zen and the art of moving countries in 3 weeks

hello.  

this is just a post to say that things are progressing well, and all things being equal, moving from scotland to the states - in a matter of days - isn't the most stressful thing we've ever done.

selling off all one's furniture is pretty exciting.

and being able to keep our books, cd's, and dvd's is a massive bonus.

but most of all, knowing that there is going to be an end to the monsoon weather, to be replaced by lusciously hot and dry summer days...

these are the

things that make you go "om"

tee hee

photo shoot with cow hat

clematis

some kind of wonderful

papa zuzu, it's for you!

one day i will get one for us

love you, daddy-o

the god cloud

if there is? was? (i don't know)

s/he it/they would have certainly been coming out from behind this cloud

outside our kitchen

in glasgow, scotland

lilah's high tower

all by herself

caught in a downpour

using dad's coat to keep dry

poor dad got soaked

lilah and dad

lilah took this picture

California, here we come

big news, everyone...

I got a job in California!

we're all going to make the jump back across the pond this summer.

Glasgow, we're going to miss you!

California, we can't wait to see you!

Macbeth

(this was the picture on the life-size poster that was up advertising Macbeth all over the city)

anyway, since i mentioned it, i thought it best to document it for the future

okay, imagine everything i'm writing is in full caps, with a dozen exclamation points after each sentence... or maybe word.  yes, think exclamation mark following each word because that just might be almost equivalent to the sheer brilliance and audacity of the SOLO performance by the wonderful alan cummings (collective sigh here) of the entire masterful play

of Macbeth.  The Scottish Play (don't mention it's name, it is cursed).  we haven't been to see Shakespeare in a very long time, and it could be true that this is the first time Steven and I have been to see Shakespeare together at all... but oh.  my.  god.  it was SO worth the wait.

have i mentioned the star was Alan Cummings?  

and that it was staged in a psychiatric ward... and he played ALL the characters?

massive, massive props to the stage designers, the lighting co-ordinators and musicians/composers... all of whom went above and beyond to make this the MOST memorable performance of Macbeth for everyone who came to see it.

and every single performance was sold out.

i think for Mr Cummings, it would have felt really, really good ... as a Scottish man ... to have a standing ovation for over 5 minutes.

because you know what they say about Scottish (and even more so, Glaswegian audiences)... they are the toughest, and if they hate you, they'll let you know, but if they LOVE you, you're guaranteed success the world over.

thank you so, so much for the performance, Mr. Cummings.

it was one of those experiences in life where you leave feeling that your soul has been cleansed and you are capable of doing anything if you just put your mind to it!

the beauty is going to stay with us for the rest of our lives.

hidden lane festival

not one to let a little rain stop her from boogying in the puddles to some rockin' glaswegian band...

we briefly enjoyed the hidden lane festival (part of the greater West End Festival in Glasgow)

before Lilah and Freya went to the Mela in the park

and Mum and Dad went to see Macbeth (with Alan Cummings)

quite an enjoyable Saturday after SUCH a hard month of working

June, I'm not sorry to see you go.

Bring on July!

sitting on a wall

lilah, theia, and jude outside their house

on a beautiful sunny day in glasgow

fearlessness comes with a price

since she was born,

lilah swings from her dad's arms most days

never once has she fallen (or been dropped)

until the other day

both hands slipped,

and she fell

face first

onto the floor

not a broken nose,

but a very, very sore one

you're a rubbish mummy

so i got the first of what i can only imagine will be years of pointed verbal attacks (?) accusations (?) the other day.

the gist of it is that i'm a rubbish mummy.  lilah doesn't want to live with us, she wants to live with her friend because her mummy is such a much better mummy.  i only ever do mean things.  i never do fun things.  and on, and on, and on...

i tried not to rise to it -- because you're not supposed to.  you're the grown up, you know.  you have the maturity not to retaliate to a 4 year old.

so i didn't.  i kept saying that's fine.  i will always love you, even if you don't like me.

because it was one of those days where the whole afternoon was a long, extended play date, and there was sun and sweet treats involved, the twiredness was in full swing, and the slough of abuse coming out of lilah's mouth was astonishingly articulate.  i did have to keep reminding myself that she was only 4 years old...

but i did think i might have had another 8 years or so before this was going to start happening.  oh well, the way things are going, i should have expected it!

anyway, after she fell asleep, i spent the night on the couch all curled up.  my stomach was knotted.  i felt weak.  and i didn't know how to shake it off.

mums out there:  this point in your relationship with your child sucks.  if anyone who has been through this knows a better way of dealing with this ... because i know it's going to happen again ... i'm all ears.

thank you, michael stipe

somehow, we flew through the whole "some girls love girls and some boys love boys" conversation in under a minute this weekend.

she's been rocking out to Stand by REM, and was flipping through the liner notes, and when she came to the picture of Michael Stipe, she asked if he was married and i said, yes, i believe.  he's married to a boy.

yes, lilah said.  because some girls love girls and some boys love boys.

easy peasy.

(stand in the place where you live / now face north / think about direction wonder why you haven't now)

lilah and lucy

these girls are cousins

lucy is steven's half-sister's daughter

it is such a shame we only see them once every few years

they had a great time together

a date with some ice cream

going out for ice cream

behind lilah is the Glasgow Gaelic School

(very nearly her primary school, but we decided against it at the last minute)

freya and lilah

both 8 september girls

lilah.

raspberry ripple ice cream.

waffle cone.

and a chocolate flake.

(in an american-style diner)

heaven.

need i say more?

lilah outside

enjoying the weather

(not yet cooking in her boots)

it has been absolutely glorious here in glasgow this week

ah, the sun does good things to the soul

little stunner

methinks we're going to be in trouble in a few years

...

what Lilah is listening to now

no doubt : the singles : 1992 - 2003

favourites : just a girl, it's my life, hella good 

adam and the ants : kings of the wild frontier

favourites : dog eat dog, ants invasion, kings of the wild frontier

green day : american idiot

favourites : american idiot, holiday (she plays it because its my fav, bless her)

but her ALL TIME fav on this record is : boulevard of broken dreams

(or, as lilah says it : walking on the road)

is lilah 4?  or 14?

and if she's listening to these records now... what kind of music will she like when she is 14?  

oh, i'm so excited.

happy birthday, mummy

birthday picture 2012

this will be the last picture of Portree, i promise

Portree Harbour

(not the setting for Balamory, but similar)

mediterranean light

this is the church we see from the living room windows

it's not a church now, it has been converted to flats

but it is still pretty, especially with the cherry trees out front

somehow, the light became all mediterranean for a few minutes

and we captured a few shots

it's a nice view

lilah's outfit rocks

we walked to the city centre to pick up daddy at work

and this is what lilah wore

"but mummy i AM learning"

Lilah had a pretty full-on weekend.

There were lots of successful experiments -- taking her scooter to the massive skate park around the corner and going down the half-pipe being one notable event.

Then there were the learning experiences (I'll tell you about those shortly).
And at one point, Lilah, attempting to hand a hot cup of earl grey to her dad, spilled it all over him and the leather couch.

At which point, I react, and say something cliche, like "Lilah!  You have to LEARN!"

And then she says,

"But Mummy, I HAVE learned!  I've learned LOADS of things.
I've learned not to stick my hand under a Daddy's saw.
I've learned not to stick my hand under the boiling water.
And I've learned to go to bed with the light off."

Steven and I just laughed.  As quietly as possible.

Because she was right.

adventures in inverness

walking into town

at the only Jamaican restaurant in Scotland

Kool Runnings

Lilah and mum

one tired princess

three generations after a long day

eilean donan castle

this is the most photographed castle in scotland

it's true

google it

on the way out of skye

one of the many one-lane "B" roads in scotland

you encounter more sheep on the road than cars

but if you do come up to another car, you must obey the rules

and pull into a "passing place" 

(designated by an extra swash of concrete)

because there ain't no room, man

there ain't no room for passing on these lanes

finally, the rest of our isle of skye visit

staffin beach

lilah at the museum of highland life

more of the museum

such a beautiful setting

nonnie at the museum

uncle jim at the museum

the last valley before the atlantic

dunvegan castle

the dunvegan castle gardens

necessary for protection

uncle jim, lilah, and mum at the castle

nonnie, lilah, and mum in the gardens

The Isles Inn... Lilah's first hotel

(ours was the room on the top left, the one with the window cut off in this pic)

it comes highly recommended -- great food, great atmosphere, and beds up the stairs after your night out.