The Christmas Snow . . .

A quick post (mostly photos) for those of you who wish you could have shared our Christmas felicitations.

It's been snowing here for nearly a week (it stops occasionally). This weather is pretty rare, but an ideal opportunity for taking photos.

St. Mary's chapel (ruins), on the scenic option of our daily commute:


View over the harbor from St. Mary's chapel.


St. Andrews Cathedral, also ruins, also in snow.


Isaac and I on Christmas Eve (snowing during our last-minute shopping) as we pause in front of Holy Trinity church (where John Knox once preached).


Our tree and many, many, many presents. (Goodness!)


Our first breakfast: treats from a local (chain) bakery called Fisher and Donaldson and some locally roasted coffee. The tallest treat (on the right) is a coffee tower; the flattest (on the left) a lemon tart, and the others are fudge donuts (think bavarian creme but much, much better).


Isaac was so good this year that he got TWO stockings! (both full!)


I wasn't quite as good . . . but I got a second stocking anyway (an incentive for next year?).


Isaac's favourite gift was this Tolkien atlas from John.


After our unwrapping frenzy, we took a walk along the North Sea, which was gorgeous.


Merry Christmas!

Let it Snow?

O, happy busy life! Isaac and I have been working hard to plan our Christmas festivities this year. I've finished a second draft of my thesis proposal and will be taking a few days off to celebrate with my family (airlines and weather permitting). As the North America contingent is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, we've been busy shopping, wrapping, and cleaning. Last weekend we took a lovely Saturday jaunt with several new friends and visited lovely Edinburgh (also pictured a few weeks ago: it's the city with the castle that glows blue at night). We ate at two lovely pubs, watched a very ambitious but unimpressive street performer, and wandered around the Christmas market (one booth of which is shown below) before heading home, exhausted and happy.



More recently, we took a trip to neighboring Dundee, a city I generally find about as inspiring as our Edinburgh performer, but one that has its merits. We did some basic mall strolling/shopping, then noticed out the windows that the sky was snowing wetly on an(other) outdoor Christmas market, so we ran jubilantly out to immerse ourselves. It was a wet snow, so we retreated indoors with some modicum of efficiency.



Isaac surprised me last week with a wonderful little tree, which has lights and will soon be sporting decorations of slightly greater substance.

Love and Christmas wishes to all our friends and readers this week!

Wait, What Month is it Again???

Well, happy December, stalwart readers . . . November, as is commonly its want, has flown past, leaving Isaac and I with Christmas looming and the year winding down most impressively. When last I posted, I was recovering valiantly from an exciting cold, which I most generously and subsequently gave to my beloved husband.

December arrived abruptly and unexpectedly: the city of St. Andrews celebrated St. Andrew's Day at the end of November with a festival of Christmas lights (you may notice that said lights are not, perhaps, quite as impressive as the speeches and countdown intimated), Isaac and I attended an enjoyable evening of Gilbert and Sullivan, and I received my diploma in the mail after skipping graduation festivities entirely. We've attended a few choral evenings, enjoyed a party or two, and one of my dearest friends from last year became engaged and is happily planning a wedding (ah, weddings). We are also looking forward to the arrival of my parents next week (BA permitting).



Last weekend we took a trip to Edinburgh with a few friends and enjoyed a chance to Christmas shop, buy some extra blankets for our flat, and see the lovely Christmas market that spreads out throughout Edinburgh in December. Alas, I've not yet retrieved those photos from my camera, but it was lovely. I've also handed in the second draft of my thesis proposal and am looking forward very much to getting started on a chapter (God and advisor willing) in the next few weeks.

Brief, I know, but lest you all long for detailed descriptions of sconebaking and Elizabethan manuscripts, there's little else to say. And I must get back to work . . .