To Alexandria and back

Alexandria is a town not far from Loch Lomond. By train, it takes a little over half an hour to get there. Rachel works there at a pharmacy every Saturday. So, last Saturday I ventured forth and visited Alexandria. I helped Rachel pick out a colour to dye her hair, and I bought a few things myself. We went to a little cafe where I had lunch (Rachel only had time for a cup of herbal tea before going back to work). I wandered around a little, then went back home to Glasgow.

There's a fountain in Alexandria, called The Smollett fountain, which was erected in 1870 in honour of Alexander Smollett, Laird of Bonhill, and MP from 1841 to 1859. The site of the fountain was occupied by an old oak tree until 1865, and was a site used for making speeches.

Details on the fountain: dog-like gargoyles

I love the heron atop the fountain.

I was fascinated by these fellows. I wasn't sure if they were crows or not, on account of the fleshy bit at the top of their beaks. When I got home and looked it up, I found out that these are Rooks! I am thrilled now to have seen ravens (which are HUGE), hooded crows, jackdaws, and now rooks!

Aren't they grand?

On the way back to Glasgow. This is approaching Bowling Rail Station.

Bowling is intriguing for all the derelict boats that languish in the water.

Lowther Terrace

So, if you're going to the LDS church by foot, you walk west along Great Western Road till you reach a little footpath just beyond a bus stop. This goes along Lowther Terrace (and continues up to Redlands Terrace, which then leads to Julian Avenue, where the church is). Well, there are three houses in Lowther Terrace that are really beautiful. Built in the early 1900s, I've enjoyed looking at them as I walk past. But since about early December, they've been boarded up, and I've been wondering why. The upper stories aren't boarded shut, and I was able to see inside one of the rooms one evening (it was all lit up, making it seem quite ghostly!) and it was richly decorated (well, the walls and curtains were at least, which is all of the room that I could see. I've taken my camera with me ever since, hoping for another glimpse inside that room, but alas, it hasn't been lit up again. I was able to find out some fascinating and detailed information on the houses, PLEASE take a look. There's no. 8, no. 9 and no. 10 Lowther Terrace:
http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/168403/details/glasgow+8+lowther+terrace/
http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/247924/details/glasgow+9+lowther+terrace/
http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/247925/details/glasgow+10+lowther+terrace/
I've obviously become a little obsessed with these houses. I even gave a presentation in Gaelic about them!

See the boards on the doors and some of the windows? (they're actually metal)

A glimpse into a less lavish room, on one of the upper floors.

Baking Party

A few days after Valentines Day Rachel and I had baking party. Han and Ian came over, and Rachel and I made desserts! Rachel made a lovely vanilla orange cake and used nutella for the filling and the frosting! Yum! I made two desserts that I found online (red velvet brownies: http://smells-like-home.com/2011/06/red-velvet-brownies-with-white-chocolate-buttercream-frosting/ and "slutty" brownies: http://www.thelondoner.me/2011/06/slutty-brownies.html)

The "Slutty" brownies. Ooh, they're good!

Rachel's cake.

Red velvet brownie with ice cream .

Valentines Day

I always maintain that Valentines Day can be an enjoyable day, whether one has a significant other or not! I actually have never had a boyfriend on Valentines Day, yet I have always enjoyed it. Some memorable Valentines Days include: 9th grade at school (in a pink dress) and getting pink roses from my dad - delivered to me during a class!; walking downtown to the local used bookshop and buying 'Aurora Leigh' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning; and dressing up in a vintage frock (pink again!) and going out to a restaurant (with original decor from the 1930s) in Salt Lake City with my parents.

So, this Valentines Day, I went into the city centre to the Glasgow Film Theatre (a cinema that opened in the 1930s) to see Brief Encounter on the big screen! I had only seen the film once before, years ago, so I was really looking forward to seeing it again. It was magical. And so intense! For reserved, English people the passion and agony is quite overwhelming. I even got a little teary-eyed at the closing scene. It was fabulous. (It also makes me wonder why train scenes are so romantic!)

Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson in BRIEF ENCOUNTER

My cinema ticket - and my subway ticket as well.

Interpreting Archaeology

In the above mentioned class of mine, we have "small group sessions" where a handful of us will meet in a small classroom and discuss interesting things. My favourite week, I believe, is when we discussed - and handled! - the mysterious stone carved balls from the Neolithic. These are Scottish, and they are a complete mystery. No one knows what their purpose, symbolism, etc. was. But we all found, in handling them, that they were extremely compelling, and none of us wanted to put them down again. They range from simply decorated, to complex with carvings etc.

In a later week, we had the assignment to prepare a drawing, or a model, of Stonehenge. If you selected the drawing option, you had to make up what you think the ancient people who built Stonehenge got up to. I chose the drawing option, as I am an indifferent but not completely dreadful artist. But I really was at a loss as to what people did in Stonehenge. I didn't want to go with any outlandish theories, but I came up with something to do with light and shadow, day and night, life and death, and perhaps they used the gaps in the stones as the light, and the stones and the shadows as the dark. Anyway, here's my drawing, for what it's worth!

Why I didn't stick with art in university!

Valentines FHE

We had a lovely Valentines Day celebration on Monday the 13th. We had spaghetti and a delicious cheesecake. After our meal & a lovely lesson, we made old-fashioned valentines, and I taught everyone how to do the fox-trot and swing-dancing as well!

Our lovely table setting.

Rachel & her valentine

Sis Hicks & her valentine.

my valentine!

Carlos & his valentine.

Han & her valentine, which folded up - very clever!

The other side of Han's valentine.

Ian & his valentine, which he wanted to look like a butterfly.

teaching swing-dancing

The Hicks dancing along.

Um, you need a partner for swing-dancing. No free styling here!

Ian took this picture - he always takes artistic shots!

New Kettle!

So, when I was making the clootie dumpling, I turned our kettle on for something, and there was a sudden violent flash of sparks issuing from the kettle - I quickly turned it off, and there was a scorch mark on the cord of the kettle. Suffice it to say that it's water-boiling days are over. So, we shopped around for kettles, and just weren't finding a suitable one. Rachel went online and found this one, and we were sold (well, Victoria took a bit of convincing, but we talked her round in the end).

Isn't it fabulous?!