Happy New Year.

Wishing everyone health and happiness in the coming year. 

We so nearly made it to the Barnstaple fireworks and if it had been left to me then we would have walked down to watch the fireworks despite the weather. But then I'm in agreement with the saying 'There's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing.' That said the weather during the afternoon and evening was atrocious. Not just showers but sheets of rain slamming into the windows and hailstones clattering upon the roof plus some thunder and lightning all courtesy of Storm Dylan. The rain didn't stop until 11.00 by which time we were comfortably watching a Harry Potter film and snacking on cheese and crackers from the hampers we had been given. We did go and stand at the top of our garden and saw the larger town fireworks over the trees. Most of the neighbouring houses were dark but after the fireworks stopped there were cries of Happy New Year from a garden a few doors down and needless to say I responded in kind, (the glass of Baileys might have made me a bit more outgoing). Looking from the upstairs windows at the front of the house we saw more fireworks over Fremmington way and the end of the display at Bideford over 10 miles away.

My New Year's resolution is to get back to my daily routine of exercises and activities designed to maintain and improve, (mostly improve) my physical and mental health. There's so much good advice on-line, radio and TV to help make life better that it would be foolish not to follow it. To the floor exercises, exercise bike, piano and guitar practice I've added some singing warm ups. I will be singing in a local choir and apart from aging which affects all voices it's been a long time since I sang regularly. I've always enjoyed singing, it's in the blood of all Lithuanians. After a look through the singing videos I found one I liked that was for altos which suits me.

Today I stuck on a little hand carved stone on our front door frame pointing to the bell. The bell had to be put high up so that the metal in the door frame didn't interfere with the wireless signal and it's quite easy to miss the door bell especially in the dark. Because the inner porch door is also a heavy front door it's difficult to hear if somebody simply bangs on the door so I carved and painted a stone from the beach which I have stuck on with a builders' adhesive.

I also gave my tiny, crowded study a good tidy up. All the piles of papers have been sorted and filed, wrapping paper and ribbons put away in their box and my desk is satisfyingly clear of all the 'stuff' that had built up over Christmas. The paper filing extended to the last of the kitchen counters, so good to be able to find things without having to search through piles of random papers.