Steptoes Yard

There is a place about 45 minutes south of Aberdeen called Steptoes Yard. 

It’s basically a junk yard with three warehouses filled to the brim with every kind of houseware you could imagine. 

Entire china sets, dining room furniture, antique books, and wall décor all hidden beneath piles of discarded junk. If something strikes your fancy, you haggle with the owner until you agree on a suitable price.   

A few of my friends had stumbled on some diamonds in the rough lately, so when Kristal and Falene invited me along for a return trip, I figured it was worth a gander. I was quickly overwhelmed with just how much there was to sort through. 

I’m not usually the sort of person who can recognize the potential of cluttered hand-me-downs. I have decent taste, but I’m a very visual person- I have to see it all put together in front of me before I can make a decision. Every time we move, I have Jonathan rearrange the furniture in every possible combination before I can be confident of the right layout. I just can’t picture these sort of things in my head.  

So take me to a place like Steptoes where I have to dig through boxes of ceramics to find a hidden gem, and it’s not going to be a successful outing. If I hadn’t just gotten my tea set from Italy, I might have had the motivation to dig amongst the mismatched china sets to put together a hodge podge set. And I did like the various sets of ceramic Cavaliers they had on display... 

But my other hesitancy with buying anything was ‘baby brain’. I’m already stressed to the max that our house doesn’t have much space for a baby, so the thought of bringing anything else into our crowded home sends me into an instant panic attack. Sure, I love ceramic dog statues as much as the next person, but with baby on the way, I just think ‘well, that’s breakable’ and decide to forego the bidding process. 

I did dig through the old books and found one from the 40s called ‘The Motherhood Book’. 

It was like the ‘What to Expect’ book of it’s day and it had some quite humorous anecdotes. For instance, in addition to breast feeding or formula, you should spoon feed your baby orange juice. And, as for you women in your first trimester, you should never allow yourself to become sick, and if you do, you shouldn’t feel sorry for yourself. 

I should have bought it for the humor factor, but that last bit made me so mad that I placed it back on the shelf. It does help me to put in perspective how fleeting our parenting ‘knowledge’ is. Fifty years from now, some pregnant lady is going to pick up a present-day ‘antique’ book on co-sleeping or natural childbirth and think that our entire generation was backwards. 

It’s such a good reminder not to get too bogged down in the trendy parenting philosophy of the moment and instead, lean on prayer and God’s wisdom to guide us in parenthood. But no matter what, I’m pretty sure I won’t be spoon feeding my newborn orange juice…

Not 'Goodbye', but 'See You Later'...

Happy Monday everyone. I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was pretty decent. Well except for Friday night. Friday night was sad. 

It was Luke and Debbie’s official last night as Aberdonians so we headed over to Malmaison to send them off with a fancy dinner. 

Debbie announced that they’d be moving back in January so I had 2 months to prepare for their inevitable departure. Still, it’s sad to say goodbye to someone you’ve grown so close to in such a short amount of time. 

Expat relationships form quickly because everyone feels like they are going through something together . We’re all away from our families, battling a foreign culture, and exploring a new world.  These shared experiences (along with the shared values that make you say yes to a foreign assignment in the first place) tend to make you instant best friends. 

Jonathan and I do have relationships with locals, but those are more slow to start and even slower to grow. With expats, you automatically have so much common ground and it makes the entire experience more fun (and less scary) when you can navigate it together. Add in the fact that Luke and Debbie were LSU fans, and we were destined to be buddies.   

At this point in our transient marriage, we know that we have remained close to friends who are scattered all over the world. I may not talk to them or email them on a daily basis, but I still know that if we have the opportunity to meet up or chat, it’ll be like no time has passed at all. 

Not everyone is built for this life and we’ve had several friends who stopped investing time and energy into us because they knew we weren’t going to stick around forever. We’ve been guilty of the same exact thing. As hard as it is, it’s kind of nice to have a support group who knows and accepts exactly what comes with the territory of being our friends. 

My mom and dad were expats and I know my Mom’s heart hurts so much when I call her crying because another friend has left. She’s all too familiar with the constant practice of saying goodbye. 

My Mom kept sending me encouraging texts all weekend saying ‘London isn’t far away’ and ‘you’ll keep in touch’. And actually, I was less emotional with Debbie and Luke leaving than I have been for other friends because London isn’t that far away and I have no doubt we will keep in touch.   

And besides, Luke and Jonathan both work for the same company so I have high hopes that we’ll cross each others' paths frequently and hopefully be living in the same destination again soon. These are comforting thoughts, but nothing will replace having this couple as a part of our daily lives. 

At least the food at Malmaison helped to dull the pain a little. I’ve been craving cheeseburgers and fries, and this steak restaurant has the best you’ll find in Aberdeen. 

Then for dessert, we scanned the menu for Sticky Toffee Pudding, but were stopped in our tracks when we saw ‘Molten Chocolate Lava Cake with Peanut Butter Sauce and a Side of Peanut Butter Ice Cream’ on the menu. 

Jon and I ordered one to share and it was the best thing I have ever tasted in the history of ever. Even though I was already stuffed from the burger and fries, I could not stop eating it. It was heavenly. 

When we got home, I was surprised to see how much my baby bump was showing at 11 weeks. I took a picture and sent it to my mom. 

The next morning, my stomach was back to basically flat, and I realized that I had instead sent my mom a picture of a food baby the size of a usual 5 month pregnant lady. 

In the morning...still a bump but more subtle

Maybe stretching my belly out during these frequent food binges will make it more pliable for the baby bump and I'll be able to escape those dreaded stretch marks….But I should probably lather on the cocoa butter just in case.  

Highs and Lows, Lows and Highs

My weekly 'highs and lows' posts are especially fitting during this chapter of my life, because I feel like my state of being fluctuates widely from one day to the next. I’ll have a string of good days followed by a morning where I simply can’t get out of bed. But on the bright side, the good days are becoming more frequent, and the bad days more occasional. Here’s a glimpse of my highs and lows this week: 

Lows:   

1) Yesterday was a really bad day. A sleep til noon, don’t take a shower, eat cereal for every meal kind of day.   

It was a beautiful day yesterday, but this was my view...

To make matters even more pitiful, I had some head cold symptoms such as a sore throat, aching ears, headache, runny nose, and neck pain. If you combine those symptoms with first trimester pregnancy, it all feels eerily similar to the flu. Blah. I should be used to feeling this tired and sick, but after a string of 3 days where I felt like a semblance of my old self, it really took me by surprise. 

I cried several times in sheer frustration, just so mad at feeling so utterly worthless. It got to the point where I just had to watch Forrest Gump and let myself just cry it out for some good catharsis. I wouldn’t wish morning sickness on my worst enemy. It is the pits.  

 2) In the midst of my no-good-very-bad-day yesterday, a neighbor thought it would be a great time to leave me this little note asking if I would sweep the ‘chuckies’ from the sidewalk in front of my house. 

First off, I don’t know what ‘chuckies’ are. A ‘Chucky’ in my mind is sociopathic doll. But in this case, I’m assuming it the  Doric term for 'gravel'. We have a gravel driveway and so when we pull our car in and out, sometimes the gravel spills onto the sidewalk. Usually our gardener takes care of this, but with the winter weather, he hasn’t been by in a while. 

And since the winter weather coincided with my falling pregnant, sweeping the chuckies back into my driveway hasn’t been at the top of my priority list.  So, dear neighbor, please GET OVER IT. I have enough guilt in my life right now with trying to inadequately care for my husband and pups, so if the state of my front garden is bothering you, be my guest and sweep up the chuckies yourself. Sorry, had to vent a little bit… 

Now on to more pleasant subjects, here are the highs of the week. 

Highs: 

1) Getting confirmation about our baby shipment from the US. We can ship anything up to 500 pounds (as in weight, not British currency) of goods. Since most of the cribs and conversion sets we are looking at come to about 150 pounds and the changing tables come to about the same, that will leave us with 200 pounds for a stroller and some other things. Any must have items that we should make sure to stock up on? 

2) Girl time with Pam and Bailey at Balmedie Beach. 

It was great to get some fresh air and stretch my legs, while simultaneously exercising Bailey (which has quickly become my most cumbersome chore). It’s so much better when I can just let her off of a leash and let her chase seagulls for an hour while I take a leisurely stroll with a buddy. 

3) Sushi fix. Don’t judge me; I stuck with the deep fried kind of sushi. 

Brits love their mustard, and I’ve been craving a crunchy roll dipped in some tarty mustard for weeks now. I was glad I finally got to indulge my craving this week.   

4) Mahjong. 

It’s just fun, especially when you’re on a winning streak. Baby must be lucky. 

Alright, it's about 2:30 in the afternoon which is pregnant-speak for naptime.  But what about you? Highs and lows this week?

Things are Looking Up

After 6 months of snow and weeks of nonstop winter weather, Spring is finally fighting its way into Scotland. This week has been a welcome break from the dreary black cloud that has been following us around lately. The sun has made a few appearances and the temperatures have hit the 40s. The 40s y’all!! Heat wave. 

And more importantly, the start of Spring seems to have coincided with the end of the worst of my morning sickness and fatigue, which means I’ve actually been able to go outside and witness the dry weather. Yesterday started with a 3 mile run with Bailey girl, followed by a nice 1.3 mile walk to my friend Vicki’s to ‘paint our own sunshine’. 

I love the wide sidewalks in Aberdeen.

and the cobblestone streets!

I haven’t been the only miserable person in Aberdeen, and we thought it would be fun to make some sunshine themed garland for the next AWA meeting. 

A few of us got together in Vicki’s sunroom to craft our suns and string them together. 

I think it turned out really cute, though I was admittedly the least crafty person there. 

Hopefully these talented ladies will rub some of their artistic skills off on me, because I am seriously lacking in the creativity department. 

Not only are my friends super talented, but they are the sweetest, most thoughtful people on Earth. When I got to Vicki’s kitchen, she showed me a few things she picked up for me at Wowzie’s: Authentic Mac and Cheese, Goldfish, and FRITOS!!!! 

Fritos, ya’ll! I almost cried with happiness. 

It was such a lovely afternoon spent in great company, and even though I’m not so great at the whole ‘art’ thing, I love crafting anyway. It might be something I get more involved in since my 10 mile hiking days might be over for the time being and I’m needing a new hobby (other than watching Friends).

Another great thing about this week was that the clocks rolled back, so it is staying light until 8 pm. Jonathan and I were able to take Sam for an evening walk in the park which was just so pleasant. 

It helps this pregnant girl out so much to have an extra hour to get out there and take care of my dog walking responsibilities. And guess what we spotted at Johnston Gardens? 

Flowers!!! They are blooming and budding which means they know that Spring is here! 

And speaking of dog walking, Bailey had one heck of a field trip today. My friend Pam suggested we take advantage of the clear skies and head out to Balmedie beach. Since Bailey adores the ocean, especially chasing sea gulls, I thought this would be a great way to pair my dog exercising with my girl talking. 

I like taking Bailey to the Scottish beaches because they are so wide that she can get plenty far away and I still feel comfortable since I can spot her in the distance. 

She probably sprinted for the entire hour that we were out there and is now completely zonked. 

Thanks for the suggestion, Pam. We should do it again soon!

A Weekend of Celebrations

Happy Easter, everyone! I hope you all had a stellar weekend. Ours was full of various celebrations. On Friday night we headed to the Greek Restaurant, Christos, to say goodbye to some of our best buds before they move to London.

I hate to label a leaving-do a ‘celebration’, even if Debbie and Luke are moving on to such an exciting city. Saying these frequent goodbyes, especially to dear friends, is a hardship of ex-pat living.

The good thing about London is that it’s just a direct flight away. And Luke will still have business in Aberdeen, so we’re hoping that he’ll bring his wife along to Scotland for those trips. And since she’ll still technically be living in the same country and time zone, we’ll still be able to text and talk with no extra hassle.

Still, I will surely miss having her in my daily life: taking classes with her at the gym, discussing books with her at book club, hiking up ‘hills’ with her, and losing to her at mahjong. 

I still feel like life hasn’t been quite the same since Tanvi left, and with Debbie gone, it’ll be even more lonesome.

Hopefully this morning sickness will be over soon so that I can hop a plane to London for a visit. And from London, maybe I can hop a flight to Dubai to see Tanvi and Ram. Hmmm…is it inappropriate to spend all of my ‘baby moon’ vacation days visiting friends? Anyways, back to the party….

 

Despite my new found aversion to Greek food, we had a great night out with our friends. Christo, the owner of the restaurant, did his best to make it a celebratory rather than sad atmosphere.

Luke and Debbie were given traditional Greek liquor shots to end the night and then forced to dance on the table for all the patrons to watch. It’s hard to feel sad when you have a side stich from laughing so hard.

The next night, we were off to celebrate our friend Diane’s birthday. Her husband threw her a super sneaky surprise party and it was fun to be a part of it. I wish I had captured Diane’s reaction on camera, because it was probably the most genuinely shocked face I have ever seen. I did manage to get a picture of the birthday girl blowing out her candles on her delicious and beautifully decorated gluten free cake.

Our friend Falene should open a gluten free bakery, because she makes the most delicious treats. I was also super impressed with her decorating ability.

It was a fun laid back night and I even managed to stay awake until 11 pm. Whoa! (It helped that I didn’t technically get out of bed until 5 pm that evening. Oops.)

 

On Sunday we headed to church for the biggest celebration in history. We so often hear the story of the crucifixion and resurrection that sometimes it can lose it’s impact. It’s nice to have a day where we really dwell on the miracle that after being dead for 3 days, our Lord and Savior rose again to continue spreading the message of his salvation.

 

After church, several of our friends met for lunch, but I decided to save what was left of my energy to take the dogs for a nice long forest walk instead. We bundled up in hats and scarves since it was the coldest Easter on record in Aberdeen. We were stunned to see how much snow was still on the ground just a mile inland from our house.

It was just as well though because Bailey goes nuts anytime she’s near snow, so she really got her energy out on her walk.

Both pups were mega relaxed last night, and their tiredness has continued into today. So far today, Bailey has been passed out, which gives this pregnant lady some guilt free downtime to rest and finish season 8 of Friends. 

It’s a hard day at the office…