Friday 25 April 2014

Time out...


Life is too busy. I don't seem to be able to slow it down. The last couple of months have brought a whole new set of challenges and, without really making a conscious decision, I bowed out of blogland for a bit. There just hasn't been time even to browse what other people are writing about and the camera has been pretty much out of action. Add to that a few 'IT issues' (my ageing mac will no longer recognise my phone...) and the whole process of blogging has felt like too much effort when I don't have much to say or much energy to do it!

But I have just spent an hour or so having a peek into all the lovely lives out there and feel I've just caught up with 'friends', so thought I'd just drop a few lines in to say I'm still here and doing ok, just not making the blog my biggest priority just now.

The best I can do for photos is email them from my phone! Bit of a chore and the quality suffers a bit I think. I am still enjoying the courtyard view from my kitchen window - the plants out there have grown like crazy and filled the beds. It seems to behave like a little microclimate with everything a bit ahead of what I would expect - there are fuschias in flower and roses not far off. And we have a family of blackbirds nesting in the holly bush. It amazes me that in the middle of a city courtyard there can be such a flurry of bird activity. I put up a bird feeding station and my regular visitors are the blackbirds, a robin and a whole range of tits. They are just a couple of feet from the window and provided I stand still they are happy just to snack away. I just snapped him just before he took off...


I did manage a family day over Easter with my sister and family over from the midlands. Their distance from the seaside contrasts with our proximity and we usually try to make time to go, so Easter sunday we headed up to the North East Norfolk coast. It was a beautiful day and lots of people had the same idea. Not that you'd know it from the beach...


There was a sharp Easterly wind blowing off the sea which practically took your breath away and whipped stinging sand into your face, so most had stayed the land side of the sand dunes. But we had come for a walk on the beach, so we were very British about it and kept walking! Although I have to confess we walked back just the other side of the dunes. I am constantly delighted that these cousins, who range from 14 to 25 and don't see so much of each other these days, still get on so well and really enjoy each other's company. They are all interesting young people now and I hope they will always have that special relationship. I had no aunts/uncles and so no cousins and I think its a great bond to have. I do find myself looking at them and wondering how they got so grown up though!


Seems only five minutes since that young woman on the left in the picture above was this little girl...


Somebody slow the world down, its going way too fast for my liking...

Til then, will pop in when I can...

S x


10 comments:

  1. I had been wondering how you were. Great snap of the blackbird.
    I have 20 cousins and even though some of us don't see each other for several years at a time we all get along so well when together.

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    1. wow 20 cousins! bet family catch ups are fun, how lovely x

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  2. Lovely to hear from you again. I hear you with the communicating from the phone to the computer, although mine is less a technological issue and more an issue of wresting both away from my kids! 5 and 3 years old and they have a pretty good handle on technology. The only thing that lets them down is their lack of reading skills.

    Cousins are great, I've got 17, so family get togethers were / are generally big. There's no friend quite like a cousin.

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    1. so true about the kids having the upper hand on the techy stuff! Trouble is, as they get older they just take over and so you never quite get so proficient! Your family get togethers must be fab - love a big family 'do' :-)

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  3. Glad you're ok and had a good Easter. The bird feeder sounds like it's well used. It's fascinating to watch them coming and going. Take care. xx

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  4. Hi sandra,
    glad to hear you are doing O.K., if a little busy.
    Your bird feeding station is great....what a treat to get so close.
    I agree about time going too fast.....it gets faster every year.
    Jacquie x

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  5. Hi Sandra lovely to see you back in blog land and you're right time is passing far too quickly, I too have been a little absent and am hoping to get back into blogging very soon x

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    1. Thanks Tracy, its just a time and priority thing I think for me, hope all ok with you x

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  6. There is a special bond between cousins I think; I had it with mine & Jess & Joe love seeing theirs & are developing a great young adult relationship.
    Husbands' cousins, some of whom live in the States or Canada, organise big country pub lunch meet ups when they are over.... next one August !

    Love your courtyard; it must be a little Haven out there.

    Lovely to hear from you again xx

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  7. Blogging should never be a chore...but I am so glad you decided to pop back in. Looks like you had a wonderful Easter with family. Take care and have a wonderful weekend.

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Thanks for taking the time to comment! I love to read your thoughts.