January, sick and tired you've been hanging on me

These words I believe came from a David Cassidy pop song, I've just looked it up and the words don't make a lot of sense, but I assume it refers to the month. Personally I will be glad when this month is over. From the shortest day,in December, we get two more minutes of light every evening, so at least it 'doesn't get late so early' as I used to be fond of saying. Life has been fairly quiet, no major events or even major irritations.Even the weather has been bland. February is a shorter month, and means we are well on the way to spring.
We have watched some Miss Marple DVDs, given away free with the newspaper, and I must admit they have made me quite nostalgic for the 1950s. I don't really miss things like ice on the inside of the window panes, or having to rake out a fire in the mornings, but life generally seemed simpler then. Maybe it is because I was so young, but people were generally more polite and respectful and we roamed around the countryside, well at least the local parks. I would cycle to a local lake sometimes after school, along country lanes, which have probably now all been built on. There was more of a freedom somehow.
Yesterday I was up earlier than normal, and out to take our Focus for a service. Husband took my Fiesta, I had checked the tyres oil and water for him, as I know how he drives round country lanes. I sat amongst a row of men all tapping away at laptops, whilst I waited for a lift home. I was quite surprised to be the only one waiting for a lift, the others must have been waiting for their MOTs. Before 11 am I got a call to say that the Focus was ready, and they had even fixed a fault which they caused last summer which meant the key remote did not work. They had promised to recall the car in August to fix that, but never did. I got the bus up there so It took a while. The bus is a circular, which goes into town and then out to the suburbs, via a convoluted route. before turning and coming back. My poor daughter once got the bus in town, and hadn't realised it was a circular,she got on one on the wrong side of the road, and ended up going the wrong way.
It caused quite a bit of worry, but she was still fairly young. Maybe I spoilt them by taking them in the car rather than on the bus. The car service btw was very expensive.
I called into Tesco on the way back, being lazy, well it was nearly lunchtime. So I missed my walk to Sainbury's.
Last evening we watched a DVD husband had bought quite cheaply, The Secret Garden. In parts it was a bit like being covered in syrup, I have vague memories of seeing bits of it before, probably on TV at husband's parents. I'm sure that they thought our kids deprived being brought up without TV, they used to switch it on almost as soon as we arrived.
Sometimes I think TV can be a bit like wallpaper, one Christmas when our daughter was very small, we were at the in-laws, no one was watching, there wasn't much on, but Mum in Law said we must have it on for Aunty A, husband's maiden Aunt who was staying. She ended up watching a programme about James Joyce. I've often wondered what she thought of the fruity language that I could hear coming from the telly!
Today I did my usual Sainsbury's run. It took me longer than usual, as once inside I suddenly heard a loud moany voice which I recognised. Oh no! my garage landlord. I sneaked past, but then later he was holding a second, long coversation in the bacon aisle, right in front of the fridge that I wanted something from. I got to the end of the store, and then had to retrace my steps. Phew! he had gone! I picked up my bacon medallions and headed for the checkout. No sign of him, thank goodness.
When I got home there was a message on the answer phone, from the pastor of the church we went to for 3 years just up the road. I rang him back, only to be told that Albert, the old chap I had been to see last week had gone to be with the Lord on Sunday evening. I'm so glad I went to see him last week. He had a nasty chest infection, which was apparently pneumonia, and had been admitted to Watford General on Saturday. Thankfully his son who had recently returned from America has been around, So at least he saw one member of his family. The problem is he had become immobile and pneumonia often takes hold in such cases. Still, it was God's time for him, and he is in a far better place, which is a great comfort to all who knew him. even at such a great age he still had a mischievous streak. Apparently the confusion he had was a symptom of the pneumonia.
Well I did say that the weather had been bland, but last evening the temperature dropped again, and although there was no frost visible, anything in the garden that had water in was frozen. Bring out the hat and scarf,I hadn't stopped wearing gloves. It was drizzling when I left Sainsbury's. Oh well, I've booked us a treat for our 30th wedding anniversary in a few weeks so we have that to look forward to. Still trying to decide about Dorset for the Summer. Must go and put my car away before the neighbours complain