An unpredicatble start.

'But it's not the alarm' - somwhere in my brain these thoughts were surfacing and then I realised it was the phone. That was my introduction to today . The call at 6.56a.m. was from the infant school head wanting to advise my husband (chair of governors) that she was intending closing the school. Alan was in Wales and I had not even looked out the window.

I did of course after the call and was welcomed by a winter wonderland, even more perfect at the back of the house where no-one had ruined the virgin snow. As you can imagine one 10 year old was very excited and hoped upon hope that her school would be closed too. That was not to be so rather resolutely she and Beth trudged off to school knowing that there was a distinct possibility that the snow may have gone by the time school came to a close.

Meanwhile in Cardiff Alan waited to see what his day would bring. At 10.00 the course was officially cancelled as only 10 of the 50 participants had made it but there are no trains running in Wales at present so Alan is stranded until further notice. I wonder will my husband return tonight or not.

As with any situation though there is good to come out of it. Ellie's parent's evening has beenn postponed and both myself and Angie are pleased that the dads will hopefully be able to make the next date. After the rather rude awakening and confused start to the day I had the opportunity to have coffee with Angie which restored calm and having done the ironing while the office warmed up, I can tackle the day.

I hope your day is working out well wherever you are. If hassled by it, take a little time out and think how you can make it work for you and reinstate some calm and flow.

Frost and snow

I wonder how the daffodils are today due to last night's heavy frost. Will my geraniums, which are still blooming in the window boxes, finally get killed off because of the cold weather? Perhaps the snow forecast for tomorrow will be their downfall.

Having heard that 6 inches of snow are forecast for tomorrow and that it will be the worst snow for ages, I looked up the forecast for London today. Well there are a few snow showers prediced but nothing too much. Alan is in Cardiff and the country's worst snow is meant to be in South Wales but not according to the forecast where 6 degrees is forecast. Guess we shall just have to wait and see when we wake up.....

This morning was a beautiful morning to walk and next to the sunshine I've decided that it is my favourite weather to walk in. Yes, it is cold but you can wrap up easily and strip off the layers depending on how much you warm up. There is a sort of an ethereal feel when it is frosty and although I could not see the sun directly for much of the walk, I could see the effects of it reflecting from buildings. Those that were white or pale were touched by a pinky/golden light - just stunning. Then finally as I turned for home and rounded a corner there was this golden ball in the sky. It looked so powerful and full of energy and totally opposite to the moon which looked pale and fragile but none the less beautiful. I just wanted to keep walking and kept lengthening my route until I really had to go back. What a great way to be.

I know that amongst all these walking benefits, one that I should add is my growing awareness of nature and its beauty and in turn the appreciation and gratitude of it. It really is magical.

Daffodils.

Clearly yesterday's blog struck a cord so thanks for the feedback.

Building on from that I want to pass on a story that a friend and colleague Zoe forwarded to me.

The Daffodil Principle

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead "I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren."Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!"My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother." "Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.

"But first we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this."

"Carolyn," I said sternly, "Please turn around." "It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, "Daffodil Garden." We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn. "Just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking", was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958.

"For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.

That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world ...

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!

"My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.

She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"

Use the Daffodil Principle. Stop waiting.....Until your car or home is paid off. Until you get a new car or home. Until your kids leave the houseUntil you go back to school. Until you finish schoolUntil you clean the houseUntil you organize the garageUntil you clean off your desk. Until you lose 10 lbs. Until you gain 10 lbs. Until you get married. Until you get a divorce. Until you have kids. Until the kids go to school. Until you retireUntil summer. Until spring. Until winter. Until fall. Until you die...There is no better time than right now to be happy.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don't need money. Love like you've never been hurt, and, dance like no one's watching.

I have seen too many people miss life out due to putting things off, don't let that be you. What have you been putting off? One thing that comes to mind for me is the wish that I had written a letter to Ellie, my daughter when she was born and on every birthday. I did not do it and I think of it with sorrow every year. Now however, I am going to write that first letter tonight.

Gremlins.

Over the last couple of days I have run out of steam. Not surprising in a way given the amount I have been doing and the speed at which I have been adding things to my routine but of course I have been giving myself a hard time.

My gremlin has been telling me how useless I am etc but you know what? I am now on confront time. We all have gremlins, that little voice that makes us doubt our abilities and question the goals we have set. The natural response is to try to ignore them in the hope that they will go away but that encourages them even more. What you need to do is to turn right round and your gremlin why he/she are talking a load of rubbish.

When I slipped into 'down' mode in the past it could take ages before I came back out of it but slowly I have been improving and this time it only took a couple of days to confront my gremlin and send it running off. I tell you, do that enough and it doesn't appear quite so often.

The gremlin issue always reminds me of a lovely client called Anita who would go running when she felt down and would imagine that she was pounding her gremlin underfoot. It always worked for her.

Think about what you can do to silence your gremlin.

And finally when you hit a bad patch organise some treats, it helps. Today I spent about 5 hours with my lovely friend Marina. First she showed me round her wonderful holistic dental practice - the Lavender Barn, then we walked in Hatfield Forest in the sunshine and finally we had a relaxing and long lunch in the Lemon Tree in Bishops Stortford. Lots of talking , loads of brainstorming and just great company.

I am so grateful for this fab day and for getting back on track so quickly.

Moving on.

I really missed my walking over the last two days so it was great to get out this morning. Am having a few niggles with my left knee, not when walking but when coming down stairs so a massage session with Mike was timely.

Happily, nothing worrying to report just need to do some extra stretching and Mike demonstrated. I was determined that it was nothing serious.

This year so far is all about learning to juggle all the things I want in my life and slowly introduce them. I am also learning new things that my 10 year old adapts to like a duck to water. After ripping loads of CD's on Saturday I was disappointed that none had made it through to the ipod. Well I cracked that one today so another step in the right direction and another little achievement.

It's all coming together.

I'm feeling a little smug. I went to my second Pilates class today (remember this is me getting back into it after a long gap) and Mike was asking how I felt after last week's session. I remember thinking at the time that I would probably ache. 'Fine', I responded 'no aches or pains at all.' I then added 'so I am either fitter than I thought or I did it all wrong'. I was so pleased when he said he'd been watching and I did it well, seems I am fitter after all.

I was not so smug after meditation though as I had not done any since December - tut, tut. It was good to get back into it though and I feel I have had a good kick start. So I shall try to do some between now and Monday and then it gets added to the mix.

I am enjoying this way of adding things. It means the first ones get bedded in before the next one comes along and it seems to be working well. How are things going for you and your intentions for 2007? If I can help, let me know - heather@waringwell.com

Winter wonderland

My world was beautiful this morning when I went out to walk. Not as cold as yesterday due to the snow and it was a real pleasure to be outside and be part of it all.

I know it all sounds a bit strange to say all this but it was like entering a magical world. Part of me wished I had the camera although I realised that it was still too dark for photos to come out and to use a flash would not capture it as it was. Instead I just drank it all in.

In so many places I walked on virgin snow and left only my trail of footprints. There is that lovely muted crunch sound that you get when your foot presses into the snow and the slight muffled squeak when your foot moves onto the next step. In fact all the sounds were muffled and the quietness more silent than usual. All the result of the blanket of snow, I guess

Snow brings out the child in me but there was nowhere to make snow angels and snowball fights on your own don't really work. There was a boy I passed who tried though and then I was brought back to my mum role when a voice said 'James, come in and get ready'. 'I am', came the reply. Have you got your....' - I didn't hear the word. 'no' answered James. 'Then you aren't ready are you?' Well at least it's not only me having that sort of dialogue.

As I neared home there were more people about and more cars and the snow was beinging to get slushy and slippy. Where I'd been striding out 30 minutes before, I had to watch my feet and move more slowly. The magic world was slowly fading away.

It all came as a bit of a surprise when I opened the curtains this morning, I wonder what tomorrow will have in store.

Blue Monday!

Today has been designated as the most depressing day of the year in the UK. So how does that make you feel? Will it effect your day at all? I am not sure it will make much difference to mine as I am just getting on with things. I had my walk, now I'm working my way through the tasks of the day and looking forward to a meeting at 2.00 and a pleasant evening later on.

I wonder if labelling today makes people feel worse. Does it draw attention to feeling low and in fact make people feel that way when they aren't? Are we saying that you should feel low today? OK, the weather is not very good but I still have geraniums growing in my window boxes and the clematis and winter jasmine are both out. I saw some great friends on Friday and there are lots of things to look forward to.

Does telling you that this is the most depressing day at least give you hope for the rest of the year? I mean it must be uphill from here, mustn't it?

At the end of the day we are individually responsible for our own happiness. Only we can take control and bring about the change in our lives so let's show ourselves and the world that this day does not have to be depressing after all. What could you do? Meet a friend for lunch. Go for a drink after work. Get some holiday brochures. Buy some flowers for your desk. Phone or email a friend. Book a massage. Go for a walk. Take 15 minutes 'me' time. The possibilities are endless.

The good news is that 'a total of 85 per cent of Britons expect to be happier in the future than they are now', a psychological study for Standard Life Bank found. Scots were the most optimistic, followed closely by the Irish, while those from the West Midlands had the least positive outlook on life, researchers discovered.

The study shows work will become less of a focus for Britons this year, with taking up a new hobby the top tactic for being happier in 2007. Is this what you are planning? Those interviewed also said they planned to reduce their working hours or retire and take a gap year in order to improve their quality of life. The research – entitled the Freestyle Happiness Index – also found that the nation's optimism is being boosted by a falling interest in material possessions. People also said they hoped to make themselves happier by clearing their debts, paying off their mortgage and achieving financial security.

It all sounds good to me. If you are struggling, have a think about what would make you happier and start now by taking one small step. See you are on the journey already.

Sad and angry.

I am in a sad and also angry place as I write this blog as I have just heard that one of my wonderful East End Girls' breast cancer has returned. She is a larger that life, wonderful lady who is a real inspiration to all of this and if anyone can get on top of this she will. I am behind her fully but I am angry that she is having to fight this again when there are so many other things that she would rather put her energies into...

I am angry that this disease is attacking so many of my lovely girl friends and acquaintances and it just makes my resolve even stronger to do what I can to help.

I know no-one knows what causes this, they are still researching and that of course makes it harder to prevent but we do know that giving health a top priority cannot do any harm. So ladies think about how you honour your health. Are you eating well? Are you getting those fruits and veg that are so beneficial? Could you give up those cigarettes or that addiction to chocolate - I am fighting mine, this year. Are you doing enough exercise? Can you fit more into your life? Why not try walking, that's how I did it and a friend said to me last night 'You are so much more centered when you are walking regularly'. Clearly it is noticeable and it helps me in so many other ways too.

Gents, I know that you can get this too and that you lose people as well through breast cancer so I am not overlooking you too, I am just reacting as me.

This sort of thing should make all of us realise just how important every day is. Are you loving every day to the full? If not, start now. Stop putting things of until.........you do not know if that day will come. Enjoy it and live it now for the gift every day is.

Tina, you can rise above this in your wonderful sunny, full of life style. Go fight it girl and know that I am there for you in whatever way you need me. Much love. xx

Comments please

I was thrilled to hear from one of Jason Vale's staff regarding my experience and feelings about 'turbo charge', that I posted right back. In fact I have told so many people about 'turbo charge' that they are now getting into it too and Lindsey's whole family may get on board.

It would be so good to hear about what you all think of it and also what you think of the blog and what I post, so come on let's have some postings from all of you next week.

Were you affected by the storms yesterday? It was hard not to be aware of them at least and by the look of some of the trees as I drove through the forest today, there were a lot of branches coming down.

On my walk in the morning, I was struggling against the wind one moment, thinking at least that I would be burning up lots of extra calories and then the next moment was being blown along with such gusto that all the hard work (calorie wise) had just been undone. I suppose that is rather like life - sometimes it is a hard struggle and at other times it literally breezes by and you actually have to experience both so you can fully appreciate it all.

There are lessons to learn at all stages - things that we can take forward, things that we can leave aside never to be repeated and ideas of new things to try. Rather than take my word for it, start now and take as much as you can from all that happens in your life and use it. My guess is that there will be much more times in life that 'breeze on by' as a result.

I took a longer walk that usual this morning as I was going straight to see Sanna Anderson for a nutrition consultation. Sanna is the walkers' coach nutritionist so I know her fairly well. We have discussed at length issues around nutrition and walking and are working on a dual approach to weight loss that we will be able to tell you about soon, but I had never experienced one of her one to one consultations.

Well I was blown away and came out feeling so much more informed and very empowered by what I now know I can do to help me overcome the obstacles I have to even better health.

In advance I had filled in an online questionnaire and this was the first thing Sanna went through. There was plenty of opportunity to ask questions and Sanna is so good at explaining everything, giving examples where possible which really helped. Everything I needed to know was written out for me and I now have an action plan.

One of my questions was about the need to take supplements, vitamins etc and this was all explained and recommendations given for the best I could use. She made it as easy for me as possible and I really did feel that this was a highly personalised consultation.

Our health is so important, should be our first priority and I feel we all could do more so if you can, go and have some of what I had, you won't be disappointed. http://www.sannahealth.com/

Benefits already!

I am loving my 14 day turbo charge and I think I may have another convert for you Jason. Geraldine was having a look at the book yesterday as I was waxing lyrical about it.

This morning I pulled on a pair of jeans which last week were tight on my waist and all day today I was pulling them up as they are rather loose. As one of my intentions for 2007 is to lose one and a half to two stone before I go to Peru, this is a great start. What a feeling.

And due to turbo charge and walking daily since Monday my energy levels have improved so todays walk felt so good - I am looking forward to walking with the East End Girls on Sunday.

Finally I finished my working day with a facial, always great especially when given by Emily who commented on how good my skin was looking.

I think I well deserved the trip to the cinema with my friend Paula and our daughters. We went to see 'Miss Potter' which was such a lovely film and as much of it was filmed in the Lake District, the scenery was superb. I kept thinking ' I have walked there' and it made me want to get back up there again soon.

A great week.

Is it Friday?

Well it feels as if it should be.

So much has happened this week in terms of very productive meetings, client sessions, following up and keeping up with my emails (one of my new year intentions) that I am convinced I have done more than 4 days work. Of course, it has also been the first full week back at work!!

Then today from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. I was involved in a brainstorming session with a good friend and fellow coach as we explored all aspects of walkers' coach. It was challenging and inspiring but also exhausting so I am now going to get a cup of tea, sit down beside the fire and read some of my novel.

I shall let all we discussed marinate in my brain and the tomorrow will see what comes to the surface and alerts me to what will happen next. Guidance for me is often to 'go with the flow and trust' and I can't think of a better way to deal with this.

Walking , it is so good.

I am amazed I managed to get out for my walk this morning!

Poor Ellie, whose cold and sore throat has gradually worsened, woke me three times during the night. It's an unusual occurance for her so I don't mind but standing in a cold bathroom for 15 minutes or longer in the middle of the night is not what anyone wants.

The last awakening was at 6.3o and the alarm goes off at 7.00. As I was whacked, I climbed
back into bed telling my husband that if I was asleep at 7.00, he was to leave me until 8.30. I actually do not think I slept again, just dozed so when the alarm went, it seemed churlish not to get out there, so I did.

I never go for a walk and come back in a worse frame of mind, something for all of you out there to bear in mind. It always energises me and just puts a different perspective on things. It is also so good for clearing your head and as for that physical activity - well, need I say more.

I met a great lady yesterday called Alison (more about her at a later date) and although walking was not what brought us together, she is into her walking too. She was telling me that when her business was home based that she would work from 6-8 a.m. and then go for an hour's walk in the park which was close by. This, she said , was her equivalent of 'walking to work'. What a brilliant idea for all you homeworkers. Often when we work from home the need to move from base is limited so this is a way of getting out there, benefitting from walking in all the ways there are and no doubt getting to know your community better - another win:win. Thanks for that one Alison.

Success with intention setting!

Setting that intention works, at least for me. It is rather like accountability which of course you can easier fake if it is with yourself, but not this morning.

This was the day that I had decided that the Inca Trail training started properly so even though I had not slept well - small child in bed with me for some of the night as she was not too well, I managed to get out of bed once the alarm sounded.

At this time of year my 7.00a.m walk starts in the dark, well seems like it anyhow but dawn breaks as I am pounding the footpath and it's quite a privilege to watch the world wake up. This morning my walk was accompanied by birdsong and the moon as well as the numerous dog walkers I met on my way.

Most people speak at this time, perhaps because we are in the minority and I just love being part of the relatively quiet world before it gets cranked up to its ferocious pace.

I know walking at this time is not everyone's 'cup of tea' but it is amazing how good you feel once you get out there and there is something about coming back to have breakfast knowing that you have already done your exercise for the day. I feel positively virtuous.

This morning was also when I started the Jason Vale 'Turbo Charge your life in 14 days' programme so breakfast consisted of a wonderful Turbo-charge smoothie. http://www.thejuicemaster.com/ With all that fruit and veg coursing through your body it is hard to feel anything but healthy and at 11.55 I am still not hungry. Teresa has also started this on my recommendation so I am looking forward to comparing notes.

Finally just to show how wonderful I am, I also started the old body brushing technique this morning before my shower and braved 60 secs under the cold shower before getting out - hard at the time with lots of yelping sounds coming from the bathroom I am sure but what about that warm glow you feel immediately after. I used to do this all the time.

So, I have set quite a few things in motion, keep reading to see how we all progress and let's hear your comments either on the blog or email me at heather@walkerscoach.com

The strength of commitment.

I know, not much movement on the Inca Trail training yet. Well it is happening slowly, mainly due to me fighting off a cold and listening to my body - something that I was not always good at. I did walk on New Year's day and I have been working on my core stability thanks to all the information available from Mike Edwards who writes a column in the Walkers' Coach newsletter - sign up by visiting http://www.walkerscoach.com/ In fact I am returning to regular Pilates classes on Jan 18th. This is not only because of the Inca Trail walk but part of putting my health as the number one priority.

One of the things I have not been doing so much of lately has been networking as work has been flowing in regularly. However, as I now want to promote walkers' coach it is one thing I intend to do lots more of in 2007.

I have been contacting people I have not seen for ages and arranging 'one to ones'. So many have replied in the last day or too and my diary is now getting busy. I also made the decision before the end of December to get out there and attend more networking events and the first one was this morning.

My lovely coach Judith Morgan has moved one of her Starbuck Clubs to Canary Wharf so I emailed her yesterday and announced that I would be joining them - great. At 11.00 last night as I was heading to bed my husband commented on the fact that I would have to be up early in the morning - networking event forgotten by me, oops. I started taking down the Christmas tree, listening to the wind and wishing that I had not told Judith I would be there. I knew how warm and cosy my bed would be the next morning....

However, I had committed to going and the intention ensured that I woke at 7.45 and was actually there first. What a lovely event . There was a small, select group, everyone contributed and I found myself adding to my intentions for the year, inspired and delighted that I had made that commitment.

The effect of others

How do you feel when you have spent time with others? Do you feel inspired, energised, drained, sad, happy, weary, motivated......?

Perhaps different people have different effects on you - how long do those effects last?

As it is the beginning of a new year and hopefully you are looking out optimistically at all there is on offer, then I suggest you ponder these questions. Consider very carefully how you feel and if your relationships, meetings, colleagues, friends etc are not leaving you feeling upbeat and ready to soar then what action do you need to take as a result.

Today was my first day back at work since Dec 22nd and I started the day with a meeting with a fellow coach and walker, Geraldine. It was great to see her and as usual we chatted continuously. Two and a half hours passed and I felt as if we had just begun, better still we had supported each other, discussed numerous ideas, laughed and planned a development day to discuss some business ideas further. I left the meeting full of energy and buzzing with excitement.

A couple of hours later I was on a call with one of my business partners who lives in Italy. She called to discuss a potential joint training and coaching project and also to discuss some great walks she had discovered which would be great for walkers coach. Jacky is working with me on that too from the Italian perspective. Once again I came off the phone inspired and looking forward to taking this further.

Is this how you feel? Is this how you would like to feel? What can you do now and in the next 7-10 days to ensure this happens more and more? It's over to you.

Getting back to routine

This is the last day of my holidays and I am enjoying the lack of time constraints and other boundaries. Tomorrow Ellie returns to school and that means the 7.00a.m. alarm - I much prefer to wake up naturally.....

In one way though I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. I have had a great holiday and know that I have benefitted from the break but my head is filling up with all the opportunities out there and I can feel the buzz.

Today I have been decluttering and in doing so have been collecting images for my treasure map and dream book and I have also been sourcing information for the next walkers' coach ezine. If you do not get it in your inbox, visit http://www.walkerscoach.com/ and sign up immediately, you don't want to miss out.

It's another bright and sunny day today which is such a welcome and positive start to any new year. Have you noticed how much happier people are when the sunshines? Are you happy? Are you smiling? If not, what could you do so that you could smile.

Yesterday I indulged my love of walking straight away by bundling the family into the car and going in search of Hainault Forest Park. I'd heard of it before but had never sought it out so we took some action and found a great area of land - a mix of common and forest only 15 minutes drive from home. Armed with cameras we headed off around the lake all in competition to see who could come up with the best New Year's Day photo. We also came across part of the London Loop walk which goes through the forest and there's a children's farm to explore too.

I did notice a nearby tube station which means it is accessible by public transport and I shall be heading back over there to suss out the trails and see whether it is a viable place to run walking groups from. It has a couple of vital ingredients in addition to the walking itself - public toilets and a tea hut - what more could you ask for?

Happy New Year

Did you have a good one? I hope so and I wish you a fun, successful, happy and most of all, healthy 2007.

What I need to celebrate a new year is good friends, good food and good wine and we had all of those last night. After planning a party it was a select few who came together but that did not matter at all. Those who could not make it were in our thoughts and we raised a glass to absent friends but in the meantime, we chatted, laughed, told stories and enjoyed the great company.

Earlier in the day, Alan , Ellie and I had watched the Sydney fireworks on TV, remembering the year when we had been lucky enough to actually be there. That prompted us to call the Aussie cousins and wish them a happy new year. We thought of them again later when we watched London's tremendous display using the London Eye as a backdrop. At last London has found something that rivals Sydney and I have to say , I think those Aussies will have to think about making the trip to see our New Year spectacle now!!

I'm off to have a doze now and to chill a little more enjoying the last few days of the holiday. Take care.