That Was All I Had Left!! in Scottish Meanderings

The postbox that is.

To explain ~

Not being able to get to the Post Office to post presents this year and having family in far flung(ish) places, I decided to get all the kids (apart from Lily and Lilah) gift cards for Smyths toy shop because there’s a postbox about 10 minutes walk from the house which I can manage to walk to. Apart from Nikki, I don’t buy the adults in the family presents anyway because once we started expanding at the rate of noughts it was getting ridiculous - instead I donate to a charity of choice. And it's strange - I always thought choosing a particular charity would be really hard but every year there's always been something happen in the family during that year which has made the choice really easy when December rolls around.

Anyway, not having much in the way of what you could call a life at the moment meant that I was actually super organised for once - the tree and decorations were up and online presents bought in the first week of December which NEVER happens in this house! The cards were written a couple of days later and I was all set to post them when this happened.


Although some folk made the most of that.


That is one flirty looking snow lady.

I ventured out for a walk a couple of days later and thought I wasn’t going to make it back to the house because the road I needed to cross in order to do so was like a sheet of black ice and the pavements not much better. After a few precarious slips, I decided it wasn’t worth risking life and limb just for a walk and vowed to wait until everything was clear before stepping outside the front door again.

A week later I was glad to see it had almost disappeared and then this happened.


So back to bed I went while I hacked, spluttered and sneezed through the next few days and nights. On Thursday I thought it was clearing up a bit so got up for Nikki and Lilah coming through but the way I felt after they left told me I wasn’t out of the woods yet and I was back in bed the next day. I was delighted for once to see the rain later on Thursday afternoon and was really looking forward to getting out at last at the weekend. When I got up in the middle of the night to go to the loo I couldn’t believe it when I looked out of the window and saw this.


Well that's a lie given that that photo is of part of Aberdeen University and I can't see Aberdeen University from my bedroom window but you get the drift (haha). Just a light dusting but precarious in its own way because it’s now covering the lumps of ice which the old snow had turned into making it not-very-obvious what’s slippy and what’s not. I tested the path earlier this afternoon after watching a couple of cars lose traction in our cul de sac and it was treacherous to say the least so I retreated back into my cave defeated.

I’m pissed off.

I have neighbours and friends who have offered to help me anytime and Janice is coming in tomorrow with more home cooked freezer portions so I won’t be stuck but that’s not the point. Getting to the postbox was the only bit of control I had left over Christmas shopping and now even that’s become too difficult. The snow has also curtailed folk coming in to me which would have brightened things up slightly. The girls were stuck in Pitmedden and couldn't come through when it first appeared, Janice had to cancel a proposed visit 2 weeks ago and 2 appointments at the house were also cancelled. And I know I’m all ratty because I’m not completely over the cold/flu/whatever-it-is so adding a good dollop of Cabin Fever to that isn’t helping in the slightest. My nerves feel like they’re frayed at the edges and my throat’s like broken glass. I just want a BREAK for Pete's sake.

Yeah - no spirit of Christmas in this house at the moment.

Maybe I should go watch It’s A Wonderful Life or something.