From: Vivienne
To: Angela & Mike
Subject: How's it Going?
Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2002 12:42:34 +1300
Got your post card, Angela, displayed on the fridge: wasn't Orkney fascinating? We only had a couple of days there, but managed to get around all the main sites, if briefly. We were very impressed with the degree of preservation, and as there were very few other tourists, you got a haunting feeling of life and times of the original inhabitants. Though when we were there, the weather was perfect - warm sunshine and no wind - and perhaps we didn't get a true impression of how they really lived with the wind howling and the sleet blasting through the winter dark!
We are waiting for spring to arrive: it's mid October and still the Wellington weather continues windy, wet and cold (John had to chip the ice off the windscreen on Tuesday). Today is Walk the Kids Home from School day, and of course it's raining and blowing a gale. It's not looking good for a hot summer... Not that we care: John's used up his holiday allotment, and we're broke. Might manage a couple of nights in the tent up the Wairarapa in a DoC (free) area but nothing more.
While I remember: your birthday and Christmas presents are in the post (as of last Friday), and should be arriving imminently. They are for this year, so you can open your birthday gift (only 9 months late!) and not wait until February. You never know, I may get something into the post in time (but don't hold your breath!).
How's "Bump"? Thrashing and kicking? Names sorted yet? Got the moses basket / cot? Bath? All those 101 things you need for a new baby? And that's just the nappies! Are you going to antenatal classes? Guess it's a bit early to pack the bag... What's your due date? Not that they ever do the decent thing and arrive when they're supposed to...Love from
Vivienne :)
From: Angela
To: Vivienne
Subject: RE: How's it Going?
Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2002
Hi Vivienne, John and Benjamin!
Orkney was great fun! I got to see the major tourist sites on Mainland and will definitely take Mike there next summer. The only things I missed were puffins (all out to sea already) and Mine Howe (a relatively recent site to open to tourists but not so recent archaeologically speaking)! So I still have an excuse to go back.
Our weather was slightly wintry. Summer ended the day we arrived (and we arrived too late to notice it that day!). I was hoping for the aurora but it was quite cloudy the whole 2 weeks. They had a good display two weeks before we arrived though. Still, I have seen it with Mike in Iceland. But the marvelous thing was our two crossings of the Pentland Firth were calm! With stormy weather either side of both of them. In fact, the new ferry from Orkney to Aberdeen took 16 hours instead of its 5 hours one day and generated a huge amount of complaints from angry Orcadians! Made reading the letters to the editor entertaining for a while.
Bump is thrashing around a fair bit. And having been away in Orkney for three weeks, Mike has noticed a change in size while I was away! Mike had to go to our first antenatal class by himself, but we both got to last night's one together (albeit late because of a landslip north of Berwick on Tweed that meant my train home was a bus replacement service from Edinburgh to Berwick - at least I got to see your old street on the way past!). The class was actually quite good.
We have inherited a few baby items from friends here. But we do need to go shopping soon. Bag packing may become important in about a week or two. Due date is December 7th (day after wedding anniversary). If it arrives on wedding anniversary we will be happy as Mike may have someone (eventually) able to help him finish a celebratory bottle of wine each year. Hehheheheh.
My Mum arrives Nov 22nd or thereabouts. So maybe we can plan a bit of shopping then before heading up to Scotland for the birth (well, that's the idea - whether bump co-operates or not remains to be seen). I'm looking forward to seeing her. She's just cross it's going to be winter! She thought she was going to avoid Scottish winters for the rest of her life! ;-)
Ok. I also have to get going. Give Ben a hug from us! And John too. Although they both may squirm a little. Enjoy your birthday in a couple of weeks too! I must get onto Mike about that (his family - his responsibility - I just nudge a little). I have an arrangement that means no birthday presents to my family - just phone calls. And just have to remember Christmas that way! So I'd better get onto that! I won't have time to sort that out soon. Oh dear.
Take care. Hope the weather breaks soon in Wellington and summer appears.
Love,
Angela (& Mike) xxxx (one for Nuisance)
No comments:
Post a Comment