Before and after chairs

Sunday all day

After our swim in Jedburgh we had a leisurely start to the day with a late breakfast and the Sunday papers - this is an absolute treat and a rare thing! Woodburner is alight and we are settled for a peaceful day at home. Weather is damp and dreeck so no plans to do anything in that. We are busy recovering our breakfast room chairs - photo to follow. Les is in charge of the stapler and I'm in charge of fabric preparation. This is our beautiful curtain material which I bought second hand from a very posh house with very long windows - recycling at its best.

Playing with collages

I've just discovered the collage option in Picasa - and am very pleased with the results. I have offered to supply the local church with some of my photos for their Parish Magazines, and thought this was the best way to show some of what I have - see the results. I also aim to sell some of my prints in frames to guests in the summer.

Admin, admin, admin

Need to do all of this office stuff so I can focus on the fun stuff like going out to see friends and shopping for the holiday let - we will need an highly organised plan of action to turn the house round in one month (April) ready for holiday lets in May. This is all very exciting and feels like playing dolls houses when I was a kid! Swum 50 again this morning - feeling good.

Admin day today

After my 50 lengths this morning and aquarobics last night I am feeling very sporty and energetic - long may it continue! Today, it's time to update booking in forms, breakfast menus, registration forms etc for the B&B. My aim is to make it as simple as poss for the guests and simple and logical for us to deal with and monitor business going forward. I also have the literature from Cottages 4 You for the Jedburgh potential holiday let - must get reading ...

Tourist information for B&B rooms

This was one of the targets for the day and mission was accomplished - which has prompted me to visit Jedburgh and Hawick tourist info centres tomorrow to check that they have our details - as we are paying the money now I need to know we are being promoted. We had our first email enquiry via Visit Scotland yesterday, whoohoo!!

Cooking conquests

Made my first batch of chutney yesterday and I can confirm that it is delicious. Throw everything into the pot, boil and then simmer for 2 hours - very easy! Recipe below:

900g tomatoes, skins removed (drop in boiling water, leave for 30 seconds, then plunge into cold water)
225g onions, chopped
225 g raisins
225g caster sugar
600 ml malt vinegar

Makes 3 x 450g jars

Chop skinned tomatoes rougly, drop into a preserving pan, add raisins, onions and caster sugar. Pour vinegar in, bring to the boil, and then simmer for 2 hours uncovered. Put into warm sterilised jars. Seal with a wax disc and cellophane top.

Snow photos

Ruberslaw in all it's beauty

Snow photos

A December walk - fantastic sky!

Icicles outside the front door in December 2010.

Outside calling!

Spring cleaning of guest bedrooms today - I love it when they are freshly prepared and the sun is shining through the windows and the superb view is in it's full glory. All done now, and the sun is calling me outside .. gotta go!

Sunny Sunday 16 January

It's going to be a wood cutting day and stack up for the woodburner. Sun is shining and the rain has stopped. Outside duties are calling!

Preparation for the 2011 season

Painting, decorating and cleaning all taking place to get the B&B ready for our first guests of the year on 28 and 29 January. We are also doing our research for turning our Jedburgh property into holiday lets as of May 2011 - both very excited about this development!

Another wet Saturday

Les and I took in a swim first thing in the morning - all part of the recovery programme after his knee operation, and I did my usual 30 lengths, aiming for sets of 40 next week, and back up to one mile by the following week. I'm doing a triathlon in May with a 400m swim, 13m cycle and a 4m run - so need to get training! I'm hoping to persuade Les to do the swim element.

Thursday

30 lengths of the pool to start the day, then more marketing for the B&B, followed by advanced driving concentrating on roundabouts and the system (technical term), then coffee at Lochcarron - what a great day and Bec came for tea too!