2013 - What a Year!!

 

Happy New Year to all our family, friends, Blogging Buddies, Followers and readers, especially to those who have taken the time to comment over the last few days and who have helped lift my spirits just when I needed you most.

 

2013 was a special year, magical, busy, family orientated and full of hope for the future for all of us.  I've been through my photo archives and quickly pulled out a picture that I think sums up each month at a glance.

 

 

January saw us attempting to live on the contents on the Sealed Pot, we managed a total of £480 £2 coins and they lasted us for half the year before we had to hold our hands up and go back to regular shopping.

 

February was about getting down to a frugal lifestyle, saving every penny towards our forever home.  Knitted dishcloths from a 10p ball of wool from the charity shop, eating from the fridge, freezers and cupboards and just generally watching that the pennies stayed tucked away in the bank account.

 

March saw me hit a low and take off for some time alone with Suky the Pug.  As is the way when I am down I am comforted by a bird, it's usually a Robin although I think our little Robin was busy comforting Mum this month, so he sent a little helper in the form of this chap who perched each day on my wing mirror, singing to himself and making his presence felt.

 

Talking of birds these three lovely ladies joined us in April. 

Gorgeous Skylines who present us with blue eggs, when they feel the urge (not very prolific these particular girls!!).

 

In May we were eating from stores, planting out in the Veggie Patch in earnest and making the most of what we had, aided and abetted by photogenic Suky as usual!!

 

Returns were fast and furious and Radishes were the first crop to really give us a glut in June.

 

The cats basked in the sun in July and posed for shots knowing how beautiful they were.

 

Caldwell II took charge of the flock in August and has managed his ladies with a steady and reliable strength that even the largest birds recognise, not bad for a bird that is knee high to a grasshopper,.  He still has a love hate relationship with Lovely Hubby though and thinks it's great fun to chase him from Chicken World whenever possible!!

 

September was hot ..... much too hot for a certain little dog who had to flop in the Thames to cool down on a regular basis after doggie walks.  We bought our forever home and the keys were ours on the 13th.

 

  

October saw the new house start to take shape with little corners of home appearing from the chaos.

 

November was the moving date for many of the plants, they were potted up and loaded into the trailer.  This Rhubarb is now in it's final location .... I can almost here its sigh of relief as the roots stretch down firmly into Welsh soil wrapping protectively round our best boy.

 

Christmas came and went in a flurry of busyness, but little moments of lovely family visits, laughter and drink, chocolate and chat made the days seem wonderful.

 

All in all it was a good year  .... even if slightly too busy at times for me to cope with.  We lost our beloved boy on the last day of the year, the same day we gained a new car and most wonderfully of all we gained in a most unexpected way a new furry member of the family.  All will be revealed when I can get her to pose for a photograph, while she settles in with us she is a whirlwind of energy and life, something we badly needed at the end of a tiring year.

 

 

So I would like to wish you all, each and every one of you lovely folk, a wonderfully Happy New Year.   

 

Whatever you are up to and whatever you are planning may it work out in the way that YOU chose it too.   May your dreams be fulfilled or just simply started, and most of all I pray that each morning will be a fresh and hopeful start to an ever changing journey of hope and love.

 

Me ... well I intend to keep on doing what I do best .....

 

 

 

Sue xx