Well. First blog post of the year. I think I meant to post something earlier. Not I've been 'too busy', more I've been too involved. Getting the house well and truly sorted is taking a bit longer than anticipated but we are getting there. I chip away every day. I've finally worked out the curtain designs, and the last of the kitchen organising should be finished at the end of next week.

I've joined the local crafting group, and an afternoon book club. The book club, oh, that was interesting - I met all the people you meet at groups like this - the nice one, the shrewd one, the one who thinks the world revolves around her, the one who thinks she owns the book group and is the most important and her family is the oldest and best and most Scottish. Turns out she and I are cousins and she was not at all happy to find out I come from the oldest and most senior rather than her sept association, quite put her nose out of joint. Oh, and I met the one who shudders at the thought of reading anything less edgy than Train Spotting. The crafting group is more congenial - just three of us now although hope floats the group will enlarge with spring. Friendlier, less competitive. Ah well, both groups meet a two minute walk from the cottage and get me out of the house once a month:)

Also getting me out of the house is the 'nip down the shops' including the butcher who I've just discovered is also the green grocer (of a sort, he doesn't stock much but what he stocks is local, and delicious). Once a month or so I go in with a large order meant to get us through the month - I lug it home (the butcher's shop is less than a three minute walk) and spend the next hour or so vacuum packing it for the freezer including making my own hamburgers with the incredibly good steak mince.

But I've also taken up a new hobby - meant to provide a bit of 'egg money', God willing. I'm afraid to write of it just yet for fear of jinxing it. And I'm still working on crochet and embroidered table linens, and Paul's needlepoint Christmas stocking.

Mostly this blog post is meant to commemorate the three anniversary of my catastrophic fall in the front hall at the old house. Life-changing injuries so I think I can be forgiven for wanting to commemorate the day. I still can't reach completely behind my back, and the thought of taking up a tennis racket again really does give me shudders - I tried to do 'wall press-ups' last week and learned that I may never be able to bear real weight on that arm again. Still, I soldier on - I have the rowing machine at the ready, and free weights beginning with 1.5lb'ers. Hope floats.