One about the snow I suppose

Time seems to stand still when it snows. Permission to stop, get cosy and simply eat and stay warm. And research holidays.

We made an obligatory snow person with sticky-up hair, fed the birds and watched the plethora of robins, blackbirds and thrushes (plus some I couldn't identify) feed on seed and leftover bread. We did a bit of sledging but not much, cold toes, wet hands and red noses prevented too much fun being had.

We lit a fire and watched a wonderful film called Alamar, about a Mayan man and his son fishing and living at sea. Nothing really happens in the film, there were subtitles, for it was in Spanish - but both children were glued to a life so unbelievably different to theirs. P was actually open-mouthed as men went diving with a snorkel off the side of the boat and speared lobsters.

And when they requested 'My Family and Other animals' for the fiftieth time since Christmas I decided we need to go to Corfu and retrace Gerald Durrell's steps. We must find the strawberry-pink villa, visit the island when the tortoises are waking up from their deep winter sleep and when the fire flies begin to dance. We must go at Greek Easter and learn about their orthodox religion, shout "Yassou!" to the locals and eat spinach pies delectable and filling. What is to stop us having a Corfiot adventure and imagining where Gerald captured the water snakes, acquired Alecko his vicious gull and where he might have met the rose-beetle man. The children are wild with excitement at the thought of running up and down deserted beaches and going in a boat, maybe even called the 'Bootle Bum Trinket'.

Just got to get the school to agree that this is a really brilliant idea.