#300 Good Deeds - Day Twenty Four- And there's always tomorrow. Tomorrow is Christmas Day.

Before I list the last 24 of our #300GoodDeeds, I'll just take the opportunity to thank you for reading this blog and, of course, to wish you and all your loved ones a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

We've always been a bit mad - and Christmas-aholics!
This is us being Nativity characters many years ago!

1. V cleared the carrier bags out of the Music Room. Mum hates carrier bags being left around, but on a day-to-day (ie when we're at work) basis she can just about stand it. V knew that it would get to her over the holidays so she got to work clearing them all away!
2. Once the bags were away, V set out the "pupil presents" around the small tree in the Music Room. Both she and C get a lot of presents from their pupils, so they can give them the deserved attention if they open them on Christmas Eve.
3. I ironed a few hankies, a cushion cover, and one of Mum's tops. When it comes to ironing, I agree with Tesco: every little helps!
4. I swept up some mud that had come off grubby wellies in the shower room. You just can't help bringing in mud when you have a spaniel, but this seemed like a good opportunity to save Mum a job!
5. V dropped off a present for a friend who has recently had her first child. This is a good deed because it was spreading happiness but, as she got to meet the gorgeous baby, I'm just not sure it should qualify!
6. C and I dropped off some soup for the local Food Bank at Church.
7. Also at Church, C and I were giving out Christmas presents. Catching everyone before they left was a challenge!!
8. When we got back from Church, I needed some cough mixture, but I'm useless at getting it for myself! Usually Mum gives me it, but she was making hot water crust pastry (for tomorrow's pork pie) and had to keep working, so C dispensed the cough mixture!!
9. We bought treats and food for unfortunate dogs (ie KWK9)
10. We also bought treats and food for unfortunate cats! (ie Cats Protection)
11. We bought a £5 Tesco Giftcard and left it at the checkout for the next people. Again, at this time of year, a little bit extra help can go a long way.
12. Once again, although the Tesco staff were working super-hard and were still very cheerful, there were some things that had gone awry from where they were supposed to be, so I was sorting those out.
13. V helped Mum by taking the laundry upstairs and processing it.
14. I found some gloves for Mum - she had been looking for them for a while and didn't know where we'd put them! (Neither did I - cue lots of hunting in cupboards!)
15. There were a lot of cars around today - people doing their last-minute Christmas shopping - and V was continuing her habit of courteous driving.
16. Talking of driving, C gave her driving instructor a Christmas Card to help brighten his Christmas Eve!
17. V dropped off a present for a pupil who hadn't made it to her lesson this week. 
18. This one is in the future (!) but I will be playing the organ at Midnight Mass tonight. This is a very good deed, from my point of view, as I love having Midnight Mass with my family and playing the organ means I am up at the top while they are in the congregation. Still, I'm looking forward to hammering out O Come All Ye Faithful.
19. V swept the whole of the downstairs - this is something that Mum usually does very late at night, or early in the morning, so V has hopefully taken some of the pressure off!
20. V and C have been running up and down stairs bringing down the Christmas presents to go under the tree. I have been trying to make myself useful, but the lurg is preventing me from doing too much dashing around (hence writing this!!)
21. Patching up presents! Invariably, parcels get squashed and paper gets torn on its journey around the house! Being on hand with a roll of sellotape means that there's no peeking ahead of the big day!
22. This evening, V did her second dog-walk of the day so that C didn't have to turn out.
23. Orlando got a bottle. Unfortunately he didn't want to recycle this particular bottle, so I had to prise it off him! That should be two good deeds in one!!
24. Final hamper shopping. We always get an (if we do say so ourselves) amazing Christmas Hamper, and today we were finishing it off. This is a particularly good deed because it meant braving the Christmas rush at Tesco.

#300 Good Deeds - Day Twenty Three - The First Day of the Holidays

I'm buzzing today because it is the first day of the holidays, and 2 more days until Christmas Day, and 1 more day until the most magical day of the year! The Good Deeds started this morning when an unexpected occurrence raised us from our beds on the first day of the holidays.

"Cheers!" A good hot mug of mulled wine in front of the Christmas tree.
Notice how the tree is tied to the ceiling, see Sunday 17th's blog!

1) V got up to help Mum early in the morning. Mum dropped a match by accident into the chest and was worried that it might have set some of the contents alight. As it turned out, it got stuck in the lid of the chest and went out. But V didn't mind foregoing the lie-in. (And, to be honest, it was lovely to have an extra hour or so in front of the Christmas Tree before we had to get going).

2) Today was the day to collect the Christmas meat from the butcher's. Yum and yey! Dad was supposed to go and collect it but we knew it would be too heavy and Dad was busy washing up, so J and I went to pick it up. It really was very heavy!

3) It's always nice to spread a bit of Christmas cheer, so J wrote a Christmas card for the butchers.

4) Because it was bin-day and quite windy, there was some rubbish around the square. J and I went out with a plastic bag and a litter picker and collected in all the rubbish that we could find. That is, until the litter picker came to an end! We took Orlando out with us to litter-pick and he helped by picking up a bottle and bringing it to the bin. He does like to do his bit!

5) After that, I walked him on my own so Mum didn't have to. It's Christmas Eve Eve which means Mum is so busy getting things ready for Christmas, I didn't want her to have to worry about puppy walks as well.

6) On the walk, Orlando picked up another bottle which made him happy, and did a little bit for the environment.

7) Because it was windy, one of the wheelie bins had fallen over so it was covering the paths, and some of the bags had fallen out. I picked it up and put the bags back in.

8) V, J and I took the cardboard to the tip. There were so many boxes!

9) On the way, we dropped off a present for a friend of ours who often brings us fish through the year. Christmas seems like a good time to repay the kindness.

10) When we were shopping in Tesco (yes, it really has been a very busy day!) we bought a £5 gift card and asked the lady on the till to give it to the next people who came. Although Christmas is a wonderful time of year in so many ways, it's also a time of year when money is tight and, to quote Tesco, "every little helps"!

Here are a few more Good Deeds that we did during the day.

11) We put out a seed and suet cookie for the birds in the garden. Don't forget that this time of year is difficult for the little creatures.

12) We also put out a coconut for the birds on the Square.

13) Tesco was very busy so it's no surprise that things had ended up lying where they shouldn't be. We spent some time putting them where they belonged.

14) We used 2 trolleys on our trip to Tesco, and I took them both back so V and J could get straight in the car. This wasn't easy, especially when one started veering towards a parked car!

15) There were no cucumbers in Tesco! We made an extra trip to the Co-op where there were thankfully enough cucumbers to make the salad for Christmas Day.

16) We saw a doggy friend and doggy parent on our walk today. We'd already wished Merry Christmas to her, but there's no harm in saying it again! You can't have enough Christmas cheer, after all.

17) At this time of the year, when everybody seems to be in a rush, it's good to take some time to be courteous when you're driving here and there. This is what V did today.

18) Dad went to get petrol after we had walked Orlando. V made him a cuppa when he returned, knowing how manically busy and tiring it was at Tesco.

19) The house was full of awesome cooking smells today because Mum was cooking the Christmas meats. To help with the work, V washed up the meat pans.

20) J send a lovely message to someone on Twitter. It good to remember that you don't have to know someone to share the Christmas spirit with them.

21) V gave a friend a hug today. Sometimes people need a hug, and it can mean a lot!

22) I set the table for Mum to help her. I had been asking for ages if there was anything that I could do to help and I was actually just waking up when she asked me to set the table but, seizing the opportunity that doesn't come very often (Mum likes to do lots of work!!) I jumped up and skidded to the kitchen!

23) I have just made some mulled wine for Mum, V, J, and myself. Dad doesn't like it so I made it tea instead. So, cheers to you, reader, and a Merry Christmas!!

1 more day of blogging. It seems sad!

#300GoodDeeds - Day Twenty-Two - The Last Day of Term

Wow! Somehow I've ended up with only a few minutes to get this blog written. This will be a particularly brief one, then!

The Gingerbread House we decorated this evening.

Here we go - Day 22!

1. We had a great outing this morning going to the retail park to hear C's school singing Christmas carols. C taught all her pupils actions to help them remember the words, and it worked! Even when technology failed them (with the backing track), they sang on!
2. We had dressed up in Santa hats to go and see them (I kept mine on all day!). This may not seem like a good deed, but getting Dad to wear a hat was hard work and, when he did, he looked just like the real thing!
3. Next we had a couple of good deeds at the retail park. We visited Pets at Home and bought two more Christmas Dinners for pets.
4. We also took part in a charity raffle for KWK9, and got to meet their super ambassador, and his owner!
5. As well as this, we bought a £5 gift card and left it for the next customer.
6. And all this because we had gone to buy birdseed for Mum and Dad!
7. On the subject of birds, we also hung up a new coconut on the tree in the square. The birds are making light work of them. I'm hoping this means we are going to have some more snow soon!
8. We strung up the coconut on the way to walk pup. While we were on the walk we met one of Orlando's friends, Oscar. We got the chance to share a brief conversation and wish his owner a Merry Christmas before Orlando got bored and started barking at us to get a move on. He's an impatient bean!
9. I've done a fair bit of driving backward and forward, and have done my bit by waving at everyone, letting people out at tricky junctions and waiting for people to cross the road. I've done this A LOT today, but unfortunately it still only counts as one!
10. After walking Orlando and going to see the school choir, J and I headed out to do a bit of shopping for Mum. This was an especially good deed as we had to go to the butcher's counter and ask for some meat. The conversation went something like this:
    
    Butcher: Can I help you ladies?
    J: Can we get a pound and a half of diced British pork, please?
    Butcher: I've got shoulder, or loin, or these steaks.
    [pause]
    J: We don't really know. It's our Mum's list.
    Me: It's for a pork pie, if that helps.
    
    I think he found us very amusing if nothing else!
11. J saw a lady she knew in Tesco and, again, she had the opportunity to share a few friendly words.
12. On our way out of the shop we stopped to take part in the charity raffle. We didn't win though, but once again it was the support which counted.
13. I straightened out the trolleys again in the little trolley park. It really is laziness of people to just throw in their trolleys, but then I quite like sorting them out.
14. Back with C again. Because there are 28 pupils in her class, it meant not everyone was being given the chance to take part in the Advent Calendar, so C took along some extra treats for the children who hadn't.
15. She also organised a game for the children so that they wouldn't have to do as much work on the last day of term. After all, it was Christmas Eve-Eve's eve!
16. J and C walked Orlando this evening, allowing Mum to keep on with the jobs she was doing. J had already walked him once but was happy to help out again. This may have been related to the fact that the job Mum was doing was wrapping presents!
17. Orlando resisted picking up a bottle on his walk today, so J picked up a can instead and dropped it off in the bin.
18. We have a (new-ish) Christmas tradition of playing table football, spanning back about 5 years. The rest of the year it's stored in the under-eaves cupboard and, try as J and I might, we couldn't get it out. Thankfully, when C arrived, she made light work of it and retrieved it!
19. I brought the table football downstairs. I'm counting this as a good deed as it was very difficult to manage alone on a spiral staircase!
20. Then, it took me up until 11:10 to get the whole thing set up! Mum and I then had a quick game, just to make sure it was working!
21. J sorted out a problem with some internet shopping I'd done for Christmas. I get really fazed, but she's super efficient, so I was really grateful she dealt with it.
22. Finally, C did a sweep of the upstairs bins and took out the rubbish. Because our bin day is usually Monday, we have our collection tomorrow instead, because (I don't know if you noticed!) Monday is CHRISTMAS DAY!

On that exciting note, I'm off to bed! Goodnight, all!

V x

#300GoodDeeds - Day Twenty-One - Carols in the Co-Op

I do apologise in advance for the bullet-points, but the lurg is strong with this one (!) and I fear that I won't make much sense if I keep trying to write in full paragraphs!!

1. V put some bread out for the birds - we had bought them a loaf of bread yesterday and they made a good start on that today! They were all so hungry, which Mum correctly predicted that heralded a cold night. As I'm writing this at 8pm, it's already freezing.
2. C took her class to sing carols in Co-Op. It was just wonderful to see how happy people were to enjoy the children singing.
3. I went along to support her, even though she didn't see me! This was an absolute pleasure, but I did walk instead of getting a lift so that Dad didn't have to turn out. This wouldn't be a good deed usually, but I'm counting it as one because of how tired I am with the lurg!!
4. It didn't seem right that I was the only one who was able to enjoy the lovely singing, so I recorded audioclips and popped them across on WhatsApp to my brother (in Grenoble), one of my sisters and my brother-in-law (both in Inverness). It also meant I could share it with the folks at home who didn't manage to make it down to the Co-Op.
5. On my way home (sort of!) I dropped off some chocolate for the Far North train staff, as a thank you for another year of getting me safely to and from work!
6. I also went to the Post Office to post various Christmassy things for different people :) This meant that Vdidn't have to turn out straight after teaching, and could have a drink instead! (of tea - nothing stronger!!)
7. The Post Office Good Deed reminded me of one V did for me earlier in the day - addressing all my Christmas cards, as I have no idea where people live!
8. On my excursion to the Co-Op, I also managed to get some shopping done for Mum and Dad, which meant that no one had to go out to Tesco this evening.
9. We talk a lot about courteous driving - but how about courteous pedestrian-ing? Today as I was crossing the zebra crossing, the car to my right slowed down and stopped, but someone coming the other way came hell-for-leather up to the crossing. It looked like they might have been having an argument with the person in the front seat and weren't paying full attention. Instead of shouting at them or making a rude gesture (which, I'm afraid to say, did occur to me!!), I gave them a cheery wave and a smile.
10. I also saw a friend on the way back and had a good cheery natter with her - and wished her a very Merry Christmas!
11. V noticed that we had run out of crib candles, so used some of hers and lit them in time for her pupils to enjoy. Usually Mum does this, but she is just taking busy-ness to a whole new level at the moment! Today, she made the stuffing and the apple sauce for Christmas Dinner, as well as all her usual jobs!
12. C delivered some of Mum's and Dad's Christmas cards to local people while walking Orlando. 
13. V played Santa this evening and passed on a present from Mum to a friend.
14. V was also a Hug Santa - giving a hug to someone who needed it. Like the rest of us, she's not one of life's natural huggers which means that, when you do get a hug from her, you know it's sincere!
15. Talking of hugs, I sent a virtual hug on Twitter to someone who was feeling sad.
16. V wasn't the only one who was being Santa today! C also took along presents to one of the cleaners at the school...
17. ... and one of her PSAs!
18. She (C) also gave us a snow globe that she had made in class. Having a teacher in the family is very similar to having a schoolchild, although teachers do a lot more homework and they seem to enjoy cider and prosecco more too!!
19. C looked after a little child who was very upset because his dad hadn't managed to make it to the Co-Op to hear him singing.
20. Back at school, C also helped a colleague with the door. It might seem small, but these are the little gestures that (hopefully!) just make life a bit easier for people.
21. I wrote two special inscriptions (although one of them smudged, which was annoying!). We do like giving and receiving books at Christmas, and an inscription always makes them that bit more special and personal.

Again, sorry that I resorted to bullet points - I intend for this lurg to be gone tomorrow and, if it isn't, I shall be having pretty strict words with it!

Here's a cute picture of Orlando, for no reason other than the fact he's beautiful!!

Happy Winter Solstice!

  - J. x

#300GoodDeeds - Day Twenty - The Christingle has Landed

We've made it to the 20s! So far we're still going strong, although we still have 90 good deeds to muster over the next few days.

Today there has been a major event - the long awaited Christingle, which has been in the pipeline for several weeks. It is no surprise that many of our good deeds today stem from this service, so here are a few to start us off:

1. J prepared handy bags for each person at the Christingle. This meant that the Christingles could be carried home with minimum mess and well protected. Ours Christingles are now gracing the front hall. Well, not mine because...
2. I played the organ at the Christingle. The usual organist couldn't make the service so I stepped in to help out. I'm classing this as a good deed, but in actual fact I don't need an excuse to play Christmas carols!
3. C read at the Christingle. She did the first reading - that really nice one from Isaiah with the lion and the lamb. There was a cracking turnout but only one young reader, so C stepped in to help out.
4. Earlier in the day I had photographed and emailed C's reading to her as I couldn't get to the computer to scan it.
5. C also stepped in to welcome people at the beginning. She had only left work a few minutes earlier, feeling a bit blurgy, but still greeted everyone with a smile. She took over the welcome because...
6. J was running the service. It was her idea to bring together people to celebrate Christmas as the festival of light, and she did a super job. Everyone was smiling and they all left understanding the significance of light, not only in the Christingle, but also in Christmas.
7. There were exactly the right number of Christingle bags until some people arrived late, but C gave them hers.
8. Part of the service was to decorate the prayer tree and C had bought presents to go under this tree and she handed them out at the Christingle service to those people who were there.
   
   By the by, anyone who has never seen The Brick Testament, take a look. I used to use it all the time when I was teaching. Here's the Christmas story.
   
   That was it for the Christingle, but here's a few other things:
9. It has been a pretty hectic day, especially this evening, but J still ventured out to do a second dog walk so that I wouldn't have to go after teaching and C wouldn't have to go out on her own when she's feeling under the weather.
10. Once again Orlando contributed to the good deeds by collecting a bottle and dropping it off at the bin.
11. Also on the walk, J was sharing cheery "hellos" to the people they passed. A kind word and a friendly smile costs nothing but can really brighten up someone's day.
12. C was also giving out presents at school today - she's been a proper Santa Claus!
13. This evening we went shopping for Mum. At this time of the year it is really difficult to find the time to get out to the shop so we sneaked off to do it for her.
14. We bought supper for Mum and Dad - egg custard tarts. I think they're disgusting, but the parents seem to like them. Thankfully, Mum gave me a mince pie instead!
15. Also on the shopping trip I helped out by sorting out the trolleys in the little park. People had just shoved them in without care or consideration, so I "stacked" them all for the Tesco workers.
    
    When it wasn't the Christingle (so this morning, really!) it was preparing Mum's blog for publication. For the past year, Mum has been writing her memoirs and today's was the final, Christmas, edition.
16. I helped Mum put her blog up. She writes them all and then I go through and format and publish them for her. It is an absolute pleasure, but I'm claiming it as a good deed because it helps her out!
17. J helped with the photography for the blog, as Mum couldn't get a particular picture without reflections coming from the glass in the frame. J is a nifty photographer and managed to get the picture.
18. I also helped Mum share this to her social media group on Facebook. I'm pretty sure she could do it on her own - she's more unsure than useless!
    
    

    

    
    

19. A very important visitor has arrived in the house tonight: our snowman. He is filled with sweets and every now and then we excavate these goodies! I used my Christmas sweets to fill the snowman.
20. And finally, C had already beaten me to it and donated one of her boxes of Christmas sweets to fill it. Wish I'd known... I wouldn't have needed to share mine! [Just kidding!]

So today has been a whirlwind of busy Christmas-ness, allowing lots of opportunity and sharing good deeds and raising smiles. Go us!

V x

#300GoodDeeds - Day Nineteen - The Day of The Bug

Today has been a day of feeling under the weather! There's always a bug that descends around Christmas time and this was The Day Of The Bug! Therefore, it has been tricky getting all the good deeds done, but it's amazing how many you pick up over the course of the day!

The Christingle is looming (both exciting and terrifying!) so many of my own good deeds have been based around that, such as:

  1.  Printing and stapling the Order of Service. This was no mean feat as three ink cartridges needed changing, and the stapler kept breaking!!

  2.  I went to the church to set up for the Christingle. We had to move the Christmas tree (which is beautiful) and the friend helping with running the service brought in another Christmas tree for the Christingle activities. Watch this space and I'll let you know how it goes...

  3.  I also had the privilege of talking to someone who is exploring their faith at the moment. It's always great to be with someone at the start of a journey!

  4.  V and I went to Tesco this evening to do the shopping for the Christingle. Ever wondered what a Christingle shop looks like?

A Christingle shop!

Because of The Bug, (5.) I walked Orlando on my own so that C didn't have to. On our walk:

  6.  Orlando picked up a bottle and then dropped it off at the bin.

  7.  We talked to people we met and wished them a Merry Christmas!

Another theme for our #300GoodDeeds today was doing a little bit extra at work, such as:
  8.  Clemency was chatting to elderly residents at the Care Home she visited with her class. Her and the children will almost certainly have made the residents' day. It means ever such a lot to mix young and old at this time of year.
  9.  I shared some ideas and suggestions with a colleague who's not sure about how to address a journey with her children. My suggestion was to put sleeping bags in the car and make it into a full-blown adventure!
  10. It's a busy time of year, with parents being pulled in several different directions. V looked after one of her pupils today after his mum was unavoidably delayed in picking him up.
  11.  On her way to the Residential Home, C saw someone who, a couple of years ago, made her life an absolute misery. She gave him a cheery smile. This is a really Good Deed - it's so difficult to see people who have upset you, but even harder to be nice to them when you do see them!

Other good deeds today have included:
  12. V and J going to the recycling centre to drop off the cardboard that accumulates from online shopping!
  13. Whilst there, I picked up some cardboard that had dropped onto the floor and deposited it in the correct bin.
  14. V was doing her usual courteous driving there and back - particularly challenging and important on narrow roads!
  15. C and I have both been writing our Christmas cards to friends and family around the country!
  16. We dropped off some food for the "unfortunate dogs".
  17. C sent a cute puppy picture to someone on Twitter who was feeling sad.
  18. C wrote a letter to some friends who moved away.
  19. V postponed her Games Night because Mum was so tired (she has been working flat out today - even more than usual, which those of you who know her may not believe humanly possible!!

Our Christmas Tree - a light for those just passing by.

  - J. x

#300GoodDeeds - Day Eighteen - A Christmas Concert and A Long Day

It's a week until the big day and, if you haven't been keeping track yourselves, we've already stacked up a gratifying 153 Good Deeds (171 after today). We're over halfway through and, although it's exhausting, it really is teaching us to watch out for other people and spend each second wisely.

I'm going to attempt to make this vaguely chronological, although there's a chance this won't work, to give you an idea of the shape of our day.  Here goes...

Orlando returns victorious from his walk

1. On our way out to walk Orlando we hung a coconut on the tree in the square.  The other one is almost empty so we used the same tree, but a different branch.
2. During the morning cup of tea - a very important part of our daily ritual, without that caffeine boost, what hope is there of completing any work? - J put up the sticky strips and hung up more Christmas cards. Our bookcases are now looking very festive!
3. I finished addressing Mum's and Dad's Christmas cards, although we did discover I'd missed out a page of the address book. I'm so pleased we spotted it before any were sent out! (Mum and Dad have been writing the Christmas cards this evening.)
4. I got very confused when I opened the door to a man who began with "Sorry to ask you again..."  I had no idea who he was, and assumed he had spoken to either a sister or Mum last time.  Turns out it was a delivery man with parcels for next door, which we happily took in.
5. While this was happening, J was scanning and enhancing some of Mum's old photos which she needed for her blog. A lot of the photos were a pinkish hue and she was able to filter this out.
6. J also printed out captions for Mum's and Dad's Christmas card picture. Every year they send out a photo or a photo-montage to let everyone see what we've been up to.
7. By this time it was getting late. Sunset here was at 15:20, so it was getting dark when C rang up for a lift from work. I wasn't teaching so I went to collect her so that Dad could have an evening off.
8. On driving out to pick C up, I waited for a driver who seemed very uncertain of the roads. Either that or they were dodging potholes, or they were drunk. Or maybe all three!
9. After she got home and had a hot chocolate, C went out to walk Orlando on her own so that J could get on with...
10. Putting together the Order of Service for Wednesday's Christingle service. It's going to be a fun event!
11. Orlando once again came to the rescue of Wick and collected not one, but two bottles. There's just no stopping that litter-collecting pup!
12. C also wrote a letter to a recently bereaved friend. Words of comfort are very important, but doubly so at this time of year.
13. This evenings main event was the Newton Park Primary School (where C teaches) Christmas Show. It was a great evening! As part of it we supported the raffle to raise money and support the school. We didn't win anything, but it was good to know the money was well spent!
14. You'd be forgiven for thinking this was the end of the evening, but we were off out again! This time for some late night shopping (21:00 is a late night for us!). There were things which had fallen from a stacking trolley and J rescued them and put them back where they should be. These weren't the only things lying around and J successfully returned quite a few!
15. It's been a long while since we gave to who we call the "Unfortunate Cats", so we bought some food and dropped it off in the Cats Protection collection box in the shop.
16. C also shopped for her Secret Santa - something special and different to anything else... we guarantee it! - collecting up different things and putting them together to make a super whole.
17. This wasn't the only present C was shopping for. She also bought presents to go under the church tree for all the regular parishioners, once again carefully thinking about what each person would like.
18. The final good deed of the day was just a few minutes ago. I printed off a copy of one of Mum's ancestors which she is enclosing in a Christmas card to one of her family.

It's now only a little before midnight and my eyes are falling closed. It's time for me to sleep. Either that or find a very strong cup of tea. I'll let you know tomorrow which I opted for!
V x

#300GoodDeeds - Day Seventeen - An odd combo: Re-Decorating, Church and Star Wars!

Today turned out to be an interesting day. Right from the word go. There is always a race to get downstairs first on the day after decorating day. Today was no exception! V managed to pip Mum to the post and got downstairs, only to find that the tree was rather more horizontal than she had expected...
The effort that followed led to several of the early good deeds of the day:

1.  V held the tree in position for an hour, while Mum tried to get up as much of the broken glass as possible (we lost a lot of precious blown glass baubles, but we do try not to get too upset about material things)
2.  V then climbed up some steps and tied the tree in three places.
3.  More climbing (and another good deed for V!) saw her putting up beautiful paper ornaments, which detract from the string!

What we were expecting to find when we came downstairs this morning...

So that was an interesting start to the day! Also in the morning, C and I headed off to church, where they managed to spread a few smiles as well:

4.  I served for a priest - the first time since I was about 16!! It generated a few nerves, but fortunately he was a very understanding, supportive sort of chap!
5.  I also brought it to the attention of anyone who could help that one of the heaters was making a strange noise. I like to think that this might have protected people, just in case the heater was about to explode (which is, admittedly, unlikely!)
6.  C moved so that someone else could sit on a comfy chair in church
7.  It's always nice to pay someone a compliment (as long as it's honest!) and C took the opportunity to tell someone how nice their singing voice is.
8.  We dropped off some soup into the Church Food Bank

This evening was fun as we went to see the new Star Wars film (which is fantastic, by the way!). A few good deeds came from that as well:

9.  V drove both ways so that Dad didn't have to, as he hasn't been feeling 100% recently.
10.  I was also looking out for Dad at the cinema, and went to the bathroom at the same time as him so that I could make sure he didn't trip up on his way back down to our seats!
11.  I treated everyone to sweeties and a drink... yum :)
12.  It was quite late when we got back, so I walked Orlando on my own so that Clem could do some lesson planning. The walk should have been quiet at that time of night, but let's just say that not everyone has good control of their dogs...!

A Star Wars question: why does Lindor chocolate look like the Death Star??

Other good deeds from the day have included:

13.  During her driving lesson, C waved to someone to acknowledge their courteous driving. Considerate driving is something that is really important, and she was pleased to have started as she means to go on!
14.  Mum was quite disappointed with the untidiness of some parts of the house yesterday, so I took the opportunity to do some tidying this afternoon.
15.  I also evicted various pairs of socks from V's room..!
16.  V addressed several more of Mum's and Dad's Christmas cards: she did G to S!
17.  V also put the blue bin out for tomorrow morning. This is a "no greater love" job, as V is a bit germ-phobic and wouldn't touch a bin without very good reason!

So, all-in-all, a busy, fun Sunday! And nice to think that we've spread a few smiles along the way as well!

  - J. x

#300 Good Deeds - Day Sixteen - Decorating Extravaganza!

Today is decorating day. That means that, for most of the day, the house is turned upside down with boxes filled with treasures spanning more years than I've been alive! Then, when the decorations have been sifted through and put up or tidied away, we sit around the Christmas tree with the main lights off (cocktails in hand) and gaze at the tree.

And yet, somehow, with all that excitement, we managed to make the Good Deeds number up to 16. It all started this morning...

1) After the 6th January, all the decorations are squirreled away into the cupboard under the eaves. It's not a nice job, and it's not pleasant trying to get all the boxes out and downstairs either. So I was very relieved when J got out all the boxes!

2) It's frosty again today so the birds are in desperate need of food. We put another filled coconut on the square and it was much appreciated! Particularly by these starlings...

Starlings enjoyed their breakfast.

3) As we mentioned before, J is organising and leading the Christingle service next Wednesday. Even on decorating day, she spent some time designing and printing a fun activity for the service.

4) On the same note, she also wrote the prayers for the Christingle so they can be sent to the readers in advance.

5) In Summer, V and J went south to visit Grandma and took her out with our cousin and her family to Normanby Park. I love Summer trips as these are when memories are made, and they took a super photo of everybody at the Park. J sent the picture to Grandma today, along with a short letter.

6) As it's icy, we didn't want Dad going out to post a letter, so V and J took it instead.

7) When V and J went to walk Orlando, they saw a horse-rider struggling to open the gate at the walkies site. J went to open the gate for them which was not only a good deed, but also very brave as the horse was very nervous on the ice.

8) Again, when they went to walk Orlando, V was very considerate when driving there and back. It's always nice to see considerate drivers but when it is so icy outside, it is particularly pleasant!

9) When the temperature is below freezing, the water (of course) in the birdbath freezes over. This means that it's quite difficult for the birds to get water to drink or clean themselves. I went out to check if the water is frozen. Sure enough it was, so I broke through the ice and filled the tub again. I would really encourage everyone to make sure that birds always had water available.

10) We are very proud of our Christmas tree and other decorations in the house (Mum has a lovely potted tree in another room). I love to see Christmas pictures from other people, so J shared our Christmas decoration piccies with some of the family who aren't at home. Here are some...

Orlando loves Decorating
Day!!

Our tree, in all its glory!

11) While decorating is fun, it is also exhausting, so I cleared away all the boxes for a little while so we could all sit down for a cuppa mid-afternoon.

12) There's always one! One of the Christmas decorations has been broken all year, with a poor wooden soldier lying in the quaich since January. Thankfully, J managed to fix him today.

13) If there's one thing that I've learned from being a teacher, it's how to cut out paper shapes quickly. (I'm joking - there are many things I've learnt!) I was able to use this knowledge today to save J from going mad as she was cutting out too many Christmas baubles for the Christingle service!

14) A tradition in this house is to have a Chinese take-away on Decorating Day. I'm unsure how long this has been going on - 16 years was mentioned. It's such a great idea as everyone is too busy to think about cooking. We all clubbed together to make this as easy as possible. J rang up, Mum and V set the table, and Dad and I went to collect it.

15) J made us all snowballs earlier as a treat (advocat and lemonade) and to top it off, I made a cocktail from my book "Tequila Mockingbird" (it's awesome - they are all cocktails inspired by classic novels!) Yummm...hic...

16) This last one is actually a little bit in advance. We are going to (when we've finished our cocktails) put the cushions back in the cushion covers. Mum always washes the cushion covers for Christmas and this is one little job we can do to make things a bit easier for her.

So, there we go. 17 good deeds tomorrow....

  - C. 

#300GoodDeeds - Day Fifteen- It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

We've just finished our Friday film. It was J's choice and she chose "It's a Wonderful Life". There's a line in it when Clarence says:

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

At the risk of sounding a little corny, this is what these blogs are about: making our lives touch so many others, whether that is to make life easier, raise a smile or give someone something to laugh about!

The tree in situ

We always decorate the house close to Christmas. The crib appears first along with the Advent calendar, then the tree arrives a good while later.  Well today was that "later"!  The tree is now up, bare and green at the moment, and tomorrow the house will undergo its complete transformation into the Christmas dream house.  The first few good deeds derive from this...

1. We knew when we picked our tree way back on day 2 of the blog, that it would be arriving today and also that we'd need to get rid of the lower branches.  In the past this has all been done by Alex (our brother), but he's now in Grenoble and not around to do these things.  This meant that J unleashed the loppers and together we hoisted it into the living room.  We've had to be firm with Dad, as he's got a bit of a lurg at the moment, so we've nabbed most of his jobs...
2. ...On the topic of which, we also fed the birds today so that Dad wouldn't have to brave the ice and cold. Despite the promise of warmer weather we had snow today and the mercury hasn't had it beyond 2 (this is poetic licence as we have a digital thermometer, not a mercury one)...
3. ...But thankfully J smashed and scooped up the ice from the garden path.  This was after she had laughed at me when I became stranded in the ice rink of the Newtonhill Carpark.  She can be pretty mean at times!
4. While we were on our morning walk, J hung up a coconut for the birds by the gate.  They had just begun to make a start on the one from yesterday, so we hope that when we go tomorrow they'll have polished off both of them!
5. J also picked up a poo someone had left in a plastic bag by the gate.  This is a pet hate of ours.  It's bad enough when dog-walkers leave the poo on or close to the paths, but at least this is still biodegradable - putting it in a plastic bag and leaving it is unacceptable, especially at a place with a handful of bins scattered about!  Rant over - we shall now continue.
6. The morning walk was not the only walk J did with Orlando, and she volunteered to do the second walk so that C wouldn't have to on her return from work.
7. On the afternoon walk J took a reasonable detour to post a Christmas card to one of my friends as I was teaching at the time.  This meant it caught today's post and will be with her a whole lot sooner than if we'd waited until tomorrow.
8. On his second walk, Orlando continued his one pup war on litter and bagged another bottle.
9. In order to return in time for the Christmas tree arriving, J and I had to whizz around the shops this morning.  J went into the bank for me so we didn't cause congestion by parking on the roadside, and I drove around until she had finished.  It was very busy in the bank, as it is starting to get busy everywhere - one could almost say it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
10. Sometimes people have to park close to the shops, especially when the ice is bad on the pavements, and this causes a bottleneck in the traffic.  I get a great feeling when I wait and allow other drivers through, particularly if they wave, I feel like I've done them a great favour.  So while being a considerate driver is a good deed, it is also a somewhat selfish one!
11. After this we trundled on to the shop and hurried around the aisles to complete the parents' shopping, sharing cheery smiles with fellow shoppers and conversations with those we knew.
12. We seem to time our dog-walks at the same time as the neighbours are heading to school, so we also had the chance to share smiles, waves and friendly words with them as we scurried on our separate errands.
13. J has been a "Good Deed Ninja" today. This is a title given to someone who not only does good deeds, but who does them sneakily so that people only find out at the most important moment.  She has earned this title because she sneaked away to iron all the clothes, telling no one, and Mum was very pleased when she discovered this job had already been done.
14. This evening we also did all the washing, drying and sorting of the dinner pots, a job Dad normally does but, as he's under the weather, we didn't want him breathing on the crockery and sharing his germs, I mean, working too hard.
15. Finally, we're back to Christmas!  Despite being short, J climbed up to the top of the bookcases so that she could put up the adhesive Christmas card holder.

Our house now looks and smells like Christmas and, unsurprisingly, it's been sounding like Christmas for ages!  Tomorrow is Decorating Day.  There will be laughter, tears (of laughter), and a whole lot of tinsel!  But for now, it's bedtime and happy weekend!

V x

#300GoodDeeds - Day Fourteen - More Ice, Christmas Prep, and Miscellaneous Good Deeds!

The weather is still a major feature in Wick at the moment - the streets and roads are covered in frozen slush and black ice so, unsurpringly, many of our #300GoodDeeds are still being dictated by the poor conditions outside.

1.  We took Mum's letter to Grandma down to the Post Office. Usually this is Dad's job, but it wouldn't be sensible to let him out on the ice! We may have mentioned that we have stubborn parents, but common sense has got to prevail at some point, and we're much less breakable than they are!
2.  Coming back from the opticians, I moved onto the road to let a man with a walking stick use the very narrow bit of path that had been salted and gritted.
3.  When C and Mum went out on a dog walk, Orlando decided to do his "business" at the other side of an ice sheet (he's absolutely fine on ice!), so C picked up the poo. Mum's nickname on dog walks is "Poo Picker Sue" (!) but today C saved her from having to go across the ice.
4.  C also gave Mum her gloves on the walk.

We will be decorating the house on Saturday. This is a huge thing in our family, steeped in tradition like the rest of our Christmas, and is really the start of the Christmas Season. So some of our #300GoodDeeds reflect this!!

5.  V sent a card to a friend who has lost touch. Unfortunately circumstances outwith her control led to the loss of the friendship, and she wanted to see if it was recoverable. Fingers crossed!
6.  V also wrote to another friend to ask for their postal address so that she could send a Christmas card.
7.  I went into the under-eave cupboards and found some of the strings of lights. Mum feels on Decorating Day that she gets a bit snowed under (not literally!) trying to get all the decorations up, so having the lights a day earlier will hopefully make it easier for her!

Our other good deeds have included:

8.  Hanging up a bird coconut at Newtonhill. The snow is frozen so many birds can't access the food they would usually find at ground level.
9.  V wrote a "thank you" letter to the parent of a pupil whose kind feedback had made her smile.
10. Taking more parcels for next door - as we've said before, every little helps at this time of year!
11. I took part in a Healthcare Survey that NHS Highland had signed me up for. Healthcare is a big issue in this part of the world (it's excellent but, due to lack of staff or funding, some aspects are under threat) so I hope my answers will benefit other people.
12. V helped Mum to put the winter curtain up in the Music Room. Not a simple task at all! When I went in, she was on the library steps and, let's say, the curtain wasn't! Sheer perseverance though, and she got it done and it looks fabulous now!
13. C was looking out for some children who were being bullied - I think seeing the children fighting amongst themselves and having to discipline bullies is a big challenge in her job. In my memory, some teachers found it easier to pretend that bullying didn't exist, so it's always good when a teacher stands up against it!
14. I'm going for "firm to be kind" for this one. The aforementioned stubbornness of the parents resulted in Dad being determined to do some DIY that he was clearly literally too short for! I had to get very firm to stop him but (and, trust me, this isn't always the case!) I managed the line between firm and angry quite well!! If that's not a good enough Good Deed, then we'll give it to Ginny, who is taller and finished the job in a couple of seconds!

#300GoodDeeds - Day Thirteen - Of Christmas Dinner and Christmas Presents

The mind behind the

One Pup War on Litter

There's a saying: Look after the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves.  Well, money is a good way to help charities, but it's the meaning of the phrase I'm really thinking of.  The point is: it's the little things that count.

Here's the list of our good deeds of the day, none are Earth-shattering but all will hopefully have a knock-on effect.  These are like the pennies which will grow into pounds!

1. V took Mum and Dad down to Inverness. Mum is nervous driving so far and it would have been a long way (220 mile round trip) for Dad to drive alone. C is learning to drive at the moment, so she'll be helping out soon too!
2. After yesterday's coconut exploits, we found a tree on the square which would hold a coconut and hung it there this morning.  We haven't checked tonight to see how much is left.
3. J took presents to the Post Office for our German friends.  Because the car was in Inverness, she walked down, braving the inches of ice which were sitting on the pavement...
4. ... J also called in to collect Dad's medicine, so that he wouldn't have to.
5. J had a busy day home alone, including making Mum and Dad's Christmas Cards.  This is the second year she's done this.
6. J wasn't the only one with a busy day!  C had her Christmas Dinner at school (she's a teacher, not a pupil!), and as part of being allowed to have a Christmas Dinner, she had to serve dinner to her pupils.
7. After walking Orlando this morning, we discovered how icy the paths still were and warned the neighbours who were just heading out to school.  I even demonstrated by almost falling flat on my back!
8. J cleared the ice from the back yard.  As aforementioned, the parents both suffer from stubbornness and if they take it into their heads to go outside, they will.  So J cleared enough of the yard so they wouldn't slip.
9. Orlando was as conscientious as ever, collecting littered bottles to go in the bin once more.
10. One of the best good deeds is to share a smile and kind word with people.  If everyone we smiled at today went on to smile at someone else, Caithness would already be a much smilier place!  Throw in some kind words and shared conversations with friends or acquaintances and even more smiles are raised.  C said hello to people outside the church and J&V shared a conversation on snow with Alfie's owner.  [If you are a dog walker, you'll appreciate that you know the dog's name long before the human's who walks it!]
11. C also gave directions to some people who were lost.  Thankfully her sense of direction is pretty good!
12. Another driving related good deed.  So that Mum and Dad won't have to negotiate the ice and the squished spaces of the car park, V pulled the car out and the parents were able to just hop in.
13. Finally, the last good deed goes to J&C.  C has prepared presents for her pupils and J helped her to wrap and label them all.

Doing a gargantuan task is so much easier when there is someone to help you, and being alone is far less lonely when someone shares a smile with you.  Happiness is infectious - so by looking after the smiles, other's happiness is looking after itself!

Time for sleep.

V x

#300GoodDeeds - Day Twelve - Post Offices and Icy Paths

Day 12 is a turning point. We're now halfway through the period of Advent.  But we're far from finished. This evening marks the achievement of only 78/300 good deeds.  We haven't even done a third of them yet!

But we're working hard at raising a smile, sharing Christmas happiness, and offering helping hands.  Here's a quick breakdown of our twelve good deeds for day twelve.

1. The snow has ceased falling, but the paths are now an inch deep in ice.  So a few of our good deeds are a direct result of this, including number one.  C and I went down to the Post Office to send a parcel to Germany so the parents wouldn't have to brave the bleak conditions.
2. Because C braved the ice to keep me company on that trek, I went out to walk Orlando with her so she wouldn't have to go alone.
3. On his walk, Orlando once again retrieved a bottle and dropped it off at the bin.  [Actually he dropped it on the floor beside the bin, making it very interesting when I leaned down to pick it up on the ice!]
4. But before all these things, the good deeds day started off with J calling the doctors to arrange a prescription for Dad, leading to...
5. Me calling in at the pharmacy to see if the prescription was ready later in the day, so that Dad wouldn't have to turn out.
6. As it was Postal Workers' Day, it was quite nice to have the chance to offer a smile and a few friendly words to the numerous posties who dropped off parcels.  One of these was a parcel for next door which our neighbour only just missed.  We shared a joke about how busy Christmas was and a few more smiles were raised.
7. A week tomorrow J is running a Christingle service at the church.  Because she was in work today (and doesn't get home until 6:30ish) we took some posters advertising the service around shops and asked them to put them up, including...
8. One shop where we gave a donation for the poster being put up.
   

   

   Our "front garden" - Argyle Square - where

   we hung the coconut.

   
   
9. I once more hung up a coconut for the birds, this time on the square.  The poor things were so hungry that, by the time we returned from the dog walk, the almost empty coconut was now on the ground and pretty much just a shell.  We didn't want dogs to get it, so we took the remainder into the back garden and Mum wedged it onto the bird table so it wouldn't fall.
10. In an act of complete generosity, J shared some of her Christmas biscuits with her colleagues.  This is a good deed indeed, as our Christmas biscuits are highly prized and coveted.
11. Finally (yes, I realise this is only number 11, but these last two are linked) I addressed the parents' Christmas card envelopes from A-G.  I hope to continue with them and try and get all the way to Z in the address book.
12. Inspired by this, I got in touch with some old (actually one of them is two months younger than me, but I haven't seen her in years) friends on social media to get addresses so that I could send her a Christmas Card.  They were probably very surprised to see my name appear in their inbox!

So there you are, 12 good deeds for day 12.  Tomorrow is a big day with lots happening and several opportunities for good deeds.  Let's see if we can manage 13!

Goodnight all!

V x

#300GoodDeeds - Day Eleven - #MondayMotivation

For the first of our good deeds, we're going right back to the start of the day: the wee, small hours! V stayed up late finishing off my Secret Santa gift. Yesterday was a bit of a disaster from my point of view, so everything that I had planned just went (what we call) A over T. V finishing off the Secret Santa gift was an absolute Godsend, I can tell you!

We took in another parcel for our neighbours today - this time it was slightly more rewarding though as both neighbours were extremely grateful! It's a fair old trek down to the Sorting Office, so every little helps when it comes to taking in parcels! 

Paws for thought...

Just in case you hadn't realised yet that our lives are run by a small(ish) brown and white furry thing, today Orlando was exhibiting symptoms of FlopBot (if you haven't seen All Creatures Great and Small then you might have to look it up!) so we booked him an appointment at the V.E.T.s. He is now fully squeezed and back to his usual jolly self.

Upon arriving back from the aforementioned V.E.T.s, V confirmed that a pupil shouldn't come to his lesson today as he has mobility issues and therefore would have been at risk of falling on his way to his lesson. And, speaking of ice, I made a safe path for Mum and Dad to use the bins in the backyard (which was resembling an ice rink!), as well as clearing some of the path at the front of the house.

The journey to work today was absolutely beautiful - through snow-covered landscapes, with views of magnificent Red Deer and birds, hurrying to find what food they could in what had become quite a barren landscape! First of all though, I had to get to the train station. Dad was going to take me, but his sister called just before we were about to set off and he quite rightly wanted to talk with her. V got up and gave me a lift - absolutely seamlessly.

A frozen landscape

When I arrived at the train, I discovered that it was a conductor who is still training, and I took the opportunity to find out how he was enjoying it and, I hope, offer some words of encouragement. He has been working for Scotrail for some time as a Hospitality Assistant (not sure of the correct job title!) and will be an absolutely excellent conductor. All the folks on the Far North line are lovely :)

When I arrived at work, I was quite late as the first train hadn't been running. I mucked in as best as I could, and even set a great  example by being one of the first ones to start with the washing up after Christmas Lunch. I will also take this opportunity to say how much I appreciated #GoodDeeds from various colleagues who were looking out for me in my semi-blinded state!!

This evening, I got back home absolutely shattered, so it was great to find that C had gone out on her own and walked Orlando. It must have been a bit nerve-wracking for her as the paths are treacherous out there at the moment, so I was especially grateful of this good deed! Afterwards, we both wrapped presents for C's pupils - it was a lot of fun (although I'm sure #GoodDeeds should be fun!) and great to imagine the kiddies opening them on Christmas Day!

This evening I visited Twitter to find out if there was anyone who needed a few words and a virtual hug sent their way, and found someone whose tweet made me feel very sad for them. I hope my reply "from a Stranger in the Far North" was of some help to them - I love how these #300GoodDeeds are encouraging us to reach out to people we will never know, in a way that they will hopefully find comforting.

  - J. x

#300GoodDeeds - Day Ten - Adventure and Misadventure

Today there was a plan. It was a good plan which was going to allow for good deeds and respite from the night before, and readying the house for the return of the parents. Then there was a phone call... And then there was a cardboard box...

We had good deeds lined up. We'd even started to list them on the draft blog, but there was a phone call which send everything skewwhiff! The organist at church (very wisely) decided not to brave the terrible road conditions on the road to Wick. Could J step in? Of course she did, resulting in a good deed. Make that two as C, who was still slightly suffering the results of the staff Christmas dinner the night before, said she would go along to keep her company.

Great! the morning was just getting going and we'd already bagged a couple of extra good deeds. I also arranged a (slightly smaller) bird party, hanging up a seed and suet coconut for them as well as all the usual.

A miniature snowman I built today

while J&C were at church

Next up, J excavated the games we'd been trying to get at, after beginning on a brilliant idea for a personalised Secret Santa idea for one of her colleagues.  So now we were at five, halfway there, and so many more planned.

Then disaster struck. In a moment of special unawareness a cardboard box collided with an eye and a visit to Minor Injuries was required. Suddenly the good deeds we had planned were terminated.  Still, I managed to go and pick up Mum and Dad from their bus and I stepped into the breach to walk Orlando for the second time in the day (normally we take it in turns so that no one has to do more than one walk). On this walk Mum and I cleared the footpath of the branches which had come down from the trees during Storm Caroline and which were now difficult to spot in the snow.

The baking which was meant to be done by J for her staff Christmas dinner tomorrow was seamlessly taken on by C while J was at hospital. A good deed on a good deed, but still only technically one, so a final one was required to make it to a nice round ten.

Yes, we live in Narnia

Number ten, the final good deed of the day. I caught Mum trying to lug her suitcase upstairs. Having prised her stubborn fingers from the handle, I managed to persuade her I should carry it upstairs.

Today has proved that no amount of preparation is sufficient when circumstances beyond your control occur. But it has also proved that good deeds can be free and stem from helping other people as much as charities and organisations.

Now it's bedtime and I'm relieved it is!
V x

#300GoodDeeds - Day Nine - Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

This morning I woke up with a line from "Christmas in Puddle Lane" (a childhood favourite book) in my head. I suspect you'll hear more about that particular book as we get closer to Christmas. But the line was "So the magician was away from home when the ice and snow came" and it's how I felt about the parents being away this morning when I woke to see the snow which has descended in the wake of Storm Caroline.

Many of our good deeds today are linked to the snow - which is still falling as I'm writing this at 22:10.  Hold onto your seats, we're going to take you on a whirlwind tour of our good deeds of the day.

1. We made a bird party. If you haven't read "The Children of Green Knowe" this may not make much sense to you, but we readied oats, apple, bread, seeds and fat balls as a snow party for the little fellas. Unfortunately we had to walk Orlando straight afterwards so we didn't get to watch them enjoying it, but most of the food was gone by the time we returned, so we assumed they enjoyed it.
2. On our way to Newtonhill Croft, where we walk Orlando, we pulled in to allow another driver to pass. This might seem like a small thing, but courtesy in driving is so important in this weather, especially on single track road.
3. On the walk we built a - very small - snowman on one of the benches for someone else to find. I hope whoever finds it doesn't do what they do in the song "Winter Wonderland" - I'm always shocked and horrified that the other kiddies knock him down!
   

   

   Our little snowman,

   ready to say hello to anyone who passes along.

4. On the way back we called in at Pets at Home and sponsored two more Christmas dinners for pets.
5. We also bought a charity bag rather than the 5p plastic bag - winning all round: we get to keep and reuse the bag, they get money for charity.
6. Orlando has been chipping in with his good deeds, too. In Pets at Home he made one elderly lady's day by expecting love and strokes from her. She was so pleased to spoil Orlando she forgot what she had gone into the shop for!
   

   

   Orlando with his bottle

7. Not only that but, on his evening walk, Orlando rescued another bottle from the road to deposit it in the bin. The one-pup-war-on-litter continues!
   

   

   Orlando and J binning the bottle

8. I delivered a parcel we had taken in for a neighbour. They were not very grateful, but I gave them a great big smile, and went on my way.
9. We concluded our final bout of Christmas biscuit making. We did three times the recipe, which may seem a big like gluttony, but actually it (hopefully) means there's less pressure on Mum to do any extra baking to what she wants to when she gets home.

We've actually had quite a few good deeds today. Perhaps the snow makes it easier, perhaps it's because it's weekend, or that we're having to run the house at the moment. Whatever the reason, it's been an exhausting day and there have been snoozes taken on sofas and chairs by all of us. I'm off to steal 40 winks now.

G'night all!

V x

#300GoodDeeds - Day Eight - A Snow Day!

Today was a Snow Day: all the schools in town were closed, and everything had a lovely white, Christmassy look about it! We commented to each other that people always look happier in the snow, probably because they either love snow or it makes them feel a bit hysterical! Children love Snow Days - where school is closed and they don't have to suffer through lessons (!), but I think teachers love them more!

Anyway, I'll stop pondering on snow things now, and share our eight good deeds for the 8th December:

1. Getting Mum and Dad away on their Culture Trip. This might sound easy but, trust me, it wasn't! We managed to get them to the Railway Station this morning by driving slowly along un-gritted roads, only to find that the Road Replacement vehicle couldn't run, because the road had been closed at Helmsdale! Cue waiting for the bus for forty-five minutes (it was late) only to be told they couldn't get on without having pre-booked. SIGH. We dashed home, booked them on the next bus and, three hours after our first Public Transport Failure they were heading down to enjoy a Christmassy weekend in Inverness.

   

   The minibus (Road Replacement transport) that couldn't run.

2. Snow Days are tricky for drivers, so one of our good deeds was stopping to let someone get onto the road - it's nice to think that we played a small part in getting them to where they needed to be!
3. We dashed into the Co-Op for some fish fingers (fish finger sandwiches are a MUST when the parents are away) and, on the way out, an old lady dropped a potato from her trolley and we hurried over to help her.
4. Also at the Co-Op, we entered a raffle raising funds for a local community organisation. Community is always important and, at this time of year, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved or provide support.
5. Orlando missed a walk yesterday because it would have been dangerous for him and us to have been out in the high winds. But that did mean that he needed two decent walks today. We each have to walk him once, but an opportunity for a good deed arose when one of us headed off for a second walk so that no one had to walk him on their own.

   

   Orlando loves the snow!

6. Everyone's buying Christmas gifts now, and there are parcels coming thick and fast! Today we took in a parcel for our next-door-but-one neighbours so that they wouldn't have to head out to the Royal Mail office to collect it.
7. Every year we send out a photograph of our family for friends and family in their Christmas Cards, giving them the opportunity to see what we've been up to in the year. Today we headed down to get them printed, which was a nice surprise to tell Mum when she called to say that they had reached Inverness safely.
8. Takeaways are another MUST for when the parents are away (see No.3) and this evening it was a pizza from the fabulous local pizzeria. Always nice to support local businesses (see also No.7!!) but also to give a nice tip to say thanks. Tips are quite divisive with some people, but it's just a way of saying Thank You and it's always nice to give people a helping hand at this time of the year.

  - J. x