Sunday 24 January 2016

Muddy mild meander........


Daughter messaged yesterday morning asking if we wanted to join them for a walk somewhere but unfortunately I'd just started defrosting the freezer and had all the food packed in a pile on the worktop so had to move fast to melt and scrape the severely built up ice and get the food back....so reluctantly I declined.

Today Daughter messaged again and we arranged to meet her and O in the car park by Spring Wood (it's local). Such a lovely warm day, can't believe it's January! It has been wet recently and the paths through the woods were very muddy


It was a lovely walk with so much worth photographing






Saturday 16 January 2016

Another quick catchup......


We had our usual coffee morning and the Christmas decorations disappeared (with a fair bit of effort) back up into the loft and life slipped back into normal, deliciously punctuated by eating up leftover goodies.

So as you see nothing much to write about apart from a major altercation in our usual Wednesday night pub so we'll be eating elsewhere on a Wednesday in future.

I've two early summer mums-to-be I need to be crafting/knitting for.
The low winter sun is showing up all the housework I need to be doing.
And I've a pile of books I want to read, so hopefully there'll be something more interesting to write about soon.
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Sunday 3 January 2016

2015 reading....


LEAVING TIME by Jodie Picoult
eBook. Paid for download to Kindle reader, recommended by Lesley.
Started 13/02/2015 - finished 21/03/2015
Shouldn't have taken me so long as it was a really good read. The story unfolds from the different perspectives of four characters. Based around elephant sanctuaries and their researchers, we are given lots of interesting information about elephant relationships and feelings which seem very relevant to human behaviour too. I won't give anything away about this story of a teenage girl looking for her mother and trying to find the answers to a tragic night ten years before. The ending had me quite choked.

OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY by Candida Lycett Green
Paperback. From my pile of donated "waiting to read" books.
Started 27/04/2015  - finished 5/5/2015
True story or more of a diary than a story of the author getting back her life after cancer. Candida is the daughter of the late Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman so grew up in upper class England in a world full of horses and famous people although that doesn't detract from her telling of struggles and victories. Written to paint beautiful images of where she had been.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT by Mark Haddon
Paperback. Second hand from our Isle of Wight holiday
Started 22/07/2015 - finished 09/08/2015
A very moving insight into the mind of a 15 year old boy with Aspergers Syndrome. It started with the murder of a neighbour's dog which Christopher has to investigate but the story moves a long way from that. Excellent descriptions of what he does and how he feels.

DURING THE DANCE by Mark Lawrence
eBook. Free download to my new Kindle Paperwhite.
A short story of 2,000 words
Started 19/09/2015 - finished 25 minutes later
An unusual fantasy fairytale that has quite sad undertones. Excellent as a short story.

PAYBACK AND A BOTTLE OF MERLOT by Bria Marche
eBook. Free download to Kindle.
Started  27/9/2015 - finished 3/10/2015
It's a chic romance comedy ish, about a group of wine drinking young women who band together to give out some justified revenge, but you must have guessed that from the title! A good light holiday read.

SKINNY ME by Charlene Carr
eBook. Free download to Kindle.
Started  24/10/2015 - finished 6/11/2015
As a reader who has experienced a lot of what this is about (fat girl becoming skinny girl but it's not the answer to happiness) I think it's quite well written, highlighting the struggles with relationships because she struggles with liking herself. Also brings home the message that health is more important than image.

ROSE OF THORNE by Mia Michelle
eBook. Free download to Kindle.
Started 8/11/2015 - finished 29/11/2015
A good holiday read although very repetitive to drag it out to be a whole book. Lots of secrets, lots of sex, lots of caught just in time before the worst happens and an inconclusive end so you buy the next book. ....I'll not bother.

CLOSE YOUR EYES AND COUNT TO THREE by Mark Haysom
eBook. Free download to Kindle (advertised on facebook).
Started  11/11/2015 - finished in about an hour.
An excellent short story written from a seven year old's view, about a camping adventure and relationships. Made me cry!

THE GIFT by Mark Haysom
eBook. Free download to Kindle.
Started 1/12/2015 - finished in about an hour on flight home.
Another deeply moving short story about a grandmothers desperate need to do well for her family.
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Friday 1 January 2016

Happy New Year.......



2016, doesn't time just fly by?
I've read good wishes and passed on good wishes all yesterday on all forms of social media and even to real people in person, and now my wishes are for you all.

The traditional toast here is for "Health, Wealth and Happiness" and for me that means taking responsibility for my own health as much as I can, eating sensibly most of the time but no fad diets or depriving myself of treats that give me pleasure, everything in moderation as they say! My exercise will come from housework and gardening, dancing when the mood takes me and getting out in the fresh air so I also get that buzz of achievements. Wealth should be measured in love, closeness of family and strong friendships and richness of life experiencing new places and hobbies and being open minded to others opinions. Happiness is laughing out loud or quiet contentment and taking the time to count my blessings and share it with others.

So yes I wholeheartedly wish you all Health, Wealth and Happiness for 2016 xx
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