Just in case LJ goes down as seems increasingly likely this is to say that I am on DW with the same username. I think most people who need to know that already do but I thought I'd better post about it anyway. I shall be very sad if LJ goes as over 18 years of my life are here and it has brought me new friends and lots of enjoyment at times when I ( Read more... )

I was peacefully doing some ironing upstairs yesterday while Storm Eunice raged and howled outside when I spotted a green bag whirling past our window. "That's odd," I thought "That looks like our green potato bag which we put in the shed yesterday to stop it being blown away." When I looked out I saw the glass from our shed window lying unbroken ( Read more... )

After not having set foot in London since before Christmas we went up twice this week. The first visit was to see Durer's Journeys: Travels of a Renaissance Artist at the National Gallery.

More behind the cut.
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After what has seemed like weeks of dull, grey and cold weather we've had two sunny afternoons and the change has been very welcome. On my walk today there was a duck on the pond and snowdrops in a sheltered spot. Before the pandemic I would have thought nothing of this but today they definitely merited a "yay ( Read more... )

Squirrels are evil little monsters. So far this year they have eaten half our tulip bulbs (and I'm sure they've got their eyes on the rest), probably all of the crocuses and dug holes in our newly laid lawn. Last year I stopped them by putting down some chicken wire but this year we were in a rush to plant the bulbs as the garden refurbishment had ( Read more... )

We've been really enjoying this series of Digging for Britain. I think J is very taken with Alice Roberts' pink hair as he seems much keener to watch it than usua,l but it has been extremely interesting. We've still got two more programmes to go but if they keep up the "wow" factor of the first four I will be quite surprised. First there was the ( Read more... )

The Christmas decorations came down yesterday and are ready to make it back up into the attic, which will hopefully be tomorrow as I keep falling over the boxes. Even the post box topper has gone now though not without a final wave.


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Unlike last year we did see the New Year in as there were so many fireworks around our area that it would have been quite difficult to sleep anyway. Today it feels much more like a Sunday than a Saturday and when we went for a walk earlier it was incredibly quiet and unseasonably warm. I've had a long chat on the phone with my cousin P and we've ( Read more... )

I just got an email from a local business headed "Good Riddance to 2022" which I rather hope is a typo and not a premonition. It is definitely good riddance to 2021 though objectively it was better than 2020. The first half of the year was a long slow slog but vaccinations came and then a bit more freedom. We did manage to meet friends and ( Read more... )

I believe it is Wednesday but I'm not quite sure as it is one of those post-Christmas days when time seems to cease to have much meaning. I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. Ours was very peaceful but we did go to my brother's house on Monday for a family do. It was wonderful to see everyone again and meet our new great-nephew H. H was born ( Read more... )