News at last!

Sorry for the very long break in news on the blog.... that makes two full weeks now!

Anyway, there was good news last week...despite a heavy cold, my blood test results showed that my immune system should have recovered sufficiently to fight it off without antibiotics. I'm still fighting it off 10 days later, but am also feeling slightly stronger as each day passes, so that's great news.

In fact, since I am feeling so much better and I don't have to report to the hospital for another month, there isn't likely to be much to post on the blog... so we won't be updating it very often in the immediate future.

Many, many heartfelt thanks to everyone who has given their support and encouragement....either by following and responding to the blog or in other ways. Your positive energies and thoughts have been an enormous boost and a continual source of inspiration in recent weeks and have made so much difference to my moods. I'm hoping to catch up with everyone individually or collectively in the very near future....


Meanwhile, here's a last batch of photos...
The snow has now melted and it's warmed up enough for the birds to think spring is on the way, so the toboggans have been put back in the garages again...
As part of the 'gently getting back into shape' programme, we also decided to go to Portsmouth to visit the historic dockyard. The photo below shows the 'Victory' but we have to go back to visit the inside... having first looked at the 'Mary Rose' and its museum exhibits, my energy levels were just about used up, so the 'Victory', the 'Warrior' and the boat trip around Portsmouth harbour will have to wait for another time!

And then, a few days later, we headed off back to the sea.... this time to Climping, a place I used to go camping with my family when I was a child.... refreshingly, it's one of those few places you come across that really hasn't changed in the slightest...

Another day and another walk .....this was two days ago... and it's the Basingstoke Canal again, this time showing a swing bridge!

And time for a stroll in the sunshine...

Best wishes to all xoxoxoxo

Snow!

Well the snow arrived as we'd been warned..... and it was falling pretty heavily first thing this morning... as you can see... and it was 15 centimetres at least...

And so it only seemed appropriate that a snowman was made.... after all they don't get the opportunity here to build them that often.....

And of course.... the whole country grinds to a halt... all the schools were closed.... so all the kids were in the park......

..... and noone bothered to go to work either... the roads were empty....

.... and tomorrow its expected to be really cold.... so I guess we'll just stop at home ....!

Hope you're all keeping warm and healthy.

x

A breath of fresh air!

So I've been out of hospital for ten days, and already I feel a lot better than when I left. It's not all plain sailing as yesterday I felt extremely tired and wobbly, but today was better and so we headed off on a mystery tour... to see what we could find.

This village is called Alresford and is about twenty miles away. For the cricket lovers amongst you (... are there any?) it was the home of John Arlott.

And a little way outside of there we came upon somewhere called "The Grange", which is a national trust property.... in the middle of almost nowhere!

A great big long drive full of potholes...... until you come up to this!.....

what a stately pile!.... its a "Greek revival" building dating from the early 19th Century ... and quite empty.... sculptured lakes and gardens...... and amazingly no sign of vandalism ...

And as you can see..... it was ever so cold and windy!

Tomorrow here its expected to get even colder .... and they are expecting about 15 centimetres of snow!... I'll try to post a picture or two.... if I can get out of the house....

Love to all

J x