Friday, January 4th, 2013

Hello Jen, and hello to 2013!

It was a nice Christmas here, too. We spent Christmas Day and Boxing Day with the extended family as always, and then we have had a lovely relaxing week. Lots of reading, lazing around and eating goodies. I barely even cooked a dinner - actually I cooked ONE in about eleven days. The Prof was off right over the holidays and went back to work on the 2nd January. I am missing him, now I am back to being home alone all the time.

The decorations are coming down - slowly, which is how I do most things. A bit here, a bit there. Yesterday I tidied away most of the Christmas presents that were scattered around the living room. This morning I removed all the Christmas cards from the doors where I displayed them this year, they are in a pile on the table waiting for me to go through them all removing the bits of blu-tac. In the picture is the knitted 'paper' chain I made this year to drape over our mantel mirror. I am thinking I might make some more in non-Christmas colours to use at other times. Maybe an Easter one next, in Spring colours. A blue one, for the Prof and the Young Philosopher's birthdays (blue is both their favourite colour) Maybe I need to get out of the house more....

It gave me a chuckle what you said about our television here -  we have so much drivel on! I bet you just get all the lovely 'Englishy' things, Downton, Doc Martin (which actually I have never seen, is it good?), Lark Rise, Upstairs Downstairs....there is a lot of rubbish on as well, honestly. We do get US programmes a bit, I have seen police car chase type things, Judge Judy, those CSI programmes and Cheaters seems to be on a lot! We don't have any 'extra' channels either - the Prof did before he came to live here, but like you, I am too cheap! We watch a quite a lot of history programmes. For Christmas I was given the two series '1900 House' and '1940s House' which were on about 13 years ago. I really enjoyed them at the time and am looking forward to revisiting them. We watch a series sometimes when there's a good one (looking forward to the return of Call the Midwife soon!), and recently we watched Masterchef and also Strictly Come Dancing, for the first time in years, though I watch it recorded and cut out a lot of waffle with the FF button!

I feel fairly blah about 2012. There were some good things in there, notably a couple of lovely holidays and days out, and a few weeks when my CFS receded enough for me to almost feel normal for the first time in about four years, but mostly I haven't felt well, and that in combination with the wettest year on record cramping my style, made it not one of my favourite years. I haven't written much, or taken many photographs. I think I just lost my mojo there for a while.

This year, I have plans! I am hoping for improved health, more photo opportunities, a new and improved hovel house, more writing, lots of reading, and some new experiences. I have been looking already for talks/events going on around Essex and London and hope to learn some new things.

I hope you have a lovely weekend. Mine is going to include finally getting the new toilet seat put on (can you hear me, Prof?). According to the Young Philosopher, he broke the lid of the old one whilst hoovering. I have no idea how, unless he was standing on it! We will also be taking down the tree and putting it in the loft, and going to see the Hobbit.

Oh, and before I go I must say huge congratulations to you on one of your photographs being on the cover of Kindred magazine, and a poem inside! You must be thrilled. I have just ordered my copy. Well done you.

More soon

Debbie  x