A post-Christmas walk

We've had a quiet but very pleasant couple of days.  Much-appreciated gifts, wonderful home-cooked food, one or two warming beverages along the way, phone calls to loved ones in other parts of the country.  And, surprisingly for us, we watched some television; some very funny, entertaining programmes that have added to the enjoyment.  We've also had some quietness, just right for reading, doing puzzles and crosswords.  It's been a really nice mix.

I usually try to get out for a walk on Boxing Day but it yesterday was a bit wet and a warm house seemed as preferable option!  However, today was bright and dry and I felt the need for a breath of fresh air.  Yes, well, it was blooming freezing!  N sat in the car and read while I buttoned up the jacket and set forth along the seawall.  There were a few dog-walkers out and about, and some parents supervising small children on new bikes and skateboards but actually there weren't as many people as usual.  It was cold.  No, actually it was very, very cold!  My ears and cheeks were stinging by the time I got back to the car and I'd only been out for half an hour.  It had been very windy last night and the sea was stirred up, banking up pebbles and shells along the beach.  

The beach-huts are all shut up for the winter, and look a little sad at present.

There's snow in some northern parts of the country, but I doubt we'll see any on the Island.  The weather has to pretty extreme to see the white stuff this far south.  I think we just have to content ourselves with some sharp frosts and very chilly winds, although I did manage to get the washing dried outside yet again.  

I'm trying to marshall my thoughts for the coming year into some kind of order.  It's always tempting to charge into new plans and challenges, with lists on clip-boards to organise the new year, and while there are things which I would like to incorporate into 2015 I think I have come to realise that nothing will be achieved, and indeed much might go quite the other way, if I don't take time to be kind to myself.  This is something that has been on my mind for some time, and I think it is important to start off in a state of positive well-being.  There is much to look forward to and I want to dive right in but I need to be in the right place to do that properly.  And actually taking a little time for me is certainly going to be beneficial to not just me but those around me, so for me it makes sense.  

But I think I'll still make sure that clipboard is to hand, just in case!!