Christmas and Hogmanay

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Christmas Eve in Virginia with nice long walks, and Christmas Day at home with presents galore. Hogmanay with friends afar.

What to do on Boxing Day

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That's Christmas over for 2010! The presents have been opened and already the empty packages are now in the garbage.

So far, there aren't any unwanted gifts. How could that be?! Normally there's always a couple of gifts that get returned. I don't mind in the slightest returning them. I always volunteer gladly. Guess what I do with the in-store credit I get? Go on a spending spree for myself!! LOL.

I didn't make it to the shops this year on Boxing Day. That's the best time to return things, even items that you purchased months ago and have no price tag. The shop assistants are so busy with long queues that they'll give you in- store credit without any problem. It was just too cold for one thing. Then, there was nothing to return. I'll go another day soon, however. Just stop me from rummaging through the goods on sale!



The local news was full of images of crowds of people mingling at the stores on Boxing Day. It got me to think about other things people can do on Boxing Day besides go to the shops.

1. Don't discard the wrapping paper that people ripped like crazy as they opened their presents. Instead, fold it neatly and keep for next Christmas. It'll come in handy for wrapping stocking stuffers.

2. Take a nice hot bath with the shower gel you got for the man in your life. It's normally more potent than the gel made for women. Guaranteed to keep you aglow with fragrance.

3. Skype your family and friends. Just remember to place your computer camera as far away as possible so that they don't notice your bloodshot eyes.

4. What made your eyes bloodshot? Oh. It must have been that good bottle of wine you were going to give your cousin twice removed. Was that what you drank last night?! Don't worry, your cousin twice removed will never know.

5. Eat the pecans from the chocolate pecan pie you made. They're not that rich in calories. Honest. Definitely less calories than eating the rest of the pie.

Did you go to the Boxing Day sales?

Christmas Lights in Edinburgh

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The Christmas lights in Edinburgh were cheery and enticing. Too bad about the snow, the ice, the slushy mushy stuff, and the frigid temperatures! Actually, if you bundle up in layers the cold isn't too bad. You've got to keep walking, of course, before icicles form in your nostrils!



Actually, the nice thing about the rather odd weather in Edinburgh was that it was easy to take photos. Although there were people out and about there weren't the usual crowds. So, nobody inadvertently meandered in front of me just as I was about to go snap.

There was an ice rink down on Princes Street Gardens. Much as I was tempted to run down the steps and get a better look, I refrained from doing so. What if the steps were icy?! I could slip and stumble and roll all the way down like a giant Humpty Dumpty. People might think I was just a drunken bum, a bag lady, of no importance, and leave me lying in the frigid air.




I still got a nice photo, so that was good.

How lucky not to be travelling to the U.K. right now! Heathrow Airport has had umpteen cancellations and delays the past few days, as had many European airports, including Edinburgh.

I can sit back and gaze on my photos and not worry about lost luggage, closed airports, cancelled trains and other annoyingly annoying events. Mind you, the trip was indeed an adventure. Who doesn't like adventures?!

Snowed In!!

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Have you ever been snowed in? Has the weather been so bad that you don't really want to go out?

It happened to me just last week. I was in Edinburgh, Scotland. Turns out they were having the worst weather in forty years! The airport was closed for a total of four days. Buses and trains were cancelled. People were stranded in their cars for hours and hours as the snow fell and ice accumulated.

I was in a hotel, right down on the Royal Mile, the old part of Edinburgh. At least I had a good view from my room. You can see the roof tops in the first photo. And in the next photo you can see Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano that overlooks the city.



I still went out for a walk. There were tourists braving the weather as well, up by the castle. Edinburgh always has tourists! There were some local people out and about too, doing Christmas shopping. But there weren't the usual crowds that you find.

I'm so thankful I didn't have to drive, catch a bus, or train, or plane. Travellers simply weren't going anywhere for the first few days of my trip. And I was lucky that I arrived in Edinburgh with just a short delay. The day before my arrival and the day after, the airport was closed due to bad weather.

What a cosy hotel room I had, with nice views.

What's your favorite view?

The Broons and Oor Wullie Annuals

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This is the first of November, and for weeks now the shops have been displaying Christmas items. Maybe we'll be seeing Easter items soon!

Anyhow, some of the best Christmas gifts I got as a child were The Broons and Oor Wullie annuals. In case you don't who they are, they are comic strip characters that are published every Sunday in one of the local newspapers in Glasgow, Scotland. Each year, at Christmas, they come out in an annual. Usually, one year it's The Broons annual that is published, and the following year it's Oor Wullie.

Now, they must have quite a following, for I purchased the annuals you can see in the photo above on Ebay. The seller lived in California. I think he was originally Scottish, however. I even got badges and key chains.



This Oor Wullie annual I purchased in Scotland. Got it on sale.

I'm thinking I should look for more of the The Broons and Oor Wullie on Ebay, now that Christmas is just around the corner.



"Help ma boab!", as Oor Wullie would say.

"Crivvens!", as Paw Broon would say.

Do you ever purchase annuals or books that you read as a child?