I am reading War and Peace at the moment and am two thirds of the way through.  Actually I am nearly at the Battle of Borodino and then Napoleon’s march to Moscow. I have lived through the break-up of Natasha and Prince Andre, Pierre is there and all the characters that I once fell in love with way back when I was seventeen.  I seem to have more empathy and patience this time around, and am looking forward to the university course I am taking on War and Peace in April. Then later this year I hope to finally visit Moscow, as John and I are planning the epic train journey from China across Mongolia and Russia. Lots to look forward to.

I have just had a mini-break in Wales, and had such fun with Bonnie and Hazel.

Both little ones have just celebrated their fourth and first birthdays, so I was glad to be part of it all for a while. I have come back exhausted. It certainly was all very full on, swimming, walking along Jurassic beaches in the rain, making spells, watching kids high on sugary birthday cakes, and finally flopping at the end of very long days. Natasha looks worn out, as she is combining all of that with her days of animation in two schools.  She comes home and has to sit at her computer and edit the kids’ work, then up in the night with squawks and nightmares or whatever.

Home is good! And it has survived the wild wintery days, when the east wind hurled the sea spray at our windows. Snow was in drifts and the village was dotted with odd little snowmen, and the horrid brae became the perfect sledging ground. We did venture out, with care and caution, but luckily we had no need to leave home.

The trains and busses were cancelled and the car was snug in the garage. I happily sewed and sewed and have almost completed the two fairy quilts.  Only ten more fairies to cut and iron and applique. Good to have a hobby.

Look at this little starfish that flew over the house and landed on the road! Wheee! What was that all about?

We also saw squid and fish in the most unlikely places. Probably gulls dropping their lunch.

We did have a flying visit from John’s son Matthew and daughter, Becky and her husband Patrick. We walked up Arthur’s Seat and around Dalmeny Park. Good to get out, and stretch the legs.

John is in destruction mode, and is pulling tiles off the bathroom wall, and off the floor. He had decided finally to update the rather dated bathroom, and is going to strip it all out himself. His hobbies are a little more useful than mine!

I am awaiting Darcey to come for her ‘Wednesday’ day with Granny and John. She marches in and takes over and likes all her rituals. She likes to sit on the ‘massage’ chair we have in the bedroom and squeeks when the nobbles dig into her back. ‘More!’ I know how she feels! My neck is so sore, all the vertebrae are creaking. I think they are subsiding into each other, and it’s getting sore to turn my neck. Maybe I should go and see about it. Maybe it’s all the sewing and bad posture, maybe it’s a dowager’s hump, maybe I should do the Alexander technique.

‘Hurry up Darcey, let’s go and play with the chair … Granny’s turn!’