I arrived home last night after a good drive up the A9 and across to Ullapool and a good sail over The Minch. I arrived in Ullapool to find that I wasn't on the manifest for the evening sailing and that it was pretty full. Fortunately I had the emailed booking on my phone so all was well. However moments like that are always a bit heart-stopping. What if I had booked the wrong day? What if....? The chap marshalling all the vehicles seemed surprised that I wasn't annoyed at Calmac's failings. It hadn't actually occurred to me to be annoyed - relief being my principal emotion.
Today has been spent trying to sort out all the shopping I brought back (for me and for others) and unpack, attend to mail and all the other odds and ends that need doing after a fortnight away.
I went into town and the shopping having been done (ablative absolute) I decided to visit The Woodlands for coffee and a cream donut and to write a few notecards. The place was packed. Jean Anne, one of the wonderful young staff there, remarked on my absence and asked if all was well. I explained that I'd been off the Island for a couple of weeks. To which she responded that they had missed me and that she was glad that I was back. Well that truly happified me. I've felt on Cloud Nine ever since.
After I arrived home from town I managed to get the recalcitrant lawnmower working. The grass hadn't been cut since last September because I was away and when I got back it was too wet and has remained that way until just before I went away when the mower, despite having been overhauled, displayed it's usual Spring obstinacy and refused to start. The sky was promising rain so I set forth and spoke sternly to it and it roared into life and I filled a large wheelie bin with grass clippings.
I'm hoping to return to Blogland again this week. I've really missed you all.
Post script: I've been wondering how the saying "On cloud nine" originated. It would seem that a commonly heard explanation is that the expression originated as one of the classifications of cloud which were defined by the US Weather Bureau in the 1950s, in which 'Cloud Nine' denotes the fluffy cumulonimbus type that are considered so attractive. It sounds a good explanation to me.
Wonderful to have you back GB, xx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Helen. It's taken a while to catch up.
DeleteGood to see you back on your blog too :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Monica. I've just finished catching up on yours.
DeleteI think it's really nice that people noticed you'd been gone. you must really have a positive impact there :-)
ReplyDeleteAmy, I drink a lot of coffee in The Woodlands and chat to the staff. In fact many people in The Woodlands speak to each other.
DeleteGood to see you back home.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Adrian.
DeleteI think most people in customer service are stunned when customers are pleasant and understanding.
ReplyDeleteYou deserve a warm welcome!
Kylie, I find that rather sad. I'm pretty sure that most of The Woodlands' customers are pleasant and understanding. I shall have to make a study of it. Certainly the staff are very welcoming.
DeleteGood to see you in circulation again.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rachel. I've actually caught up with your blog too.
DeleteI'm also glad that you're back and hope you stay healthy and can beat that old mower.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Red. The mower has been subjugated into obedience.
DeleteGood to have you back.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Helsie.
Deletehttps://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/on-cloud-nine.html
ReplyDeleteThere you go, Graham...that answers your question about Cloud Nine. I was going to say Clouds One to Eight were too flimsy to bear the weight.... :)
Good to see you. Take care. :)
Thank you, Lee. I prefer your explanation - much more fun.
DeleteA nearby neighbour recently cut down a very productive (but inconvenient) Walnut tree. I told her that I now missed it, and she was very touched; in a similar way to yourself. It's good to be missed; even if you're a tree.
ReplyDeleteCro, I was once accused of being a bit wooden but I don't think I've been compared to a tree before 😂
DeleteIt's always nice to be missed. It's good to see you back here as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jules. It's good to be back.
DeleteWe missed you, too, Graham!
ReplyDeleteHow kind of the lady at the café. I guess there are occasionally some guests that are not missed when absent.
Well, Meike, I am a rather frequent coffee imbiber there as I pop in after my morning walk. I usually write a card or two if i'm on my own which is a bit unusual.
DeleteGlad you're home - and oh, I know about the Springtime recalcitrance of lawn mowers! Thing is, I have a deuced hard time remembering to let them run dry of gas before winter storage, and so inevitably the motor gets gummed up with old gas that has sat there for months... and yes, there is a satisfaction to having local people that you don't actually know personally, but you know them in their business, and when they are absent you miss them, and when you are absent they miss you. We have a lovely local diner where we are acquainted with the owner and serving staff, and it's lovely to walk in and get a great big smile and a hello!
ReplyDeleteGood morning Marcheline. There is nothing better for the soul than being recognised (unless you've just committed a crime, I suppose). As for the mower I usually service it over the winter but it is always reluctant to start. Yesterday I sprayed easy-start into the air filter. That did the trick.
Delete"Happified!" ... I simply love that and intend to use it frequently. Welcome back Graham.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jill. I've used the word, happified, since I was a youngster so I don't even remember whether I made it up or got it from someone/somewhere else.
DeleteA nice warm welcome, indeed!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pipistrello.
DeleteHow nice that you were told that you were missed. Me? They would have looked at me and said, "Are you back? We thought you had moved away!" :-)
ReplyDeleteKay, given your outgoing warmth of personality, I doubt very much that would be the case.
DeleteCream Doughnut? Welcome home Billy Bunter!
ReplyDeleteYP, I have been called many things in my time but with a 32" (82cm) waist 'Billiy Bunter' is not one of them!
DeleteI was thinking how nice it would be to drop in casually and have a cream doughnut without really bothering about it. Possibly you have a 32 inch waist because you don't have too many of them!
DeleteAh, the good old ablative absolute! That takes me back a few (many) years! Hope you are well.
ReplyDeleteThe good old ablative absolute always reminds me of '1066 And All That'. I am very well, thank you.
DeleteHi Graham, I'm glad you are happily home and all's well. All is well I hope! I've been pondering on the number 9 lately, too. My g-g-daughter just loves the number 9. She will start to count … "one, tooooo, tree", then leap in the air, arms outflung and , shout "NINE". Sometimes when she is playful, when I ask her something she will grin and say, "nine". I like your explanation for Cloud 9, too.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you Pauline. You are just TOO YOUNG to have a great-grand-child. She does sound fun though.
DeleteI'm glad you are back Graham, and very glad that people have been noticing your absence, and especially glad you've been on cloud 9! Yes, what a curious expression it is, and I like your explanation; it conjures up a nice visual image, somehow.
ReplyDelete