That’s that done for another year. Time with family; eating until you fall asleep; gifts of chocolates, cakes and other sweet treats which will take the next month and a half to work through (not that I am complaining about that) and the winter solstice all behind us.

The days are perceptibly longer. There is a feeling of hope that spring is on the way, that we are coming out from under the blanket of winter. Although we had a short, cold snap a little while ago, it has mainly been a mild winter so far, although stormy. The storms seem to come more frequently, and are longer lasting. The past couple of weeks have been almost continually windy with more strong winds on the way tomorrow. There is plenty of time for the mercury to plummet.

I am half way through my Christmas work break. It is flying, and I am confused about what day of the week we are on. As a family, we have Christmas on Christmas Eve for various reasons, so when I think it is Boxing Day, it is Christmas Day for everyone else.

I popped into town yesterday to visit a bookshop to spend money and a voucher I had been gifted. I am like a pig in clover in a bookshop. Little makes me happier than searching the shelves for something interesting to read and then coming home with a small stack of books tucked under my arm. There is something about holding a book and turning the pages, allowing the contents to reveal themselves that I don’t get from an e-book.

Tomorrow, we have a vet visit. Bracken needs a blood test to see if the increased diuretics are affecting her kidneys. They didn’t last time, so I am hoping we receive the same results. She is still bright, and silly with a waggy tail, eating well and doing things she shouldn’t, but I know her heart is deteriorating and she may not have long. I take every day as it comes, and as long as she is happy and not in any discomfort that is the main thing.