Hello, I am back...................

Well, hello there. It has been a while. But I am back, and now that my fingers have thawed, I can say hi and chat a little.

I mentioned thawing, because I spent a very miserable hour and a half standing in the bushes alongside the M1 motorway this morning, on one leg, like a stork, leaning against a pole. My car decided to get a puncture in one of the rear tyres as I was cruising home from the airport after seeing our Swiss visitors off. Just before the home junction. It was freezing. The wind was, as some Englishmen may say, bracing. Hah. I lost all feeling in my hands, and the hair was standing on end. Just imagine me in a black jacket, hood over wild hair, high-vis jacket over the lot and somewhere in between the layers, my handbag slung across my body. In bushes. With the stick.

As the AA woman said, "you are in a very dangerous place so get as far from the road as possible". So I did. And forgot to switch of the headlights, so, by the time the AA man finally appeared, I had to break the news that the battery was dead too. He grinned. And fixed the car. But, by the time I had to sign the papers, the brain and the hand couldn't connect, because the hand was so cold, I couldn't write. I scribbled something. He said it would do. And then I got back in the car, and tried to take my bag off , only, it was under the high-vis jacket, and I couldn't get that off, and the hood of my jacket was caught under the bag................. you get the idea. So I plugged in the seatbelt over the whole lot. I must have looked exceedingly strange.

And then I came home.

I am just thankful that it happened on the way home and not the way there. I am also thankful that they had too much luggage for Mum to fit in as well, and so she stayed home. I am also writing a memo to myself to stick those folding chairs back in the boot, because I needed one today.

My life is very exciting.

My young friend, Sara, and her two children arrived last Thursday for a week's visit with us, and there has been a lively, noisy, busy, fun atmosphere ever since. There has been a great deal of laughter, a lot of German, and some interesting knitting going on. And visits to play parks, high wire courses and friends. Fish and chips from the Chippy in the village, dinner at Jean's place, a lot of running, and much shopping. I will add that I had nothing to do with the running, shopping, or high wire courses, but I did take photos.

They also went to London for 2 days, and it coincided with the first Spring-like days of the year, so I spent them out in the garden, planting seeds in the greenhouse and doing some weeding. I did not rest at all because I just LOVED being outside.

So, right now, I am intending to do a great deal of nothing-ness. But it was lovely. And they had a great time.

And I need a long nap.

But, I am back. I have photos which I will sort for tomorrow. Oh - this weekend is supposed to be REALLY warm, so I may get out in the garden again!