C is for Cafe

Welcome to the A to Z blogging challenge where for the month of April we post everyday except Sundays, corresponding to each letter of the alphabet. I've chosen to blog about keeping the romance alive in a relationship along with ideas for married couple dates. Each post will also have a romantic song for you to listen to whilst you read.

The song for today is by Clint Black and his wife Lisa Hartman - When I said I do. Such beautiful words, made even more special by the fact that the two people singing it are a married couple. My favourite lines from this song are;

But forever you and I will be the ones

Who found out what forever means

When I said I do, I meant that I will 'til the end of all time

Be faithful and true, devoted to you

That's what I had in mind when I said I do

One of my favourite forms of date is simply going to a cafe and having coffee with my beloved. Something about sitting in a cafe with people all around can produce the most profound conversations and moments of total togetherness.

We also love people watching in cafes, often debating if other people are on dates or even having secret rendezvous. You can also see all sorts of emotions in a coffee shop (mostly from me) and have moments of great joy. As the below sign says; Life Happens, Coffee Helps.

Holding hands encapsulates the romance of sitting with my soulmate, in our own little world even though we're surrounded by others.

Why don't you make a date to meet in a coffee shop and just have some time to yourselves.

Quote for today which I think fits those moments we spend in cafes.

Pamela & Ken
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Previous A to Z posts:

2017 = C is for Clootie Well

2016 = C is for Cats

Top Ten Thursday - My Particulars

Today's Top Ten is those things that we're super particular about. The things that need to be done just the way we want them done, like does the toilet paper roll go under or over, which is my number one. Thanks as always to Tamara, Part-time Working Hockey Mom for setting the theme - feel free to join us in our love of lists.

1. There is only one way to hang a toilet roll and that is with the end hanging over the top and anyone who does otherwise is obviously crazy. I may be a little bit obsessed with this as I tend to change it in the toilets at work and elsewhere if I find it's been put on the wrong way.

2. When I have a can of soda I have to tap the top of the can with my fingernail before I open it. When I was younger someone told me that this would stop it from fizzing out and now it's become a bit of a habit (OCD even) and I really don't like opening a can unless I tap it.

3. Ten items or less!!! The queue in the supermarket that you can go through if you have ten items or less, and I always double check how many items I have before I choose this aisle, so it really frustrates me when people get in this line with obviously more than ten items. It's at these times that I wish I was brave enough to say something.

4. I'm a little bit particular about my latte when I order it. It's a large skinny latte, one shot, not too hot. The looks I get from some cafe staff reminds me a bit of the scene in When Harry met Sally, where Sally is ordering her food in a very unique way.

5. Another coffee related thing is that the milk has to go into the mug before the hot water when making an instant coffee. I can tell if someone makes it the other way around as the coffee tastes bitter - the poor coffee grounds have been scalded to death by the boiling water.

6. Final coffee thing - I am fussy about the brand of coffee I drink, and much prefer a coffee that is smooth and not too strong. At home I drink Douwe Egberts pure gold - so good.

7. I have to be at the cinema early to make sure I don't miss the previews of future films - it's such an important part of the movie experience. My beloved doesn't get this and often teases me and tries to suggest that we arrive late for the film, knowing that I'll start to freak out.

8. I'm not very good at taking tablets as when I was younger I had to take tablets that tasted really, really awful. The way I got round this was to have a mouthful of liquid first and then put the tablet in so that it doesn't actually touch my tongue. It's one of my strange little quirks.

9. I have to check that the front door is locked before I go to bed, even if I've seen Ken lock it - you never know, it may have magically unlocked itself.

10. The final thing that I'm very particular about (of the things I'm willing to share) is that I can't go to sleep if the wardrobe door is open. You know there could be monsters in there, and if the door is shut at least that will slow them down a bit (I promise I'm in my 40's, it's just stayed with me all my life).

What things are you very specific about and do people understand this in you? Before you go, make sure you visit Tamara's blog, Part-time Working Hockey Mom to see what my fellow bloggers have come up with.

Until next time, be good, stay safe, and be good to yourself this week.

Pamela & Ken
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Top Ten Thursday - Happy Moments

It's top ten Thursday and this week we're listing the things that have recently made our day, made us  laugh or at least smile, just a collection of positive moments! Thanks to Tamara, Part-time Working Hockey Mom, for the great theme choice.

This is my list of moments that have made me feel good during the last week.

1. Cat Yoga: when Cookie is grooming herself and it looks like she is contorting herself into the best yoga poses - I wish I was half as flexible.

2. Christmas Cups: I always love it when Costa Coffee get in their Christmas themed take out coffee cups, and I love this gingerbread one.

3. Coffee Delivery: this also involves the above photo. Earlier this week we didn't have enough milk left at home for my coffee that I take to work in my thermal mug, so just went without. I'd been at work about twenty minutes when a gorgeous Scotsman (Ken) walked in the door with a latte and a croissant for me - it really gave me a good feeling for the rest of the day.

4. Puppy Dog Eyes: this face when Bramble Jelly is trying to convince me that I should let her up on my knee for a cuddle.

5. Morning Radio: I love listening to the radio on the way to work for Gino and Grace, the two presenters. They always make me laugh no matter what mood I'm in. 

6. Hair Appointment: on Saturday I went and had my colour topped up and a trim, and it always makes me feel so relaxed by the time I leave. I love the head massage when having my hair washed, and I always fall asleep whilst my hairdresser is cutting my hair - she regularly has to gently move my head back up to the right angle.

7. Fancy Furniture: This chair and cushions is in the hairdressers and it makes me smile and wish I had something like that at home.

8. Hooded Cat: I was walking through the Victorian Market in Inverness at the weekend and found this hooded cat on the wall outside a new shop - smiles galore at discovering this.

9. My Beloved: how could I not have him in a list about things that make me smile, laugh, and feel good.

10. A Caticorn: This week one of my lovely colleagues gave me this card which, as she thought, is perfect for me. It's a cat, that's a unicorn, and it's covered in glitter - a caticorn. Everytime I look at it I smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

What has made you smile this week? Before you go, make sure you visit Tamara's blog, Part-time Working Hockey Mom and see what my fellow bloggers have come up with.

Until next time, be good, stay safe, and give someone else a reason to smile this week.

Pamela & Ken
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Top Ten Thursday - Brighten up your November

Can you believe it's November already? Where did the year go? This weeks Top Ten is coming up with things that are going to help us brighten up those dull November days. Thanks as always to Tamara at Part-time Working Hockey Mom for setting the theme.

1. Time to get out gloves, scarves, and hats - colourful ones will help brighten up not just your day but the days of people who see you.

2. Take time to enjoy the gorgeous sunsets that we get at this time of the year - beautiful colours and crisp clear air here in the highlands.

3. Get out for walks in the fresh air and take time to stop and meet the locals.

4. Paint your nails in a bright, cheerful colour.

5. Go out and have coffee and cake at a nice little local cafe.

    

6. Wear brightly coloured socks that make you smile when you look at them.

7. Spread beautiful flowers around your home.

8. Enjoy the warmth of a fire, and if you haven't got one of your own, find a cafe that might have one.

9. Smile at all the gorgeous Christmas decorations that are now fully taking over the towns and shops.

10. Sometimes just curling up in bed reading with a beloved furbie can brighten up any day.

What's your favourite thing to do to brighten up November? Before you go, pop over to Tamara's Blog to see what my fellow bloggers have come up with.

Until next time, be good, stay safe, and have a wonderful November.

Pamela & Ken
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Old Cars & Coffee in a National Park

Today was a lazy day out with the purpose of picking up our lovely painted plates from last weekends day of fun (Coffee & Creativity) which I'll show you later in the post. It's a really lovely drive to Grantown as it sits in the Cairngorms national park.

We went back to the cafe we discovered last week, The High Street Merchant Cafe and had a lovely lunch and of course an even lovelier latte.

The farmers market was on which was a lovely surprise, and there were some wonderful stalls including one with knitted hats. The Shivering Sheep Beanies lady had some lovely hats and amazingly she can knit two a day!! I bought a lovely tassled baggy beanie in, surprise, surprise, purple wool.

This van amused us because of what is written below the business information; 'Listen oot for the Toot Toot!'

Unsurprisingly Ken managed to find a couple of cars to look at - total projects. When we win the lottery we'll have to have at least a four car garage and a shed for him to store his projects in - he does love to tinker. These two are staying where we found them.

On the way home we stopped for a little wander at a scenic spot and I loved this old fence post that is all by itself in the middle of the woods - it's rustiness appealed to me.

Selfie of the two of us in the woods.

We found some very interesting fungi in amongst the trees - I tried to find out what sort they were for you, but couldn't decide which ones they were from the fungi identification website.

View across the moor on the way home - beautiful big sky.

This is a rock that we drive past every time we come back from Grantown, and it's always interesting to see what is painted on it. For months when we first moved up to the highlands, this is what was on it, but every now and then someone will paint something else on it. We've seen birthday wishes to people and declarations of love, but then Jesus Saves reappears after a while.

Now to reveal our plates after they've been glazed. First Ken's beautiful plate and then my bowl.

A short day out but still interesting things to be found. Until next time, be good, stay safe, and have a fabulous week.

Pamela & Ken
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P.S: This week I bought Princess Cookie Cat a new bed as I thought as she ages she might like something a bit softer. Usually when we've bought beds for the brats in the past it usually takes them a day or so to really like them. Not this time, Cookie has hardly left her new bed she loves it so much.

Friday's friendly musings

One of my favourite things to do, apart from reading, is writing, so I love this blog link up that I've found at McGuffy's Reader. In the Friendly Fill-ins we're given written prompts (the words in purple bold) and then complete them how we wish.

Enjoy.

1. I am far too Australian to ever get a British passport. In December I will have lived in the UK for 21 years and yet the thought of having a British passport still feels wrong. People here just assume I've changed passports and some even react as if I've insulted them personally by not wanting one.

2. To save money, I take a coffee to work with me in a travel mug to save myself the cost of twenty coffees a month. I know I could save even more if I didn't buy a coffee at lunch time but I'm a bit of a latte lover and it's a comfort thing - my little indulgence each day that helps me get to the end of the working day. I also do my little bit for the planet by getting my lovely latte in my even lovelier reusable mug which is made out of bamboo.

3. Love matter(s). I don't just mean romantic love (though that is pretty fantastic especially when it comes to my beloved) but more the love for our fellow inhabitants of this little planet called earth. I say inhabitants because of course I would include animals in the love fest. 

Ken & Bramble Jelly last year (she's bigger now)

Princess Cookie Cat looking particularly cute

4. Cold mornings make(s) me think that winter isn't very far away and I need to assess my winter wardrobe and see if there's anything new I need before the temperatures drop too much. I've got plenty of scarves and hats but I think I may need a new pair of gloves - what do you think, nice pink fluffy ones?

I'm not the biggest fan of winter but I actually prefer them here in the north of Scotland to the winters in London when I had to get the Underground to work - miserable way to spend a cold, dismal morning. I'd much rather spend cold mornings like our little black cat Muffin used to like to, wrapped up in the duvet.

Muffin Monster (miss her)

Hope you've enjoyed my responses to the prompts - I wonder what you would have come up with. Until next time, be good, stay safe, and doing something nice for yourself this week.

Pamela & Ken

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Coffee & Creativity in Grantown on Spey

Sometimes we need to have a day that is all about fun and self care - our solution, to go and do something creative. We headed to Grantown on Spey and of course before we could do anything else we had to have a coffee and cake break at the lovely Elephants in the Pantry. It's such a nice shop with lots of lovely food related things to buy, and coffee served in beautiful cups.

The reason we chose Grantown is that they have a ceramic painting studio called Smarty Art where we could spend some time getting lost in painting.

The staff are so helpful and on the wall are these great ceramic paint splatters to help you see what the colours you choose will look like once they are glazed and fired in the kiln.

As you can see from above, there was a huge selection of colours and each table had a carousel of paints on it like this one with different sized brushes.

Here's my beloved getting very engrossed in his painting and then showing off his pretty plate - if you're wondering why he's so red in the face it's because he's got a thermal top on and the studio was lovely and warm.

I can't wait to see what our creations look like once they're glazed and fired - we pick them up next weekend. Here's what they looked like once we'd finished painting them.

One of the ladies that run the studio said that she was really impressed that we'd come in as most adults think it's just for children, and we were the only table without children at it. I'm hoping they get Christmas themed things in to paint soon as I'd love to do some personal decorations.

We spent nearly two hours doing our creative bit so when we finished it was time to go for another coffee, this time in a cafe we hadn't tried before and it was really lovely. Great decor and perfect ambience to enjoy our drinks and some icecream.

The two of us - love this man so much (sorry, I couldn't help myself).

So there you have our creative day out. Have you ever tried ceramic painting? If not, give it a go some time as it's really therapeutic.

Until next time, be good, stay safe, and do something creative this week.

Pamela & Ken
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P.S: This is how Cookie Cat often sits in the evening - on her bed with her back to the room, staring at the wall. I suggested to Ken that maybe we should get a picture to put on the wall of some fish so that she has something interesting to look at.