I LOVE YOU!!!!

To all who read my blog: WILL YOU BE MY VALENTINE????

This is going to be a short one because ANNIKA IS HERE!!!! (the best Valentine's Day gift ever!!!)

Just wanted to say I love y'all!

SNOW!!!

It started last night. We looked out of the window and saw some snowflakes. The we looked again and the snowflakes were getting bigger. This time we got excited enough to open a window and stick our heads out. Then on my way to meet some friends, I noticed that it was sticking in some places... (just wait, it keeps getting better...)

The snowflakes were still steadily coming down on my way back home, bigger than ever, and even more beautiful that before. It was such a beautiful feeling, just trudging through the snow on the Royal Mile, catching a big one on my tongue every once in a while. I almost felt like I was in a different world as I squinted my eyes and saw nothing but huge swirls of white coming down all around me. The cold kept me alert and the warmth of my body under all of my layers made me aware of the parts of my body that were uncovered. I could see my breath, and the place was relatively quiet, especially as I approached home. All I could hear was my own breath under my hood and the distant sound of a snowball fight on the castle hill.

The next morning, Jane excitedly shakes me awake, trying to be quiet, but making exaggerated gestures towards the window... After shaking the fuzz from my pre-coffee brain, I realized what must have happened... I peaked out of the curtains, and the city was covered in a beautiful white blanket of snow...

I threw on the first set of clothes that my hands made contact with, struggled in the excitement of it all with my socks and boots, and ran outside to see the whole street, the cars, the buildings, the castle and the hill, the phone booth next to the hostel... it was all covered in snow. It was so BEAUTIFUL. I mean, this is already one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but it is just that much better with the snow over everything.

So, of course, I acted all of eight years old, and skipping all over the city, taking pictures of everything in Edinburgh that I already have pictures of, but this time covered in snow :) Of course, now it has all melted away, but it was beautiful while it lasted. One of my wishes has come true: I got to see Edinburgh covered in snow.

The Fifth of February

Even though I still don't have an affinity for Mondays, this one wasn't too bad. I woke up and took a walk in the very cold, but very sunny weather that is actually kind-of creeping me out now (It just isn't meant to be this sunny in Scotland!) to turn in my timesheet. Usually they have at least a couple of shifts for me on Monday mornings, but I was sad to learn that there was nothing for today. So I walked back to the hostel, had a burst of enthusiasm, and decided that I could clean today. Just as the clock was striking 11 (the official start of the cleaning here at Castle Rock), my phone rang, and I got a shift at my favorite homeless shelter.

It was a great shift... I am learning how to do a lot more stuff there, and it is much more fun to work when I know more about what is going on. There was a really sweet art therapist there today who did a session with some of the service users... (I just think it is the sweetest thing in the world for her to come do art therapy with the rough characters that frequent this homeless center.) There was a really funny Polish man that no matter how many times I told him that I couldn't understand Polish, just kept talking to me and asking me questions in Polish... I know he speaks English... I have talked to him before in English... He just didn't want to speak in English today for some reason!!! (I have a feeling it is probably for the best that I couldn't understand what he was saying! :)

Now, I am very bored and hungry. One of the guys here is a really good cook, and he is making lasagna tonight... my FAVORITE!!!! But there is nothing to do but wait...

I am being told that I must entertain Jane now, so I am going to try... :)

Roslyn Chapel

Saturday was an absolutely GORGEOUS day... so gorgeous that I just wanted to bottle the sunshine and save it to combat the inevitable greyness of most days. I got up relatively early and walked around the city, just taking in the atmosphere. The sidewalks were packed, the peope were all smiling, there were students protesting, homeless selling magazines, vendors selling souvenirs... it was a bustling, infectiously joyful, beautiful day.

To make it even better, one of my friends with a car invited me to go to see Roslyn Chapel (yes, the one from the DaVinci Code) nearby. So, five of us packed into the car and enjoyed the excitement of going somewhere new, meeting new people, traveling, sightseeing... all of these things that I love :)

The chapel was beautiful, and all of the stories and conspiracy theories surrounding the symbolism made it all the more interesting. Nearby was a ruined castle, so we walked through the beautiful countryside with a rushing river on one side and a green forest on the other. It was all very picturesque... an absolutely beautiful day. :)