Fed Up!

It's so cold! It was -11 when we set off on the school run this morning. It took me the best part of half an hour to de-ice the car and get it vaguely driveable.

Because our backyard - where we usually park the car - and the back lane too, is like a snow-covered ice-rink, the car was parked about a ten minute walk away from the house on the main road. So the de-icing happened with the kids and Hattie in tow. Suffice to say Hattie did not enjoy the experience - and lets face it, neither did I.

And then we got stuck pulling away onto the road. Cue lots of wheel spinning and snow flying. We have a big heavy car which is not 4-wheel drive. And don't I know it? We're not equipped here in England for this kind of thing. Even up here in the north.

So - even the most everyday tasks become major deals. I suppose there is a sense of achievement which goes along with getting the kids in through the school doors. Hmmmm.

I've got lots to do - it's Christmas soon - hurry up and melt, snow. Enough already.

Snow - thinking of Dickens!

Snow weighing heavily in the gutters on the roofs. Snow lying wonkily along silhouetted branches. Snow feet deep on paths, hedges and pavements. Snow breathing, snow falling and snow settling on a new, stark landscape where nothing seems the same.

Old people, bent like sticks, wrapped up fruitlessly against the cold, struggle along the streets clutching packages of precious rations in their hands. With luck their tins and jars will last till the 'snap' is over - make a nice ham sandwich and a cup of tea against the cold! Breath rising in the cold house, saving the heating, they huddle next to the one bar on the heater.

Kids - blurs of colour aganst the white - slip and slide, their shrieks hanging in the cold air, static and frozen in time.

Cars, driven by the most intrepid and devil-may-care, slide and skid around the bends in the road, their tyres spurting sludgy snow onto those venturing out on foot.

And we, watching the snow falling, falling, falling tune our radios to the local stations to hear the latest on whether the school is open - radiant hope and exhilaration only a moment away for the children.

And it's still November.

February Snow

Now the house is quiet and it's snowing, large heavy flakes which aren't yet settling but which are pouring out of the sky with such a momentum that looking upwards for more than a few seconds makes me feel dizzy.

I'm not rushing today - after yesterday I woke today tired and stiff and achy. Too much stress. I have a busy afternoon ahead and an evening learning to be calm at my meditation class - which in itself feels like just one more thing to do before I can sleep again. So now I'm watching the snow, drinking coffee, reading and (quickly) writing a post. I've decided that too much time at the computer isn't so good for me. I need to revisit my old peaceful pastimes which I loved before I stepped a little too far into the technological age.

It's a good morning so far - even the school run went reasonably smoothly! And I treated Ed on the first attempt last night. Hattie is asleep - I'm hoping for at least another hour. Fingers crossed.

White-Out

I have blogging block! I think it's because of the snow - Roger and the kids are still at home: no-one can travel anywhere at the moment. It's like an extended Christmas holiday without the presents. They're all driving me mad. I didn't realise how much I'd secretly been waiting for everyone to get back to where they normally are on a Wednesday, so that I can organise my life the way I want it.

We're all milling about the house - ok, the kids can play in the garden and have snowball fights, which is quite fun - and ok I always complain that I don't see enough of Rog in the term-time, but...... in fact but what?? It's not the end of the world. It's just that strange sense of hovering in limbo, not doing all the usual stuff which takes some getting used to.

Crazy crazy snow. I can't remember snow like this since I was a child. The folded icing-sugar frozen waves hang, suspended in the crisp air, over the edges of roofs. Every now and again there's a strange cracking roar and snow avalanches off a roof finally sufficiently warmed by central heating inside. I find the noise scary and unsettling - suddenly I can begin to imagine why you'd want to avoid an avalanche on a mountain-side.

The forecast is for snow into next week. I'm already getting worried that I won't be able to get to my scan appointment next Thursday, but I think I'm being a bit dramatic as we do live in the middle - well sort of on the edge, actually - of the city. I'm sure I'll get there.

I need to break out of the snow-induced torpor. Eating a fabulous, luxury beautifully cooked fish-pie (although I do say so myself) hasn't helped on the torpor front. Excuse me anyhow, I have to go and put another log on the fire and make a cup of tea.

Snow

It's too snowy now - the novelty is wearing off. It's one thing when we can all mess around at home, making snowmen, walking to the park and playing with the woodburner but quite another when everyone has to go to work and school.

It's freezing - well below freezing - and the old cliche regarding the British inability to cope with wintry weather, is proving to be true. Our car is rubbish in the snow, is not 4-wheel drive, and slips if it even smells ice. And the kids' school is on a very steep hill. And I need to go into town tomorrow. GRRRR.

On a different note, my scan appointment came through. Next Thursday. And the results as soon as possible after that. Every time I think about it I feel weak with horror.

Quite a while ago I wrote a post about my son Ed's haemophilia and how I'm learning to give him his IV treatment at home. Last week was the first time I treated him completely on my own and it was a success. Today I was unable to bloody well find a vein and after poking around in the poor child's arm I had to give up. It's so frustrating - and he's so amazingly good. I'm going to have one more try tomorrow morning and then ring the haemophilia centre if I can't manage. It's so important to me to be able to do this smoothly and well. But, sometimes the nurses who've been doing it forever aren't able to do it either, so I'll have to be patient with myself.

Christmas seems a long way off already!