We had just returned from a family holiday on 30th June 2007, when two terrorists stormed the airport with a jeep loaded with petrol cannisters.  The terrorists then started attacking a policeman who had run to the scene, before one of the men actually set himself alight!  My husband had been packing our suitcases into the car when the attackers struck.  At first he thought it was just an accident, but pretty soon he realised that something far more sinister was unfolding, and he ran to the aid of the lone policeman who was under attack by the terrorists.

A scuffle ensued, but unfortunately, Hubby ended up lying on the ground next to the burning jeep, with his leg broken in two places, before being pulled to safety by female security guard, Mary McCandlish and baggage handler, John Smeaton.

On the day of the attack, when Hubby was lying in his hospital bed, I said to him:

You are either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid!  I’ve not made my mind up yet!

However, I can now confidently state that:

My Hubby is a hero!  He risked his life to save others, and I am so proud of him!

Since the attack, Hubby has received many accolades for his bravery, including The Sunday Mail Great Scot Awards, The Pride of Britain Awards and the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery.

Hubby is such a reluctant hero too!  He doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about, thinking that anyone would have done what he did!  Sure, there were several brave men who intervened that day, to help thwart the terrorists’ plans.  However, there many others who fled in the opposite direction, and others who just stood and watched, some even filming the events on their mobile phones!   My Hubby acted on instinct, and his instinct was to help the policeman and stop the attackers.  That makes him pretty heroic in my book!

Asides from his bravery, my Hubby is the wonderfulest because he works hard to provide for his family, is a very hands-on father, a loyal and loving husband, well-liked by everyone who knows him, generous and down-to-earth.

We’ve been a couple for more than twenty years, married for thirteen.  He is my rock.  He certainly is my Mr Wonderfulest!!

I’m linking up with Mama M at My Little Life and her Mr Wonderfulest contest! (If you like my post, please “Like” it on the Linky!… Thanks!)

1. Stirling Castle
2. The Wallace Monument
3. The Falkirk Wheel
4. The Antonine Wall
5. Callendar House (and park)
6. Ochill Hills
7. Bridge of Allan
8. Blair Drummond Safari Park
9. Kinniel Railway
10. Stirling University Campus

If you’re ever in my neck of the woods, please make sure you visit some or all of these places!

Here’s my top ten destinations for visitors to my homeland:

1. Glasgow – I was born and bred in Glasgow, and still feel very much at home there.  It may not have a castle like its rival city, Edinburgh, but it has a lot to offer: great shopping, a wide variety of bars and restaurants, good nightlife, great architecture and lots of cultural offerings such as The Kelvingrove Art Gallery, The Transport Museum, The Burrell Collection, Peoples’ Palace, The Mitchell Library and the Museum of Modern Art.
2. Edinburgh – Our capital city and friendly rival to Glasgow.  Edinburgh boasts its magnificent castle, Arthur’s Seat, The Scottish Parliament, The Royal Mile, The Edinburgh Fringe, The Edinburgh Festival and The Military Tattoo.
3. Stirling – Stirling has a magnificent castle to rival Edinburgh, and the nearby Wallace Monument.  Stirling was the setting for Braveheart, as this is where our national hero, Sir William Wallace, came from.  Nearby Bannockburn is a living monument to the famous Battle of Bannockburn and King Robert The Bruce.  Stirling also offers great shopping and entertainment.
4. The Royal Burgh of St Andrews – Known worldwide as the “Home of Golf”, St Andrews is a charming town on the Fife coast.  It’s famous cathedral, the largest in Scotland, may lie as ruins now, but it is still very pictuersque.  St Andrew’s boast one of the UK’s most prestigious universities.  St Andrews University is the third oldest universities in the English-speaking world, and our future king, Prince William studied there.  There are some great bars and restaurants to be found in St Andrews.
5. Glencoe – This has to be my favourite location for breathtaking  scenery!  It does not matter what like the weather is, the rolling hills and precipitous mountains of Glencoe look awesome!  You just cannot resist the urge to stop the car every few minutes to take another photo!
6. Fort William – This is a popular tourist destination, not far from Glencoe.  It is a charming town, with one main street of bars, shops and restaurants.  There are several good hotels and lots of B&Bs in the area, as it is a good base for exploring the Highlands.
7. Pitlochry – I love this charming Victorian town, which is not too long a drive from my home.  Hubby and I have spent many a weekend or Holiday Monday in Pitlochry.  It boasts Loch Tummel, Loch Faskally, the Fish Ladder, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, as well as a good choice of hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, bars and shops.  Pitlochry is an ideal base for hillwalkers, and there are lots of paths and picnic areas.
8. The Western Isles (Hebrides) This is a popular tourist destination, with many people enjoying a cruise round the Western Isles, with its breathtaking scenery.  There are both Inner and Outer Hebridean islands.  The Inner Hebrides lie closer to mainland Scotland and include Islay, Jura, Skye, Mull, Raasay, Staffa and the Small Isles. There are 36 inhabited islands in this group. The Outer Hebrides are a chain of more than 100 islands and small skerries located about 70 kilometres (43 mi) west of mainland Scotland. There are 15 inhabited islands in this archipelago. The main islands include Barra, Benbecula, Berneray, Harris, Lewis, North Uist, South Uist, and St Kilda.  The Hebrides contain the largest concentration of Scottish Gaelic speakers in Scotland
9. Ayrshire – During rare spells of hot sunny weather, Scottish people flock to the Ayrshire coast, visiting Largs, Prestwick and Ayr.  Ayrshire not only boasts sandy beaches, but also offers some beautiful countryside too.  Much of Ayrshire is farmland, as it is one of the most agriculturally fertile regions of Scotland.  Many of my ancestors came from this part of the country.
10. Inverness – Regarded as the capital of the Highlands, this city lies near the 18th century bettle site of Culloden.  It’s an attractive city on the River Ness, with plenty to do and see, so well worth the drive up the A9.

Have you been to any of these places?  Do you think I’ve missed out an important Scottish tourist location?  I hope my readers from afar will be inspired to visit my wonderful homeland now!… 

I’ve decided to put my own spin on today’s Top 3, as I felt the topic was open to interpretation.

My Top 3 Countries for Shopping

3.) The UK – I like the familiarity of High Street shops in the UK.  No matter what town or city I go to, I am bound to find familiar chains such as Boots, Next and Debenhams.

2.) Italy – I love shopping in Italy!  From the stylish designer boutiques on the Island of Capri, the over-priced tourist shops of Venice to the leather and ceramics shops in the back-streets of Sorrento.

1.) The United States – Everything is BIGGER and BETTER in the USA.  there’s sooooomuch more choice, and eveything is waaaaaaycheaper than back hom in the UK.  The Walmart we requented throughout our Florida trip last year was the size of a small country!  I swear I could have spent the entire day in there!!  You could buy almost anything you wanted in that Walmart.  We visited some designer outlet shopping malls while there, and it was great fun!  I treated myself to some luxury items at a fraction of what I would have paid back home! 

My Top 3 Cities to Shop in the UK

3.) Edinburgh – Scotland’s capital city is not as renowned for it’s shopping as its rival city, Glasgow.  However, I do enjoy a leisurely day out in Edinburgh.  You can browse the High Street stores on Princes Street or explore the back streets for  more unique little shops.  Of course, it’s always fun to browse the tourist shops of the Royal Mile, where you can buy woolens, ceramics, whisky, Edinburgh Rock and, not forgetting, lots of tarten tat!  Edinburgh also has the fabulous upmarket department store, Harvey Nichols.

2.) London – I love shopping in London.  Oxford Street has such a buzz about it!  (Especially at Christmas time!)  There’s a happy mix of expensive designer boutiques, High Street chains and smaller tourist shops.  Here, you will also find a Harvey Nichols.  In Knightsbridge, you will find the world famous, Harrods, which is like an Aladin’s Cave full of beautiful and exquisite things.  This store is particularly magical to visit in the run up to Christmas.

1.) Glasgow - Okay, so I’m a Glaswegian!  So what?!  I still believe that my home town is the best place to shop in the UK.  There’s more than one shopping main street:

• Argyle Street, with the fabulous St Enoch shopping centre
• Buchanan Street with Frasers, the Argyll Arcade, Princes Square shopping mall and the Buchanan Galleries shopping centre
• Sauchiehall Street
• The Merchant City, with its designer boutiques.

Let’s not forget the shopping centres outwith the city centre, such as Braehead, Silverburn and Glasgow Fort.

Top 3 Places to Shop on the High Street

 3.) Next - Ladieswear, Menswear, Childrens and Homeware.

2.) Debenhams – As above, but on a larger scale, comprising of lots of different brands to suit a wider range of customers.

1.) John Lewis – A great department store, which is a Wedding List favourite, due to it’s wide range of quality homeware, kitchenware and furniture.  It also has a great haberdashery department, and is ideal for beautiful greetings cards and gifts.

Top 3 Places to Shop Online

3.) As Seen On Screen (ASOS) – Up to the minute fashion at affordable prices.  You can buy designer clothes and mock designer fashions here. 

2.) Etsy - This is the place to look for beautiful, quirky handmade goods.

1.) Amazon - I always check out Amazon if I’m looking for books, DVDs, CDs and electronic games.  The prices are very competitive and the delivery options are great.

I was standing at the checkout at Sainsbury's on my lunch break today, with my basketful of shopping all laid out on the conveyor belt when, out of the blue, a grey-haired old man steps in front of me and places four tins of soup in front of my groceries.

I stand agog, utterly speechless.

He then has the audacity to turn round and say to me:

"I'm sorry, have I just skipped in front of you?"

"Yes, I believe you have."  I reply dryly.

"Well, I'm sorry but I didn't see you."

"I can't understand why you didn't see me.  I've been standing here all along, with all my shopping laid out on the belt."  I respond.

"Aw c'mon!" he retorts, "Do you really think I would be so ignorant as to just barge in front?"

"Meh!" I shrug, biting my tongue and sooooooo wanting to say this:

"Yes, you bl**dy well DID barge in front of me, you ignorant old git!  If you didn't see me then I suggest you need an eye test, Mister!  I've been standing here for five minutes with a helluva lot more shopping than your poxy tins!  If you really couldn't wait in the queue, then you should've used the Self-Serve checkouts.  Why are you out shopping at lunchtime anyway?  You have ALL DAY to shop, whereas I am on my LUNCH BREAK from work!  Didn't see me, my @rse!  Should've gone to Specsavers!  Moron!"

If you would like to vent your spleen and launch a tirade of abuse at a deserving party, then hop over to Hiding From The Kids to take part in the What I Meant To Say Wednesday meme.

Our Garden

The view from my window

Our rabbit run

You can see more Spring Snow pictures, taken in Scotland in the last couple of days on the BBC News website here.

Today is both World Poetry Day and World Forestry Day.  As a member of Bloggers Unite, I thought I would pay homage to both of these days by sharing a poem about trees, as well as some of  the photographs I have taken of trees in my neighbourhood.

This poem illustrates how important trees are not only to man, but also to birds, animals and plantlife.

The Tree by Anne Kingsmill Finch

Fair tree! for thy delightful shade
‘Tis just that some return be made;
Sure some return is due from me
To thy cool shadows, and to thee.
When thou to birds dost shelter give,
Thou music dost from them receive;
If travellers beneath thee stay
Till storms have worn themselves away,
That time in praising thee they spend
And thy protecting pow’r commend.
The shepherd here, from scorching freed,
Tunes to thy dancing leaves his reed;
Whilst his lov’d nymph, in thanks, bestows
Her flow’ry chaplets on thy boughs.
Shall I then only silent be,
And no return be made by me?
No; let this wish upon thee wait,
And still to flourish be thy fate.
To future ages may’st thou stand
Untouch’d by the rash workman’s hand,
Till that large stock of sap is spent,
Which gives thy summer’s ornament;
Till the fierce winds, that vainly strive
To shock thy greatness whilst alive,
Shall on thy lifeless hour attend,
Prevent the axe, and grace thy end;
Their scatter’d strength together call
And to the clouds proclaim thy fall;
Who then their ev’ning dews may spare
When thou no longer art their care,
But shalt, like ancient heroes, burn,
And some bright hearth be made thy urn.

World Poetry Day aims to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world.

Fraoch Wood asks us to Plant a Tree on World Forestry Day. By planting an indigenous tree you can make a contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and improve biodiversity in your locale during 2010.

The Good

I love where I live.  My small town is situated in an ideal location.  It’s close to beautiful countryside, but has great commuter links to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Falkirk and Stirling.

The Bad

 Unfortunately, not everyone appreciates their surroundings.  Litter is a huge problem throughout Scotland, and one of my main bug bears!

The Ugly

My town has so much potential.  However the local council has decided to scrap plans for regeneration of our run-down town centre.  These (condemned) flats are a disgrace!  They are a crumbling eyesore!

Read about the plight of my town on the BBC news site here.