Just Jot it January - Day 15 - Gratitude

The prompt for today is gratitude provided by Carole Anne.  Her blog can be found here.

As always the full details on the Just Jot it January challenge can be found on Linda's blog here.

One of the blog hops that I take part in is all about gratitude.  It's done on a Friday and the aim is to write about five things that we're grateful for from the previous week.

It works for me although I don't get there every week, or on time but it does make me pause and count my blessings.  You can view my most recent Friday's Fave Five post here.

One of the things I'll be including in my list next Friday is a lovely outing today with the knitting group I joined.

The main group meets on Wednesdays during the day which didn't work for me but then not that long ago the organiser set up an evening group.  Not having really got to know anyone here since we moved (apart from our immediate neighbours) I thought it might be a good way to meet new people.  And I can actually knit.

It's a nice group and not too big.  Anyway today 6 of us went to a Wool Show in nearby Waltham Abbey and then we went on to a nearby pub for Sunday lunch.

Despite being anxious about the whole thing I was determined to go.  (Yes I do get anxious, it's not rational but it can be quite debilitating at times.)  I'm trying to say Yes to things like this even if they are out of my comfort zone and to say no when I need to so I don't get overloaded.

I really enjoyed myself.  The wool show wasn't all that exciting but I did buy a kit to make a pig.

I'm hoping to make it for Granddaughter Ella either for her birthday or next Christmas.  I've never made anything like this before so it might take me a while!

#SoCS & Just Jot it January - Day 14

Once upon a time....

Ahem!

Alice?

Well who else gets inside your head?

Yes but you've been missing for ages Alice.  Where have you been?

Well it was hard finding space inside your head in the lead up to Christmas and then when it was actually Christmas those little urchins were here making soooo much noise.

Those "little urchins" as you call my grandchildren are very special to me Alice.  Just be careful what you say about them.

I'm sure they're delightful, when they're asleep in bed.  And as for the pantomime trip.  I thought my head would explode.  Why are pantomimes so noisy?  And why do they have to ruin perfectly good stories?

I see you're in your usual grumpy mood Alice.

Actually I'm not.  It's been relatively quiet here this week, apart from your gadding about picking up urchins here and there so I've had time to relax and now I'm ready to help out again.  And then I saw your first line here and thought "That's my cue!"  After all I know a fantastic story you could use here.

Yes but it doesn't start with "Once Upon a Time". I just checked.  And this post is supposed to be a stream of consciousness post and now I've broken so many rules I'm having doubts about posting it.

And you've interrupted my flow of thoughts Alice.

I can tell when I'm not wanted.  But my story could have started with Once Upon a Time.

I think Lewis Carroll was too original for things like that Alice.

Alice?

Oh dear I've upset her again.  Wonder how long she'll go and sulk for this time?

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Just Jot it January and SoCS are both hosted by Linda here.

For more about Alice go here.

Friday's Fave Five - 13/1/22

It's Friday again so time to take a pause and look back on the good things of the week and then join up at Susanne's site with other bloggers doing the same.

Here are mine:

1.  Getting back into normal routines.  I do love the Christmas period, especially spending time with family and grandkids but routines go out of the window.  This week I've managed to get the house straight again and cleaner.  I feel more settled when things are more routine.

2.  Quiet moments when I can sit and watch the birds in the garden.  There have been a few of these this week - our daughter hasn't been working here as much this week so I've been able to sit with my laptop in the dining room and watch the birds visiting our feeding station.

3.  Walking!  I've managed to get out twice so far this week, despite the fact that we have had a lot of rain.  So much so that the walk around the lake is like a quagmire in places.  Not to be attempted without wellies.  Yesterday I stuck to the park which has concrete paths and managed to dodge the showers.  I do like to get outside and clear the cobwebs away.

4.  Family time last Sunday - we had my younger son and his family here for lunch.  It's lovely when we have them all here watching the grandchildren interact with one another but it's also nice to have one family at a time so that we actually get time to talk.  I know they also appreciate being able to get the kids out of the flat for a break.

5.  Looking at this list it's full of fairly simple things and I'm grateful for a simple life without too many complications or things to worry about.

Not the greatest picture but this Heron stopped by during the week.  He didn't stay long so it was a challenge to get a picture snapped.  Credit for that goes to my daughter who was here that day.

I've also managed to keep up with the Just Jot it January challenge and posted something everyday so far in January.  Hopefully I'll keep that up.

As for the jigsaw puzzle I started, it's going to take a while!

Have a good weekend all.

Just Jot it January - Day 12 - Donut

Donut?  Donut!  Well I don't know about them but I love a doughnut.

Jam doughnuts, iced doughnuts, finger doughnuts.  

What I don't care for are cars doing doughnuts.

A doughnut or donut is a manoeuvre performed while driving a vehicle. Performing this manoeuvre entails rotating the rear or front of the vehicle around the opposite set of wheels in a continuous motion, creating (ideally) a circular skid-mark pattern of rubber on a carriageway and possibly even causing the tires to emit smoke from friction.

Where we used to live there was a wide expanse of road and cars often used to do doughnuts there but then the road was remodelled and it ceased to be a problem.

Thankfully I don't see there ever being a shortage of doughnuts of the edible kind.

Yum!