The Holidays

What have you been up to for the last couple of weeks? Do tell, I’d love to know – and I am certain that it will be far less dull than all my doings…

Christmas here is a very low key affair. We usually take the dogs and a picnic lunch out on the 25th but the continuing stormy weather made that impossible this year and we had our sausage rolls at home for a change.The first time for many years that we have not had our long walk on that day.

Generally speaking I have tried to spend as much time with Mr L as I could this holiday – we have been lighting the sitting room fire and getting away from the computer room as often as possible; doing the Logica Armchair Treasure Hunt, the Guardian Christmas Prize Crossword, playing music (him) and spinning (me) by the fireside.

Spinning has been on the Matchless and I am working on a Merino/Silk roving from The Yarn Yard in lovely wintry spice colours.

There has been a considerable quantity of cooking, and some excellent eating – with a very retro theme this year. I made some coffee creams, from a recipe that I have not used since 1970, and took them as a gift when I went out to socialise one evening. We made vanilla fudge together, and pasta, and also cooperated on a Sweet and Sour Chicken and a Lamb Vindaloo. There was a Chocolate Roulade – I don’t think I have made one of those since the Eighties! There have been Sausage Rolls and Cheese Pinwheels, and Brandy Snap Baskets filled with real vanilla home made ice cream… it has been like being in a culinary time warp.

Knitting there was too – I completed the Flukra triangle – this will be pinned out tomorrow, I think. Look out for an FO post soon. I also began an aran-weight version of the Beekeeper’s Quilt. So far, I have 10 hexagons made – and I am sticking to Colinette Art yarn throughout this project, using their cut price  Creative Project Packs. BBC iPlayer accompaniments to knitting have been the very excellent adaptation of Great Expectations – Gillian Anderson was brilliant as Miss Havisham -  Becoming Jane (again – can not resist Mr McAvoy!) and the final episodes of Merlin.

It has been very pleasant.

What has not been pleasant is the final demise of the car… We set off to go shopping in Kirkwall on Friday morning, but the car failed to start and we couldn’t go to the ferry. We popped the battery on charge and went out locally in the afternoon, calling at the bottle bank before going to the shop. Alas, the car would not start when we tried to leave the bottle bank. Thanks to the kindness of neighbours,  we got a tow start and managed to get home. 24 hours further charging made no difference. The car simply will not turn over – so the fault lies not with the battery. As we have bought the Land Rover, it is not sensible to spend money fixing the Maverick, especially as it is not MOT-able. Unfortunately, the Land Rover is likely to be in pieces for quite some time to come. Thus we are marooned without a car for who knows how long. I am going to have to get my boots on once more and back pack the shopping home each week.

I did say that I needed to be less sedentary…

Our wedding anniversary yesterday was a delightful celebration, even if the dinner plans had to be re-drawn in the light of shopping fiascos. We ate well, drank even better, and spent a gooey evening reminiscing… and missing old friends. I feel that I am getting close to actually wanting to head South at some point. Until now I have had absolutely no desire to leave Orkney for even a moment – but now I feel the need of the sight of old faces. A few hugs, a lot of laughs. We got to thinking that our tenth wedding anniversary next year might be a very appropriate time for such a trip – we really enjoyed our wedding day and have a great fondness for those who shared that day with us. It would be good to think that we could make it happen but a shortage of cash and a surfeit of dogs and cats will most likely get in the way. No doubt next year it will be “more of the same” again.

It’s all over now, We have one last day off together tomorrow, then we return to routine. I’m hoping for sunshine and little wind – I’d like to get out and about before we have to knuckle down again. The chooks need cleaning out too… Oh, and I promised to bake for spinning on Tuesday. What shall I make? It needs to survive the back pack.