico when it came to tri-walking. They stormed ahead.

On the other hand his mother did not fair so well. Yes, fellow blog readers, I entered the parents' three legged race. I blame Joy (of knitting fame). She made the mistake of making eye contact with the teacher who was rallying for entrants. She said yes. I was stood next to her. I was urged to follow. We had an inkling it would all go pear-shaped when we saw the other parents, who I might add had enthusiastically joined in, limbering up and not just walking with three legs but running...nay...sprinting along in practice.

Off we set. Off we limped. Off we laughed. Indeed we couldn't move very fast for giggling plus there was that little problem with limb coordination especially when one leg isn't yours. It didn't help that we were choking on the dust created by the other competing parents, dashing down the field. We came last, dear friends. I'm told by other watching parents that we were very funny. Ah well.

My children did speak to me when I picked them up from school. They didn't seem too traumatised by the happening. My daughter had also enjoyed herself jumping her heart out in the relay sack race. Thank goodness there was no parents' sack race. I have to go now as I'm meeting Joy out on the playing fields shortly to perfect our technique for next year -  that's if we can stop laughing which I very much doubt.

Green green grass

I have a confession: I love cutting the grass. Yes I admit I love getting the lawn mower out and going back and forth cutting that grass that just keeps on growing. I find it relaxing. I find it good exercise. I find I think a lot and sometimes not at all. It's a cliché but I love the smell of cut grass in the morning.....oh dear think I'm mixing up my sayings... Apocalypse Grass Cutting Now.

I started young, cutting the lawn at home. There was a lot of it but I loved the achievement and actually I guess it was one of the first grown-up jobs I was allowed to do on my own. I loved the stripes on the lawn from the roller on the mower and I loved how it would transform the garden on a sunny day. Long grass to short grass and all is well in the world.

As I write this I wonder if I have a thing for grass! One of my very favourite things in the summer is to walk along a path of cut grass which runs through long grass. Last year I tried to recreate the look at 88, leaving a swathe of long grass through which I cut a path. But we have children and football was played and the long stems were squashed.

I am very happy though now as the grass cutting season is upon us. I am even happier as we have inherited my mum's lawn mower which has a roller on and a grass collecting box. The grass may not be perfect - it has moss and weeds in - but it's all in beautiful stripes. Oh I'm happy. For me the grass is always green.

Yippee for Tiree

We love islands at 88. Mull, Orkney, Shetlands, Harris, Lewis, Skye, Islay, Seil, Arran and a few Greek islands too in times past. In fact, truth be told there isn't a lot of difference between Greek islands and Scottish ones. The islands of Scotland are scattered with beautiful white sandy beaches and lovely folk and delicious seafood but there is one slight disadvantage  - it may well rain and be cold and be windy and be misty and be wintry even in summer....on the Scottish isles that is.  But when the sun shines it's wonderful. If only the sun was guaranteed but then I suppose the Scottish islands would be as busy and sometimes as commercial as the Greek ones. We like to take our chances and hope for warmth.

A white beach on Mull

I think a huge attraction of going to a Scottish island is boarding a ferry. There is something so very exciting about driving your car on to a Caledonian MacBrayne and setting off across the water. There is a marvellous feeling of getting away to somewhere a long way away. You land on your island and its both familiar and strange at the same time. You've already had a little adventure getting there.

The ferry coming into Arran

This year is no exception. We are off to Tiree this summer - the sunniest place in Britain... oh yes and apparently one of the windiest. Please God, let it break the sunny record again while we are there. White, white, quiet beaches and vibrant flora and fauna. Yippee for Tiree.