SUNDAY AT HOME

This morning began with a cup of tea delivered by my son on his arrival home from work, it was most welcome. I went to bed last night with a blazing sore throat and after getting to sleep at about five I awoke with all the symptoms of a cold in the head,my son also complained of similar symptoms. We both took a decongestant and he went off to bed while I began the day. After a couple of cups of coffee I felt better and cooked a breakfast for my self and Pa, nothing fancy, just boiled eggs with bread and butter and more tea. Pa was sleepy so after breakfast he had a little nap while I went out for some fresh air for half an hour,he was still asleep when I returned so I woke him up with a cup of coffee.

The ironing awaited my attention upstairs so I decided to get it over with, the cat kept me company but with an eye on the iron as she dislikes the steam it gives off. I wondered if a few drops of eucalyptus oil in the water tank would help my blocked nose while I ironed but decided that it would make the clothes rather pongy and gave up the notion. It is amazing how the mind wanders when doing such monotonous things as ironing.

I enjoyed myself later wrapping a few parcels to put under the tree and wrote out some more cards, the sort that need to have letters with them,sadly I must cross of several names this year as we have lost several friends and relatives to the grim reaper. The house was very cosy and bright with Christmas lights in contrast with the cold greyness of the day on the other side of the window. I love that feeling of being wrapped in warmth, I expect it stems from being brought up in an old farm house with more draughts that the average castle. Our little cottage has a few draughts of its own as do all old houses, nothing too dreadful though,just enough to let a little air in, that is unless the wind is in the wrong direction, at such times the draught rages through the kitchen with an ear splitting shriek, fortunately this does not happen too often.

Our little cat has had a lovely day curled up on the bed,only venturing down stairs to attend to her lunch and other pressing matters best not discussed. I hear that there may be snow up north tonight. In the place where I spent my childhood it always snowed in winter, it was always said that if it began to snow in Leek you had twenty minutes to get to Buxton before the roads were closed with snow drifts, our farm was snowed in for several weeks more than once, the fun we had. I learned to ski in 1963 when I was nine years old. That same year we built an lgloo in the field below the farm, no school for weeks.....sheer bliss.