When the sun does not shine...

 

When the sun did not shine and it was too wet to play I stayed in the house and got on with lots of little jobs I hadn't quite got around to. I have now changed a lightbulb, re-potted some of my house plants, repaired a pair of shoes after two attempts, baked and made a most delicious potato soup. I have also tidied my wardrobe and found things I had forgotten I owned too. So now I feel really smug.

There is, of course, always things that could be done but for now that will do. I have been trying to swim the Thames Challenge for a second time this year and I hate to fail but I need to get about a thousand lengths done in two weeks but with everything else, I won't manage it. I have spent ten weeks away over the time of the challenge  as well and if I hadn't had a life beyond MK, it would have been easy. My priorities have been to travel so I only have myself to blame.

I also have my house back to myself for the time being. My Ukranian guests have moved into emergency accommodation with the help of Northants Council as Nataliia is pregnant and expecting a baby in January. The move went remarkably smoothly. The house suddenly feels quite large even though it is actually small. I think my fun time baking was inspired by me having my kitchen to myself but it wasn't a conscious reason for making bread and puddings.

I am also getting a bit excited about Christmas too. I have made space in my living room for a Christmas tree - another of my little jobs! The tree won't go up until December 1st. I have seen houses locally already decorated. If we were more subtle about our choice of decoration we could move seemlessly from Eid to Diwali and then onto Christmas before changing Santa's white beard for a Fu Manchu to celebrate Chinese New Year.

On the subject of celebrations, fireworks have been cracking and popping around here since Halloween. In Singapore we can't have individual fireworks so hearing the nightly whizz bang poppers going off is a wee bit more annoying as I haven't been used to it for so many years. For some reason, this  year has seemed especially annoying, particularly when it makes dogs nervous. 

Another time filler - pub quizzes

I am off to tennis in less than ideal conditions - oh how lucky I was living in a warm country for so long - I will be piling the layers on naturally...