Home Thoughts Weekly

What we saw on a our early Christmas morning walk to the beach... A little donkey ...and friends. Roses in bloom... and bright fuschias. What's down there? The recent heavy rain has swollen the rivers and created a magnificent waterfall. Merry Christmas Everyone!

Sometimes it’s good to just follow your nose and see where the trail takes you. I’ve had a bit of time to do just that, letting the thoughts come and go and trying not to force the direction or pace. So here’s some of the ground, the freewheeling has covered. Away Our nearest big supermarket is at Carmarthen, 45 mins away, but for a wider choice of large shops, we’ll go to Swansea, an hour and a half away. If you’re travelling that distance, you might as well make an occasion of it. Our first stop, for a really good cup of coffee, excellent cakes and jolly staff, is the café in the unlikely setting of… Dunelm Mill, the home furnishing store! What my younger self would make of this, I dread to think, but during the whole nightmare of house renovations, it’s been enormously satisfying to eye up the curtain fabric from the mezzanine floor over a cappuccino and a bun. Not very rock and roll, but there we are. Swansea market is always worth visiting for the food and the character...

I know it's a frantic time of year, but do find time, if you can, to pop over to  Choc Lit's Author's Corner  .  For the next twelve days we'll be sharing our thoughts on the festive season, beginning today with a discussion on when Christmas really starts for each of us. And, since it's Christmas, there are presents!  Every second day, you'll have a chance to win something from the Choc Lit selection  by simply joining in the discussion .  The best comment left over the next two days will win you a copy of my book, Turning the Tide.   I look forwards to reading your thoughts at Author's Corner.  Merry Christmas and good luck!

Well, I did it! When I finally sent my revised manuscript on its way on Monday, it was with some relief and a certain amount of satisfaction. It’s been a challenging year. This time, last year, Ma was lying in the grimmest of hospital wards waiting for an operation. Her progress might have better if that same arm hadn’t been injured again in August when she was struck by a dustcart riding the pavement. Then, you may remember, at the beginning of November she broke her big toe. Ma’s fine, as feisty as ever, but I do hope for her sake that she’s a lot less accident-prone next year. Moving and then renovating the entire house has been a massive upheaval too, but we’re nearly there. In fact, if B&Q would only send us the hinges that failed to arrive with our loo seat, we’d almost be sitting comfortably. On the bright side, we’re very happy in our new home; waking up and seeing the sea beyond the bedroom window takes some beating, believe me. And there’s been plenty of goo...