Nearly there.....

.......come Wednesday, it'll be February!

Will have survived another January, my least favourite month.

Sophie and I have booked a few days away in September, Amsterdam!

I last went 30yrs+ ago, so time for a revisit!

I've been trying not to spend in January, not be tempted by stuff in the sales 

but I did cave in and buy this table - £23 from £80!!! 

I've also bought theatre tickets.......

......for 2024!!!!

(so that doesn't count!!)

So I worked Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, had a lazy Wednesday, 

it was grey and foggy, then went to Wells on Thursday.

I went with Lynn, had a mooch.....

....saw my first snowdrops.....

.....had a a coffee and cake.....

...and then was supposed to see 'A Man Called Otto' at the cinema, transferred over from last week when I had to cancel but 'they' had to cancel this time. There had been a power surge and it was unsafe to use any of the equipment, so it was cancelled again!! We will try for next week, possibly an evening slot, if Lynn can make it! So it sort of felt like a waste of a walking day, as it had been nice in the morning.......still, these things happen.

So yesterday, I headed off out for a walk. The weather was grey!!! 

Nothing to write home about but it was dry and I was in need of some fresh air.

Spotted some snowdrops, always a pleasure x

Lots of bulbs poking through....

....and catkins....

....and green shoots!

Spring really is just around the corner and there are lots of signs if you look for them. The first of February is on Monday, two more weeks and it'll be half term. That week always flies by and then it's just one more week and it's March!! Not that I'm wishing time away but I always feel so much better once I get January and February out of the way!

A week of two halves!

It's been a funny old week, I've been feeling sorry for myself!

Beautiful sunrise before work on Sunday x

I feel I've lost a week!
It started off okay. Worked my Sunday, Monday, and then.....

....walked with Lynn on Tuesday as the forecast was dry. 

It was blumin freezing but dry, icy and just a good day to get outside.

We parked up at Middlewick and walked up, down and around the Tor.

Meat a few friendly robin's on our way around.

We stopped back at the cafe for a coffee, a good day.

Then Wednesday I felt awful. 

Kept hitting the snooze button but then ended up spending the whole day in bed. 

Ached everywhere, sinus pain, exhausted, so slept all day. Missed yoga!

Cancelled plans to go to the cinema on Thursday and had a sofa day. Got up Friday, a friend came around for coffee but had a lazy afternoon and ended up cancelling plans to meet a friend on Saturday, as still not 100% and knew I had work on Sunday!

So!! A week of two halves. Frustratingly I've missed some beautiful frosty, cold, blue sky days to go out walking with my camera. I've had to cancel plans and I hate letting people down. I did get enough energy in the tank, to go to work and we did go out for a meal last night, but I will be having a slow week this week. Try to get back some energy xx

Half way!

Half way through January!!

I hate January! 

Always have done, always will......

.....until we retire and can escape to some warmth and sunshine.

I have to fill the house with spring flowers and bulbs to see me through.

And I found my first bunch of daffs in the supermarket.....

....the best one pound spent!!!

All it has done this week, is rain. Grey, wet, miserable weather. It was too wet to walk on Thursday, so I invited Lynn along to the cinema with me, to see the Whitney Houston film. Well worth a watch, on a wet January afternoon! Such a waste, such a talent!!

The roads are flooding. There is just so much water about. 

I made the most of a dry day to pop over to Ham Wall on Friday.

When the sun shone, the reeds blowing in the wind were beautiful.

Plenty of bird action too. I even got a robin to feed from my hand!!

It has been mild, although on Friday it was windy and cold. I think it's due to turn colder next week. I can cope with that, just need it to stop raining!! I should really get on with some painting but still have a few things from Christmas hanging over, to get done first!

Am working my Sunday and Monday next week. Have to change over a display or two in the canteen, if I get given any time!! Have some training to complete too. I'm really trying to compartmentalise work and home! My contracted two days a week, takes up far more of my time than it should. I did try to stand down from my GPTW Role but that was met with a NO! So I offered a choice GPTW or Plinth tickets, which are moving for once every 3 weeks to every week!! My line manager wants me to do plinth tickets, my store manager wants me to do GPTW! I have to stay strong and only do one, as this is normally where I'd cave in, not wanting to let anyone down and end up doing both!! Would happily not work at all but that's not going to happen, any time soon xx

January Start

How do you start the month of January?

Bedding!!

Copious amounts of bedding and towels, I have multiple piles of bedding covering the utility floor! All 3 beds stripped, plus Sophie's Christmas duvet I brought back from Cardiff. Although beautiful blue skies (a rarity) nothing is drying, so having to pace myself and make use of evening radiator space to get everything dry and back on the beds!!

When the sun is out, it brings pure joy.....

...but a lot of the time it's dark and grey and miserable! 

So the candles are lit and I've brought the outside in, with all my bulbs from the shed!

The only way I get through January and February is to enjoy Spring bulbs and flowers, get outside when it's dry and have something to look forward to. 13 and a half weeks until Jeff and I next go away to Rhodes. We've never been before, not seeing it as a beach holiday, more of a restful explore type holiday. If it is nice and warm enough to sit on a beach then great, if not, we've plenty we want to see and do. 

So I worked my normal Sunday (New Years Day) and Monday (Bank Holiday) then tidied and sorted the house out on Tuesday and Wednesday, before heading off to Cardiff on Thursday, to take Sam back. He has an essay due and exams, so wanted to go back, as he works better there than at home.

I popped in to see Sophie, had lunch together, before heading home. It really is lovely having them in the same place and being able to see them both when I'm there. That's it now until half term, unless one of them decides to pop home in the mean time.

When I got home, Jeff had detention duty, so it was the first time in the house, alone! since the 16th of December, when we got back from Malaga. I love them all dearly but I do enjoy moments of peace and quiet and time alone x Friday was a day of appointments, had a phone call with the Doctor about my HRT first thing and then my hair colour, over in Shepton in the afternoon.

 Today (Saturday) is my first day of nothing planned, a completely free day.

I did spend the morning sorting out some health priorities for me, going forward over the next few weeks. My back and hip pain is really getting me down, so I'm making a few positive changes to my diet and exercise, to see if I can start to see a few improvements!

 I went out for a walk, just around the block but am going to do it daily if the weather allows. Something I used to do every day but one of the things that has drifted out of my daily routine. I did take a few photo's whilst out and then when I got home, decided to see what the zoom capabilities on my new phone camera were. Not bad!! 

The Tor (left) from my bedroom window and with zoom (right). 

Next week is looking reasonably quiet. I'm in work for my usual Sunday, Monday and then in for a meeting on Tuesday. Hopefully if the weather allows, I will be back walking with my friend Lynn on Thursday, it's been ages. Hope you've had a positive start to 2023. I'm determined to see some improvement to my health over the next few months. Only I can make the changes and hopefully reap the rewards, so it really is the best foot forward and practice what I preach!!