Three Weeks into 2011

A winter walk

                                                                       

Hello my friends, I hope everyone has settled in to  2011, a New Year its always a challenge  and we sometimes set ourselves to many, I am optimistic and feel good about this year as so much is happening around me.   Sunday was this years first Poetry Evening, we have moved into a smart café bar in the centre of town called Butterflies. It has an excellent sound system and a guy to work it. For years we have frequented a local pub on the outskirts, but it changed hands last year and they  introduced gaming and video machines that attract  rather noisy  clientele, so I am very pleased with the move.
Three weeks into the New Year I am seeing bulbs pushing through the soil and  tiny buds appearing on the Hydrangea  bushes that I thought where dead due to the severe frost.  I know we are to have more snow because it always snows around my birthday in February, but I would like to think it won`t be as bad as the last time.    Also its coming lighter, every day a few minutes more, I would hate to live near the  North Pole where its night for six months.  History was interesting this month we learned all about the  English Origin of the Olympic Games by Trevor James Editor of Local History Magazine he was very good I really enjoyed what at first looked to be a dull lecture.
www.localhistorymag.com
I bought a new  HD webcam with integral mic, enrolled on Skype so if any of you fancy joining me for a chat let me know.  The gym is still closed, the flood must have really caused some  damage but we are hoping it will open on the 26th.  I am  walking as much as I can and dancing around to Abba, but  truly miss the gym.   I must apologies to those who received  weird E-mails apparently from me this month,  malicious adware had invaded  my address book. Its taught me a lesson though , my excuse is it was due to a lapse in concentration after  having more than one or two glasses of wine.  I thought it was sorted after  two hours of deep scans and was  sure it had  been erased, but it came back from nowhere and attacked my address book again. I got such a sick feeling when this happened again, it  felt like a personal assault. This time I was recommended to  change my passwords so I really do hope its gone..
Felt so energised last week I cleaned all through the house, and planning some changes this year..

Happy New Year

                                                        
                                                      Walking over the Cricket Field

                                                   The River Nidd Christmas Morning

Well hello! its been ages since I felt like writing again. Happy New Year to everyone 2011 has to be a better year, even with all the financial restrictions and threatened unemployment, we must strive make it better. Yes the thaw has come there are still some mounds of snow along the road side but its good to see the grass again , my poor Hydrangeas have been hit by the frost and I fear they will never recover. I hope you have enjoyed yourselves over the festive two weeks . I found the long weekends a bit of a drag, after all the initial excitement, over eating and frenzied activities. I did manage to get over to stay with Stu & family for Christmas, the motorway was clear, with blue skies and sunshine I made good time, there and back. No snow after all, I had a wonderful time, it felt very special to spend Christmas with them.. I will post some photos of our walk by the river Christmas day with Bob Stu’s four legged best mate . I received some great gifts and saw almost everyone I had hoped to see. Cathi rang and we had a nice long chat, they are having a heat wave and extensive flooding in Western Australia as well as in Queensland, the weather has gone crazy.. New Years Eve my friend Betty and I saw ‘We Will Rock You’ at the Palace Theatre Manchester a musical based on Queen’s songs. There was a Rock Band playing and boy it was loud, but after a while we became accustomed to it and enjoyed ourselves singing and acting like teenagers, it was a good show.
I have had a look round the Sales,70% off in some stores, but I wasn’t tempted I feel a bit jaded after all the pre Christmas shopping. Thankfully all the extra food in the house has been eaten but some temptations are is still around . I need to cut back on the chocolate as I can’t go to the gym for a while as they are closed due to a flood, so I will have to walk more this next week, hope it doesn’t rain.