Settling in

The snowy weather and icy conditions continue here and we have been told that more snow may be on the way today. I have been out for a walk each day, taking it very carefully, and have enjoyed it. However, I have been spending the majority of my time indoors. I do have plenty to do as I am still unpacking boxes from our move. Still? you might ask and it has been a long drawn out process but I have had a month's holiday and Christmas festivities in the meantime. I think though that I may have unpacked the last box and just have a few bits and pieces left to sort through. Also, it has been "decision time" - do we need it, love it, have we used it in the past year? Unpacking has been like pouring a quart into a pint pot!

I am not sure if I mentioned that when we moved we "downsized" from a 3 bedroomed house with a garden to a 2 bedroomed, first floor apartment overlooking the beach with views to the Quantock Hills on one side and the Welsh coast on the other. When we said what we were doing friends and relations asked "won't you miss your garden". The short answer is "no". I rarely sat in the garden and definitely won't miss working in it as it was becoming more and more of a chore, a challenge, to keep it tidy. If I do suffer "withdrawal symptoms" my daughter has a large garden and can always use help. We do have a small balcony and have put a few pots out there and will have a table and a couple of chairs there in the summer.

I will miss the wildlife, the birds and the squirrels and of course, the pond. But it wasn't a decision lightly made, we feel very relaxed here and I have seen squirrels and hedgehogs at the rear of our apartments and birds, obviously. We have had plenty to look at from our front windows. On Christmas Day the weather was beautiful and apart from folk out walking, once the tide was high there were yachts and wind surfers taking advantage of the sunny breezy day. We can see the local lifeboat launch from here and have seen it out on excercise a few times. I must add that we don't just sit staring out of our windows, life goes on as before. It's just that instead of a garden aspect we have one that entertains, doesn't need any input from us and the flower beds and containers are dealt with by the local authority. Perfect!

Here are a couple of recent shots - the first from our front windows, of the Quantock Hills



and this is a shot of a local landmark, taken from our back windows. (click on each picture for more detail)

The Sky looks full of Something!

"The sky looks full of something"!

No sooner were the words out of my mouth yesterday than the snow began to fall. A real snowstorm, thick snowflakes.

OH and I had taken my mother and driven a few miles to a favourite restaurant for lunch yesterday and just as we arrived the snow began. We joked that if we were to get "snowed in" at least there would be plenty to eat. However, we didn't hang about, once our meal was over we immediately made our way back home. By then the snow had stopped and soon there were blue skies again. Phew!

The weather forecast later though predicted heavy snowfalls for our area, but we were slightly doubtful that it would affect us too much as we live on the coast and rarely get more than a dusting of snow, most years none at all. However when I woke at about 1.30 am and peered out of the window I saw that we had indeed had quite a covering. This morning when I got up it was still snowing and we had had several centimetres.

Me and my big mouth! I should learn to "keep mum".

When I was on holiday in Australia recently, one day I wandered into an "Alpaca" shop. Not selling the actual animals but garments made of the wool. The lady behind the counter was knitting some of the yarn and greeted me with "where are you from"? I told her and she asked if I was visiting family for Christmas. I replied that I was leaving the following week so would be at home for the festivities. "So you'll be going back to snow then" she smiled. I disappointed her when I replied that it was very unlikely and said that although last year we did have snow in January and February it was rarely a "white Christmas". "In fact", I told her, "the part of the country where I live we rarely get snow anyway". She then said that she had always thought that all of England was covered in snow at Christmas, so that was her "Christmas card" picture of the UK dashed! Oh well. If she had been watching international news a couple of weeks later she would have seen that there was widespread snow in the UK and probably wondered if I had known what I was talking about!

So here we are - 6 January and almost the whole of the UK is covered in snow, our area included!

It is still snowing, a real snowstorm with thick snowflakes and the sky still looks full of something!

Once in a Blue Moon

We had a fairly quiet Christmas, well as quiet as it can be with a 5 year old in the house! Our grandaughter woke at 3 am but was persuaded back to sleep and finally surfaced at 7.45 am. Very civilised. We had a lovely Christmas Day and we spent the following few days in our usual way, relaxing, catching up with family and friends and eating and drinking far too much.

OH and I decided quite early on that we would not be going out on New Year's Eve. This is partly because for many, many years OH always worked on New Year's Eve, therefore it is a pleasure for him to be at home. As for me, although in my youth I was as keen to be out "on the town" as the next person, I now dislike being out at New Year and prefer to see it in at home. So, yesterday evening we again had a quiet evening, a few drinks and then at midnight we went out onto our small balcony, listened to the local church bells and watched the firework displays around the coast. To our left we have views of the Quantock Hills, around to Minehead and Exmoor way beyond and on the right we can see across to Cardiff and part of the Welsh coastline. It was a lovely clear night so we were able to see quite a lot, albeit at a distance.

We then sat and watched a film and finally went to bed at 2.15 am. A very late night for us! I woke at 6.30 am! I got up to get a drink of water and then looked out of our front windows. The tide was high and the moon was full, it looked so beautiful. It was the second full moon in the month which I was told very recently is a "blue moon". You learn something every day and it seemed very fitting to witness it on New Year's Day.

I am hoping that the coming year is less stressful than 2009 for me and my family but we will take what comes.

I sincerely wish all that is best too for my blogging friends and hope that you have a happy, healthy,peaceful and prosperous year.

Merry Christmas Everyone

Thinking back to the start of 2009, I remember feeling a bit anxious about what the year might hold for us (me and my family). I looked back to 4 January and found I had written "I have to admit to a certain amount of trepidation when I look forward to the year ahead, not a feeling I usually experience".

For my son in Australia it has been his "annus horribilus". He has had health and sight problems, was out of work for a while which, in turn, obviously, caused financial concerns and his beloved dog died. On top of that, his wife has said that she no longer wants to stay in Australia, wishing to come back to UK to live and be near her family. I kept in close touch, either by telephone or via the web-cam but it was apparent that he was getting lower and lower in spirits. So what to do? Stay here and unpack, settle in and worry about how the family were doing, so far away, or go and see them.

We had had a difficult year for various reasons including the house sale and purchase of our new home and all that that entailed and I just wanted to be able to move in and get unpacked and prepare for Christmas. We had planned that in January 2010 we would travel to Australia and New Zealand, take our time over it and visit both families there. I didn't want to go to Australia before that but I am so pleased that we took the decision that we did. I left on 8 November and booked a flight for OH to follow me 2 weeks later. My son was very low and at times quite emotional when I arrived but we talked at some length over the first two weeks and I persuaded him to at least go and talk to his doctor about he was feeling. By the time OH arrived he was 100% in better spirits and we spent time together most evenings.

It was lovely to see our grandchildren of course, they are all beautiful. Our eldest grandson is 9 and a lovely natured boy, full of smiles. Our 6 year old grandaughter is more outgoing and very competative. The youngest, 15 month old Matthew is a real handful. Into everything and very outgoing and confident. Also full of smiles.

We enjoyed our time with them and left them preparing for Christmas in much better spirits than when we got there. We didn't do anything except listen and just "be there for them". The telephone is marvellous but there are times when it just won't do. I suppose we could have stayed for Christmas but we had already committed ourselves to family back here and anyway we really did want to get back to our new home.

I think it almost certain that they will be coming back to the UK and for good. Son is certainly viewing it from a more positive stance now although we feel that they would do better to stay put or, at the very least, come for a holiday before final decisions are made. Never thought I would actually say that, heartbroken as I was when they first went there.

I'm very lucky in that I have few health problems but back in September began experiencing dizzy spells and occasionally thought I might black out. A bit disconcerting so I booked to have my blood pressure checked, but through some sort of communication problem it didn't happen so I just went off to Australia thinking I would deal with it on my return. Had another dizzy spell and "black out" on the flight over and again a few days later so then I went to see a doctor. It seems that my BP is too high so had to begin taking the necessary medication and saw my own GP on my return. BP is coming down now and I feel fine again, no more dizziness or blackness!

So we are settling into our new home. We love it and are looking forward to our first Christmas here. The tree is decorated with "the shepherd" (made by my son at school when he was about 5 years old) stood beneath it, as usual - see below.





Our daughter and grandaughter are coming down from Sratford on Avon to be with us and on Christmas Day my mother and OH's aunt and uncle will join us. Other family members will pop in on "the day" and we will catch up with friends during the Christmas Season.

I am trying to get up to date with blogging friends and will do that over the next week or so. Having had our old computer "die" on us I am still trying to get to grips with a new system. I have only JUST worked out how to put photographs on my posts but it may be a while before I can show you the view from our windows or take part in any of the memes. I have managed a Christmas photo though.

Thank you so much to all of you who have left kind and supportive comments, if I haven't already been in to see you, I will do so in the near future.

In the meantime I would like to wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas and sincerely hope that 2010 will be a good year for you.

Well, we've been home a week now.


I have missed blogging and would have liked to get straight back into it but with Christmas just a week away and still having so much to do to settle into our new home (left undone due to my hasty departure for Australia), it has been a question of priorities. However, this evening I couldn't resist a peek and anyway felt it was time I made contact again. I really appreciate the kind and supportive comments made by my blogging friends after my last post.

I won't go into too much detail now, just wanted to say hello to you all and will update you in a few days, certainly before Christmas.

I expect most of you will be in the throes of preparing for the coming festivities but I'm looking forward to reading back a bit to see how you all are. I do hope that I will be in more regular contact once we get into 2010.