A Storm Blew In!

 

Nella and I had a grand day out in Edinburgh on Tuesday. We drove down and got the tram in from the Ingliston Park and Ride. It took about half an hour to get to the city centre then we had to tramp for a while to get to the Grassmarket, where we had booked a table for lunch. I wished I had a paper map and bus timetable to find my way around as I do not think using a phone is as useful. We ended up stomping for a total of 5.5 miles that day by the time we had visited the revamped shopping centre where there is a lovely John Lewis. We got Glühwein from the Christmas Market off Princes Street - it was not nearly as good as a German Christmas market and there were significantly fewer stalls this year due to Brexit and Covid. We did have a lovely day, although it was a bit rushed. We agreed that it would be great to stay overnight and explore vintages shops and galleries at a more leisurely pace. 

I have been trying to crack on and get through a few customer quilts, particularly as I ordered several rolls of wadding and a batch of thread. I was running low and reckoned that prices would creep up or there could be supply issues if I left it too long. Everything was actually in stock but prices have risen since my last order.

We have had weeks of mild, autumn weather and I kept saying how unusual it was for me to go out for a walk without a coat in late November. On Friday a storm arrived out of the blue and blew down trees, power lines, fences - leaving us without power and wifi all weekend. We had to cook on a camping stove and spent all of our time in one room with the wood burner. It highlights how reliant we are on electricity and it was pitch dark by 4pm. It is surprising how much effort goes into staying warm and wearing multiple layers of clothing. Our power was off until mid afternoon on Tuesday and after 4 cold, dark nights the novelty had definitely worn off. I felt relieved and privileged to get the power restored! We have not had a power cut this bad in years and it really made me think how challenging life is for people who are homeless.