Festive fumbles!

I am in that no-mans' land that lies between Christmas & New Year.

Have taken the week off to relax.. and find that I am too lethargic to do anything of consequence. After 4 days of family day time visits I am afraid to let my guard down incase the doorbell rings, and another lot want lunch.

Family coming again tonight for a nice warm supper.

I have scouted the TV channels in the hope of finding some cheerful film, an inspiring documentary or even just some drivel to pass the time of day with. So far I am failing in my quest.

I cant believe a whole month has passed without me blogging. Well actually I can believe it. We've had house guests and between them and work I hardly had time to check email - let alone talk to myself on here. Having said that perhaps if I'd done a bit of talking I wouldnt have worked myself up into a stressful state.

However, the last two days have been warm and sunny. Lots has been done in the garden and lots of sitting in garden chair with a juicy book to keep me occupied.

today, a Bank Holiday - its wet!

I am back!

Well I've not been here for a while - no reason, no excuses.

Its sunday - day of rest. Sul Y blodau here in Wales - Palm Sunday in other words. its sunny but there's a patch of mist across the mountain, hope it doesnt come our way. I guess if I went outside and took a little walk to where I can see the sea, I'd see fog and not sea.

Today I feel as if I've been half hit by a bus! Spent most of yesterday moving furniture, cleaning, pushing, pulling, hoovering, and I feel it today. My back - which is unhappy most of the time - is unhappier than usual. So rest.

We've family expected later today staying for a few weeks while they look for a place to rent. This is why we were furniture moving yesterday. To fit them and child in our small double room while we move into the even smaller spare room. Single bed and camp bed.

sunny March

A week off work. Its Friday a whole week since I was last in work, for the first time in ages I really feel as if I have had a holiday this week.



The weather has been sunny and warm. Yesterday we took ourselves off to the coastal path, ate our homemade sandwiches beneath the dunes, and then lay there looking out to sea, across the sands listening to the distant hum of a tractor. Glorious.



Home where a hot bath beckoned me to revive my aching legs! Took to bed by 10pm the fresh sea air had me yawning since 8pm.



Today I feel energised from both the exercise and the fresh air.

Family Tree

I have to admit I am a big fan of family history (mine and others). I write charts, search out headstones! ... its very addictive once you start.

Yesterday I spent an afternoon with my parents and persuaded - with out very much arm twisting it has to be said - mum to get out the case of old photos. I've brought a pile home to scan on to the computer at some stage.

Photos spanning years - some of me and my sister as toddlers and babes in arms. my parents in their youth, their parents and their grandparents. Every photo of my Welsh Great Grandfather has him wearing his hat "they did back then" Dad tells me in explanation, and every one of my Great Grannies wearing dresses, usually covered with a an apron of some description. You just knew that they'd been called away from scrubbing the floor, or churning milk or making cawl to have their photograph taken.

My ancestors can not lay claim to any great wealth or position in society, but every photo shows them seemingly happy, joyful. While photographs of my husband's ancestors - who could lay claim to wealth and social standing, they all without exception look serious, glum, as if the weight of the world rests on their shoulders and that breaking into a smile would break the camera lens.

Is anybody out there?

hmm. It's just occurred to me this is a bit like talking to myself, except that I am typing instead of actually talking out aloud.

Advantages:

1. Hubby isnt giving me as many strange looks asking "who are you talking to?" when I do speak out aloud.
2. There is a slight chance that somebody might just accidently stumble upon the blog and read it. then my voice will be heard.
3. I can look back and remind myself of my little conversations from time to time.
4. The men in white coats will have evidence of my lack in the marbles department

Disadvantages

1. Hubby is still giving me strange looks and asks "who are you typing to?"
2. There is a slight chance no-one will accidently stumble upon this blog and no-one will read it. Then my voice will not be heard.
3. I can look back and remind myself of my little conversations from time to time
4. the men in white coats!

The roast beef went down a treat last night, even if I say so myself. Compliments to the chef! Well someone had to say it and it might as well be me.

Tonight made a beef curry with the left overs meat and gravy - added some chopped tomato, a leek (didnt have an onion), some curry powder, a pinch of seasoning and a dollop of home-made apple&tomato chutney - for sweetness. yum, even if I say so myself.

The sunshine and warmth of yesterday has gone, there was a definite - get your gloves back on- chill in the air when I walked the bus-stop at 8am and then the rain came in by 1pm. Just as well we were all tucked up in work!

So the evening ahead lies before me as a soap fest of TV!.... an early night may well be in order! Steady hubby... I was thinking along the lines of stack of pillows, duvet, book!

March 1st and spring has come to town. The sky is blue, the sun is showing up the dust on the furniture (!). The daffodils in tubs in the garden are smiling away. Bluebells have started to peek through the soil in our tiny flower/shrub bed. I love spring, the sound of the birds in the early evening. Everyone smiles a little more than they did last week. There is no need to wear gloves, scarf and thick socks every time we venture outside.

There are lambs leaping in the fields - okay I cant actually see any from here, but I can see fields, and I KNOW that there are lambs in the fields hidden from my view by trees, and given the good weather (see first paragraph) they MUST be leaping, I would if I were a lamb.

When we were little and got taken out for spins in the car on a Sunday afternoon by our grandparents we used to wind down the windows (no electric ones), and shout "mint sauce" at the top of our voices as we passed fields of lambs!

The lambs, and their mums would stare back through wire fences - you just knew they were thinking "are you mad?".

So enough of this idle banter - I should put on my walking boots, and a fleecy top (keeping the lamb theme going you see) and head out to the great outdoors.

So that's where I am going, work up an appetite for my Sunday Roast Supper - no its not lamb, beef and yorkshire pudding tonight. Yum yum yum!

This is my first post ... so I should say Hello!

I decided that I needed an outlet for all these thoughts that are buzzing around my head.
Some people say they hear voices... well its only ever my voice and sometimes I could do with shutting up.

So this is my place for sharing - that's assuming some likeminded poor soul will read it.