Zoë Bowyer

I read in the paper this week about pregnancy causing absent-mindedness. There were many theories as to why, such as the brain shrinking, hormones and tiredness. Of course, I thought, none of this will happen to me – I will remain on the ball and alert. So why then did I pour milk over my muesli and then proceed to pour milk over Maya’s dog nuts? It wasn’t a disaster, Maya was very grateful for the tasty addition to her normally dry breakfast. In my defense I would say that her nuts could easily be mistaken for some kind of chocolate puff cereal.

I managed to complete two knitted garments last week. One was a little cardigan for the baby and the other was a bolero for me. I am very happy with the bolero, although it is far too warm for the weather we are having. Really this is bra and panties weather – or is it just me that feels so, so warm?

On Saturday Dave and I went to a basket weaving class near Portaferry. I made this and I am very proud of it!

Well, if you haven’t been enjoying the weather what have you been doing?

Yesterday I was at a training course in Craigavon. I don’t normally mingle with others in my field of work so I found it strangely reassuring that everyone, everywhere is exactly the same. The same old stories of being passed over for promotion. The same old complaints about insincere praise. The same old bitterness everywhere. And in every single break we had the majority of people became glued to their mobile phones, except for one person who brought a book. I too brought a book but had left it in my car, so had to make do with texting Dave. Anything but talk to other people!

The drive home was hot and sticky – I removed most of my clothes when I got into my house.

Back in work today I find more people are discovering I am pregnant. Nobody looks me in the eye anymore, they all talk to my bump. I guess this is normal and I should just get used to it.

Over the weekend we took the dogs to Waterfoot beach, a place normally deserted except for a few hardy dog walkers, but which on Saturday was packed with kiddies and their sun-worshipping parents. On Sunday we walked up Trostan from the Glenariff side, another normally quite place, but which on Sunday was positively hiving with people. We even encountered a guy on a bike – Trostan is not exactly easy biking territory being surrounded by boggy ground.

Going away on holiday has many positive points, not least of which is the greeting that the dogs gave us on our return. Both waggled with excitement from their noses to the tips of their tails. Gracie’s full greeting takes up to an hour and includes much waggling, jumping up, climbing onto our shoulders; where she rests herself like a fox stole, but an alive one, with a big tongue to wash our faces and probe deep into our nostrils.

Needless to say our holiday was very pleasant. We stayed in a cabin in the woods in the Dordogne. It was bliss. We ate tasty food, we relaxed, we rafted on our little lake, we fed carp our leftover bread.

On our return we stopped over a night in London, where we visited the Cybercandy shop near Covent Garden (Hannah would love this place). We bought Hot Tamales, Jelly Belly Jellybeans and Watermelon Jolly Ranchers (which proudly proclaim on their packaging that they are both ‘Naturally and Artificially flavored’, so they are twice as good as other sweets!)

We ate lunch/dinner in Wahaca and then went to stay with London Aunt. The following day we were treated to a delicious brunch with London Aunt, her hubby and Ganching. A very pleasant morning was had.

I started the bank holiday weekend a little early by taking the afternoon off work on Friday. I used the time to cook the ‘no knead bread’ I had started the night before and to go for a photowalk in Top Wood with Dave and the dogs. Gracie was in fine posing form and Maya was just having a brilliant time.

Later, for dinner, I made omelette with a goose egg and hen eggs I had got from my Mum. I added chard and thyme from the garden and we ate it with the bread I had just cooked. For pudding we had vanilla ice cream with stewed rhubarb that our neighbour gave us.

Saturday was spent knitting, walking the dogs, playing Frisbee with Dave and Gracie, tidying the house and eating tasty food. We had scrambled eggs (from Mum) and bacon (from Hillstown Farm Shop) for lunch. For dinner we had sausage and bean bake with a pile of buttered ‘no knead bread’.

On Sunday we went walking – a fine stroll, into the wind, along Portstewart Strand. Back at home we dozed, then we ate pasta with aubergine (cooked by Dave), then back to sleep.

Monday we took easy – I made oatcakes for lunch, which we ate with melted cheese and more of our bacon. It was a rainy day so we just went walking to Waterfoot Beach – nothing too strenuous. Then I visited my Granny. Later we had lightly smoked salmon, béarnaise sauce, mashed potatoes and puy lentils for dinner. All cooked by Dave and a marvellous job it was! I ate until I thought I would burst.

Last night I dreamt that there was something wrong with daylight – it was broken – and everything was the colour of a film negative but 3-dimensional.

So, that is what I have been up to. What is coming up is a week away in France, happy me! We leave on Saturday for a week in a wooden cabin in the Dordogne. Sadly, the dogs aren’t able to join us on this trip and will have to spend a week in the Leighinmohr Dog Hotel. On our return we will stop over in London for a night and maybe take in a few sights. I can’t wait!

Before talking about what a great day I had yesterday, I need to mention that something dreadful happened to someone else. At about 10:30 am yesterday morning I was driving along the Glenravel Road on my way to walk the dogs at Glenariff Forest. The sun was shining, the birds were probably singing, but I couldn’t hear them because I was listening to music, the day was shaping up to be just perfect.

I was held at temporary traffic lights in Martinstown for ages, and then when I eventually got going again and approached the national speed limit sign at the end of the town, the car behind overtook me. He soon put his foot on the brakes. I was the second car in my direction to come upon the scene of a crash. If we hadn’t been held up by the traffic lights we may have been there rather too soon. In front of us was a completely mangled blue motorcycle, bits lying all over the place. The rider was obscured to me by the main part of the bike, which was right in the middle of the road. A white van had swerved off the side of the road.

The traffic coming in the other direction on the road had arrived at the scene first and arranged an ambulance, so there was nothing we could do but turn as there was no way we would get past the accident.

I found myself thinking about the accident many times during the day, wondering if the rider had been okay. I had meant to check the news for any stories, but didn’t get around to it until this morning. This morning I found out that the rider had died.

So, how do you follow that with the great day I had? Life goes on.

Yesterday morning I woke at 7:00 am and was out of bed by 7:30. Dave was in Donegal diving. I had a hearty breakfast of muesli and cornflakes, which I followed with a nice sit down and a lot of knitting – I am trying desperately to finish some garments while I can still fit into them, so am finishing my Central Park Hoodie.

At 8:30 I decided to do a quick tidy up of the downstairs rooms so that I could spend the rest of the day relaxing. By 9:15 I had washed dishes, dusted and vacuumed. I then got dressed and applied sun screen and lip balm, the scents combined with the sunshine outside reminded me of Mexico, specifically our time spent in Oaxaca. I made a packed lunch and then the dogs and me headed off in the car for Glenariff.

After coming across the crash we had to detour via Clogh and Newtowncrommelin to get back on the right road. I’m sure there are quicker ways to go, but I am unfamiliar with the roads around Martinstown.

We had a nice 2 hour walk around Glenariff, I cut out a bit of the Scenic Walk that had a few too many steps for my liking. It is very relaxing spending time alone walking. We stopped and had lunch on the main Waterfall walk. The forest was just getting busy as I was leaving at about 1:30. All the Sunday travellers had finished church and lunch for the day and were beginning to take advantage of the beautiful sunny day. The road where the crash happened was still closed when we returned – I guessed that it must be very serious.

Back at home the dogs slept soundly and I sat and knitted.

Later I started making Shepherd’s Pie for dinner and once I had it all sorted I decided to make lemon coconut bread. Dave returned from diving while I was baking. We ate at 7:00 pm, while watching an episode of The Wire. We had Shepherd’s Pie and baked beans followed by warm lemon coconut bread.

Exhaustion and sleep were the only other things on my mind.

On Friday I spent 20 minutes doing the following –

· Examining my face up close
· Checking my diary for possible medical appointment dates
· Making an appointment to go see my dentist
· Looking at a world standard times map
· Staring into space – deep in thought

I’m sure there are better things I could have been doing – like working. I often complain that I do not have enough time to do all the things I want to do, but surely if I spent less time arsing around I would have all the time I need.

I decided that over the weekend I would make up for my time wasting by doing some stuff that I had been putting off for ages. I did the following -

· Repaired the worn out denim in one of my favourite denim jackets. I wouldn’t say that the result is in any way subtle, but I am happy.

· Finished a pair of Jaywalker socks that according to my Ravelry project stats were started in July 2007!!!

· Photographed various knitted items to update my Ravelry project details.

· Took photos of Dave for possible use on his new website.
· Made roast chicken with all the trimmings.

I am happy that I made good use of my time.

Furry Babies, originally uploaded by ZMB.

My furry babies are going to be getting a non-furry sibling at the end of September. I’m sure they will grow to love the addition to the family!

Paddy Plays Tugger, originally uploaded by ZMB.

Yesterday Nelly, Dave and I went for a walk in Portglenone Forest with the dogs (Gracie, Maya, Bonnie and Paddy). The dogs had a beezer time and Nelly and Dave nearly poisoned themselves eating Lords and Ladies.

Dave had picked up a leaf he thought was sorrel and asked my opinion – I didn’t think it was sorrel, but I couldn’t be sure. So, Dave and Nelly tore off a wee bit each and put it in their mouths and almost immediately both spat it out declaring it was definitely not sorrel.

Then their tongues started to burn a bit, and their lips. We all tried to figure out what they could possibly have eaten and whether or not they would collapse in the forest and die. Nelly eventually figured it out – Lords and Ladies – and I had a right old giggle at the thought of the pair of eejits nearly poisoning themselves.

So, me, Dave and the dogs were sitting chatting about how the dogs would have to take a cut in their pocket money due to the credit crunch. The dogs were keen to help in any way they could and suggested that perhaps they could go out to work in order to bring in a few quid – to keep them in James Wellbeloved chow and pigs ears.

Gracie thought that she could get work as a dog model, sure she has plenty of experience of posing for photos and she is working on the bulimia and drugs addiction (see Chocolate story below). Maya thought that if Gracie still had her big long ear hairs she could have got work at the hairdressing college, where the students could have practised their crimping iron skills on her.

Maya didn’t really know what she wanted to do. She thought maybe she would be well suited as some kind of meeter and greeter as she just loves meeting new people. I suggested that she should hire herself out as a professional mop head.

Moo

Gracie, originally uploaded by ZMB.

Today Gracie ate a 200g packet of plain chocolate coated ginger pieces and wound up with a very sore belly. I reckon if I had eaten the whole packet I too would have felt ill. But she is a 5 kg dog and I weigh considerably more, so the effects are bound to be more severe on her. Never-mind the fact that chocolate is poisonous to dogs!

So, bloated of belly and with her heart racing, I took her to the vet. It was too late to get the chocolate out of her system, so she has been admitted for the night and will be given an IV drip.

Naturally, I am fretting something awful.

Update 10/2 – Gracie is on the mend!