Me on Monday

 We’ve woken up to glorious sunshine again today and it looks like it’ll stay  for the rest of the week 😊

It was a weekend of flowers and flour for me. We visited some beautiful bluebell woods on Saturday. I love this time of year!

The photo doesn’t really do it justice, it really was a carpet of blue and absolutely gorgeous. Perfect dog walking country.

Then on Sunday I went to a cooking academy for a class in how to make pasta

It was in a lovely location, about half an hour from me, in a courtyard filled with sculptures and individual studios for potters, artists and a bakery.  I have no photos as I was either busy making or eating pasta! Everyone left their phones in a different room and it was great to see everyone totally engrossed in the class with no interruptions. We made a basic dough and turned it into ravioli, spaghetti and tagliatelle. We also made three different sauces, carbonara,arrabiata and Alfredo, then it was lunchtime and we sampled everything we had made. Such a fun day. 

Today is normal routine after the Easter break, with pilates to start with.  My arms are aching from all that kneading of the pasta dough so I'm hoping she will go easy on us!  I'm hoping we will go to Cambridge one day this week as I have a few birthday presents to buy and it's nice to look round some of the little individual shops there.

No other firm plans for the days ahead but as the weather forecast is good I'm planning to just take each day as it comes and do a little bit more work in the garden.  Or maybe sitting in the garden watching Paul do the work 😉

#WBOYC in April

 

This month seems to have been quite a gentle progression into spring.  We've had some lovely weather and the gardens are looking colourful and full of new growth.  So, how did I spend my days?

Watching and reading

The new series of Grace still has as many twists and turns and red herrings to keep your brain challenged.  I still enjoy watching Interior Design Masters, and can usually guess which person will be sent home after an untasteful project. 

Then onto a couple of travel inspired shows. The Pilgrimage is back, with celebrities taking on a pilgrimage route.  It is interesting to see how people of different faiths and opinions gel over a challenging route. This time they are in Austria and the scenery and architecture is absolutely beautiful. The new series of Race Across the World has just started and already you are seeing signs of a little discontent between some of the couples.  To be left without mobile phones or credit cards at the great wall of China and having to find your way to the finish point in India is not something I would be any good at!  

I've just finished watching Feud and had not realised that making an kitchen extension on the back of your house could cause so much trouble (or deaths). 

I'll be sharing my April reading in a post next week.  I've only read a couple of books but they were both good in very different ways.

Eating

We couldn't find a day over the Easter weekend that everyone was free so I ended up cooking family meals two days in a row.  Traditional roast lamb with lots of veggies on Easter Sunday and a pork and cider casserole with Jersey Royal new potatoes and veggies on Easter Monday.  I love it when it is the season for Jersey Royals, I think they just taste so much nicer than any other new potatoes.

We had an Indian takeaway with friends one evening and it was absolutely delicious.  We tried a restaurant that we hadn't used for a while and we will definitely be using them again from now on.  For once we did not over order.  It's so tempting to go through the menu and choose lots of starters and then can't eat the main!  Do you do that?  I could make a meal out of the samosas, onion bhajis, chicken chat, poppadoms and dips!

One of my 'knit and natter' ladies invited us to a party at the local golf club.  It was to celebrate her 70th birthday and it was such a nice evening.  It was a sit down meal; the food was delicious and it was fun to dance the night away.

Self Care

I'm still doing pilates and zumba, although there have been a couple of weeks off due to the Easter break.  I'd like to say that I did some exercising at home to compensate but we all know that isn't true!  First Zumba class back was yesterday and it was so good to get out and dance.

There's also been self care in the form of a haircut and one which I was apprehensive about - a dental check up.  Fortunately I came out of each salon/clinic with a smile on my face!

Can you consider booking a holiday 'self care'?  I think so - and am happy to know that this month we finally decided on a destination and we have a trip to Italy planned for June 😎

Days out

As the weather has been so lovely, we have been taking Coco to different places for her walks and it's been really nice to change the routine of staying close to home.  Even though we have a country park on our doorstep, it's good to go elsewhere sometimes.

I have a day out planned for this Sunday.  For my birthday, my son and daughter bought me a ticket for a pasta making class at a cookery school near to them.  I have never made my own pasta and I think it could get quite messy but I'm looking forward to learning something new!  

So all that is left now is to share 1 Second Everyday for this month and invite you to pop over to Deb's World  to read about her Awesome April in Australia!

Me on Monday

 You won't believe this but we have started today with glorious sunshine again! We have really been spoilt with beautiful spring weather in the last week, the garden has really woken up and it is a joy to see the colour gradually emerging out there.

So I have a tale to tell about a previous Monday.  Remember the Monday where I was looking forward to collecting my new car?  Well, when I went to pick it up, it wasn't the car I had ordered.  It was a three door, not a five door.  Which was a problem, not just because it wasn't the car I wanted, but I couldn't get Olive's car seat in the back!  So I had to drive off in it as the paperwork had all been done to trade in my old car and the new one was registered in my name.  How frustrating!  So now I have to wait for the correct car to be delivered to the dealership and I am pretty sure that the salesman will be counting the doors before he tells me it has arrived!  He was so shocked when I said it was the wrong car, I think he thought I was joking, but then his face fell as he realised the mistake.  

Imagine this, but with 5 doors not 3!  It is lovely to drive but not practical for me while I'm still involved in picking up and dropping off young grandchildren!

We booked a holiday 😎  After many searches through many brochures and websites we have decided to return to Lake Garda in Italy but to a different resort to those we've been to before.  It looks fabulous and I am now counting the days!

Today I am meeting up with a friend for a coffee and a croissant which is always a good way to start the day isn't it?  Then I have a couple of days of full day childcare as it is the start of the school Easter holidays here.  We had a very busy weekend so I am looking forward to just taking it easy today and preparing for the grandchildren being here tomorrow and Wednesday.  

I hope your week is starting off in the sunshine and that you have good things planned for the week ahead!

My book list for March

 Here we go with my reading list for March, three very different books!

Once again Freida McFadden has had me thinking I know which way a storyline is going and then completely taken me by surprise. Before I go any further I need to say that this book is not for the squeamish!

Sydney is looking for a caring, compassionate partner but is having little luck with the men she is meeting via a dating app.  Then she meets someone who seems to tick all the boxes of the qualities she is seeking, he's charming, successful and is a doctor at a local hospital.  

But let's go back in time to a young boy called Tom and his friend 'Slug', both boys are unpopular with the 'cool' kids and both seem to have slightly odd interests.  Tom is obsessed with the girl across the street, Daisy, whose father is a local police officer.  After the disappearance of a girl who Tom was tutoring, Daisy's father says that she should have nothing to do with Tom anymore as he suspects he may not be all he seems.    

Let's return to the present day, where Sydney discovers that her best friend has been brutally murdered.  In a total state of shock she is supported by a mutual friend, Gretchen, and her boyfriend who happens to be the caretaker of the apartments where the girls live.  But Sydney's boyfriend is starting to act suspiciously and she is now wondering if he could be the mystery doctor that her murdered friend was dating before she died.

I smugly thought I knew where this was going.  I confidently believed that I could match up the characters from the past to those in the present.  Reader, I was wrong!

What a twist at the end and what a feeling that things have not been tied up as neatly as it seemed!

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I decided it was time for a different genre of book for my next read, I needed a break from murders!

Emilie de la Martinieres travels to her family home following the death of her mother.  The two had never been close and Emilie feels that she knew little about her. Being an only child, Emilie inherits all her mother's worldly goods, which includes a chateau and vineyard in the South of France.  Here she meets Sebastian, with whom she falls in love and marries before moving to his family home in England while renovations to the chateau are taking place.

In the midsts of checking out the chateau and trying to make decisions for the future she discovers a book of poems written by a previous occupant.  These lead her to search for more information about the author, her aunt Sophie, whose love affair changed the course of the family history.  

The story moves between 1943 and 1998, as Emilie discovers more and more information about her family's connection to the chateau. This part of the story introduces Constance, a young British agent who finds herself involved in the de la Martinieres family. Realising that their lives are in danger at their home in Paris she travels with the daughter of the family (Emilie's aunt Sophie) to their home in the south.  

There is a lot of family connections in this story but it is one that I enjoyed and would recommend.

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For my last book I decided to try something different.

I really enjoy the TV series Gavin and Stacey and wondered if Ruth Jones would be as good an author as she is a scriptwriter.

Us Three follows three girls who are best friends at school and swear an oath on a Curly Wurly sweet wrapper that they will always be there for each other no matter what life holds for them.

After they leave school and before they go to university they plan a fantastic trip but on their return, things take a huge turn and their friendship possibly lies in tatters.  Their innocent childhood promise looks unlikely to be fulfilled.  Sometimes it is hard to be the one in the middle of two friends who fall out and are either unwilling or unable to forgive and forget.

I enjoyed this book, and I changed my opinion of the characters several times before the ending! If you are looking for a nice easy read, this is one to try.

#WBOYC in March

 

So another month has gone past in fast forward mode and suddenly here we are with British Summer Time beginning in a few days. Here's a brief resume of how my month progressed, noting that I ended the month a whole year older than when it started 🎉

Watching and Reading

I managed to read a variety of books this month and you can see my reviews of those in a couple of days time.  On TV we watched the Netflix drama that everyone is talking about, Adolescence.  What a powerful performance from everyone concerned.  It makes me grateful that the online world was not as compulsive when my children were growing up but concerned for my grandchildren.  I think that it should be viewed by all parents of young children and teenagers to forewarn them of the dangers that they may be vulnerable to experience. We are also watching Protection which we are enjoying and we've also just finished The Bay.  I am watching White Lotus (Paul has given up with that one!)

Eating

We are still enjoying experimenting with the recipe spice box that our son arranged for our Christmas present - tonight it is the turn of lamb rogan josh.  We were sent all the herbs and spices needed, we just have to provide any fresh products.  I love Rogan Josh in Indian restaurants so have high hopes for this one!  

We have been to lunch twice at friends' houses and enjoyed a lovely Sicilian lunch out in Cambridge for my birthday.

Self Care

I'm still continuing with my pilates class and think there may be a tiny improvement in my flexibility.  Plus I am managing to hold all the positions a bit longer and don't find them quite so difficult.  But ... there is still a long way to go!  Still enjoying my Zumba Gold classes, you really do feel lighter and more positive after an hour of dancing.

At the end of last month I was awaiting results of my scan and I cannot put into words how relieved I was to receive a call to say that there was nothing sinister detected and they did not want to send me for more tests. 

Days Out

We went to Cambridge on my birthday, it is such a lovely place.  Full of character and atmosphere and always somewhere new to discover.  

We also went to Walton on the Naze when we went to visit friends who live near there.  It's a place of two halves, on one side the seaside resort and pier that was so popular years ago but now looking a little tired, and on the other side a more wild, natural area which is sadly at risk of coastal erosion.  

There’s a bit of a story behind the new car I got this month.  Let’s just say that I am driving a new car, but it’s not the one I ordered 😬 I'll elaborate more after the garage manage to get the car that I wanted in the first place - hopefully not too long to wait!

Here's the month, 1 Second Everyday

Now please do pop over to Deb's World in Australia who co-hosts this fun monthly round up.  Better still, join in the fun and share your month too!

Me on Monday

 Hello to another new week!

This one is starting off with an exciting event, I'm picking up my new car today 😁. It is another mini, let's just say I've found a car I love to drive and see no reason for trying anything else.  I've just cleaned and emptied my existing one and woe betide the grandchild who makes the first muddy footprint in the new one!

We went to visit friends who live close to Frinton on Sea at the weekend.  After a lovely Sunday lunch we decided to pop to the beach which is only a five minute drive away.  However, as we got closer we could see a traffic hold up.  There is only one road in and out of Frinton, and that road has a railway crossing through it. One of those crossings that has white gates that close the through way to traffic before and after the train has passed. When we realised that traffic hadn't moved after the train had gone through we guessed something was wrong.  Our friend got out the car to investigate and it seemed that the barriers had locked in the down position.  So no one could drive into Frinton and even worse, the people wanting to leave were trapped the other side of the barrier!

So a change of plan was hurriedly made and we diverted to the next town along the coast, Walton on the Naze.  We had a lovely walk along the Naze but were shocked to see how much coastal erosion there has been.  It won't be long until that footpath we were using would fall to the sea.

The week ends with the start of British Summer Time which will mean lighter mornings and later sunsets.  It's also Mother's Day here in England so I will be taking some flowers to my Mum's grave and remember how much she meant to me and how she taught me to be the mother I am today.  How grateful I am to have had her as my mum.  My children are now parents themselves so hopefully they will be organising something special for our grandchildren to treat their mums and I will make sure that my Sunday involves a favourite lunch as a treat to me!

Have a good week, I'm just off to Pilates so will no doubt spend a lot of tomorrow wondering why my legs ache so much - I may have to take myself out on a little drive in my new car to take my mind of it 😀

Me on Monday

 Well here I am, another year older 😊 I had a nice relaxing birthday; we went to Cambridge as that’s one of my favourite places to spend time. We had lunch in the Sicilian restaurant that we love

Yes that toasted focaccia sandwich was almost the size of my arm but I promise we shared it! It was a Saporita Spianata, Provola cheese, pancetta, roasted red pepper, and caramelised onions on sourdough focaccia. Yum 😋 

The two guys sitting behind me were discussing the problems food outlets have with people hogging tables, and spending hours over one cup of coffee.  Their particular pet peeves?  Young mums with toddlers/babies in buggies, not only monopolising a table but cluttering the spaces between tables, and - wait for it - 'ladies of a certain age' chatting for over an hour with a toasted cheese sandwich and a drink.  Had it not been my birthday I may have felt inclined to give him the opinion of one of those ladies of a certain age!

My ‘knit and natter’ group have been making squares to join together to make blankets for the palliative care unit of our local hospital. It’s been quite a challenge and I am almost finished putting the crochet edge on the second one.  I have a new, much smaller project on the go now. I’ve never made myself anything to wear so I have a hexi cardigan on my hook. At the moment it looks like a teeny tiny cardigan for a toy doll, but it will grow with every row!

Last Monday I was telling you how lovely the weather had been. A few days later and we were caught out in a hailstorm while walking Coco! British weather eh? 

This week I have a couple of lunches out, I am making up for hibernating for the last few weeks. I have to make a fast exit from pilates this morning as I need to be at a friend's house within 45 minutes!  Good job both places are very local to me.

Have a good week and here's hoping we have more sunshine and less hailstones this time x

Me on Monday

 I feel like I should rename this 'Me on every other Monday' as it certainly hasn't been a weekly theme recently!

This Monday finds me feeling much less stressed and more happy than the last ones have - all due to a telephone call I received on Friday from the consultant gastroenterologist to say that my CT scan was clear and I don't need to have follow up tests.  Oh the relief.  As I finished the call I was in tears of joy and quite literally felt as if a weight had been lifted.  I do hope that all the other patients on the appointment list were as fortunate as I was because I know that things could have been very different and my heart goes out to those who find themselves on a different journey.

We had a family packed weekend which was just what I needed after such an anxious time. The weather has been absolutely glorious and we’ve made the most of it because it’s early days to assume the run of good weather will last. We watched Leo play football on Saturday morning and that had the added bonus of his team winning the match. 

We try and get the family together for lunch on the Sunday between our son’s birthday and mine and this Sunday was the day. We had a lovely time and the children all enjoyed playing together in the garden. Naturally there was cake, even though my birthday isn’t officially here until Friday

So today will be starting with a pilates class (yes I signed up for another block of lessons!) and then I do need to catch up on the dreaded pile of ironing which seems to have built up while I wasn't looking.  Hopefully I can find something on the tv to watch while doing my least favourite chore.

The week will be ending with my birthday and we are planning a trip to Cambridge and then Paul is cooking me a meal in the evening.  Sixty seven!  The years are flying by.

How are your weekly plans looking?  I hope you have something good planned x

#WBOYC in February

 What's been on my calendar?  Truthfully, not very much!

The weather has been miserable, but that's no excuse really for not doing things but boy does it take more of an effort!

So here we go

Watching and reading

We have started watching Zero Day on Netflix which seems like it may be something we will both enjoy.  Also enjoying Amanda and Alan's Spanish Job, where Amanda Holden and Alan Carr are renovating a large house in a small Spanish village.  The chemistry between them is hilarious.  The new series of Unforgotten has begun and I'm already wondering how all these different strands of story are going to link together.  I am ashamed to say that I have only read one book this month.  You can see that review here.

Eating 

I've met up with a few old friends for coffee this month.  Paul and I haven't been out for a meal at all, but we did cook a special meal at home for Valentine's Day and we did have friends over for a takeaway Indian a couple of weeks ago which was really tasty.  You see what I mean when I say February = hibernation!

Self care

I am still going to the Pilates class, I'm not sure there's been a huge improvement in my balance and flexibility but it's still early days!  Zumba is still a lot of fun and always puts you in a feel good frame of mind for the rest of the day.

There was a Pneumococcal vaccination for me, another 'benefit' of being over 65!  You only have to have it once in your lifetime and I had no side effects so that was good to do.

I had the CT scan on my liver at the beginning of the month but am still waiting anxiously for the follow up consultation which isn't until the beginning of March and even then it will be a telephone appointment rather than face to face.  

Naturally there has been a hair cut and I had my BIAB manicure removed to let my nails breath.  The minute that polish comes off my nails go from looking perfect to different sizes and shapes.  I really should look after them better when they are more vulnerable to breaking!

Days out

We haven't had any days out this month - what a boring post this is!  At the risk of sounding incredibly British, the weather has not been conducive to going out for the day.  Plus our local councils have road works going on with closed roads and traffic lights on every approach road into and out of town.  On the day of my scan, it took us 55 minutes to do a trip that should take 20 - thank goodness Paul had come with me and was able to drop me at the door and then fight for a parking space.  I would have been even more stressed if I'd been late and not able to park!

At the risk of blaming the grandchildren, obviously as it was half term we had them here for longer on the days that I normally just do school pick up and dinner duties.  So that was lovely, except Olive was not impressed by having her big brother gatecrashing her Nanny and Grandpa day.  

Although we haven’t ventured far, I tend to forget that most weekends we go to the country park which is close to where we live. It’s a favourite walking route for Coco. As it’s on our doorstep I don’t include it as going out, but for many people who live further away it is considered a lovely place to travel to for a day out.

Here’s my 1 second everyday video!

Deb in Australia has been far busier than me, check out her monthly round up Here

Me on Monday

 This week it finally feels like Spring is trying hard to come through

I met a friend for coffee at a farm shop in a village which is half way between us both and look at the view from the window, blue skies … BLUE! I also wore a jacket, not a full coat 😎

Then on Saturday is was warm enough to be out in the garden tidying up the flower borders rather than sitting inside looking out the window at the jobs that need doing. It was a good surprise to see that an anemone that Max had given me on my birthday last year is coming back into flower.

We have even bought a new garden bench, but may wait until we’ve had more than one warm day before we put it in the garden! Don’t want to tempt fate eh?

I was reminded of this photo which was taken ten years ago

I had taken part in a quilting square swap with a group of other bloggers and this was the lap quilt I made with the squares I was sent. Such a lovely group of bloggers. I miss those days! 

So this week, what does it hold? A Pilates class, a hair cut, a day of looking after Olive, a Zumba class and a knit and natter get together. A good selection of things!

How is your week looking?

My book list for February

I'm not sure that one book constitutes a 'list' but I've been slow on the reading front this month and only have one book review to share.  I'm half way through another book but will save that for March!

I've read a few books by K L Slater now so when I saw this one reviewed on Gail's blog I decided to down load it onto my kindle.

Imagine how you would feel if you received some messages from a friend 'Can't speak ... don't text or call ... please just come'  You would be worried wouldn't you?  You would drop what you were doing and rush to her home.  Especially when, as soon as she has seen them, the messages are deleted.  This is what happens to Saffy, but when she arrives at her friend Leona's house she denies all knowledge of sending a message and assures her that all is well.  Saffy goes into the house to check for herself that nothing untoward is happening, but can't help feeling concerned as she feels that Leona's husband has a controlling nature and Leona may be scared to say anything in front of him.

Hours later that evening the police come to Saffy's house to tell her that her friend and young daughter is missing, there is blood in the upstairs of the house and it would appear that Saffy was the last person to see them before they disappeared.

There is a big back story to Saffy and Leona's friendship and the ties that bind them and these strands are cleverly interwoven into the story.  The frustration felt by Saffy is not helped by the unsympathetic police inspector who clearly thinks that Saffy is the number one suspect.

If you are a fan of K L Slater's work and enjoy psychological thrillers, this is a good book to read.

I'll be back next month and will hopefully have more to share then!

Me on Monday

What a week we had last week! Jammed to the rafters with medical matters. I had my CT scan, my son had an ultrasound scan and daughter had an operation on her nose. By Friday I was a nervous wreck.  My son had immediate good news from his scan, my daughter’s op was a success and my experience wasn’t as traumatic as I thought it was going to be. My elbows are a rainbow of colours where they inserted the cannula for the contrast dye, unsuccessfully in my left arm then awkwardly in my right! Not sure when I’ll hear the outcome.

I bought two items this week, a pair of hand weights for Pilates and a car 😊 My new Mini is ordered and should be here end of March. It’s good to have gone through all the options and chosen colours and specifications, even though it’s only 3 years since I got my current model the design and interior have change dramatically so I will need a long time at handover to go through all the new services! 

My knit and natter group met up on Friday and yes I am STILL making my blanket

The end is in sight but it’s quite a size and weight to work on now, which is actually quite nice on a chilly winter evening!

Do you have plans for Valentine’s Day? I think we will just cook a nice meal in the evening, we are still in our February hibernation mode. I am so looking forward to warmer, drier weather and for the nights to stay lighter for longer.  I hope that whatever your plans are, you have a good week ahead 😊

Me on a February Monday

 Happy February!

It’s so lovely to see small glimpses of plants emerging from the soil

On our morning dog walk over the park on Sunday the ground had a heavy frost upon it but the sun was shining and you could see steam rising from the wood as we walked across the bridge

So this first Monday in February finds me ready for my Pilates class. We are using weights today apparently but as I don’t have hand weights I will be using tinned tomatoes 😆 I shall wait to see how I get on before investing in the proper equipment!

Anxiety levels are high as I have my CT scan tomorrow; I have to keep telling myself that by this time tomorrow it will be nearly over and worrying about it isn’t going to help in any way at all. Quite the opposite in fact.

I am returning to the Mini garage later today to sign the papers for my new car so that is something to look forward to. Minis are such lovely cars to drive, I think this will be my fifth! The one I have at the moment is in desperate need of a wash but I am a fair weather car washer and it’s easy to find a reason not to get the buckets and sponges out!

Have a good week x

#WBOYC January

 Joining in with my namesake in Australia over at Deb's World for the first What's Been On Your Calendar post of the year.

I'm trying out a new way of recording things which may, or may not, continue!  A change is as good as a rest eh?

Watching and reading

It's the time of year when I tend to hibernate and stay home more than go out so I have been able to watch a few series on TV.  I really enjoyed Playing Nice which made me feel so anxious and very cross at times.  Imagine being told that your toddler son is not your child - that you brought the wrong baby home from hospital and now his birth parents want him back.  Oh boy.  I've also been enjoying Patience.  She is a self taught detective working in the police records department.  Her autistic mind means that she sees patterns and characteristics in cases that everyone else has overlooked.  It really is a lovely programme.  I've already documented the books I read this month in this blog post here.

Eating

Our son and daughter in law have arranged for us to have a monthly delivery of spices and recipe cards to experiment a bit with Indian cookery.  Our first attempt was really delicious and something I would never have tried before.  We haven't been out to eat this month, but do have friends coming over this evening for a take away meal.  You see, I really do hibernate in the winter!

Self care

There's been a hair cut and a manicure this month which always make you feel nice.  I'm still going to my Zumba class, it really makes you feel good to dance for an hour! I also started attending a Fitness Pilates class which has made me realise that there are a lot of muscles that I have been neglecting.  It is difficult at times but my balance is definitely improving even if my flexibility isn't!  Still, it's only three weeks in so hopefully things will get better.  

I do have a health worry though which is ironic as I had been congratulating myself on feeling really well with my new exercise regime.  Following my annual blood test they decided I needed to start statins.  A follow up blood test after a couple of months showed elevated results in two of the liver function tests.  A third test showed even higher levels despite everything else being absolutely normal.  So I am off the statins to see if they have totally disrupted things and now booked in for a liver scan.  This is not good for someone who is naturally anxious.  However, my cholesterol level has gone nicely low so they did their job there!

Days Out

No days out - the weather really hasn't been suitable for that, but we have booked a long weekend away in May.  We are taking Coco and going to an Airbnb in a village called Wells-next-the-sea in Norfolk. 

Here is the month, 1 Second Everyday

Be sure to pop over to Deb to see how an Australian January turns out.

It's been a while!

 I seem to have got out the habit of Me on Monday -it seems like once you break a routine it's hard to get back into it.

I'm blaming it on the exercise class I signed up for.  I now go to a Fitness Pilates class on a Monday morning and I need to get in a 'write in advance and schedule a post'.  So after everyone raving about how good Pilates is for your posture and core strength I convinced my slightly reluctant friend to join me in a trial class.  After we had both realised that we were less fit than we thought we were, we signed up for a term.  I spend the first third of the class enjoying the stretches, a third thinking that I probably won't be signing up for another term and the last portion enjoying the cool down stretches.  So basically it seems I like stretching ;-) It's harder work than I thought it was and I have less core strength than I mislead myself to believe.  Onwards and upwards!

I'm returning to the car salesroom on Thursday to make a final decision on my new car, I think the electric version is just too much out of my price range even without the cost of installing a charger - plus I still have my reservations about it so as I'm not 100% convinced I will stick with the petrol version.

We haven't really been anywhere or done anything as the weather has been 'stay at home and keep warm and dry'.  We haven't had the horrendous storms that the North and West have had but it really hasn't been conducive to going out unless you have to.

Talking of going out into the rain and wind - it's time to go to Pilates!

Have a good week.

My book list in January

 I started the year with the book that was runner up in the online book club run by Leslie.  

I have read a few of Rosamunde Pilcher's books and knew that I was likely to enjoy this one.  I wasn't able to get hold of the book that claimed first position in the book club voting but I was happy to download The Winter Solstice in its place.

Our introduction to the characters in the book start with Elfrida, who has recently moved to a small village in Hampshire following the death of her partner.  She soon finds friendship, particularly with the Blundell family where she grows particularly close to Oscar and his daughter.  She decides to visit a 'long lost' family member who has moved to the depths of Cornwall, starting his new family far away from his first wife.  She spends a wonderful few weeks there, relishing in the comfort of their welcoming family but on her return to home she discovers that there has been a tragic accident and the whole rhythm of her days and social life has been torn apart.  

In an effort to comfort and support Oscar in his time of grief, she accompanies him to Scotland, to a house which he had inherited many years before but which had been rented out so Oscar had never actually lived in it.

We then start to be introduced to various other characters and you wonder how on earth these people could possibly be linked.  That is the talent of Rosamunde Pilcher; she draws you into people's lives and then suddenly things fall into place and you imagine how it is possibly going to pan out.

This book was perfect for reading over the Christmas/New Year period as that is exactly the time of year that is the setting for the story.  I was transported to the wintery wilds of Scotland and could easily imagine myself living in such a lovely place, close to the sea yet within easy walking distance of a quaint village with a real sense of community.

I really enjoyed this book, loved every character (except for Lucy's mother and grandmother!) and was very happy with how things turned out in the end.

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I was able to easily find January's Online Book Club winner this month and I knew that even if it didn't win the vote, it was something I wanted to read anyway!

Every year, on her daughter's birthday, Sally buys a new book to add to a special selection and writes a dedication on the front page.  But Ella is unaware of this, having been living in Australia for most of her adult life with little contact with her mum.  

One day Ella receives a call from a concerned neighbour in England telling her that her mother has had an serious accident and will be unable to live unaccompanied until her injuries have healed.  It is obvious that Ella will have to return home to care for Sally and she begrudgingly packs to return to the home she left on bad terms many years before.

After she collects Sally from hospital she sets about investigating which repairs need to be made to the house after the major flood which caused the accident.  The worst affected room is unlike any of the rooms she remembered from her childhood there.  It had been beautifully decorated with tasteful furniture and what was once a well stocked book case.  But the damage to all these precious books has been awful with all the heartfelt messages written by Sally washed away in the flood.

As the days pass Ella realises that the opinion she had of her mother is not correct, as she left home while still a teenager her opinions are that of a moody, emotional girl and she has to reevaluate her feelings as she learns the truth about what happened before she emigrated to Australia.

I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.

My next book was a Christmas present.  I'd seen it reviewed on the tv show Between the Covers where it received good reviews and thought it sounded good.

Edward in a man living between the world he actually lives in and the one in which he would like to inhabit.  In an effort to befriend a 'better class' of person he ingratiates his way into their world by doing their more menial tasks.  He is in love with Stanza who he feels is well out of his league and is distraught when he discovers that she is in a relationship with another of his 'friends', Robert.  

This makes him more determined not to lose the life he dreams of and things take a darker turn when Robert asks him to help him get rid of a problem which could ruin his prosperous life.  This book has been likened to Patricia Highsmith's Talented Mr Ripley and it is easy to see why!

There was a point about half way through the book when I was seriously considering not finishing it. In fact I did actually miss a whole chapter when things became very sinister.  But as it had received such good reviews I stuck with it and after that the pace picked up and I became involved in the storyline again.

One of my most favourite books and films is The Talented Mr Ripley and although it is easy to see why this book is said to be comparable it does not, in my opinion, match the very high bar set by Patricia Highsmith.  Overall I think is this a 3* rating from me and I'm not sure it's a book I would really recommend.

That's it for this month!

Me on Monday

It's been a while since I wrote a blog post and we've had a whole Christmas and the start of a new year in that time.  The decorations came down last Thursday, it's never as much fun dismantling the tree as it is making it pretty but it is nice to have a proper clean around and get things back to normal.  The hallway looked so drab without the decorations I had on the table so a nice vase of daffodils were needed to cheer the house up a little.

The temperatures have dropped since I last blogged.  In fact we woke on Sunday to find a light layer of snow. 

We got off very lightly compared to the north of the UK! Whilst temperatures are probably about where they should be at this time of year, it was so mild in December that it's been a bit of a shock to the system.   Which will make it harder to do what I plan to do this morning.  I mean who wants to take most of their clothes off in a hall when it's almost freezing outside?  I have booked myself onto a fitness pilates class at our local community centre and have also convinced a reluctant friend that she would enjoy it too!  I think I need to physically move myself out of reach of the chocolate tin to keep to my intention not to keep snacking when I am not hungry.

This week sees our routines returning to normal, and I really do need to stay focussed on what day of the week it is - over the Christmas and New Year period each day ran into the next and I had to really think about what day it was, it felt like one very long weekend.  It is my turn to host the Knit and Natter get together this week.  There will be lots of news to catch up on since our last gathering.  It is hard to believe that this time last year I wasn't involved in that at all!  

I also have a decision to make regarding my car.  The contract will be up in a few months and I need to decide whether to trade it in against a new one the same as I have now or to go for an electric version.  Big decision, and any help with making it will be gratefully received!  

I hope the weather isn't impacting on anyone's plans for the week - keep warm and keep safe!