Cathie Dunn writes...

Today was a busy day for us, getting bits 'n' bobs organised. We'll be flying out later this week. Exciting and scary. Exciting for the obvious reasons - holiday abroad. Scary for another reason - paperwork! Today we went and got a new oil filled radiator for the bedroom - our storage heater in there isn't 't enough to keep the room warm in the evenings. We had a lovely electric fire but earlier this week it gave up the ghost. Bad timing. Mum likes it warm! ;-) So off we went and got a small radiator, and a new case as one of our two big cases is wonky. No point if we have to drag it around with us for three weeks. Shiny new 'expanding' (!) case for moi! Also got some fab boots for the evening meals out, and the opera. Can't march into the Met in worn, red hiking boots, can I? And a pair of slingback mules. Both with wooden soles. And nicely reduced! Oh, and a pair of skinny jeans (ignoring my not-exactly-skinny middle), and leggins for under my short bl...

Well, I'll get to our trip of a lifetime shortly but first an update on Highland Arms - soon I'll be jumping into round 2 of edits. Can't wait to get stuck in again although I'm just at a crucial point in my current WIP - where the MMC is called home to Normandy, leaving England at a crucial point in time. Have started to dig out my 'research photos' (aka holiday snaps) from Normandy and Perche to get back into the setting. But both jobs are going to be slow for three weeks - as hubby and I are heading to the US of A! :-) Next week we're going to fly to New York where we'll stay five days. Plenty to see so we'll be busy. Then it's 'go west' as we head for Oregon, to stay in the town of Medford, visiting my aunt. We have never met so there's lots to catch up on. Three days later we travel onwards, to Boise, Idaho. There - for the first time since we got in contact in October 2010 - I'll meet my half-sister. Both visits will be qu...

Last weekend we paid a long-overdue visit to our best friends in South Wales. They had just bought a new house and spent two months redecorating, so we just had to go have a nosy. The house is lovely, spacious, in a quiet dead-end lane with friendly neighbours. It was fab to see our friends so well settled so quickly. Of course we had to squeeze in a few things to do. We arrived on Thursday and enjoyed a recce of the house, some bubbly to celebrate and a yummy fish dinner (ginger, anyone?). Altogether a leisurely, relaxed time catching up. Friday we took to our feet and walked across the valley up the hill on the other side, passing a private plot with chickens and ducks, all filthy from mud-drenched ground after the recent rains. The chickens were so curious, within a couple of minutes they'd gathered inside the fence staring at us intruders. Then the hike up the hill began, with regular stops for snaps. We were looking for a pub our friends remembered from years ago but, traipsin...