This is the first FFF of the year so a bit shout out to our host Susanne who keeps this going every week. If you want to find out more about the FFF pop over to her blog here. She's done a great introduction on her post today.
Right, here is my list for this week:
1) Some quiet time after the busy Christmas period. My son and his family headed home last Friday and the house felt very quiet but it was a good quiet after all the busyness of Christmas.
2) A trip to the pantomime with Grandsons Rory & Vinny (and their parents) on New Year's Eve. We saw Peter Pan and although it was only at their local theatre it was very good. The kids were engaged the whole way through and there were no real scary bits to upset them.
Vinny 
Rory
Afterwards we went back to their flat for lunch and Grandpa joined us there.
The rest of our New Year's Eve was quiet. Just the way I like it lol.
3) The house is back to normal - I took all my decorations and tree down on Tuesday. I love having the decorations up but I'm also glad to take them down and give the rooms a good clean. I usually wait until 12th Night but Granddaughter Ella was going to be here on Wednesday and I wanted the playmats and toys back in place but that meant cleaning the floor and....... well you know how one thing leads to another lol.
4) Thankful that we haven't experienced flooding here. The rain has been torrential on and off this week - thanks to Storm Henk. It's made walking round the lake a bit of a challenge but that's a minor inconvenience. Lots of homes have been flooded and that's an awful way to start the new year.
5) Thankful too for our local Swan rescue team - the pair of swans on our lake have now decided it's time for the cygnets to leave home. They are relentlessly trying to chase them off the lake but the rescue team are aware and are trying to catch the cygnets to rehome them with a safe flock. Hopefully they will be able to do that soon - the cygnets are being a bit elusive.
So a good first week of the new year. I've also been blogging every day thanks to the Just Jot it January challenge and reading every day - having signed up for a 52 book challenge for the year which I'm excited about. I have also managed to walk a few times this week despite the rain. I've been trying to avoid all the naughty but nice things left over from Christmas as I had to have another blood test done yesterday to check how I'm doing on the pre-diabetes scale. Not the best timing for that but hopefully it will be ok. I came home from having the test done and indulged in a mince pie and some chocolates lol!
Have a good weekend all.
Sounds like your new year is off to a good start despite the prediabetes thing.
ReplyDeleteLOVE the pic of the grandsons. They're getting so big so fast!! and how fun to watch Peter Pan together. great play.
Yes we MUCH prefer Boston over NYC and I'm from central NY where EVERYONE is all about NYC. not me. I prefer boston because it's a more walkable city, people are friendlier, the T feels so much safer than the mass transit in NYC, and the city is way less crowded....Boston is truly my fave. I loved San Francisco too but could never live there. Far too $$$$. I'd love to move to Boston but hubby doesn't wanna leave our local church. sigh. Maybe one day......
I hope you have a very relaxing weekend.
Thanks Faith.
DeleteWe're taking our Christmas stuff down tomorrow, and I always have mixed emotions. It will be good to get things back to "normal," though.
ReplyDeleteI also have mixed emotions when everyone goes home after Christmas. I love having them and miss them, but I need a little bit of quiet time after the holidays.
I'm glad you didn't have any flooding. I didn't know swans chased their young ones off when they matured. I hope they find a good, safe home.
I think it depends with the swans - on some lakes locally there are lots of swans so the cygnets get to stay but we just have one pair of swans on our local lake and they chase the siblings off every year.
DeleteHow nice that you could go to a play with your grandsons. Making memories with the grands is good for them and us. Thank for the reminder about eating better since I am prediabetic. You live on a lake and get to see swans if I recall from a previous post here. I want to read more, but 1 book a month would be a goal for me. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI think the important thing is just to read and not get too hung up about how many books you're reading.
DeleteHappy New Year, I love the photos you shared. :-) I do hope the weather clears up soon for you and your neighborhood. We still have NO snow! It is so strange after last winter, we had over 100 inches of snow!!!
ReplyDeleteCarla
That's strange about the snow. Hope you get some soon.
DeleteYes, not having your home flooded is definitely a good thing. I knew you were in the middle of a storm, so I'm glad you survived well.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun time with Vinny and Rory at the play. They look so excited.
I haven't put away all my Christmas decorations. Hopefully, that will get finished this weekend.
Hope your blood work shows improvement.
Have a good week!
Thank you.
DeleteLove the pictures of you with your grandsons!
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteHow fun to see Peter Pan with the boys. Love the photos!! Nice that the cygnets are being relocated to keep all the birds safe. It does feel good to get the house back to some semblance of normal. I am behind on blogs again with company here. You are so good about your commitments to A-Z, the January Jot, and your book challenge. Wishing you a blessed new year!
ReplyDeleteThanks Terri. Yes it's lovely to have company but it does make extra work.
DeleteI too am ready to get the place back to normal after Thanksgiving! It does mean a lot of cleaning though. The Peter Pan pantomime sounds so good. I've never seen one but heard about them. That's amazing that you are able to watch the progress of the signets. I hope they can be rehomed soon. Glad to hear you are safe from flooding. That is scary. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteThe flooding has been awful in some parts of the UK so we're very thankful not to be affected.
DeleteI love the quiet after the holidays and the freshly cleaned open spaces. Your grandchildren are getting so big. It's hard when I look at mine and don't see the baby faces anymore. I have to start behaving, too, as my glucose levels are going up again. The holidays sure don't help that.
ReplyDeleteYes holidays mean all my good habits re eating go out the window. Trying to get back on track lol
DeleteIt's the calm after the storm now in your house ! I had a nice Christmas with me (and Rosie) and the three from Amsterdam called me and we saw each other on Whatsapp but on the computer that's nice you see them much better. I feel really happy here, I have my same surroundings, the same shops and almost the same living room. Since a week I feel normal again, I walk and breath normally, I hope it continues. Dario likes it very much here too and waits for summer to run around with his dog ! I was shopping yesterday (not for food or cleaning things) but I needed a brush for Rosie and new bowls and little things for me !There were so many people I thought they get all for free. Since I moved in on Nov 15 it has rained ! It's just awful. Now it's getting cold.
ReplyDeleteI think we are all thankful for a quieter week after the busyness of Christmas. Glad you did not get flooding. How fun to take in Peter Pan with your grandchildren! Great memories being made!
ReplyDelete