[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”13166″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

It can never be too late to wish folk a happy new year, so that’s exactly how I’m starting this natter. Well, I thought I’d be spending January mopping up the remains of the festive season – you know, paying bills and clearing away all the party food that found its way down the side of the settee etc. Of course, it was important to eat all the leftover chocolates too – just looks so untidy otherwise, doesn’t it. However, the fates had something else planned. It all comes under the heading of electronics.

First of all, my desk top computer decided to become very poorly and had to go away into a serious rebuild. I had felt quite guilty just before Christmas when I bought an iPad but what a life saver that turned out to be. It’s a magical machine and can do everything – even answer back when I talk to it, so it turned out to be a worthwhile investment. However, it meant that I had to buy a new printer and I can now print without even being in the same room as the printer. Then my microwave oven decided it had had enough but I have worked it very hard. I’m out quite a lot and it’s just so easy to cook/heat food by that method so that was another purchase. The washing machine, not to be outdone, decided that it wasn’t very well but a visit from an engineer resolved that problem with not too much purse pain and finally, my lovely shower radio gave one last sigh and then there was total silence. If I had listened to the bombardment of sales patter, I could have replaced the whole lot for £1!! Well, now that we don’t have to hurry to get out new settees in time for Christmas, we now have to hurry because everything is on sale “for this week only”.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_padding_divider][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

I expect you are as confused as I am concerning the weather – everything from gales to floods. I’m thinking about those poor people who’ve had their homes damaged or lost. Just makes me cross that their plight isn’t being highlighted on the news now. We should be hearing about their progress. It’s amazing what comfort can be drawn from knowing that even strangers are being supportive. Perhaps February will smile on them.

I’m not much of a cinema goer but if ever a British film comes out, I’m first in the queue. The British film industry needs all the support it can get and it’s a novelty now to see a film where there is no violence or guns or sex. What a treat then for me. Saw ‘The Danish Girl’, a profound deep story which was balanced by another true story ‘The Lady in the Van’ which was very funny although tinged with sadness. Just wonder how long I’ll have to wait for my next cinema treat.

I’ve started on my programme for updating the house this year and am stripping wallpaper in my study. I’m waiting for suggestions from the family regarding colour schemes for this room; I expect they will range from girly colours to the downright garish and I will probably ignore the whole lot in the end. It’s very exciting though and fulfils my creative desire to make something new.

Being a bit of a cross-patch is one of the privileges of maturity and I did just verge on losing the plot in a well-known supermarket earlier this month. I had gone to buy my cat’s food. Of course, he only eats the most expensive which was on the top shelf of the display. I should say it was about eight feet off the ground and I’m just five feet tall so I’m used to looking for someone to reach something from the shelves in the supermarkets so as usual, the challenge was to find a member of staff – a rarity indeed – and I could feel the red mist descending as I tramped up and down the aisles. Success was eventually mine but I was out of sorts and, having paid for my goods, I went to the ‘Customer Services’ and asked for the duty manager. A long conversation then ensured which commenced with me asking her how many giants over seven feet tall were customers. She insisted that the shelving arrangements were predetermined and there was nothing that could be altered – so much for ‘Customer Services’. Needless to say, I shan’t be going there again!

It wasn’t difficult to decide on an Awareness Day. The 4^th February is World Cancer Day. I remember the slogan ‘Let’s Conquer Cancer in the Eighties’, but we have moved on slowly. My hope is that the pace of new treatments can increase in 2016; So many good people raising funds in so many ways. Perhaps this is the year.

Finally, on an optimistic note, I didn’t hear the first cuckoo yesterday – I heard the first ‘Greensleeves’ heralding the arrival of the ice-cream van!! Can Spring be far behind – I hope not.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]