And so we are told this is the golden age, And gold is the reason for the wars we wage (New Year's Day - U2)

I have always played this song every New Year's Day for far too many years I care to remember.  I guess it is just another one of my traditions. U2 and I have grown-up together.  I have liked this band since 1982 (even though I am only 29). I was going to see them this year but could not justify spending £135 on a nuff ticket at the O2. Their lyrics sum up my life; there is a song for every milestone. Music, for me, is so important. I never have a day without music in it. I have listen to the tracks of the U2 songs I am going to use this month (yes I am treating myself to a month of U2 songs, because I can).  The words remain the same, but their meanings now hold something different to me.  At the end of every U2 concert they always say 'thank you for giving us a good life'.  Well thank you U2 for giving me a fantastic soundtrack to my life.

So here it is my friends, 2016. Embrace it, enjoy it and above all else ....... own it!

New Year's Day: I found it difficult to sleep last night, I was on a high.  I was very much like a child looking at the fireworks. London is well and truly my home.  2016 got off to a cracking start as I found out that my surname means horny in German.  It is not spelt the same but is pronounced the same.  So I am horny!  How cool is that.  I need to get myself off to Germany now to put this to good use.  

I woke with a hangover feeling even though I hardly had anything to drink last night.  Lazy start to the day and in fact a lazy day.  I watched some of the NY Day concert from Vienna and it reminded me of my dear friend Jackie in NZ.  Two years ago she come to stay with me at my little cottage and we had a lazy day then.  We sat in our PJs eating chocolate and watching the NY day concert from Vienna.  Then we watched the Glenn Miller Story.  Today I have done exactly the same.  Sweet, fond memories of my dear friend.  

Saturday:  Lazy start to the day.  These cups of tea in bed will have to stop soon!  We went to Asda today for the 'big shop', which in London equates to a total nightmare.  We walked to Asda and wandered up and down the aisles like two lost sheep.  How I ever did this every week I will never know.  It is more than I can to do it once every three months. Cab home, food put away and I was due to sit and relax.

My French friend PPLP rents a room over the road from me.  The house has a cat but no one, except him, looks after her.  He is moving in February and does not want to leave the cat there .......... so we cat napped it.  He comes over with the cat in a bag, literally!  He had been over earlier in the week and put together a cat carrier.  Andy loves cat and was well at home cat sitting whilst PPLP and me sat and chatted and had a drink.  He has a friend who lives the other side of Woolwich, which is South East London, who can look after her until he moves.  The plan was to get her there.  That is as far as he had thought about it.  He was going to get an Uber (a cab for those of you who do not know) which would have cost £20 each way!  Soft touch here says oh you can get the bus for £1.50 each way.  Needless to say, I volunteer to go with him.

So my friends, for those of you who think I live it up in London; I spent Saturday night on a bus for over an hour, taking a cat to it's new home.  We get there and then we had to get another bus back into Woolwich to get a bowl, food, dirt tray etc.  Bus back to the house (it was chucking it down with rain, pouring down) to drop the food off and make sure the cat was settled.  Back on the bus home ............ it was 21:10.  I was cold, wet and hungry! But hey, the cat is safe lol.  

I had a quick shower, PJs on and I was exhausted.  All day I had been out in the damp and rain.  This is why I am normally flying south this time of the year to find some sunshine.  Oh well, all is good.

Sunday:  I woke up at 6.30 and thought no.  I went back to sleep and woke at 9.30.  I was not going to Meditation this morning (I had my reasons) but it was a good job.  Back to bed with a cup of tea (it will stop) and then up and housework done.  Andy had taken the decorations down in the week, so I tidied up, made some parsnip and spinach soup and that was it.  The weather in London today is absolutely vile.  I was going out with Beatrice but there really is no point in this rain.

Interesting conversation last night with a guy who is lecturer in Photography (I find them). Anyway, some of his work is absolutely amazing.  Talk about good at what you do (but there is a reason for this as well); I thought doh!  I mean me and Beatrice rock around London but I have no idea what I am doing. Oh Beatrice is my camera for those of you who do not know.  Anyway, after being totally blown away by his work I sent him, what I thought was my best photo (and that was scary) and he said it would look better in black and white and did whatever he did to it and sent it back to me and WOW!  I could not believe the difference.  I guess that is why he teaches post grad students!  I am so impressed by my own work lol.  Now that would never have happened in Stoke.

So a quiet day, chilling at home, which is all good. The weather did not brighten up so there was no point going out, just to get cold again like yesterday.  So that was Christmas and New Year.  It comes; it goes. Same time next year folks. I survived.  Of course I did.  Someone once shouted at me 'the trouble with you is, you are a victim'.  I am not, I am a survivor and this survivor is on annual leave tomorrow.  I treated myself, I thought I will have a day off when the rest of the country goes back to work.  But hey, that is me Little Miss Different!

As always, with my love x