A Struggle to Find Santa Paws

Well, last week was a disaster. The boiler broke Friday and it wasn't until Tuesday that I had any hot water or heating. So I was far too cold and in an absolute humbug to write up a blog post.

The week had started off really well, despite experimenting with a veggie diet for a month (more to see if we could manage it, the hubby being the kinda guy that doesn't view a meal complete unless something dead is on the plate) my iron levels were good enough to let me give blood. (I always coast about the 125mg/l limit, so was shocked to get 150mg/l, albeit from the arm after failing the finger prick). So I got my twice yearly tunnocks teacake, got the house dressed for Christmas in our usual low-key kinda way, played my new Dolly Jolly Christmas CD and the three of us cuddled up on the sofa to watch Dolly's Christmas on the Square (if you need some warm hearted Christmas themed cheese, I recommend it). 

Then, prepped for a weekend of fun and adventure, the heating went. 

And we had snow. 

Thunder snow. 

Engineer was to come out Sunday, got cancelled as someone decided not to reveal they were covid positive until after they had been visited, so my engineer had to self isolate for the rest of the day. 

They came out Monday, the propeller had gone, so the part wouldn't arrive by Tuesday. All this time I couldn't have Missy sleeping in the hall (which at best we could warm to 12C with an oil heater) so she was in with us, meaning all three of us were under slept, tired and cold in the bones. 

Humbug to all those seasons greetings. 

Then heat returned, and we could have hot baths. I don't think the poor boiler engineer had ever been thanked so enthusiastically as the radiators hummed to life!

This weekend we moved out from teir 4 and down to teir three (which really, apart from the shops opening, has changed nothing) and I was determined to get myself feeling Christmassy again. I was two weeks into December and felt less Christmassy than I had last month, that needed fixed. 

So off to Santa Paws. 

We had planned on coupling the visit with a walk round Beecraigs, but it's rained all day and I've gotten a terrible cold from my chill last week, so hubby insisted on cream scones and tea and then for me to get back inside and warm and he'd do the afternoon walk. 

Honestly, I don't deserve him sometimes. 

In bake off news, it's been gingerbread men and pupperoni pizza - the later of which turned out perfect and Missy was very pleased with! Here's a recap of our bake off adventure, and my absolute low key trolling in trying to get Missy to pose exactly the same for every shot! 

Craft wise I haven't been idle. I lost a lot of sewing time last week on the account of it being too cold (trying to thread a needle with raynauds is absolutely impossible) bu I was pleased to complete my eldest neices stocking:

It is quite possible that she is more obsessed with backpacks than I am, so I know she'll love it. I wanted to do something fun and bright, but she's moved to that phase where it's all pretentious pouting and black.

Here's a sneak peek of my current, very bright and loud project:

One more post until Christmas!