Playing, doing, anticipating

1. I enjoyed playing bass at church this morning, and an encouraging/challenging preach.

2. A restful afternoon of ironing, washing and blocking my latest knitted project. I love the way knitting is transformed when it's wet and stretched out. 

3. Looking forward to meeting old friends. 

Keeping in touch

1.  Lunch and a fun afternoon with 2 godsons and their parents - we braved the high winds to see them and had a good time playing games with them.  (Their parents will be delighted once they can get them outside to burn off some energy though!)

2.  A brief chat with another godchild and her parents, to say Happy Christmas and catch up a little.  It was good to speak with them

(I'm realising that I've been far too cautious in picking up the phone to call friends and family for a long while now (for some reason I always think it'll be a bad time to call, or the person won't want to hear from me, or I won't have anything interesting to say, or worse I'll say something stupid/annoying/thoughtless...).  I know it's in my mind so I'm making more of an effort not to lose the people who matter to me.  And hopefully now I've put this in writing I'll keep to it!)

3.  Saw "The Hobbit" part 2 at the cinema with a friend - they could easily have trimmed an hour off the film & I wouldn't have noticed, but I'm still happy I went.  I think I preferred the first film though... a bit more of the back story and less of the brooding menace.

Late night, morning catch-up, evening activities

1. An unplanned late night yesterday when the rain became torrential and aimed downhill as quickly as possible... The neighbours all pulled together again, we put out sandbags and bailed out where we could, with the result that our houses were basically ok.  I spent a while mopping up the dribble of water coming in through our front door so that no real harm was done.  So my early night became 1:30am

2. I enjoy our Christmas Eve tradition at work of having a cooked breakfast together as a team.  And I was ready for it after last night's activities!  It was also nice to have a relatively relaxed morning before finishing at lunchtime; I need to keep my phone on while I'm off, just in case, but it's good to have some time off for a while.

3. My current (secret) knitting project is coming along well.  I've made a couple of mistakes that were just too difficult to correct, but only I would know they're there... I've enjoyed doing a slightly more complex scarf/shawl project this time and learned a bit about shaping and patterning - I hope the recipient will like it.

3b. I've painted my nails red :)  - because it's a Christmassy colour, and because I felt like it.  They're quite bright though!

Getting ready

1. A drove to Carlisle and managed to get the goodbye present for a colleague who's leaving us. I'm very glad to be able to post it to her before finishing for Christmas. 

2. I managed to get hold of some friends tonight to arrange when to meet up - that's getting close to being organised (although I don't think anyone will be calling me that this year)

3. Only half a day to go at work before a few days off :D

Clearing up and Carolling

1. The neighbours all worked together to clear the area in front of our garages of silt, stones, leaves and general debris. It took around 3 hours between us - I dread to think how long if we hadn't all pitched in. 

2. Dishes washed, ironing done (last night), leftover cakes frozen (and eaten). 

3. Carols by Candlelight 

On recognising that blogging might be good for me...

Three things to be thankful for today:

- An enjoyable ladies' afternoon tea in the run up to Christmas. I had fun baking cakes and scones and drinking lots of tea & coffee, and was pleased that the person I'd invited along seemed to enjoy it too. 

- Our front gate held off the water from the front door when the drains couldn't cops with the downpour. I came home to a closed road and lots of water in the road and garden, but the house has stayed dry. The car's still out on the road so I hope the garage isn't too bad when I look tomorrow. 

- I don't need to be up early in the morning (although I think there'll be done cleaning up to do outside...)

Who'd have thought...

I don't really remember why now, but around the start of June I decided to try the "couch to 5k" podcasts from the NHS. I guess I was trying to improve my fitness levels, keep my joints moving, and maybe burn off a few extra calories. 

Well, today was the 2nd run in week 5. This is the week when it gets a bit more serious...  On Monday I ran for 3 bursts of 5 minutes each, with 3 minutes' walking in between. Today was 2 bursts of 8 minutes with 5 minutes' walking in the middle. Until today 5 minutes was the longest stretch I'd done. 

At the weekend I'll be trying for 20 minutes running with no break in the middle. Part of me thinks it'll be horrendous, but I didn't think 8 minutes would be possible either and actually it was pretty ok. 

Who'd have thought?!

Sharing, not quite there, more to enjoy later

1. The privilege of visiting another church to talk about the schools work in the area. We were made very welcome. And I got to have a go with 2 puppets!

2. We didn't see the Red Arrows (they couldn't take off from Liverpool because it was too windy) but we almost caught the end of the Typhoon display. It sounded amazing! (and we saw a tiny bit through the trees as we walked)

3. Making a tasty meal, with more for tomorrow and 2 meals in the freezer. Spicy aubergines, peppers, courgettes, onion, tomato, kidney beans and chickpeas. Served with couscous and creme fraiche. My teenage self wouldn't recognise me ;-)

Checking in again

I'm not sure quite why blogging drifted off recently... maybe life's just been a little too busy. It's a shame really, as I've missed recording some fun times:

- 4 days in Warsaw visiting family and exploring the city at the beginning of May

- a lovely relaxed meal out with A's family for his birthday

- afternoon tea in a country house hotel beside Ullswater for our 11th anniversary

- replacing the pebbledash on the front of our house (we've had scaffolding and everything)

- busy times at work, including a successful inauguration event where I did a short presentation (2.5 minutes) as part of the dignitaries' tour

- and I've started trying to get fit using the couch to 5k programme. Yesterday evening was run 3 from week 2. 

Families

We're blessed to be connected to some lovely families, and have spent recent weekends as fun times.

Last weekend we looked after 2 small godsons, and it was such a privilege to be trusted with them. We had a precious time with them. Today they gave us a beautiful bunch of tulips to say thank you.

This weekend we enjoyed having some long-standing friends to visit. It felt good to be able to just relax together without needing to rush anywhere... We enjoyed walking around Buttermere on Saturday (with regular stops for lunch, ice-cream, tea and cake), and I feel privileged to be the consultant for a 9-year old's secret knitting project.

Tomorrow we start our trip to visit Poland when we'll be meeting up with family not seen for some years. Looking on Facebook this evening I can see that my cousins are growing up fast! I'm looking forward to seeing them and exploring the city.

Feeling better

1. I woke up with a sore throat, developed a very achey tummy by lunchtime, felt quite sick, went home and felt a lot better. It's still a bit achey but that could be Pilates muscles now...

2. The amaryllis is looking quite pretty now.

3. I had a bubble bath to relax before an early night.

Flowering!

Our amaryllis Christmas present is finally flowering. It's going to look fab.

Spring, safe, stretching

1. There are still lots of daffodils coming into flower, and we're also getting primroses in the back garden. I love that the birds are busy too: I've see blue tits, sparrows, magpies, crows...

2. I was the first car behind a car accident on my way out this evening. Thankfully no-one was injured, although at least one of the cars had a squashed corner. Someone else called the police so I left after 3 squad cars arrived with flashing blue lights.

3. My first Pilates class after 4 weeks. I think I'm going to ache!

Gardening, baking and soaking

1. Another 20 minutes or so clearing weeds in the back garden. This time I pulled a few bramble roots and a couple of nettles, but I'm guessing it won't take long for them to grow back... It's the furthest I've reached yet though.

2. He made his first loaf of bread - very nice! (With a hint of rosemary worked through for extra flavour)

3. A bath to relax at the end of the day.

Family weekend

Back to work tomorrow, after a short change in routine...

• Mum arrived last Wednesday lunchtime for a short visit, and we enjoyed a bite of lunch in Cockermouth before coming home to be joined by A's parents for tea (or dinner if you're not from the north of England!)
• It's been nice to have her visit, even though I was at work during the days.  Only a short visit though...
• We drove back north yesterday and both took the chance to visit my gran (Dad's mum) in hospital.  She's recovering well after falling and breaking her hip in February but I guess there's still some way to go.  At least she can get around with a zimmer now though.
• I was staying with my other gran for one night, and was happy to find her in good spirits.  She offered me tea and biscuits when I arrived which was a lovely surprise.
• I took them Mum and Grandma to church this morning, and was touched by how they're being looked after there.  They're given lifts to the Friday lunches and for church on a Sunday, communion is brought to them at their places so they don't need to walk to the front, and there's a cup of tea waiting for each of them at a table in the church hall afterwards. 
• I had lunch with Dad and his wife before driving back home.  So it was only a short visit (with no time to catch up with my brothers) but I'm glad I was able to go.

And it was nice to come home to find A had also got back safely from his travels.

Working it out

1. A slightly stroppy day (I just got out on the wrong side of bed I guess!) which I hope wasn't too obvious, but I was pleased to leave work on a positive conversation.

2. Making progress on the current BSJ, and I think I've worked out how to have a neater edge around the neck while still adjusting the shape.

3. A half day tomorrow... making up for extra hours worked last week.

Clearing out and making something new

1. It was light and (just) warm enough when I got home to do a little more gardening. Only half an hour or so, but it all helps.

2. A relaxed evening meal before a week (month?) of busyness.

3. Trying out a new knitting technique. It felt very clumsy at first, but I'm beginning to get the hang of it now. I'm not making anything fancy, so it doesn't matter that the tension's quite random.

Awesome, and fun

1. Today's contribution: John 1... Jesus was there from the beginning, the world was made through Him, He came to us, He offers us new life!

2. Sunday lunch with my in-laws, then practising using her netbook.

3. Microwave popcorn :-)

Today I'm grateful for...

• a slow start to the day, with no alarm clocks and no appointments
• good coffee
• with cereal, orange juice and an apple - very healthy!
• hot water for a refreshing shower
• time to relax with books of recipes and knitting patterns
• sunshine and a breeze to dry washing outside
• browsing by myself around the shops in Cockermouth, and bumping into friends and family
• a sunny walk around the village when I got back
• living in a beautiful part of the country / world
• lots and lots of daffodils
• I love their cheery yellowness, in crowded clusters along the roadsides and in our garden
• they shout hope and sunshine after a long winter

• baking goodies for church tomorrow
• I've made Mary Berry's chocolate brownies (one of my favourite recipes) and Digger biscuits (my first go with these thin crisp coconut biccies)
• the first evening meal in our summer house... 

• it was just warm enough to stay outside for a relaxed meal of bread, hummus, carrots and peppers, with a glass of red wine
• what a treat!
• and then a pretty sunset to end the outside-ness:

• a heated blanket (it's not summer yet!)

Long day, tasty finish

1. An early start and late finish at work today... but it seems to have gone well.

2. British Summer Time means it was still daylight when I left at 7:30(pm).

3. Cheese and chutney on toast to finish.

A cold start and warm finish

1. A very frosty start to the day meant the daffodils in the garden looked sad and droopy; by the time I got home the sunshine had perked them up again.

2. Housegroup was at ours tonight. We'd not had time to plan and chose to use the children's version of the study guide. It was good to share the readings and prayers with everyone, even as young as 4.

3. We didn't need to drive home at the end of the day.

Sunshine at last!

1.  The sun was shining when we got home from work, so we took the chance to start dealing with some of the dead plants and brambles in the back garden.  There's a long way to go, but we can see some results from an hour's cutting and clearing.

2.  Looking back at some of the photos I've taken over the last few days, as well as some older photos.  I like the memories they bring...  Today's photo fun was trying to capture the beautiful narcissus bulbs I was given on Mothering Sunday at church; there are also some pretty pink cyclamen flowers in the background which we were given when we became godparents to our friends' daughter.

3.  Enjoying a meal from the leftover chicken tagine we made for Easter Sunday.  Perfect when we came in from the cold outside.

Good Friday

1. A Good Friday service with 2 of our godchildren and their parents, followed by crafts in the church hall. We all had a good morning together, and I particularly enjoyed walking and sitting hand-in-hand with my godson.

2. It's still pretty cold but the sun was out today, so I was able to get 2 loads of washing out on the line to dry.

3. The moon has been beautiful recently, and a friend asked on facebook if anyone could get a good photo.  So I had a try...

Sunshine in the living room

I came home after a long day's work on Monday to some daffodils on the coffee table.  They're out in bloom now...

Celebrating the years, sunshine and the landscape

1. We partied with a friend last night to celebrate starting a new decade... it's good to have friendships which have lasted for so many years.

2. A lazy start to the day... I enjoyed not needing to rush to be anywhere, and the sunshine as we walked to our breakfast.

3. We meandered home on A roads for most of the way. I liked seeing the different landscapes, with thatched roofs, canals and narrowboats, then lakes and fells. The British countryside is special.

Good surprises

1.  My appointment at the doctor's was at 9am, and it was!  I was soon finished and off to work :o)

2.  I went for a walk around the village when I got home.  There was a beautiful low (almost full) moon so I tried to get some pictures.  I only had my phone but this one worked quite well...

3.  I rang my brother to say hello and he was with my gran in hospital so I was able to say hello to her as well.  A nice surprise.

Details make a difference

It's catching up on the small things that can make the difference...
- cleaning the bathroom: usually my Saturday morning job but we were away last weekend so it was only part-done. I'm glad to have done it better today.
- clothes being washed (actually not so much of mine yet, but we're working through the pile)
- ironing done (both of us)
- weekly shopping done
- chicken and bacon casserole cooked ready for tomorrow's lunch (by A)
- my hair doesn't have an inch of grey any more ;-)
- clothes to the charity shop

And we enjoyed a tasty lunch at the Coffee Kitchen in Cockermouth. Today's special was minted lamb hotpot with red cabbage. I had some loose leaf tea in a fab glass teapot, A enjoyed the guest coffee, and we had brownie & peanut caramel crunch for afters. Yum!

Sunny & cold, but a warming tea

1. A clear, sunny, (cold) day. And it feels good to start and finish work in daylight.

2. A cheat's version of roast beef and yorkshire puds for tea. Yum :-)

3. An electric blanket means it's not cold at the end of the day.

Blessings from the weekend

- the drive north went smoothly and we arrived in good time
- I was able to spend time chatting with Mum while A checked in with Grandma
- both were in good form all weekend
- a relaxed start to Saturday, lunch with Dad, and time to pop into town for a look around the shops (I may have bought some yarn...)
- Oma seemed tired and frail, but perked up as we chatted. We were encouraged to see she's still got her sense of humour and strong spirit despite her hip op.
- chatting during tea after church
- lunch with G&T, and I've finally got a proper pic of their wedding blanket I made last year
- another good drive, this time going home
- phonecalls to say we're home and start thinking when to meet up again.

It's been good to be able to see almost everyone. Hard to see older relatives getting frail, but encouraging to share laughs together.

3 (brief) beautiful things

1.  The days are getting longer.  It's been daylight when I arrive at work, and daylight when I leave.  What a difference!

2.  I finished a Bandana Cowl yesterday, after only a couple of evenings.  I'm pleased with how it's turned out and it all helps with the destashing.  I've also blocked my Chinook Scarf so I'm doing quite well for scarves in lovely yarn.

3.  I'm enjoying the latest Thursday Next book.  I'm about half way through at the moment and looking forward to seeing how it develops.

Quick catch up...

I didn't do an awful lot on Saturday... I read P&P, went into town for lunch and the weekly shop, knitted while I watched the rugby (we lost of course), read some more, had tea, and kept reading until I'd finished the book!  It was about midnight by then, so I was pretty sleepy on Sunday (not helped by A coming to bed quite a bit later and unintentionally waking me up!)  I was very glad of the lazy day though, and I appreciated the luxury of being able to get lost in a book.

A was running the Sunday School so we were through for church in good time.  I felt prompted to read a bit from Isaiah 40 during the meeting; a quick summary would be: He's huge, He created everything, we can't even begin to understand or advise Him, and yet He takes notice of us.  Amazing!

I helped out at the local youth service which is run every other month by the organisation I've become involved with (NISCU).  It's great to see young people getting to know God for themselves - the message was about having a faith which sticks; life isn't always going to be easy but we can trust God.

And at work... we've finally got started on the production trial which refused to behave last week.  We'd lost 3 days' running time for an unrelated reason which was just so frustrating.  Today was our next attempt and, as I write, we seem to have finally started making the right quality.  There's still one reliability issue to deal with, but if we get through to tomorrow the spare part will arrive and we can fix that too.  It's been so encouraging to see everyone pulling together on this - I do enjoy working with my colleagues and the sense of family we have there.

Ending the week

1. A long week, without completing (or even properly starting) the activity we'd planned. There had been 2 long evenings so I was relieved we decided to postpone until next week and that I could leave early.

2. A relaxing bath before A came home. I enjoyed reading P&P by daylight for a change.

3. The prospect of a quieter Saturday to catch up.

January books

There's been quite a bit of publicity recently for the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice... so last night I picked it up to re-read.  This book has long been a favourite, so I didn't need too much encouragement to look again.

It's amazing how a new aspect of a book can jump out at you on a repeat reading.  This time I'm noticing much more of Darcy's reactions to Lizzy and the way he's captivated by her from the outset. (I'm still fairly early in the book - Jane has been staying at Netherfield because she's caught cold and Lizzy was looking after her).  I'd read before that Jane Austen's male characters often aren't as well defined as her heroines, but this time I feel I'm seeing much more about his feelings and reactions than I'd expected.  Perhaps it's because I know how the story continues so that I'm reading more into the early parts than I'm supposed to know.

Other books I've read this month include:

1. A Deadly Yarn by Maggie Sefton.  ok - maybe I don't want to own up to this one!  It's the 3rd in a series of murder mysteries based around knitting... I've read them as a bit of mindless fun, and keep saying I won't bother with the next in the series but then go on to buy it from the Amazon marketplace.  They're getting a bit formulaic now, but I guess they don't claim to be anything else...
2. A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber.  This was a Christmas present from a fellow knitter, and is the 2nd in a series.  I'm glad she chose to give me this as the first one to try and I found myself quite getting into the story.  It was a relaxing read, where nothing too bad happened for too long and people found the best in each other.  I liked that the knitting side was just a small part of the story (essentially just an excuse for 4 random women to meet each other), compared to the Maggie Sefton books where it feels more heavily worked in (and less authentic because of that).  I'll probably have a look in the library to see if there are more to try.
3. At Knit's End by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.  Maybe there's a theme emerging here... Actually this is more a collection of thoughts and musings, which is quite fun to dip into from time to time.  I like that I feel normal when I read about other women's eccentricities.
4. One Hundred Favourite Poems from Classic FM.  I don't normally read poetry, but when I was invited to a Burns Supper last weekend I needed to prepare a poem to recite and chose the Ode to a Mouse.  There was a copy in this book, which led to me browsing through and spotting other poems which I'd forgotten.  I hope I'll spend a bit more time dipping into this now as well.

Growing... and blubbing!

1. Played bass at church again, this time in a different band to usual.  One song was much more funky than I'm used to and I struggled a bit during the practice ("Let's do this bit with just drum and bass") but when it finally clicked what the chords actually were it felt good.  I missed the transition to the bridge section though - I was too busy trying to read the notes to see the signal from the leader.

2.  The sermon was about spiritual gifts, and particularly prophecy.  I liked the practical approach he took, which included asking a couple of people to explain the words they'd brought earlier in the meeting.  I found myself nodding to a lot of it.

3.  Saw Les Miserables at the cinema with a friend.  I think it was better than the stage version (certainly the 2nd time I saw it) and I liked that they incorporated a few details from the book which weren't in the stage musical.  It was very emotional though - as expected.  I kept myself together most of the way through, but the final 5 minutes were impossible!

What a lovely day!

1. It was a beautiful clear morning as I popped to town for some shopping. I didn't find any tartan clothes for tonight (I had a good back up plan though) but I did buy some ankle boots (30% off :-) ) and some patterned tights.

2. I do like Cockermouth. Lunch in the Coffee Kitchen, then a relaxing haircut with a head massage and enjoyable chat.

3. The Burns Supper. It's been a fantastic evening with lots of fun. I was nervous reading my poem but it went well, and all the other contributions were fab. I felt a bit left out not being able to share in the whisky drinking so was given two wee glasses to take home. What a treat!

Good company

1. Good company: I feel blessed to have good colleagues at work, growing friendships at my exercise class, and a lovely prayer triplet.

2. My weekend plans are coming together, including a Burns Night supper. I've been asked to choose a poem to read, so I'm looking into the Ode to a Mouse.

3. A deer ran across my path as I drove home tonight. It was far enough away to be safe so I enjoyed the unexpected sight.

Weekend highlights

Friday:
- I left work with the feeling of a good job done. It's been a busy week but with a fair bit of progress and without stress.
- Pizza with a friend. We knitted and chatted.

Saturday:
- lots of washing done
- lots of extra clothes sorted to get rid of
- lunch with a friend
- knitting while I watched a film on tv, with a wee dram of Glenkinchie to seal the day (Christmas present from 2 or 3 years ago)

Sunday:
- good company at church
- browsing patterns to destash my yarn mountain
- A came home from a weekend adventure with his brother
- a long chat on the phone with my friend. We compared notes on sorting out our houses.

Sunday pick-me-up

I woke up this morning feeling tired and achey, so took the chance to go for a walk before church (unusually, we were both off duty!).  Much of yesterday, and last week, was spent sitting down so I'm in need of some fresh air and exercise.  I walked about 2 miles...
- the snow flakes were just starting to appear when I set off and were getting stronger as I returned
- I saw 2 dogs, a blackbird, 2 wood pigeons and lots of cyclists
- it was cold!

My eyes were watering all the way around, but by the time we'd driven to church I felt nicely relaxed as if they'd been washed clean.

We had lunch (roast beef dinner followed by gingerbread cake and ice cream) with A's parents.  I cast on for a BSJ and we helped A's mum to start learning how to write letters on her netbook.

Home to some ironing, more knitting and the last portion of Monday's bargain lentil soup.  Hopefully I'll be disciplined enough for an early night too...

A rural Saturday

A busyish Saturday:
- We drove to Carlisle, picking up a parcel from the sorting office on the way to the building society for a mortgage review.  It's interesting to think we've been in our home for 10 years now.
- We had lunch in our favourite cafe in the Carlisle Market Hall.  We've been going there for years now and have got to know the owners a bit - it's great to have somewhere so welcoming and to be able to relax with friends.
- Next, up to Gretna for a quick trip to return some items to the outlet village.  We managed not to be tempted by all the bargains this time...
- Back down south again, with a quick stop in Cockermouth to book a haircut in a couple of weeks' time.  Another example where I love feeling part of a community - she knows who I am, what my name is and I enjoy having a chat during my appointment.
- On to Whitehaven to get the weekly shop

...and back home again by 5pm!  We must have covered about 100 miles just getting basic jobs done, but that's how it is in these rural parts ;-)

Preparations and a nice surprise

1. A productive meeting at work - it lasted most of the day, but I think we got somewhere... and it was good to catch up with some colleagues who are based elsewhere.

2. Planning a weekend away for A's birthday in May. I think I have to be away on the day itself, but I hope a trip away can be special instead.

3. First housegroup of the year, and a lovely surprise present. Michelle had made bookmarks for each of us, with specially chosen bible verses on the back. What a lovely idea!

A good evening

1.  My nagging headache didn't develop into a migraine, so by the time I got home I was feeling comfortable again.

2.  A quick and tasty meal:  one pack of supermarket-prepared soup veg, tin tomatoes, red split lentils, a stock cube, tomato puree and some salt, pepper and (this time) soy sauce.  Bring to the boil, then simmer for a while until we have a warming winter soup.  And there are quite a few portions left for tomorrow and the freezer.

3.  A relaxing evening at home, and I managed to catch up with Mum briefly without her phone battery (or mine!) dying as threatened.

A slightly more sociable Sunday

1.  I enjoyed playing in our usual band again this morning - much easier to predict what other people would do and to be able to fit in.  Although I did start to play the wrong song at the end of the meeting... in my defence, we hadn't practised it and the titles were very similar!
2.  We went for lunch at a coffee shop in town after church and a lady from church came in towards the end.  We stayed while she had her lunch, and all enjoyed the chance to catch up after far too long.

3.  An unexpected phone call from a friend who's far away.  It was good to be able to say Happy New Year and start thinking about when we might be able to meet up.

(I also got some very exciting news from another friend, but it's a secret so I can't tell anyone yet!)

The wedding

A fantastic day celebrating our friends' marriage (I feel old now - I still expect her to be a teenager!)

- she, and the bridesmaids, looked as stunning as I'd expected
- the church was freezing cold! ...but we had hot chocolate and cupcakes after the ceremony
- I played with my new camera... I'm looking forward to seeing the results properly tomorrow
- my ears are still ringing after dancing in front of the speakers to a fantastic band. (The bass player was something else - jumping all around the stage!)

The Friday before a special weekend

1.  It was only a short week, but I'm happy it's Friday.  Roll on the weekend :-)

2.  One of our favourite meals: chicken and mushroom risotto, using the last of Tuesday's lemon roast chicken.  And we've got enough left for another meal on Sunday (leftover leftovers!)

3.  The presents are wrapped and ready for tomorrow's wedding celebrations.  We've just checked the weather forecast, and it might stay dry!  I'm looking forward to it.

Taking the time

1. It always gives me a lift when I'm walking about at work and someone smiles or waves at me. They don't have to.

2. I'm grateful it's a short week. After 2 days at work I was glad of a nap to get ready for a long evening.

3. The Hobbit (part 1!) was very good. Although it's much longer than it needed to be, it still feels in keeping with Tolkien's world. By extending it to 3 parts there's time to linger on the history and background, and even some of the songs I could never get to grips with in the book.

How to end the year well

- a slow get up this morning
- tea and a short walk at Whitehaven harbour with friends
- successful shopping (I now have a knee-length black coat to wear to Saturday's wedding)
- New Year's Eve party - with delicious food and good company
- a wee dram at home with the remains of a bottle we were given in 2002 as a wedding present

And the news that our friends' baby boy has arrived at last - 10 days late and on big brother's 2nd birthday!