living in an igloo

Well, this is what our igloo looks like from outside and up the hill.  Sorry for the gratuitous 'snow' picture, but I thought this one, that Mr T took with our new SLR camera, the other day was superb.  Isn't it?  The snow is actually another foot deeper now.  But, I've just checked the storecupboard and found another six packets of tea - so, we're not running out of supplies just yet.

We have been stuck indoors for a couple of days now, and are really enjoying it.  Seems like a holiday at home to us.  I've got all the hoovering and ironing done.  Loads of knitting and will get set to and do some sewing tomorrow.  Then, I've got some stuff to catch up on for college - mainly getting my scrapbook up to date, and starting on my project.  It is on - guess what? - kintting! I've to gather images, samples, ideas and some knitting designers and put them into a sketchbook.  Fun, eh?

Yet again, gah

Yes, yet again I have a stinker of a cold.  I have had to cancel three meetings - yes, three! - for today, again.  And, with this 'cold' I have not been sleeping, just a couple of hours a night.  This will just not do.

I am due to be going to Harrogate tomorrow, to the Knitting and Stitching Show which I am really excited about.  Several friends have been going for years, and one in particular - I shall call her Jean, as that is her name - sends me a copy of the leaflet each year.  And, this time another crafter and I are palling up to go there.  We went through the Twisted Thread site and found a great deal on the hotel and travel.  Let's hope it all goes smoothly ..... After attending the Pain Clinic I bought a folding chair thingy, that I'll be able to take and use in the exhibitions, etc.  Usually, I am unable to go to exhibitions due to the pain of walking and then standing about on hard floors.  I let you know how I get on - I know you are gagging for information, haha!

My family are all well at the moment, except for nanny's lolly-dolly-pop, who very generously gave this current cold to me.  She loves being called nanny's lolly-dolly-pop

              ** we interrupt this broadcast to let you know it is SNOWING! here in mid-
                    Scotland, yay! **  (deffo worth staying home and knitting socks by the fire, eh? )

and we have movement on the childminding stakes. We had the sad news, recently, that nldp's childminder, S, is very sick.  Her cancer has returned.  So, there was a mad rush to find a good next one, and in the meantime, granddad and I stepped in to help.  A new childminder has been found, vetted, and given the approval of nldp, but is more expensive.  The solution we came to was for granddad and I to have her on one day each week, so bonus for me!  Daughter and nldp have been to visit S, and taken her a 'birthday' (according to nldp) card, that is a Get Well Soon one.  Our thoughts are with S, who is bearing up but very scared.  Kind of puts any cold a person may be suffering from into perspective, doesn't it?

As I leave you today, little tiny flakes of snow are wending their way down from the sky, to join up with the hard frost to be found covering everything.

UPdate

Well, we're back from a most smashing holiday, over one of the most awful of virus-y colds ever, and well, back to the usual stuff of course.

The holiday was 'really fun' to use an American term I heard quite a bit.  The Royal Caribbean cruise line is US owned and patronised; though altogether there were 62 different nations aboard.  There was everything you could want aboard, including two swimming pools, various bars, lessons in painting, dancing and languages, as well as how to fold the towels in the cute way the stateroom attendants did it to amuse us.  Deck games plus a climbing wall, plus 3.5 x around the ship = 1 mile - or you could run it, either in company or alone.

The food was impressive. Not just beautiful, well cooked food in such a variety that you couldn't get bored, but consistently good if you were partaking at 6 am or 2 am.  Doubly impressive when you consider they were catering for 2,500 people for all those hours. And, the staff were at all times, pleasant and polite - and with a genuine smile.

We needed to return from one trip due to a stonking migraine I developed.  Not only was the taxi fare refunded, but I was able to see the doctor, and enquiries were made into my welfare with real concern.

We visited Venice (stunning) Egypt (smelly and dirty, as usual) Israel (clean, friendly and efficient) Athens (gorgeous - with the Amphitheatre, which was cool) and Croatia which had oranges and pomegranates growing on trees (which a young, New Yorker thought might be tomatoes (!)) and an, as yet, freshness that appears to be unsullied by us rotten tourists visiting.

As it was a 'Holy Land' cruise of course there was a visit to Jerusalem, to see Jesus birthplace.  The manger in a stable turns out to be a cave down several lots of steps, (which I didn't venture down as a) I am claustrophobic and b) not religious) instead of a wooden stable that all kids in a Christian world have been fobbed off with.  It was also not very 'godly' for those who were expecting that, apparently, due to the sheer volume of the crowds.  Which is a shame if that's what you've actually paid all your money for.

The ship is the holiday itself with, as I say, everything you could want and is very comfortable.  The visits to the various countries involves getting off the ship, onto a coach, visit something in that country, and return back to the ship. Which does give you a flavour of the various places, and we have definitely decided we will return to Venice. And, there is a but.  Which is that we like to visit a country and see more than just the sight it is famous for.  So, I don't think that cruising on a big ship is for us in the near future.

We did return, as said, to the usual bugs picked up on the journey home, usually, which does detract somewhat from the relaxing effect of the holiday. So, we'll be planning the next one soon, I'm sure.  I will post up piccies soon. Promise.