Let the bells ring out!!!

Oh joy of joys!! As in the immortal words of Captain Brandon "all that is lost can be found" - my clever, clever friend Ineke has proved herself worthy of the name Computer Goddess once again. She likes my cooking; I like her techno skills. Wow, in no time at all she managed to make me the happiest Christmas junkie ever!! I have been melancholic over the loss of my favourite Christmas Carol CD this year, and trying to rack my brains for how to recover it.............ringing round seeing if other people had it....searching box after box in the cold attic...to no avail. Then suddenly it hit me: Ineke. She is bound to be able to help me! And in the shortest of time she had. I am ecstatic this morning and it is all down to her wizardry. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
Sue xx

Monday morning

I had a difficult night, not really sleeping much, restless, thinking, dreaming, and not shaking off this headache which is a nuisance now.  I sat in bed reading my book before going to sleep which was good but the light in the bedroom is too soft for easy reading so that didn't help I suppose, but I wanted to get a little closer to the end!! I am finding it extremely thought-provoking and interesting and perhaps a little bit scary for me who loves to shy away from anything confrontational. I say confrontational but I suppose it is more challenging than that, for it asks the questions one tends to avoid 99% of the time, and refuse to answer for that other 1%!! Sometimes I wish I were more superficial!!!

Yesterday we put up the Christmas Tree as we always do on 5 December. Finka is fascinated. Not a good sign. She is sitting underneath it biting the green stuff! We had to debate where the safest place was to situate it: where I first thought of gave her leaping access on both sides, so not a smart idea. Then Tim suggested it went next to the settee where the trunk is at the moment. Hm, access on one side only, room for the presents underneath, not taking up useful space ( until the bookcases come!) so that is where we agreed on. I moved the trunk underneath my desk so that it is under the TV now, and I've moved the boxes onto it which gives more space for the telly. I think it is a good temporary arrangement. Anyway, today I will decorate it, and hope for the best. Madam will not be sleeping downstairs for the foreseeable future!!!!
I spoke to Becci and Heathcliff was giving her a similar headache with their tree!! Good job Genghis has long lost his interest in such trivial matters; he just sleeps through it all, raising the odd whisker in amusement sometimes................sorry, can't type too long as my eyes are going funny.
Sue xx

Sunday morning

The snow looks like it has melted rather overnight and the pathways I swept in the garden are totally free from snow now. Whether there has been any black ice overnight remains to be seen - I hope not!
Yesterday my friend went to Amsterdam to the English shop there to stock up on our Christmas goodies, but she was told about another larger store in Amstelveen and having just looked it up, I think that one is definitely worth a visit Ann!!! I even saw they have my beloved Tesco's products!!!! ;-) If this is as good as it looks, then I think I will have to learn the route to here, and 'shop til I drop' with Tim!!! He will be so happy to find his chocolates can be bought 'just down the road'!!! Hence my desire to be rid of the inconvenience of snow..................fortunately Ann did some shopping for us in the other shop so I know we are ok for Christmas, but there MUST be double cream in that shop, surely?!!!!!!
I have a headache this morning that has been there since yesterday evening. I wish it would go...........
it hurts my eyes rather.

But what did I see on TV last night? OMG! It was Andre...............THE FILM..........the one I took Becci to see in Meadowhall when she was little, having been assured by her that it was a comedy. NOT!
We were in the huge cinema in Meadowhall, and when it was time to walk back to the car, mummy was in floods of tears, hugely embarrassed, and sobbing loudly as we walked past all the shoppers. I have not seen it since, but simply couldn't resist watching it once I knew it was on. It has all the ingredients necessary to reduce me to a sniffling wreck: a small girl; a seal; emotional music; drama; separation; scenery...........and the fact that it is a true story makes it complete. I am not blaming my headache on this though!!! I love the film, but it is not good to watch it on your own. No-one to hand me the hanky in my hour of need.............
Sue xx

The snow came this morning!!

Back garden from the living room window

Looking out from my snug upstairs

Looking out towards my car and the street

Persuasion

Funny thing, taking quizzes about the characters in my favourite authors books. I did it yesterday, in an idle moment, not thinking about whom I might be........but it turns out I am Anne Elliot, and if you know anything about the story "Persuasion" I suppose it just had to be her!
Sue xx

just the fingerless mittens are missing!

Brr! It is cold! It is also 7am on a Saturday morning yet here I am in my pyjamas, scarf, socks and woolly cardigan writing my blog! Tim just went to work and I was awake so it seemed a pity to waste this precious time by going back to sleep. I know, sleep is good too, but I am now getting used to the really early mornings so this feels like midday to me!! I do feel I look a little Scrooge-like though........is this the result of living the single life; one gets to sit in eccentric garb with cups of hot tea whenever the fancy takes one?!! Probably, or else my inner eccentricity is being given free rein and I am going to turn into a silly old dear before much longer...........
or perhaps it is just me feeling free to be me?
are all these self-help books I am indulging in, and all this reflection into my inner self good for me?
do I have secret desires to become a recluse?
or in the words of Freddie Mercury "am I going ever so slightly mad"???? :-)
Ok, if you notice that I have moved to the Outer Hebrides or some other such far flung place, then the answer will be a deafening 'yes'.

This is the book that is causing all the trouble. It is wonderful, and I am devouring page after page as I read her stories and think about her challenges and the actions she wants us to undertake. I am drawn to books that are creative, have wide margins that beg you to write in them, have quotes by the millions, pictures to fire the imagination, and so on, and this book fulfills all of those wishes. The book was written as the result of Patti experiencing the premature death of her step-father who died 37 days after being diagnosed with Cancer. She reflected on what she would do if she knew there were only 37 more days left to live, and how she wanted to live them. It certainly focusses the mind on what the really important issues are in life. I think she sums it up best by saying that one has to 'inhabit' ones life; live it with intention and purpose, following our dreams, leaving behind the story of our lives for others, but making sense of it all for ourselves.
How many of us put off until tomorrow what we ought to have done today?
How many of us give ourselves time frames to do something even though in our hearts we really want to do them now?
How many of us are afraid to take a step towards what we are secretly yearning for?
How many of us will make New Year's Resolutions on 1st January or make promises to others that we will find impossible to keep?
Reading Patti's book will, I hope, enable me to be the best I can be both for myself and for the people in my life, and my story will be remembered.
Sue xx

Hello!! xx

My diet is still going well I am delighted to say. I am hoping for the 10 kilo loss by Christmas so that is my next goal. I have lost 8.9 kilos today so I think it is realistic. It is good to think in little stages; when you reach them it feels great! My friends husband said he would never have recognised me, but then again I have not seen Richard for several years so hardly surprising. But positive.

We have not had any more snow since yesterday but I gather there is 30cm in Horsham according to my mate Peter - and I have just spoken to my aunt who said she has got a few inches as well. It is thinking about it here rather than actually producing the white stuff. I thought this song was perfect for the weather situation - have you listened to it yet?! (WOW, I am just listening to Radio 2 and there was a report of an accident on the Penistone road at Ingbirchworth - I used to live there)!!! So I can absolutely picture where they were talking about............and since when it snows it really snows there, I can only hope that it eases off soon.

I ventured out this morning to do the shopping and stock the freezer just in case we have more snow. I also treated our little Finka to a cat bed that hangs on the radiator as she is so cold. She loves to sit almost on top of the radiator and I am afraid she will burn herself so I went to get her one of these today. I think when she comes downstairs at four o'clock ( our cats are creatures of habit!) she will sniff it, I will place her in it and that will be that! I am hoping she will love it. I so miss my camera ( have I said that before?) I would take a picture otherwise and show you all. The one above I took on the computer so that doesn't count. I am torn between two - the Canon or the Lumix.....waiting to hear which is considered the better one. I am going to use my Christmas money to buy it now I am not going to England which will have saved me about the same amount of money so this is how I am thinking about it. My reasoning re. budgeting is rather simple; I have one amount in the pot and if it doesn't get spent on one thing, it can be used for another, but not extra. I'm hoping this works!!!
My book has arrived!! I was so sure it would be fabulous: a perfect read for me; total anathema to you,  fascinating to me; illogical to you; beautifully illustrated and a feast for my eyes; a total daze for you. We will see, dying to show it to you!! My reason for having it is because I can use it in my counselling/coaching, so I like to think of it as an invaluable textbook that just invites you to dip into it and indulge one's senses and imagination....................delightful!!! I Love it!!
Sue xx

Cancelled...........

My flight was cancelled this morning by EasyJet due to the snow disruption in England so that confirmed my trip to England was definitely off. Disappointment all round really but it is something no-one could have predicted and we have to accept that. I will try to get there in the new year when the weather is better hopefully!! So, unexpected days at home!!  It has snowed all day long here today so I suppose the bad weather is heading this way. The sky has hung on top of the rooftops all day long, grey and menacing but actually it is only light fluffy stuff that is falling up until now. I guess we have a few centimeters but nothing like the extraordinary snowfalls back home. Jackie told me she had snow up to her knees yesterday and it was still falling!! It is bitterly cold here so no doubt more is on its way. Tim was off on his bike at 4am this morning and now he has to be there for 4am tomorrow as they are so busy with the final run-up to 5 December. Starting earlier means they all get to go home earlier although Tim said he was the first away this afternoon at 2.45. It is a long day for him but he seems to be coping. I wonder what two weeks will feel like?!!!
I have been sitting making Christmas cards today. The phones and internet were all crazy yesterday with hardly a connection and until Tim came home and reset the modem I was without internet today too. But happily it is all better now! I was also up in the attic searching out the Christmas decorations so that the tree can go up soon. I have not found all the ornaments etc but it is so cold up there I can only bear it for short bursts at a time. Finka soon stole the broom from my snowman............I think I need to glue it again! She is naughty and tries to get everything so I am not hopeful about my baubles surviving!! Still, she needs to get used to it and next year she will behave more sensibly I hope.
Well, time for another cuppa as that is keeping me warm today!
Sue xx

Drat, drat and double drat!!!!

It has snowed heavily in Sheffield and the rest of Yorkshire today. My friend sent me a text informing me the snow was up to her knees!!! Worse snow she had ever seen, no trains, no cars, no getting out of the house at all. My airport is currently closed until 10am tomorrow morning so my guess is that this will be extended - if it is ok, then I will go, but if Jackie says she can't get out to meet me then I would be able to move my flight if Easyjet have cancelled it, free of charge, so that would be my choice. The one problem is that the airport is closed until 10am UK time and I need to leave here at 11.20am, so only 20 minutes after the airport might have opened.......my optimism is good but I have not packed my suitcase as yet so I think I can guess what the probable situation is going to be. I will take a look at the news and weather later on this evening. Keep everything crossed for me please as the weather looks better over the weekend so we either need a cancellation + refund or re-scheduling, or to go.
Sue xx