Well what I actually mean is – I’m not longing to go home. (It’s warm and sunny up here – cold wet and blowing a gale down south) Just longing for home so I can sleep in my own bed…..which is at home.
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Life in our little home from home cabin is trundling along nicely as it usually is at this stage of our stay. I don’t mention it but I still have reservations before we arrive about how I’ll cope in the small space ….same as when I wrote this post several years ago 👉- Just for a few weeks – 👈 It’s just that this year because of the ongoing ‘back issue’ the bed is bothering me. I know the mattresses were replaced not long ago and even though commercial standard they are only ‘medium firm’, unfortunately this year the mattress topper I bring from home each visit isn’t making a difference. So I’ve gone to the extreme of placing spare blankets underneath as well in the hope of making it firmer…..which isn’t giving me quite the support I hoped it would. Result……ouchy stiff back and legs plus cranky Catherine!
2024
And then there’s the blinds…..
2016
When we first started coming up (2008) the cabins were only a few years old – 4* luxury compared to others on the road – well maintained but starting to look a little tired the new owners (4 yrs now) had them ‘renovated’ over the past low season – not redesigned… brand new fixtures and fittings in the same layout as before….with just one difference- the window curtains were replaced with Holland/Roller blinds. Two sorts – one privacy (see out not in….unless the lights on) the other a heavier blackout one. Nice clean lines, just not my favourite window covering…..I find them a PITA nuisance Get a breeze and it’s clatter bang against the window frame…..try sleeping with that going on….nah not possible. Try lifting them up or getting your hand round the side in the middle of the night to close windows……bl*** awkward in the dark. Result…..some mornings (because there’s never a time in Bowen when there is no breeze) a tired annoyed cranky Catherine!
2016
*****
2024
Thankfully the door still has curtains so it’s left open at night (screen closed)
You know what’s evident in these photos……I’m able to survive with a lot less clothing than at home PLUS I pack my craft supplies in the same ‘bags’ which are left at the bottom of the bed each time ****
It’s been one of those weeks when things haven’t gone the way I wanted them to – I should back on Monday, hopefully not in such a Moaning Minnie mood
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Running out of ideas so reposting Something I wrote elsewhere a few years ago
Sunrise Tuesday 3 July 2018
She’d been so entranced by the early morning sunrise she hadn’t heard the door open behind her. She stood very still as she sensed the footsteps getting closer.
‘You’re up early’, he said.
‘Mmmm, I woke and couldn’t drop off again, got up and made myself a cup of tea. Saw this wonderful mix of colours out here so left the warmth of the kitchen to come outside for a better look’
‘And what’s on the agenda for today?’ he asked as he turned to go back inside.
She was caught unawares by that one. ‘Maybe a bit of shopping, possibly call in at the Animal Shelter with those old towels, I might even go to the gym. I’ll just play it by ear as the day goes by’
There was no way she was going to tell him exactly what she had planned for her day. It was going to be a mixture of pain and pleasure which she was sure he wouldn’t understand.
She stood there a while longer then suddenly felt the chilly early morning air seeping into her bones
Upermost in her mind was their upcoming trip to Rome. She was so looking forward to feeling the warmth of the European summer sun which meant it was time to get her legs waxed.
‘Now what shall I have for breakfast, she muttered to herself, oh, and what time was that appointment?’
*****
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Or at least there’s a fair chance of that happening!
So…..I’ve been working on this little guernsey over the past week or so, thinking …..that considering all the ‘stuff’ (aka creative supplies) brought up with me I really should take at least one finished garment home with me.
It would have been the end of July I last picked it up so making an effort to get back into the swing of it and cabling merrily along I’m thinking it must be nearly time to cast off for the shoulders – WRONG – as you can see the back is done already…..I’m supposed to be knitting the front! .
So…..when I retrieve it from the bag I shoved it in… the corner where I slung it in disgust …….so when I next pick it up I will undo the unnecessary rows and carry on finishing it. Trying to see something positive in this situation I suppose you could say that one ‘good thing’ is that the rows going up each side of the neck will be shorter and they always seem to knit up faster because you’re decreasing for the neckline!
*****. The weather has changed again- I mentioned it was raining early last week, at the time it was just a little bit……a little bit that developed into a lot (think tropical downpours) over the next couple of days…….that front moved on down the coast with Brisbane and the south east corner ‘copping it bad’.
Now our days are becoming very warm (27/28c – 80f) with the dreaded humidity plus layers of sea fog all along the coast like you’ve never seen before…well you have but there’s a certain magic each time you do. It’s deceiving how wide and tall the band of fog can be – there is a very large island to the right of each photo – completely obscured in the top one!
Casualties of the east coast egg shortage are the homemade cakes most of the local cafes sell. Old fashioned ‘eggless’ recipes are being hunted down and a different range of ‘goodies’ are appearing in the ‘ooh, they look good – I’ll have one of those with my coffee’ display cabinets.
And, don’t laugh, as if Queensland didn’t have enough to contend with ….thanks to those unseasonal rains there will now be a strawberry shortage
Casualties of my recent ‘ I’m not really enthralled with these books’ mood are Tom Lake and Sunset Shadows (secrets, lies and murders in the Australian wilderness) courtesy of the van park ‘laundry room’……. unfortunately like quite a few books I’ve picked up recently these aren’t ‘gripping me’ so will probably find themselves keeping the washers and dryers company again fairly soon
But all is not lost- what I have done is download a copy of this ……A Certain Age Lynne Truss…..a dozen short (humorous) stories (actually monologues presented originally for a radio programme) …….which means if I don’t like the one I’m reading I can always flip on by and start the next one!
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It’s those little things that make life interesting isn’t it? Crafting, reading – simple pleasures – watching the weather, all affecting our lives in many ways. What has been happening in your life recently?
I’ll be sharing this post with :- Wednesday Words and Whimsy hosted by Min and found HERE. Also Unraveled Wednesday hosted by Kat and found HERE
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I’m enjoying the quiet life up here in Far North Queensland, however still on my quest to marry letters and places I thought (via some shortish easy reads) I’d ‘spice it it up a bit’ by having a few days on the road in England (with an additional stop for fun)…… spend some time in a terrific French city …..then pop over to Italy for a little while. And after all that…. Jump on a jet plane and fly off to that place Frank Sinatra and friends told us was ‘a wonderful town’ followed by the chance to experience something entirely different.
Would you like to know how I did it…..Read on Macduff (sorry William)
The Yorkshire Farm Girl – Dianne Allen 2023. First stop was in Yorkshire just before war was declared in 1938. We follow the Fothergill family (father Bob, mother Ivy, daughter Sally and son Ben) as they approach Christmas, the New Year and then move along through the seasons..
Book blurb:-. Life is hard for the Fothergill family as they try to make a living on their farm in the Yorkshire Dales. Bob Fothergill has set his sights on buying his own farm instead of renting the one they currently hold. Sally his teenage daughter, wishes her father would see that she could help more with the farm, but he believes that a girl’s place is in the home. Ben, their youngest, has no interest in farming so is ignored. Sally’s mother makes do knowing her husband wants what’s best for them.
A easy to read novel – plenty to take in and absorb, much description of farming life in those times, landscape/flora/fauna and surroundings as well as village life. Changing attitudes to changing circumstances means all the family must learn to live and accept living life differently to how they did in the past. Yes, it was easy to read, the ‘story’ just flowed along but there was something about it that was odd. Scenes changed abruptly….one minute ‘this’ was happening- the next minute it was ‘that’. Conversations sounded like actors reading their lines. Let’s just say that when I finished I closed it wondering ‘what was that all about’. ****
The Windsor Knot – S.J.Bennett 2020 Well this was a fun read – a murder mystery at Windsor (Castle that is)…..the first in a series where HMTL Queen Elizabeth becomes an investigator. Actually, we learn she’s been doing that (solving mysteries) for a good few years….who’d have known….aided and abetted this time by a new personal secretary as well as previous staff members. Much research must have gone into the ‘Royal’ aspects of the story as well as a lot of imagination (and a smidgeon of humour) in getting the whole thing to work. It must of worked because I read it right through to the end without cheating to find out ‘who dun it’. ****
The Last Bookshop in London – Madeline Martin 2021 I wrote a whole long screed on what I liked & didn’t like about this book but decided to bin it. There was nothing wrong with it, there was a beginning a middle and a happy ever after ending- it’s just I found it rather ‘flat’ and some things didn’t sound right which spoilt it. Non British authors try hard but don’t always get it right. I know we all have different tastes, what appeals to one doesn’t another but I couldn’t see why it received all the rave reviews. Has anyone else read it – what did you think? ****
Set in the 1800s it’s fun little story about a housekeeper who because of a legacy became able to travel the country by stage coach. On her way to Exeter stranded for several days because of a snow storm she ‘organises’ the other passengers and sorts out their ‘love lives’. #1 in The Travelling Matchmaker series Lots of historical content, stage coach travel plus references to actual early pioneers. social settings, upstairs downstairs life plus oodles of ‘old fashioned’ phrases and sayings (dictionary and Mr G to the rescue 😊)
Thrown up and down like a Shuttlecock on a battledore . Cocked a snook – thumb their nose, show no respect souce The ton – fashionable society source . Draw his cork – punch in nose source
‘Lord Ranger Harley’ said Emily in a clear voice, ‘is a rake and a libertine’
In a historical context, a rake (short for rakehell, analogous to “hellraiser“) was a man who was habituated to immoral conduct, particularly womanizing. Often, a rake was also prodigal, wasting his (usually inherited) fortune on gambling, wine, women, and song, and incurring lavish debts in the process. Comparable terms are “libertine” and “debauché. source
A libertine is a person devoid of most moral principles, a sense of responsibility, or sexual restraints, who sees these traits as unnecessary or undesirable, and is especially someone who ignores or even spurns accepted morals and forms of behaviour observed by the larger society source
Of course Lord Harley is none of these – He and Emily….well you have to read the story to find out what they do😊. *******
The Austen Girls – Lucy Worsley 2020. Now although this isn’t an actual Jane Austen novel it’s my little nod to Jane Austen July – the month of her death where (for many years now) a month long worldwide celebration of her life is held, reading of her novels is encouraged, little challenges and read alongs happen. ****** Read and enjoyed in the last week of July an ‘imagined’ story slated towards YA written by Lucy Worsley (yes, that Lucy Worsley) about Jane’s nieces Fanny and Anna (daughters of her brothers Edward and James) one who lived in Kent, the other in Hampshire. In the Epilogue (What happened in real life) there’s en explanation of how life did actually pan out for the cousins and how intermingled it was with their Aunt Jane
Mrs Harris goes to Paris – Paul Gallico 1958. Mrs Harris was no less a woman than Lady Dante or any other. She wanted…… a dress from what must surely be the most expensive dress shop in the world – that of Mr Dior in Paris. “What would you do with it when you got it?” “Have it, just have it”
Well I’m not quite sure what I was expecting because coming late to this short novel and ‘hearing so much about it’ I thought there’d be more to the story. Which is simply – after seeing a Dior creation in one of her ‘clients’ home Mrs Harris sets her heart on buying a dress from that fashion house. She is a woman who is willing to have a go at anything – can see very little evil in people – try’s to make the most of everything – happy with ‘her lot’ – what you see is what you get – and as we find out will go to any lengths to get what she wants. This little story tells how she goes about it along with various happenings that would have defeated anybody else. A very easy read, written in third person with (just one thing I didn’t enjoy) conversation dialogue in dialect….which might have added flavour but to me was a bit over the top….. ****
One Summer in Italy – Sue Moorcroft 2018 A little bit of ‘chick lit’ plus a little bit of ‘romcom’ – add a little bit of ‘Who Do You Think You Are’……mix it all up in a small village in Italy with a young woman finding herself after nursing her father until his death – a teenager full of anger after discovering the ‘father’ who raised her from birth is not her actual father – plus a man with a mission and there’s your cast of characters along with the makings of an easy to read novel Extended family is found and after a little bit of fiery drama accepted on both sides – real father is found and accepted – daughter is united with real father, forgiven by ‘family father’ and comes to terms with the situation – man wins over newly discovered daughter – man and young woman become ‘a permanent item’. A good weekend read – part of a ‘ One Summer in’ series. *****
Where is Claris in Rome – Megan Hess 2023 I saw this in the library and brought it back to show to a camper’s daughter who enjoys Where’s Wally books. Large clear very colourful diagrams meant it was easier for young children to find the things to look out for. So one afternoon we sat eating potato chips looking for all the bits and pieces on each page and that’s exactly what she (all of 5yrs old) said……these are easy to do. I much prefer Wally! Proving that even at that age you can’t please everyone where books are concerned.
We had so much fun finding all the objects on each page Rome became my place name for the letter R.
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A New York Christmas – Ann Perry 2014. What a strange little book this was. There was I thinking it would be about Christmas in the New World in the very early 1900s and it turned out to be a murder mystery that no sooner had started was finished. Yes, a novella sized work about a young English woman travelling to New York as a companion to a younger girl about to marry into a fashionable well to do family. So wealth, politics, ‘business empire building’ through marriages, social history (race relations) immigration, descriptions of various neighbourhoods in those turn of the century days, (maybe a little stereotyping) a wrongly accused ‘murderer’ plus a budding romance are part of the storyline. I had an inkling who the actual murderer was early on but I didn’t unravel all the plot so there was an unforeseen twist at the end.
*****. * ** Sometimes you’ve ‘gotta do what you’ve gotta do’…..finding a fiction book with a place beginning with U in the title was very difficult SO I cheated…My U in the title is actually a persons nickname but because it’s also a state in the USA it’s only a ‘little’ cheat
Utah Blaine – Louis L’Amour 1954 Now I’ve done some strange things in my life but never ever thought I’d read a western novel – lol I suppose there’s always a first time for anything! As they say “well, that was interesting”. I’ve been there- done that now – sort of enjoyed it – but don’t think I’ll go back for more.
Centring round land claims, greed, jealousy, female attraction, ‘in-house disagreements’, double crossings, ‘wrongs must be righted yet no respect for life….or the law. Killings here there and everywhere. I reckon I watched too many films or tv when younger (or the writing was pretty good) because I could definitely visualise (seeing and hearing as it happened) everything I was reading. I was surprised as to how easy it was to read a story that kept moving along from one fight, ambush, shooting/hanging/lynching/ murder, ‘seeing’ some of the ‘goodies’ die – most of the ‘baddies’ as well….…no car chases but lots of horses and riders galloping away down trails and over the countryside chasing or trying to get away from each other Oh and the main good guy won in the end – he also ‘got the girl’ 😊
Looking for information on ‘gunslingers’ I found plenty of reading here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunfighter. It’s a sit down with a cup of tea read, so much to absorb but so very interesting.
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And because I’m a lover of musicals (and I found it on the ‘tube’) enjoy this clip from ‘On The Town’ where Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and Jules Munshin star as sailors who are given a 24hr leave pass to experience New York. Filmed in NY early 1948 – released 1949
And because I’m sort of geeky about some things – this link – https://popspotsnyc.com/on_the_town/ gives now and then information about places used in the filming of this opening number clip
Guthalungra (about half an hour north of Bowen) has a population of about 112 – is predominantly an agricultural area, mostly grazing with some crop production. source . You won’t see cane or mangoes along the roadside but you will see cattle Not in the numbers like in the Rockhampton area – aka Australia’s Beef Capital – just enough to notice they’re there. Usually ‘humped Brahman in origin used to tropical conditions and very different in look to what is bred down home in Victoria
Difficult to photograph at high speed – usually 100kmh on the open road. So I laugh when I see some of the shots I’ve captured (I’m the passenger btw not the driver)
Like……A man on a Mission. Moving determinedly across the paddock at a rate of knots
Meanwhile just down the road they were playing Follow The Leader
And Lunch is always being Served for this mob – so it’s ’eyes down looking’
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There are too many words here to make this a Wordless Wednesday post. even though not a word was spoken between them and me
What’s it like just up the road from you?
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I’ll start by saying that Blogger is being downright cantankerous or obnoxious or obstropolous ( yes, I know those aren’t the right words, they just sound as though they should be) because it’s not allowing me to comment on various blogs. I use a ‘blogger account’ that’s still valid – says I must be logged in /signed in – I am!…..so I’m not sure what’s going on. I’ll have a go at using ‘anon’ next week but if you haven’t heard from me for a while that’s the reason ( I’m not favouring anyone but these bloggers spring to mind…..JoanneLindaKylieAndrewAngela)
Remember that ‘out of sorts’ not quite right feeling I spoke about – well it seems to have disappeared. One of the ‘symptoms’ was that by about 3.30/4pm I’d be overcome by an awful feeling of fatigue, not be able to keep my eyes open……..I know that sounds a bit dramatic but exactly what happened. I found resting – not an actual nana nap – but lying there with my eyes closed for about 5/10mins did the trick – then I’d be ‘off and running’ again.
The strange thing is that since the wind dropped last Monday afternoon I’ve felt okay. The temperature has risen again – and even though as I write this the skies are a bit grey and it’s raining outside, my body feels comfortable again.
A blogger mentioned winter blues – it’s certainly been a very different winter to others up here in the past however the jury’s out on that on that one
The Golfer buys a pair of rubber thongs (flip flops for those not in the know) a year. Usually cheap ‘n cheerful ones from Rivers. Oh the pain when the prong popped out the other day – and no, we don’t do repairs with paper clips – so off he goes to get another pair. Oh the pain of buying from ‘small town shops’ that don’t carry cheap ‘n cheerful. At $40 for a pair with an unpronounceable brand name beginning with H they’d better last longer than 12 months
Mondays with the oldies in the hair salon or out in the bus are something I look forward and I was just beginning to miss my weekly visits when the roster for the last quarter arrived in my inbox The little note ‘enclosed’ said…. “Hope you’re enjoying yourself but don’t get too comfortable- we need you here 💕”. Knowing they’re looking forward to me returning means that hopefully I won’t whinge too much when it’s time to leave for home.
And talking of home, chatting to our granddaughter expecting her first child in November she mentioned, she definitely wants to do it ‘the old fashioned way’. Here’s me thinking ‘natural birth with minor assistance’ but she followed up with- ‘not knowing whether we have a son or a daughter until they are born’.
Oh, and if you’re wondering where your letters or parcels have got to …..they could still be on the road.
Seen mid morning on The Bruce between Bowen and Ayr the other Wednesday…….still there late afternoon as we drove back
And that’s a little of what’s been going on in my world this past week Is there anything you’re willing to share about yours?
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If we eat out many more times I’ll have forgotten how to cook by the time we get home😊. A fabulous curry – King prawn salad – plus Spanish mackerel & calamari rings all came my way during the last week!
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Lunch for our day out in Ayr was at the Anzac Memorial Club (RSL) so food was what I call pub style. Basic, good value, usually pretty good. Best ‘no name’ curry I’ve had for a while – and so much of it. Doggy Bags were allowed (not always the case in some restaurants) so half of my enormous serve came ‘home’ with me. ******. Sunday saw us down at the marina having a fabulous lunch fresh off the boat at Birds Fish Bar. Quiet and almost empty when we arrived- busy, tables filled with families when we left
It’s changed a lot over the years, renovated after the COVID restrictions (no more BYO – they have a liquor license now- deters the noisy ones they say)……the fishing boats still tie up out the back and ‘deliver to the door’….can’t get fresher than that!
****. And then this week there was one of our ‘special treats’ – Lunch at The Cove……the restaurant in the white building visible (far left side) across the bay from here at Queens Beach.
Certainly not posh by ‘big city standards’…… Simple decor, very basic tables and chairs, good food, well priced menu, open to the outside but protected…..with views to enjoy over and over again.
Oh, and when I start mentioning clothes that are shrinking and I’ve no idea why, you can all smile and nod knowingly 😊😊😊
Sharing with Min and others at Wednesday Words and Whimsy – HERE
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There I was on Monday morning complaining about the cold southerly wind that had made life difficult for days on end when by late afternoon it was ‘all change’ – which meant it was smiles all round at ‘my happy spot’ early Tuesday morning Empty beach – calm seas – pleasant temperatures- book to read – what more could I want 😊😎
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9am Tuesday Aug 6
Well, a large bright striped beach towel would have been nice. But it’s back home in the hall cupboard!. 10mins down the road the day we left I remembered I hadn’t picked them out when gathering up all those odd tucked away at the back bits to bring so had to make a quick stop at BigW in Mackay as we passed through the day we arrived . No big ones like that anywhere so had to make do with a couple of oversized dark bath sheets instead….no problem though (Animal Aid will benefit) these will just replace a couple on their way out at home.
July 2022 /July 2019 Shifting sands have covered the flat rock. Could be different again in a couple of years time
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I had another little think about the ‘baby jacket’ during the windy days and found this in amongst some patterns brought up from home. 4ply – which could work with that yarn….so nothing ventured – nothing gained. Looked simple, kimono style, straight up & down with some shaping on the fronts along with guernsey style dropped sleeves. I’ll place buttons/button holes where those ribbons are. Plain stocking stitch with a purl stitch at regular intervals to give a little interest. Well, that’s what I thought…..
Except these are the instructions for what I thought was just a purl stitch!
Does anyone understand them….. because for the life of me I can’t get my head round them at all! So I’m using a purl in that spot😊🧶
Now I’m off to enjoy some more of an (ex library) Ann Cleeves – a surprise find in the laundry room. A surprise because I’d only been talking to someone about it recently. The Crow Trap – Vera’s first appearance (1999) and my first time reading about her. A really good read that has me turning those pages
Today is the day Kat and friends gather for Unraveled Wednesday – books and craft and ways of the world are the talking points. Why don’t you pop over and see what’s going on
Well that went quickly! Two months of winter gone…..we’re now at the start of the third and last It’s Monday again…..the first Monday of a new month Spring will arrive here in Australia in less than 4 weeks Autumn will turn up for others in a little over 6 weeks No new goals for this month except to enjoy it…..
****** Blowin’ Bowen certainly lived up to its nickname when this warning
kept appearing on the weather report recently for days on end. Strong cool/cold southerly winds don’t make for pleasant days so we had to find other things to occupy ourselves. The Golfer can be very ‘dad like’ at times……”Come on, I didn’t drive all the way up here for us to sit indoors. We need to find something to do”
Living with a person who ‘can’t sit still’ can be annoying sometimes for someone who’s idea of a good time is to sit quietly (indoors or out) with a book or crafting or even closing their eyes and enjoying the mood……I should have accepted that by now and just ‘go the flow’. I certainly enjoy my quiet times when he’s out ‘walking the course’ getting rid of some of that excess energy
Se we ended up watching the way these kite surfers enjoyed the really windy days
And seeing the ‘juniors’ out on the water one Saturday morning Low tide means they’re way way out so this is ‘zoom’ quality
Driving up Flagstaff Hill to look down on the town and harbour. After Cyclone Debbie (2017) made a mess up there, a new cafe was built, pathways and landscape plantings changed. Unfortunately ‘things grow’ and the views are not as good now as they were before 🙁
Going over to Rose Bay one morning – not to sit ‘n sun……..just to ‘watch the water’. Surprised to see a ‘net fisher’ – not a regular sight. He certainly didn’t seem very confident, faffed around a lot, possibly trying to judge the waves……we’re used to seeing fishers sitting quietly, patiently – I realise this is a different ‘form’ (one I dislike) and wondered if maybe his first time because he kept moving about, changing his position, down on the shore…..then up on the rocks….then back down again- he left empty handed (as many do😊)
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I’v been feeling out of sorts this week, can’t put my finger on it though – hence the two ‘easy’ posts last week that had been in drafts for ages. We’re halfway through our stay so perhaps that’s it. I know….we’ll blame the weather for not being its usual warmsunny winter way…..cold fronts making their way up from the south are not welcome.
“Stop complaining Catherine- remember what’s happening at home”
Tomorrow being Today Monday
Monday Musings – a time to think and ponder
Are you happy to see the seasons change – or stay still a little while longer
Still Waters 