Inspiration

Happy New year!

On the train coming back up from Dorset today, the guard had the following announcement.

"Just remember ladies and gentlemen, it's the first Wednesday of the year".

"And it's either a new chapter or the same old story".

"We write the book. The choice is ours".

I loved that, and sent it to Charlie who is back down in Dorset.  What's your book going to be this year... the same old story or a new chapter?

But of course, this is the blog, so the nicest thing of all is that it's the same old story.  Here was the church, just before the Christmas carol service.

Here we are in bed the next morning.   I was definitely with Sibyl this holiday.  Sunshine streaming in, Charlie's beautiful decorations this year.  We were outside at any rare glimpse of sunshine. Charlie's tree excelled itself also.  The house candlelit for our party, on the Friday before Christmas. The table before everyone arrived... And afterwards.  The church with its beautiful decorations.  And Christmas lunch for two of us, at the Parsonage.  On Boxing Day, we had clear sunshine on our walk.  The chickens had found a ray of sun, to keep warm.  Later that day it was the village duck race, an annual event. This is a doomed place to get trapped.  All the ducks are safely gathered in.  Bertie ensuring nothing got lost!! The next day we went to Bettiscombe for tea with Jasper.... And the most extraordinary sunset. Walking the next day.  Here's Charlotte's hopper, feeding the cattle. This is how flipping muddy it is this year, madness.  The mud suits some of us very well.  The first snowdrop.... Signs of life are all around.  Charlie's greenhouse is a very nice place to be. We had a wonderful New Year's Eve with Bridie, Will and Brandon, but photos can't quite be posted. On New Year's Day we went to Chettle, to the brilliant annual boat race, led by the famous Commodore of the Chettle Yacht club. The stream is a winter borne, drying completely in the summer, but fast flowing in a winter like this one.  It was a brilliant race.  Won by the Cheeky Panda.  Bridie and I then had to judge the boats by design, a wonderful task.  The next day is Charlie's birthday.  Unwrapping presents in bed that morning.  More walks.  And to Lyme Regis for fish and chips - not on the beach today.  Storm Henk was rolling in.  For the first time ever, we went to the Lyme Museum, filled with treasures, absolutely brilliant. Change nothing!  That, incidentally, was a good New Year's resolution that I came up with a few years ago, and stuck to for a long time - do a new thing, anything new, every week.  Of course, it gets harder as time goes on, but I think it's one to revive. Whether your story is turning a new chapter or not, I hope that 2024 will be a good one for you, and for those you love.