Liosach's Lines

Around 4pm every Monday evening, my thoughts always turn to the same subject:   food.   It’s not that we don’t eat on other nights, just that Monday is one night when we have to be really organised, as hubby has to be out before 6pm – he’s a volunteer fire fighter   and Monday night is training night.   As this can mean quite a bit of physical exercise, outdoor work, often with vast quantities of freezing cold water involved, come Monday night I’m looking for a meal that ticks several boxes.   It has to be relatively straightforward and preferably child friendly, to save having to make something different for the kids.   It has to provide lots of energy for Mr. Fireman, without sitting too heavily in his stomach during training and, perhaps most significantly, it has to be really warming, to help him withstand the cold while he’s out training on a cold, winter’s night.   If he’s lucky and there are some leftovers, it might even make a useful supper ...

It was a beautiful November day in 2013 when I sat waiting for my “Moment that Mattered”.   I knew it was coming, but I just didn’t know what kind of moment it was going to be.   Glorious sunshine streamed through the windows, horses and sheep, along with the odd chicken, wandered by outside, revelling in the unexpected winter warmth.   I, however, while I was aware of all of it, wasn’t really seeing any of it.   All I could see was this unexploded bomb sitting right in the middle of my family.   And that November day was the day I was going to find out if the bomb was about to destroy us or if it could somehow be disarmed.     For months now, my Dad had been losing weight with a frightening rapidity.   Everyone he met would comment on how slim and svelte he was looking…and every comment was like a knife going through us, because we all knew he was eating just as much as ever.   It’s easy to imagine the one thing that was on eve...

School Holiday Shenanigans This half term break kind of crept up on us really.   Miss Ealasaid had been off school with some bug that had been doing the rounds, so there was no pre-holiday excitement at all.   That was until her best pal Katie came up from Dumbarton with her parents to spend some of her school break in their holiday house next door to us in Lismore.   We couldn't say that Ealasaid was miraculously cured or anything, but it really helped her to have that added incentive to get out of bed each day, so that she could see her beloved Katie.   A bit of fresh air and lots of quality time with that lovely wee girl has definitely helped her recovery.   The pair of them went to an afternoon tea in the village hall, where Ealasaid 'encouraged' some of my adult Gaelic learners by telling them that it really wasn't that easy a language and that she found it difficult too…despite it being the language she learns through in school and it being second n...

Last night saw the first of Comunn Gàidhealach an Òbain's winter cèilidhs.   It was this year's Buffet Ceilidh, usually held in January, but postponed this year due to clashes with other events.   After much food preparation, setting up of tables and so on, people started to congregate at Oban's Masonic Hall for 7.30pm.   Colin and I sold tickets at the door, so we had a great chance to see everyone – good to catch up with lots of friends, many of whom we hadn't seen for a while.   We were, of course, ably 'assisted' by Ealasaid, Alasdair and Ruairidh…at various points throughout the night, we offered all three of them as raffle prizes, but strangely, no one seemed to think we were serious!   There was a good sized crowd, who all enjoyed a buffet meal, followed by a ceilidh.   The crowd was wonderfully entertained by Alastair MacDonald on accordion, Aaron Hossein on pipes and singers Robert Robertson, Freddie MacKenzie and Riona MacCormick.   Everyon...

'S e obair latha toiseachaidh...it's a day's work starting.  I've been reading my best friend's blog for years now and it's always amazed me how she could find so many interesting things to write about.  It would never have occurred to me to start one myself, until she said to me the other day, "you should write one too!"  So, here goes...still not entirely sure what direction this will take, but it will probably be a collection of ramblings on a combination of subjects.  These could range from the trials and tribulations of life with 3 small children, to thoughts on life on a small Scottish island, touching on experiences of teaching Gaelic to adults, not to mention the antics of 2 incredibly crazy working cocker spaniel pups...plus anything else I happen to think of along the way!