Alarms and excursions.

It has been an up-beat and very full week. Sophie came up on her summer visit from London; I treasure the time we have together and appreciate the effort it is for her to get here. It's a horrible journey whichever way she does it; train this time, hot, crowded and noisy for eight hours. That's a true test of love. Her visit coincided with Sandy's induction as a weekly boarder at the local prep school. This was all a rather last minute decison and much panic ensued over the acquisition of uniform, a kilt, 3 pairs of everything else including very purple rugby socks, gum guard, tuck box etc. etc. and much sewing on of name tabs. No-one asked me to help with that chore mercifully. They know how enthusiastic I am about sewing. No owl was required nor a cauldron. Shame really. He appeared last evening after the first three days looking cheerful in the extreme. So far he seems to love it, even the rugby. (He still has both ears.) It's the first time I've heard him rave about a lesson - history kicked off with the Aztecs, always a good one to catch the imagination of the bloodthirsty ten year old. They were given pieces of the Aztecs greatest gift to mankind (apart from football which IMO is of debatable benefit) - chocolate.

The shop has been discreetly quiet - well, hey, what else has it been all summer? At least I had plenty of time to sit and gather strength between family meals. The vinyl has been quite a challenge, wading my way through checking it and trying to locate other copies for sale on the net to give a guide to scarcity and possible pricing bands. A kindly fellow from the seller's board gave me assistance with the LP's but then I got the idea, found the appropriate sites and managed the EP's and singles on my own.

I've become accustomed to the radical drop in income now and am adjusting my sights accordingly. Thank the overlighting forces I don't have rent to pay! A consigment of a newly printed paperback edition of a local book 'In the Shadow of Cairngorm' arrived yesterday and is already selling well thanks to the large number of Stewarts in the area. It contains a lot of their family history between its covers. Coincidentally I had an unscheduled meeting with one of the Stewarts who is the best customer for these books (even in the days when they were hardback and expensive.) Peter Stewart installs security equiptment and I inherited a system he put in the shop here for the last owner. I have ignored it for five years (I never switch it on because I know I'm going to forget how to switch it off or get something wrong.) Peter had told me it needed servicing, warned me repeatedly that there would be a reckoning one day and I had stubbornly ignored him because I hadn't wanted the thing in the first place. The day of reckoning came at 6.30 Wednesday evening when the battery started to run out. It alerted me of its imminent death. And then it alerted me again, and then again, and finally I had to ring poor Peter who was having his evening meal. He came rather grumpily (understandably) and rescued us from a night of switching the thing off every ten minutes. I owe him a free copy or two of this book now!

Tomorrow our son, grandson Finlay, and pregnant daughter-in-law arrive from Cornwall so more family meals and chaos are promised. Extra chaos as the fireplace will be ripped out of my living room. I was never going to light it (the chimney is blocked!) It made a traditional centre piece but is rather overwhelming in a small room, the fire back being very black cast iron. Costa will take it away to his large house down south and I will have a nice low bookcase/TV shelf built in its place. Everyone's a winner.