Thank-you Theresa, John, Mum and Sophie for those replies! It is so nice to be in touch like this and know that people are thinking of us at this time!
I'm sorry the post was so down, as I reread it afterwards I thought I didn't have many good things to say!
However in reply to your questions Theresa I will say a bit how things are in Holland. As I said I love to cycle everywhere that is probably the thing I like most as it is so relaxing and easy and gives me lots of freedom to get around. There are quite a few parks to walk in, where we live at the moment there is a huge one with a big lake and woods just five minutes walk away so that is really nice. People don't really walk if they want to get somewhere though- they tend to cycle as it is quicker so in some places the pavements is really narrow and the bike path is very wide!
The shops are similar to here however some things are different such as in the department stores they always have a bakery where you can buy lovely bread and a chocolaterie. There two very good shops that I shop in a lot since I have been here and that is the V&D which is a department store where you can buy absolutely anything and then the Hema which is a cheaper shop selling nearly everything at a really good price. The clothes are really nice here- lots of style but with comfort and practicality too. I have just bought a lovely warm coat for the winter and I need it now too as it snowed all of yesterday- has it snowed in England? I think it gets colder here in winter so I am glad to have a warm coat especially on the bike!
At the moment in Holland there is build up to Sinterklaas day which is on the 5th of Dec. Scintillas comes from St Nicholas who was a bishop from Turkey who helped poor children. That is as much as I know about the history. He arrives every year at this time (end Nov) on a boat and travels round the country delivering presents with his helper called black Pete who is a funny character, a bit mischievous. Before Sinterklaas day which is when Sinterklaas brings presents for the children there is a build up to him coming like the children make special little cookies made with spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and these on Sinterklaas day are thrown into the room by black Pete where the family are sitting. At the week-end when we were cycling through town we could smell the spices from the cooking of the cookies.
Up until Sinterklaas comes on some days the children can put their shoes out by the front door with a carrot in for the horse and in the night sinterklaas will come and put a little present in. They seem to do this on some days before the actual sinterklaas day which I suppose is because he has actually arrived in the town already. The other things that go on is that you can see lots of black Pete's about the place singing and playing instruments and dancing like in town on Saturday i saw a group of them. You also see children dressed up as sinterklaas and black Pete like my nephews dress up a lot as them and it provides a lot of entertainment for both adults and children!
I don't know yet exactly what happens on the day so I will write again when i know. I find it all very new and strange but nice too! It seems too early to be doing all of it but then Sinterklaas has nothing to do with Christmas here- that is really a separate celebration.

Anyway I will stop here as have a few jobs to do,
lots of love,
Ruth