Guard dog...

Lola always settles in the most awkward of places.  Here, in the hall between the doors, in front of the cooker, across the WC door (especially when I am in most desperate need!) across the front door, under the kitchen table where one's feet go, on the sofa in the exact spot you want to sit on....I could go on but I am sure you get the picture :-)

I am sure this is deliberate on her part as then she can keep track of our every move!  The most frustrating (and endearing :-) thing about it is, I can ask her then TELL her to move, but she just lifts her head, looks me straight in the eye and puts her head back down again, usually with a sigh!  If David calls her though, it is a different story, she's up and off like a rocket to see what her master wants.  She will only move for me if I mention the word treat!  She has me well trained *rolls eyes*

We all slept well (and a little late :-) after our late night.  Just cereal and toast for brunch as Ele and Kenny had their annual Christmas lunch in Glasgow with their university crowd, and we had Agnes and Adrian coming up for dinner.

After E & K left I set about making the food for tonight.  Agnes is vegetarian and I had been thinking about making mac and cheese but found a Gordon Ramsay recipe on YouTube for halloumi, courgette and herb cakes with a roasted tomato and watercress salad and decided to give that a go.  The halloumi cakes need to be chilled before frying and I had just made them and got them into the fridge and the tomatoes roasting in the oven when they arrived.  Perfect timing.  

Had a lovely afternoon and evening with them.  Agnes makes jewellery and I'd asked her to make me a silver necklace for Eleanor's birthday, which she brought with her and it is absolutely beautiful!  I am over the moon with it and I know Ele will be too.  I will blip it before I wrap it :-))

We enjoyed dinner but if I was making the halloumi cakes again I would maybe replace the mint, coriander and spring onions with basil, garlic and finely chopped red onion.  The slow roasted tomatoes were delicious and I will definitely make them again with all sorts of dishes.  I may make them just to keep in a jar in the fridge as they would be delicious on a roast beef or chicken sandwich with a little mayo.  

Agnes and Adrian will be back on Hogmanay so we discussed the cocktails  that will be on offer definitely no negronis!  We had such a laugh remembering how Agnes and I went through a spell in our youth of drinking Tequila Sunrises.  I think we thought we were being very sophisticated.  

We recalled one Saturday evening, long before we were all married (well a few years before David and I were married, Agnes was 19 when she and Adrian got married), when David and Adrian came to pick us up (David was driving his mum's mini so we must have just turned 18 years old) and after some discussion about where we would go, we decided for a change, to head to a different town from our usual haunts and go to a pub I had heard a friend of my mum mention.  

Upon entering said pub (the pub and town shall remain nameless to protect my embarrassment!  lol) it should have become immediately apparent that it was a working man's pub treasured local and not a place that was used to "incomers" especially of the fairer sex (remember this is 1985 :-) 

Undeterred we ignored the stares and found a table, and with the stupidity and innocence  confidence of youth, sent David and Adrian to the bar to order a lager for Adrian, a coke for D (responsible driver) and two Tequila Sunrises for Agnes and me!  The barman thought they were taking the piss!  When it became apparent they were serious, he asked them what was in a Tequila Sunrise (apart from the obvious) Adrian returned to ask us, we didn't have a clue!  Turns out they didn't have any tequila.  Second choice was cider and Babycham.  This too proved difficult.  We settled for a cider each!  lol

Had planned to get blip up to date but after uploading Friday's blip I dozed off so it had to wait another day!  :-)

PS Please excuse the filthy floor!  It was mopped that morning but impossible to keep clean with all the comings and goings and slush and mud outside!