Life!

I drove down to Bovey on Sunday 13th - leaving after church and bellringing, and arriving about 3 pm.  It was great to be there again and I relished the thought of a few days on my own doing my own thing.  The house was absolutely boiling inside, with the radiators all pumping out heat, even though the thermostat was set at 10 degrees - which was the equivalent of the outside temperature that day.  I couldn't make it click at any setting - although once I had turned the heating off for a while and then turned it on again in the evening it seemed to work ok for the rest of the week (typical). The first thing I did was to install the new bedside cabinets I had bought - they looked great. I even lined the drawers - and it was a good opportunity to sort the drawers out too. Then I put the new bedding on which Jayne had given me for my birthday in 2017!  It was pretty and lovely and soft to the touch Suki loved the new bedding so much she wouldn't get up the ...

We toyed with the idea of travelling down to Devon on Sunday night after handbells at the convent, but it was a dreadful night with heavy rain and we were both tired so we went the following morning.  A good decision as it was dry and light!  We didn't rush, but got away at 10.15 and arrived at 1.30.  Heavy traffic in places but no hold ups.  I managed to pack everything in the car, including the two new cabinets, but left the knitting machine for another day. We unpacked the car and had some soup and crumpets for lunch, then I took Suki out for a walk (it was raining by then so too wet for Mike) and put up a few decorations, and the tree, and piled up the presents.  The family were soon exchanging tree/presents photos via WhatsApp. LtoR: Ours, Carolyn and Lorraine's, Amanda's, Leanne's We went to The Bell at 6.30 for an hour to meet up with Bob, Michelle, Barry and Ruth and then came back to watch Carols from Kings on the iPlayer before walking...

The weekend of 23rd November started with QPs and a peal for Dennis Brock's 100th birthday - Mike was involved in the ringing, having organised a lot of it, and we both went to the end of the service on Sunday in Sunbury - where Mike got a wave from Dennis and from the Bishop as they processed out, making others in the congregation wonder who this celebrity was who had sneaked in at the back!  There was a buffet lunch in the hall, but it was packed out so we just had a cup of tea and stayed around for a bit and then went home. There was an item on the BBC TV London News too - with Mike occasionally coming into view. My diary was very full for the next few weeks right up until Christmas, and I didn't get back to the gym and fitness classes for the rest of the year.  I did however renew my membership, and book up for a refresher session in the gym in the new year.  I also purchased a leg-master and a v-fit stepper which I had seen advertised on Gumtree.  I drove...

(click here for short, 2-page version pdf!) Doesn’t time fly! It seems no time at all since I was composing last year’s letter. What a gorgeous summer we had - the heatwave seemed to go on for ever and I spent many a happy hour sitting in the garden - as did Suki! As expected, Mary (Mike’s mum) passed away on 13th December last year - nearly 5 weeks after she first took to her bed and stopped eating.  Everyone at Tracey House was so good with her, caring for her and keeping her comfortable. They also took care of everything at the end which was very helpful. We were fortunate to be able to have the funeral before Christmas so it wasn’t hanging over until the new year. Mary had written down her wishes for hymns and readings and even a potted history for the eulogy! It was very easy to organise, even from a distance. She was well known at the church and there was a good attendance - I was particularly glad that her 90-year old friend, who had been her bridesmaid, wa...