This week's blog incorporates two countries, and also two tenses. A farewell is said, but a future project is welcomed. Leaving the past and the future to one side now, let us return to the two countries part, and to our epic holiday adventure.
Now, where were we?  I remember, still in the Falklands, only now Mr Cooper and I weren't staying with Ali Bonner and Sarah Cooper, but now Mr and Mrs Bonner ( or Ali Bonner and Sarah 'Coops' Bonner, to be precise.)
Here is where they live, and where we were staying.  Look beyond the house, and you will see two stretches of water.  That is one of the many beauties of Stanley, just being able to see the sea from just about anywhere.

Another beauty of Stanley is the sheer diversity of the gardens.  Walk a little further away from the Bonner residence, and you will find a garden full of extremely happy gnomes.  Some have laughed so much they have fallen over, but all of them look extremely happy to see inquisitive visitors.

Another garden not far away again seems to be more traditional in its contents, showing an abundance of potatoes and poppies.

If you look to the right a little, you have a typical 'Stanley back garden' view.  Sheds, painted corrugated iron, beautiful muted colours set against the best background ever, sea and sky.  When I was little, there were lots of rounded corrugated iron sheds in the countryside, perhaps that is another reason why it felt so comfortable for me, to be in Stanley.

Not all of the gardens are there to grow vegetables and nurture gnomes.  Some house a few sheep or the occasional horse.  In one garden we saw a dog, a cat and a sheep all sitting together, watching the world go by.   This one looks as if the sheep have just wandered out of view.  On the bank beyond the water are the names of all the protectorate ships that have been in service in The Falklands, such as Endurance, Beagle and Dumbarton Castle.

It is lovely to be sitting here in West Sussex, writing away, but looking at the photos I am posting has made me feel very nostalgic for The Falklands.  Stanley has such a charm, and I am already looking forward to my next visit.  In the mean time, when me and Mr Cooper move from The Gables, perhaps we could find a small house somewhere, with a red corrugated roof.......

Moving definitely away now from West Sussex, and returning to The Falklands.
One thing that surprised me (apart from the ginger cat Banshee, who surprised us all, several times a day) was, when you left Stanley, how isolated all the other dwellings were.  There were the occasional hamlets, but mainly, houses on their own.
 Below is a fairly built-up area outside Stanley, and was in fact the last evidence of civilisation before we went off-road to penguin-land (Volunteer Point)

It was in fact a very civilised place indeed, for not only were there some excellent toilet facilities there, but a very delicious 'bake safe'.  This housed tins of cakes, and a tin where you put your voluntary contribution.  And, just like the excellent facilities, most unexpected and very welcome.
I wonder how many regulations this bake safe would contravene in the UK.  Each cake tin had a label to say what was inside, but no list of ingredients or allergens.  Surely there should be a sign saying that although the cakes did not contain any nuts, they were baked in a kitchen where nuts were used.  If you just took a cake and didn't pay, would it be your own fault if you began to 'bloat', or if you did pay, could you actually sue the kind baker?
It was a real treat to be able to enjoy such a kind and practical idea, without it being surrounded by a whole list of 'don'ts'.  Another reason why a stay in The Falklands is so refreshing.
Refreshed and fortified by home-baking, we said goodbye to roads, and set off once more to Penguin Land.

I did warn you last time that we visited Volunteer Point twice, but don't get overly anxious.  I do have lots of photos of penguins, and you are more than welcome to see them all.  So, give me a call, and arrange a time to drop in for tea, cake and photos.
For my blog, I have chosen just two of my many favourites.

This one is of the smallest chick I saw, perched on its parent's feet.  Soon it will be back nestling under its parent, sheltering from the summer wind.

This one I love, as it shows a group of King Penguins performing a variety of antics.  It is almost as if they had decided amongst themselves to put on a show for the tourists.  All it really needs to complete the scene is to have one in the background attempting a cartwheel.

Our two weeks in Stanley came to an end all too quickly.  Me and Mr Cooper had had such a good time, and were not looking forward to leaving, but leave we must.
 We had planned to stay for five nights in Havana on the way home, Cuba being a place we had both wished to visit for many years. (It does take me and Mr Cooper a long time to get round to doing certain things, but going down the pub is not one of them!)
So back on the plane, this time to fly to Argentina, then onto Punto Arenas, and from there to Santiago for a brief overnight stop (four hours)  The next part of the journey was undertaken with mounting excitement, as we then flew to Lima, Peru, and from there, onwards for our five hour flight  to Havana.

We knew we would be entering a different world, and after staying in Stanley for a fortnight, the contrast was even greater than if we had come straight from the UK.

In my next blog I will be exploring Havana in more depth, but today I will leave you with just a little taster of the things we experienced.

Of course, when you think of Havana, one of the first thoughts is of those beautiful classic cars, brightly coloured, and in constant daily use.

Then, all the other modes of transport you find in different cities outside England.  Here we see a bicycle taxi, where two of you can explore the sights of Havana, or simply pay to get from A to B.  Also, behind it, a local bus, which looks as if it would get from A to B with some difficulty, but they were a regular sight, rumbling by in clouds of smoke, and packed with locals.

The Streets in Havana are amazing, for many diverse reasons.  Here we can focus on the colours,  and catch a glimpse of children on their way to school.

And here, it is not so hot on the coloured buildings front, but we do see a resident on their way to work.  We saw him in action later on too, if 'action' is the appropriate word for what he does.

Many things were amazing about Havana.  We were so happily amazed at the cost of eating-out, and rum cocktails and beer that we spent a lot of time happily eating and drinking, as it was a very cost-effective way to spend the day.  And after a lack of vegetables and fruit in The Falklands (although we did enjoy the low cost of drinks, especially in The Rose) it was a real joy to be able to eat salads, fruits and plantains at every meal.
One evening, as we enjoyed a drink in our hotel's bar, I spotted a couple seemingly enjoying a mixture of Fanta and beer.  'Surely it must be like a delicious orange shandy?' thought I, and Mr Cooper very reluctantly bought me one.  He was right to be so reluctant, it was horrible!
There are times when I should listen to My Cooper, (but not as many as Mr Cooper thinks I should.)

In my next blog I will focus on drinks we did enjoy, such as Mojitas and Ron Collins.  Of course these were drunk responsibly, and interspersed with trips to musuems and art galleries.

Although my blog has been, for a time, very much spent enjoying the delights of The Falklands and Havana, we have been back now for nearly three weeks, and things are always changing.  My kitchen workplace has changed, which has made my regular job harder, but the same old crew are still there.  So much harder has my job become, in fact, that my first day back was very nearly my last.  If anyone out there is on the brink of designing a kitchen for a restaurant, please give the washing-up area two sinks, two draining boards and taps as well as a spray, plus a dishwasher, of course.  If you think one sink, no taps and a tiny draining board is the way forward, just come to the Greyhound and try it out!

Leaving my workday moans aside, and returning to real life now.
Before I went away, I was so pleased to be able visit my Aunty Sally, who had been ill for a long time.  I took Mum to see her too, and luckily she was well enough on that day to see us both.
It was very hard when we left, as I felt that was the last time I would ever see her.
Aunty Sally sadly died whilst we were away, on the eve of Sarah and Ali's wedding.
Last week we all said goodbye to her.

A very sad time.  Some changes in life are inevitable, but that does not make them pain-free.

I started this blog because it was all about me writing my cookery book, 'The Green Donkey Cookery Book'. This is to be all about the cakes and puddings I enjoyed from my childhood, primarily baked by my Granny Beba and her three daughters, Joan, Janet and Sally.  The blog was actually started to record all the happenings and artworks I was/am creating that were hampering the actual writing  of the book, as it had not proceeded much beyond collecting and trying-out the recipes.
Aunty Sally was very instrumental with providing me with recipes from the past, especially as she had the care of Granny Beba's handwritten recipe book.  Aunty Sally was the most prolific cook of the three sisters, and undoubtably also the best at pastry and cakes (sorry Mum and Aunty Joan, but you probably won't be reading this anyway.)  Having tea at Aunty Sally's was indeed a joy, and we were given cakes there that we never had at home.  Aunty Sally actually used to pipe decorations onto cakes.....we were lucky to get silver balls and hundreds and thousands.

The other day, Mr Cooper said to me, apropos of nothing, 'Socrates once said here are only two things you can rely on not to change, in life.  One is death, and the other is change itself.'

So I think now it is time to change the focus of my year and my blog, and stop saying I will be writing a book, and start doing it (after I have completed the two commissions I have to do, and created this year's significant artwork, and my entry to the Jerwood and The National, and planned my sessions for working with Mind....)
I will just have to work at weekends too.

 My blog won't change much, but it should start to include some illustrations for the book very soon, plus hopefully a sense of mounting excitement, even if it is a gradually mounting sense of excitement.
If you know you have been pushing something to the back of your mind, instead of actually sorting it out, perhaps stop pushing it away, and start doing whatever it is you know you really should be doing.  My son Sam shares a house with his Dad, who has fairly recently added two kittens to the household (success all round) but also a piano accordian, something he has been meaning to learn for years (success for George)
So let's accept the changes we have to, and create the changes we need, to enrich the lives of ourselves, and those around us.
And also to remember in our hearts, those of us who are now longer with us.
Gone, but not forgotten sadly makes more sense, the older you get.

We have returned, in more ways than one!  (Aeroplanes and taxis, that's two ways to start with.)
And as our  return journey consisted of eight separate flights, plus a night in Peru, the first sentence begins to make more sense, I hope.
Just over a month ago, me and Mr Cooper set out on the beginning of an amazing journey.
Sarah and Ali were getting married, which was the reason for the amazing journey.  We also decided to incorporate  a few days of chilling after that, and we decided to spend five days in Cuba.

For those of you who don't know us so well, we were not putting our suitcases into the back of a car, but into the hold of a flight from Heathrow.

From there we were flying to Sao Paulo, Brazil, then onwards to Santiago, Chile.  The next stage being to Punto Arenas, Chile and then onto our wedding destination, The Falklands.
Ali is a Falklander and Sarah has lived there for almost 10 years, so it was no surprise as to where the wedding was to be.
They were getting married in Ali's parent's garden in Stanley....and we were both so excited!

And for those of you who know me a little better, you will know that I am decidedly of an age where some technology is very useful and almost understandable, but learning new tricks, although no doubt very useful, is also very difficult!  I did post one blog on our travels, but it seemed to have become interwoven with  another from the past, so I just gave up on all that technology and had a good time instead. 
So, this may contain images you have already seen, and it may not.  Read on, and hopefully, enjoy!

If you are wondering why Mr Cooper, so beautifully framed above, is holding a rattle, it is because we were also taking part in the  Leighton Rattle Challenge, where we helping to raise money and awareness of a condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1.  This rare condition sadly resulted in the death of baby Sophie, at only 10 months old.  Here is the link which will tell you more about Sophie's story, and also enable you give a donation.
http://www.actsma.co.uk/donate/butterflyfund/sophie-harling

I suppose that wherever you go, pre-conceived ideas travel along too.  I was imagining the Falkland Islands to be populated by many white houses with corrugated roofs,  few trees, but apart from that, a sort of southern English countryside.
Before we landed, we flew over both islands and saw very few houses, but lots of hills and mountains, and also lots of water. (On the islands, not around them. Lakes, rivers, estuaries and the like. We both knew they were totally surrounded by water)  When we landed, it was an hour's drive to Stanley (thanks for meeting us, Ali) and we saw very few houses, but lots of beautiful, wild countryside, as if we were in Scotland, or the Yorkshire Moors.  When we reached Stanley, there was an abundance of white houses with different coloured roofs, and always a view of the sea.
It was really picturesque.
 And not only did I see some trees in Stanley, but one of them was my very favourite!

And so to Pioneer Row, to Ali and Sarah's home, which was to be ours too, for the next fortnight.
As well as being a great future son-in-law, Ali was a great host, and took us to Shorties for a meal (spicy squid and chips, with a garlic sauce so hot it burned, wonderful!) and then onto The Rose, for some refreshing drinks.  Sarah was a few hours into her hen night elsewhere, and we were made very welcome in The Rose by their friends.  Particular thanks here to Lisa and Steve, and of course the best landlady ever, Sheila. I think that was one of the most wonderful things about our visit.....we felt welcomed as soon as we got there, lots of people were looking forward to meeting us, something which echoed how loved Sarah is in her chosen country, and to experience this was so lovely, and touching, and reassuring.


What could be better than good company, squid and red wine?  Well, Sarah Avatar appeared at The Rose, on her last stop of her Hen Do.  A double bonus here.  Great to see Sarah, and also great to have a little more squid!

The next day was devoted to seeing a little more than the inside of The Rose (not that there is anything wrong with that view) and we went for a Sunday drive.
The waters around the Falklands are extremely dangerous to shipping, and as a consequence, there are lots of old wrecks around.  When it is not feasible to salvage them, they are often used for storage.  A bizarre sight for us, but an everyday sight for those in Stanley.  You can see Stanley, nestling in the background.  The SS Great Britain, now in dock in Bristol, spent many years as a wrecked storage vessel in The Falklands, before coming home in 1971. 
This is the Lady Elizabeth, shipwrecked in 1913 on a voyage from Vancouver.

No trip would be complete without the sight of penguins or seals, and we headed to Gypsy Cove.

The scenery was absolutely stunning, as was the bracing wind (it makes Skegness seem like an amateur on that front) and although there were no seals ready to pose for us, idly waving their flippers, and balancing balls on their noses, there were some penguins who were happy to oblige.
Although there were only a few penguins that day and no tricks with balls, we had a trip to Volunteer Point coming up, where we would be able to see the largest breeding colony of King Penguins in the world.  But in the meantime, we were more than happy to meet this pair of Jackass penguins, along with some others.

Back to Pioneer Way, pausing to visit what must be the most photographed totem pole ever......

.........look closely at the middle of the totem, Scottish Haslam clan, and there you will see Bearsden!
and for our southern neighbours, Bosham gets a mention too.


Fast forward a couple of days now, whizzing through several events such as a) becoming more familiar with Stanley, b) meeting Ali's parents for the first time, Bunny and Paul, c)eating a chili for lunch that was almost too hot (only because it had been advertised as 'too hot for girls'....I couldn't ignore that challenge) d) greeting the next bunch of explorers from England, Sarah's Mum Bev, Helen and Rhona, and e) visiting the inside of The Rose again.
 It was now time to make the 6 hour round trip to Volunteer Point.
The first hour, apart from wishing we had not visited The Rose for quite so long, the night before, was along a road.  Then the fun began as the road turned into a track, and then into what can very accurately be described as 'off-road'.  The best way to cope as a passenger is to remove your seat-belt and 'go with the motion' ....... which is a cross between a very bizarre fairground ride, or a slow-motion rodeo experience.  Why did we stay so long in The Rose, the night before? (Well, apart from it being great fun and a good idea at the time, of course.)

After a couple of hours, we were there, amidst a vast expanse of three types of penguin, and lots of sheep.  These are one type of penguin, which I am not able to classify, but will just describe them as the ones that stand up and lie down.........

and here are four King Penguins, having a constitutional in front of the breeding colony.
Don't feel too disappointed at the sparsity of penguin photos, we will return to Volunteer Point the week after the wedding (plus I have mislaid a memory stick from my camera).

But now it is time to return, over rough ground, tracks and hurrah, a road, to Stanley, to get ready for the celebrations.

The day before the wedding had seen us add purple and silver decorations to Paul and Bunny's beautiful garden, where the wedding service was to be held.  Then later on, to the Town Hall, where the evening celebration would take place.  At the end of the day, both venues looked really lovely, beautifully adorned with silver and purple.  Sarah disappeared to enjoy a female pre-wedding evening, and Ali, Mr Cooper and myself enjoyed a very brief visit to The Rose, a take-away pizza, and an early night.  In fact, so many of the friends who helped with the decoration ordered a pizza too, that we were one of the lucky ones, as they couldn't cope with the demand, and shut up shop.

Waking to a stunning blue sky the next morning, purple and silver then became the order of the day.
The hairdresser came to make sure Ali and myself looked even more amazing than usual (thanks Bronwen, you did a fantastic job) then it was time to put on our wedding finery, adding touches of purple and silver as appropriate, before walking to the wedding garden.

Here is Mr Cooper, a little tearful and a lot proud, preparing to 'give away' his beautiful daughter Sarah.  Most weddings are lovely, but some are exceptional.  This was one of the exceptional ones. Me and Mr cooper were really pleased to be there at such an important day in Sarah and Ali's life, and we welcome Ali into the family with arms and hearts wide open. Then we all looked on with much happiness, complete with some more tears of happiness, to see Sarah and Ali married.

Here they are being married by their friend Neville, all most suitable dressed for the occasion!

And here are Sarah, Mr Cooper and myself, whilst Ali takes a moment to let it all sink in.

After the usual chats, photos and fizz it was time for us all to make our way to The Malvina Hotel,
for the wedding reception.  Although it was not too far to walk, it certainly worked up an appetite, and for the first time in my life, I was finishing Mr Cooper's roast potatoes (they were delicious).  Well, perhaps he was a feeling a little nervous before his speech,


Here is Mr Cooper, now suitably relaxed after his very good speech, trying to re-capture the dashing good looks of his youth.

Luckily there was a couple of hours break before getting on with the serious stuff.....which was dancing the night away to an amazing band, in the Town Hall.  We had a short break where we walked back to feed the cats, and in my case, feel regretful at having eaten quite so many potatoes.
Then onwards again, silver shoes still twinkling, back to the Town Hall for more food, more drinks and lots and lots of dancing.
It was such an amazing day, followed by an amazing night, that we were almost pleased when the band sang their final, final, final encore and me and Mr Cooper were able to walk home under the stars, still singing the refrain to that song about 'Living Next Door to Alice.'  Who is she, by the way?  We got back at two, a whole twelve hours of celebration on such a happy and wonderful day.

So wonderful was it that it made, not page one of the Penguin News...........

..........but page two.  Here are Sarah and Ali, complete with family and friends from England.
Well worth every bit of the 8,000 miles to get there.
Thank you everyone there for making the day so memorable, and us all so welcome.
Especial thanks to Bunny and Paul.  We are so happy that Sarah has married Ali, and become part of your family now.

I leave you with part one of the Falkland blog completed, and a warning not to approach any of the below if you should meet them one night.  They will be saying that they have just been to a wedding, in fact two of them will be insisting they are actually the bride and groom!

  As it is now the weekend, please do enjoy your Sunday roast potatoes, but also try stop  before seven.
As our parents used to say to us, 'enough is as good as a feast' and though, many years ago, I thought that surely too much must be like the best ever feast, I do know now that six potatoes make you feel better than seven. 
However, when it comes to other things, is it possible to have too much laughter and smiles?
So perhaps this Sunday, I will pause to smile instead, as I stop at potato number three.
See you all soon for part two.

Last weekend proved to be an oasis of calm in our busy lives.  For the first time since the beginning of December, we had a weekend to ourselves, in our own home. No-one to visit, and no visitors; temporary bliss.  Me and Mr Cooper do love to be sociable, but sometimes it is good to have a break, a welcome respite between the Christmas Festivities, and the forthcoming Wedding Festivities!

Let's go for a walk, said I, ever conscious of the fact that I had signed up to walk the South Downs Way again, in June.  Yes, agreed Mr Cooper, ever conscious of the fact that a walk usually means a pint somewhere too (or two, in fact.)
So we set off towards Westbourne, talking avidly of our trip to The Falklands, for Sarah and Ali's wedding.  The colour scheme for the wedding is silver and purple, and some hedgerow flowers kindly obliged us by providing blooms of those colours.  It was lovely to see flowers in January.

In fact, nature seemed very much on our side for, as we left the roads in exchange for muddy footpaths, we came upon frozen, silvery puddles.

We weren't the first people to enjoy those icy puddles, but we were the only ones in the whole of West Sussex talking excitedly about the fast approaching silver and purple wedding.

It wasn't too long before the wonders of nature morphed into the wonders of Westbourne. 

 In particular, The Stag, where we were spoilt for choice on the beer-front.  What is not to like about a beer brewed by Listers (stationary engines) in Sussex (what better county?) and featuring a portrait of a fox terrier (or was it a 'dog on wheels', another of my very favourites.)

What was lovely about our break there, as well as the beer and the crisps, was the fact that, as it was not our local, we were able to sit and chat away without interruption.  It is lovely to share time in a pub with friends, but just once in a while, it is lovely to share time just with Mr Cooper.

Then back out into the now sunny day, walking through sunny Southbourne, on our way home to   nutty Nutbourne.
Spring is not yet springing, but it was lovely to see more yet blooms on our way home.
A very cheering sight, a real taste of things to come.

We did continue with the wintry theme that afternoon, as we settled down to watch 'Frozen'.

Then after a tasty roast pheasant, Sunday turned into Monday, and it was back to working life again.

Monday morning found me in Andover, working for Andover Mind. I completed my first stint there as a volunteer, leading a session on handicrafts.  It was good fun, and involved balloons, glue and newspaper.  Hopefully next Monday, these will start to take shape as decorative bowls.

Monday afternoon, time to go to Winchester, where I am a volunteer in the Monday afternoon art group at Trinity.  We were completing boxes we had made, which were used art to portray our ideas and experiences with the Health Service, the focus being  on mental health.  Next Monday these will all be in an exhibition there, complete with local dignitaries, and tea and cake.

Then the rest of the session was about our next project, where we are looking at, and understanding more about, the work of the Abstract Expressionists.  As well as working for Trinity, Ali also works for the Southampton City Gallery.  I wish he had worked for Winchester School of Art when I was there, as he is very good at explaining art theories.  But when I think about it, he probably hadn't even been born when I was a student there.  Oh me, oh my.

So glue and balloons in the morning, and oil pastels in the afternoon.  Can life get better than this?

This past week, in the time when I have not been at work, which was sadly very little, I have been gathering items to pack for our trip.  It has been very exciting to create a purple and silver outfit to wear, and for the first time for absolute ages, all my clothes for Sarah's wedding will be new, and worn for the first time that day.  Let's hope they all fit, and actually go together! 

All will be revealed next month, when the photos appear.

  I have also added a butterfly to my wedding 'fascinator', so I will also be carrying with me lots of love and beauty from Bristol!  Here it is, nestling against my startlingly bright jacket.

The colour scheme for the wedding has happily spilled over into my life.

I needed a new back-pack, and look what I discovered.  How fab is that!

And in the summer, I asked Sarah if she needed any bunting made.........

........what better thing to do on a cold and rainy day than sit and sew, whilst listening to radio 4.

Mr Cooper says he can think of lots better things to do, but to assist me in my productions, he helped me by doing the sitting bit very well!

Perhaps I should be a little more speedy, when writing my blog. A few paragraphs ago and I was writing about the forthcoming exhibition at Trinity.

It happened yesterday, and very good it was too.  It was hard work setting everything up in under 2 hours, but well worth it. (And the cakes were delicious, especially the homemade lemon shortbread)

Here is a snippet from it, with most of the boxes on show having been made by the same person.

 I was not quite so prolific, and here is my offering on the bottom left, with 3 pages of writing about the circumstances around the work.  In agreement with the artist whose work is above, we were both wanting to also make the point that funding cuts, from a budget that wasn't large enough in the first place, mean many people have not the help and support they need in their lives.  If people appear to be 'getting by', they are left to do so.  This is not a criticism of those within the health service, but of those who are cutting the resources for it.  They are so far removed from the actual people affected by this, that they can have no idea of the hardships they are inflicting.  Or if they do have any idea of this, 'heartless' is a word which springs to mind.

Returning now to our adventures on the horizon.

As departure date comes ever closer, lots of little loose ends must be tidied away.  For instance, installing our friendly house-sitters, and showing them where everything is, making lists, crossing things from them, then creating new lists.  It feels strange to be packing summer clothes when it is frosty outside, but this is a strangeness I could get used to!

If you have anything strange in your forthcoming February lives, I hope it is on the 'pleasantly strange' side, as opposed to the 'really weirdly strange'. 

 Just welcome some strangeness in, and adapt a little around it.

We can all view something new and strange with reluctance and fear, let's go for viewing new things with curiosity and excitement; providing they are legal, of course.

I am hoping my next blog will be broadcast from foreign lands, but this very much depends on my grasp of new-to-me technology.  ( Sam has been assisting with my gaining a grasp, but he did say 'You're not very good at this, are you?'  I said that I wasn't allowed to say that, in all my years as a teacher.  To which he said, 'Well, it's true!')

At worst, it will be a blog without images, but I will be striving for my usual format.

Until then, keep warm and keep walking, and be welcoming to what is new.

I am looking forward to seeing you all again soon, and sharing what is new and exciting in my life.

January is well known for being a time of abstinence, most unlike its naughty neighbour, December.
In December, 'plenty' not only seems to be the order of the day, but becomes a very enjoyable, if tiring, way of life.
Christmas came and went, and me and Mr Cooper were a little slow in putting away our decorations this year.  As soon as the last festive feast had been prepared, consumed and cleared away, I was back at work, and Mr Cooper just felt a little slow.
We did get as far as removing the tree decorations from the tree by Twelfth Night, but not actually removing the tree from the house.  That has finally happened, but on the Eighteenth night.
 All is done now, however. 

The cards came down first, and this is the card Mr Cooper gave to me.
It seemed hilarious just before Christmas, and more than a little apt.

 Now I look at it with sadness and nostalgia, as January seems to stretch out before me.

However our spirits were lifted when the estate agent rang, to say we had our first viewing. We had to be elsewhere, so we opted to walk into Emsworth.  It was cold and wintry, but so good to be outside.  If you look really hard, you can see an egret.

We warmed ourselves up in Emsworth with a most welcome drink.....Earl Grey tea.
Then back to find that the viewing wasn't a great success, as the drive is too small for a caravan.
Oh well, better luck next time, and back to work again.

When I have my packed lunch at The Greyhound, I always eat it outside, next to the River Test.
 It doesn't matter that it is sometimes very cold, as I am not out there for very many minutes, just long enough to eat my fruit, nuts and cottage cheese before the lunchtime rush.

You can see why I choose to eat outside, and if you look hard, this time you can see a swan.
(Another white shape on the water)

Then good intentions somewhat deserted me (and several others besides) as we had our Christmas Staff Party to go to.  This year, we went to Kyoto Kitchen in Winchester, which was so lovely.
We were treated to beautiful food and wines to match.  I had taken my flamingo umbrella with me, and I was probably aware that my good intentions had been dissolved in wine, when it became important for Earnest to enjoy the food too.  I know had a fine time, but Earnest did tend to fall over later on, when left unattended.

Time to 'party on down' one more time, back at Juliette and Colin's abode. We were very happy to be joined by 9 weeks old Eric!

Back to the real world yet again, and to more yet clean living during these frosty days,
 and long evenings.
Let's stand a fighting chance of remaining awake to watch all our recorded programmes, and buy some wool, thought I.  The only thing is, the more complicated the garment is, the less chance I have of making sense of the actual programme! (Do the knitting, lose the gist.  Put the knitting down, return to it, start counting all over again.  Or, just give up and fall asleep!)

Well there is always a little light sewing instead.  It's a month till Sarah and Ali's wedding, and I have one thing still left to make for it, although there are many things still to buy... ( lipstick, eyeliner, etc)
After a little while, I was wondering why I had ever thought it was a good idea to actually make a fascinator, let alone wear one!

It seemed counter-productive to attempt something that would actually drive me towards drink, and then it all seemed a whole lot better, and worth the struggle.

As January progresses, I also progress with my resolution to walk round Stockbridge Marsh in my break.  Apart from yesterday, that is, when it was pouring in rain.  Sam and I settled instead to watch an old Julia Child's French cookery programme.
 I will go swimming tomorrow instead, thought I.  Well tomorrow has definitely come, and with it ice and biting cold winds.  I cannot even imagine changing to swim in these conditions.  But swim I must, so I will away now to shake the cobwebs from my goggles.
I hope you are progressing well, into January, and you are still persisting with any sensible resolutions you made.  Silly ones too, if fun and achievable.  Just stay away from those extremely ridiculous ones.  Leave them behind, as we leave behind the excesses of the Festive Season.

Keep moving forwards with humour and determination, whilst sipping hot water and eating fruit.
Who knows, we could get used to it all!
Have healthy fun in the week ahead, and I am looking forward to catching up with you all very soon.

ps.  3 hours later......just having returned from the swimming pool.  It felt wonderful to be in the water, and it feels wonderful now that I am home again, happy and relaxed after my half-mile.
So, perhaps the mantra for the coming week should be 'Feel the reluctance, and do it anyway!'
You know it makes sense!