Springtime in January

I've managed to get out for a walk every day this year (lol, so that's all 3 days!), dodging the rain and sometimes getting wet - that's what waterproofs and walking boots are for.  It's very wet everywhere, water running off fields and along roads, ditches overflowing and storm drains inundated.  Not on the scale of the flooding further north, and I try to remember that when I'm dashing outside, yet again, to retrieve the washing from the line.  And it hasn't been anywhere as cold as it should be; this winter has been very mild indeed (I think we've had one frost so far).  We haven't needed the heating on in the morning more than a handful of times - gas consumption is a lot lower than this time last year which is a bonus.  But this 'warm' weather is playing havoc with nature.  Out walking yesterday I spotted narcissi, primroses and celandines all in flower. And magnolia buds just about to open.  There's a clump of snowdrops we pass regularly that have been flowering since mid-December.  Signs of Spring all around, just a bit too early!  

We took the Christmas decs down today but have left the tree (and it's lights) simply because we like it, and that's a good enough reason.  Now the holidays are over, I can settle back into routines that work well for me.  Several things were abandoned in the run-up to Christmas and I have spent some time this weekend sorting through paperwork and files, getting some order back and tidying end-of-year accounts.  Keeping close order on expenditure, energy consumption etc is so useful.  Although we shopped carefully for Christmas food, we have been somewhat surprised that we still have so much left over (and we certainly didn't starve at all!), so what we have in the house - in the freezer and store cupboards - will keep us going through January and beyond.  This time last year we ran the freezer down, and we intend to do the same again this year.  We'll write down exactly what we have, food-wise, and meal-plan accordingly.  Hopefully we should only need to buy things like milk and fruit.  

I have consciously drastically cut down the time I spend waste playing Solitare on the iPad.  Instead, I'm spending a lot of time watching cricket on TV!  Test matches, Big Bash - I'm becoming hooked!  But at least I can sew/knit/write while I watch so clearly a far better use of my time.  That's my excuse ;)