Signs of Spring (?) and getting organised

I could hardly believe it myself but today I saw a group of narcissi in full bloom.  I wish I'd had the camera with me (perhaps tomorrow).  And yesterday we noticed an ornamental cherry, or something very similar, with a distinct pink tinge.  It's seems too early for such floral signs of Spring but I suppose we really haven't had a particularly cold winter to date.  Whatever, it was a lovely and unexpected surprise to see the splash of gold on what was a dreary, grey, damp day, such a change from yesterday.

We took the Christmas decorations down this morning although the tree is still up, just a bit bare.  Having a real tree was such a treat for us, the pine smell was wonderful and it just made it a bit more Christmassy that usual.  It hasn't shed anywhere near as many needles as we feared so it has had a reprieve for a few more days.  

I've spent quite a bit of time today in organising mode - checking my personal end-of-year finances, getting the notebooks ready for this year's figures, drawing up a month-by-month wall planner (January is already looking a bit busy and we don't want to forget anything).  And making lists, of course.  I accept that not everything on the list will get done on that day, and that in itself is a step forward, accepting that some things take longer than I think and that there are only so many hours in a day, but it does help me stay focussed.  I confess that I like order and routine in my life.  For some reason I found myself remembering a topic I studied for my OU degree (Social Sciences/Sociology) a few years ago which had resonated strongly with me then.  It was the concept of ontological security - the sense of order and continuity that provides a framework of stability to an individual's life experience.  Chaos and uncertainty tend to have the opposite effect!  There's a lot more to it than that, obviously, but I found it an interesting point of discussion.  I know that I feel far more in control of my life if I have some order and organisation; I am calmer and get more achieved.  That's probably why I have the need to tidy up at work - I just can't operate effectively in a disorganised or chaotic environment.  However, as is so often the case, the theory is one thing, putting it into practice is quite another.  Hence the lists.

Another 7000 steps today (town and back for a few groceries).  I may try to record these figures, together with spend/no spend and petrol/no petrol days, on a weekly or monthly basis.  Just out of curiosity, really, and I don't know if it will fizzle out after a few weeks (or days, let's be honest)  Not a resolution at all, just interest.  

Tomorrow I must cut out the curtain lining.  And perhaps take some photos.