Snowed in

5th December 2008

War weary and battle torn I needed a break and today I got one: We were snowed in. So there was no school, no school run and no office.

We could sit in bed for 2 hours and still be in work for 9am. We had extra 2 hours in the day as we did not have to collect or take kids to school. The children played in the snow (as the primary school children are not allowed to do!) And there were mishaps and tears sometimes but lots of fun as well.

We made Christmas decorations in the afternoon. And we made a fire and kept it running all day so no extra heating. And I crocheted for a couple of hours after answering emails and such. And I got some things done: ordering presents from LLanraeader Post Office, booking February half term break, sorting the invites for the Christmas party, organised some basic stuff for the Christmas service I am doing a week on Sunday, all things I would have not got done otherwise.

Finally in the evening after disappointment at turning up to yoga and there being none I had a cuppa with the friend I had gone with and came home to David. Then I said “Lets go out for a walk in the snow – it is cold and still and clear and fresh.” So we shouted up to Hannah, and went, just half and hour around the block. There were no lovely views, too many lights for the stars, but beautiful, beautiful, nevertheless; with our boots crunching in the snow, the feeling of good strong walking through 6-8 inches in places. Not talking too much – companionability.

And so quiet, peaceful, and thankful for this gift of rest at this time of year I write my blog before retiring to bed. Thankyou God. Ruth

Photo Madness

Today against all our best instincts and breaking a personal rule never to accede to invitations to ‘free’ photo shoots that precipitate an invitation to part with large wodges of cash to actually own the images produced – yes we went on a free photo shoot at Arts Photography somewhere on the far side of Leeds from us (at least it felt it with five children and a birthing pool to transport there!

I went with apprehensive optimism, David setoff downright opposed to such a mad venture, children like a pack of rats in a sack. David had forgotton about the pool so we had to ‘pick it up on the way’, we were stuck in traffic, the ‘Tom Tom’ directed us to a back passage between two shops, before we tumbled out of our cars and decended on the unwary agency.

Thankfully we found them human and humane – children were giddy but Gemma calm and lively at once coxed and directed our chimps into cute and cheery poses in and out of the pool. Horrendous hype had been our past experience and we were relieved. Nevertheless tension was high (even with supply of excellent tea in stylish cups) for me until we tumbled forth from the studio with none of Gemmas’s equipment damaged, and no child psychologically scarred for life.

Arranged a viewing for a month’s time when I have recovered the nerve.