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Sunday 1 January 2012

New Year's Day

 

Happy New Year everyone. So far it's been a good one for me!  Last night I went along to the farm "up the road" for the annual Hogmanay Party and a good time was had by all. Good company, good food, and er - yes plenty of alcohol.  I got home about 2am.  So I started the day with a lazy morning in bed, returning there after giving Button her breakfast. I love curling up in bed with a mug of tea and listening to the radio. So that was a good start to the day.

There is some superstition that says whatever you do on New Year's Day you will be doing for the rest of the year.  Hmmm... no domestic chores for me today then ;-)  Instead I made some parsnip and apple soup - one of the things I want to do more of is home cooking. Living on my own I tend to be a bit lazy in that department. Anyway Button seems to react to vegetables being chopped as if they were catnip! Parsnips seemed to do it for her today - as soon as I started peeling them off she went, rolling on the floor, yowling, rolling her eyes, then racing around the kitchen! She does this every time and I had thought it was possibly the onions being chopped that started her off, so I left those in the veg basket till the very last. No - it seems ANY veg sets her off.  Oh dear and by the time I'd got everything simmering and thrown in the spices and herbs I feared for my kitchen! So I took her off for a walk, firstly to give the hens some extra rations. I love my chickens, they are pets rather than anything else and I enjoy spending time watching them scratching about. Then we set off along the shore.

It's been a lovely calm day, with sunshine too! Oh I do hope this bodes well for the rest of the year. I played around taking some photos (another thing I want to do more of this year) and we pottered along the shore.

The tide was in....


Button calming down in the fresh air


Old boats and an old boat winch above the high tide mark


Another photo of one of my favourite subjects


The poor battered trees hopefully getting some respite from the storm force winds.


Then it was back home for some soup and home made bread (OK slight cheat as I use a breadmaker). Then singing along to 70's music on the radio (my era when I was dancing around my handbag in the disco's of London....). And here ends my first blog post of the year. Last year I managed the most blog posts per year so far. A result of a more manageable work schedule resulting in a bit more energy for other things. i'm hoping this year remains the same. Now a relaxing evening is in order. A thoroughly wonderful start to the new year. I hope you have had the same.

6 comments:

  1. Not much better than homemade veggie soup. Maybe Button just wants you to share a piece of parsnip. Our daughter's dog went into ecstasy when you gave him one of the baby carrots - his special treat. 8^)

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  2. What a lovely start to the year. Thanks for sharing it with us! Hope the year continues in similar vein for you.

    We watched that programme about the Ness of Brodgar dig this evening (even tho' Neil Whatsit sets my teeth on edge, quite irrationally). What staggering findings and conclusions - terrifically exciting!

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  3. Sometimes I read your blog just to slow myself down and to feel what's important. I don't know whether or not that makes sense. I've been away a spell, but it's good to start the new year by reading...

    I loved the picture of the weathered boat. May your new year be all you hope for. I may not always comment, but I always enjoy visiting here.

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  4. MaryZ - hmmm clearly veggies have properties we humans have missed ;-)

    DB - Yes the dig is amazing, and yes I too get fed up with Neil Whatsit. Apparently at Skara Brae the director was getting fed up with re-takes due to hair flying in front of face, so asked Neil to tie it back. Neil replied "I can't, it's my trademark!". Hmmmmm! Think some of the "interpretation" may have been a stretched given the evidence so far, but what do I know - I'm not an archaeologist!! I'm looking forward to seeing the site again this summer.

    Jeannette - well thank you for dropping by and commenting this time! Glad my blog helps you slow down a little. Life is so hectic and it's so easy to get caught up in it all. Thank you for your lovely comments.

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  5. Always a treat to see what is happening up there with you, here's to 2012 and more scenic pics from the north

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  6. Thanks, Sian, and a Happy New Year to you too. Home again at last after and busy catching up. Lovely photos of what was obviously a most enjoyable day.

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