Plodding on into January.

Well we haven't had the promised snow. Before Christmas we were getting warnings of the 'You ain't seen nothing yet' type, but here in the South East  we have had solid, almost unrelenting grey skies and rain, rain, rain. The day of the partial eclipse was hazy so we couldn't quite work out if we were seeing what we thought we should be seeing through our eclipse glasses. However today dawned bright and sunny, with a very sharp overnight frost, but the sunshine and the fact that it is no longer dark at 4 pm is a reminder that however bad it gets, spring is just around the corner.'While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,.winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.' NKJV Genesis 8 v 22
I forgot to mention that there was much rejoicing in our church last week, when a lady, who had been told that she could not have more children was safely delivered of an 8lb boy. God obviously knows better than the medics
 On Tuesday husband  worked from home, as he had a dental appointment, so he went into town and had the 'flu jab. What they do not tell you at the doctor's is that it doesn't actually become fully effective for at least 10 days. This will of course account for those people of whom we have all heard who had the jab, then shortly afterwards got flu. I've only had real flu about 3 times in my life, once several months after a 'flu jab, but the vaccine doesn't protect against all strains.
It seems that there are no new viruses in husband's office yet, so maybe he will be ok. The hacking cough has receded in both of us, but it does seem to have affected my asthma .I've been trying to up my use of the brown inhaler, when I remember.
On Wednesday the chaps from the charity came to collect our old dining suite, so I now have the use of my garage again. I thought I would just have time to go to Sainsbury's, it was a bit of arush, but I didn't spend much, no time to look and linger. I made it to parent and toddler's jsut before the pre meeting prayer time.
Unfortunately, there were more leaders than children, but at least we got to know one of the mums better.
Women's hour recommenced on Thursday. with an excellent speaker on Anna and Simeon;.it is good whhen speakers make you think.
On Friday morning I used my lightbox, and got more housework done than I had for a fortnight.I haven't seen much of grandson this week, but he has developed a sweet little laugh. He is still a very hungry boy, and still loves his milk. I reckon he will be like his Dad, his Dad eats a lot. I hope he also takes after his Dad in burning it off too. My Son was never still as a youngster, he was as thin as a  rail, but then teenage lethargy set in. However he is fine now. My family have a  tendency to store rather than burn off and it is a constant battle.
Yesterday we went to Berkhamsted for a change. I walked quite a lot trying to find a Telegraph as Smith's had sold out, but the little convenience store was shut.We had lunch in Waitrose, after finding the Telegraph in there, but then took a trolley to get the fruit and veg. We had too much time, and Waitrose is so different form out usual supermarkets. They also carry the John Lewis ranges in tableware and babywear. Suffice to say that whatever I saved on Wednesday, I spent yesterday, and more. Better not go to Waitrose too often
We decide to come home a different way, a pretty country rote. Later Daughter rang to check that we were home safely, apparently there had been an accident on the bypass. We finished watching Martin Chuzzlewit this week, I think that it is one of Dicken's lesser known works. The only character i had previously heard of was Mrs Gamp. This part was played excellently by the late Elizabeth Spriggs, and the late Joan Sims played her friend. Garham Stark was also in it and I failed to recognise him at first. Still, we are all getting older, and I dare say that old friends would be hard pressed to recognise me.
Our pastor is away at present, so we had an elder speaking this morning. Our other elder is preaching tonight.
I have made contact with my first Christian friend through Friends reunited, and have discovered that she no longer goes to church . Strangely enough, she used to go to the church that my son and his wife go to, so maybe I can somehow stir her up to try again.
Well it's getting late again, soon be time for the evening service, hope your New Year is going well. The tree is out in the garden and the cards waiting for recycling.  Must make sure that the tree survives.