Monday 2 January 2017

Thank goodness it's all over.

As the lady who cleans for me said a minute ago - " it's weeks coming with days of preparation and then it's gone in a flash!"   Well, now I just can't wait to get all the decorations put away and get the whole house back to normal.   None of this Twelfth Night nonsense for me.

I must say that we had lovely, thoughtful presents.   I am a great reader and have favourite authors (as I am sure we all do) and I was delighted to received two paperbacks by two of my very favourites.   I can't recommend them highly enough if you haven't read them (and if they happen to be amongst your favourite authors too).

Both have huge sections about the second world war - both very different in content and in the way it is dealt with - but graphic and gripping.

The first one is  Kate Atkinson's "Life after Life" and the second Sebastian Faulk's "Where my heart used to beat."  Having read them both I now want more and I want it now. 

Kevin Maher in today's Times says that today's
philosophy tends to be 'if I don't get that package within minutes of ordering it, my life will be over'.
He is speaking about Amazon's filing of a patent in the U S for a manned airborne warehouse which will float in the stratosphere at 45,000 feet and which will be able to deliver packages within minutes of ordering, by drone.

I must say that reading this I have not yet gone on to Amazon this morning to have a look what other books by the two authors I have mentioned I can send for.

The weather here is beautiful from the comfort of the house.   Standing in the bay window and looking out it is full sunshine, light breeze and glorious.   Step outside and it is very cold (on freezing) - but then it is January and this kind of cold kills bugs and is much better in every way than what we up here call 'muggy' weather.

So - here we are again.   A new year, new ideas and interests to fill the hours, plenty of visits out with friends for coffee and for food, a mound of Christmas jig saws to do (one down, six more to go) and three quarters of the Christmas cake left to eat (I don't care for it but it does stop me having to think about the farmer's tea time piece of cake.

Onward and upward is the way to go.




33 comments:

Librarian said...

Hello Pat, and how good to see you're all ready to embrace the new year! My Christmas decorations are still up, as I won't be home until tomorrow. I will then take them down so that by the time work starts again next week, everything will be back to normal. I am already looking forward to seeing my clean, empty spaces emerge again.
I have not yet read a book by Kate Atkinson that I did not love. "Behind the Scenes at the Museum" was the first one I read by her, and was immediately absorbed.
"Life After Life" I read in 2015. If you like, you can read my review here on my blog.

Polly said...

Hello Pat, I usually start removing Christmas decorations about now, I didn't do much this year due to being in Australia, so it won't take long. I adored "Life After Life", couldn't recommend it highly enough, and plan to read more, Kate Atkinson is such an engaging writer. I wrote a review of it and tried to do a link like Librarian but I'm not sure if it will work! https://oliveandpru.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/a-good-read.html

Rachel Phillips said...

The Girl at Lion D'Or is my favourite and the first I read. He is a good storyteller.

Sue said...

I'm currently reading A God In Ruins, the sequel to Life after Life. I'm a huge fan of Kate Atkinson.
Happy New Year Pat.

Elizabeth said...

As regards reading, Pat, I loved Life After Life - one of Kate Atkinson's strongest I think, and was very disappointed by A God in Ruins which read like all the research she had done about the RAF - but not integrated and digested.
She is such an amazing writer - you immediately become involved in her believable world.
My reading discovery of 2016 was the amazing Mavis Gallant - a Canadian mid-20th century writer who lived most of her life in Paris.
I expect you read lots of Dorothy Whipple - such a good read. Available from Persephone books - my go-to place for 'good reads'.
Happy New Year.

jinxxxygirl said...

I'm so very glad Pat that you received some presents that you loved. I have heard of neither author or book.... I just finished a book by Michael Chriton 'Timeline'... I'am not a huge fan of his books but i love his movies made from his books... Think Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain and others... Sometimes i say to myself how did they ever get that movie from that book? :) Timeline turned out to not be a bad book...Next in line is Beast by Peter Benchley.. the same guy who did Jaws ......

Yes i'am very ready for things to get back to normal... We did not decorate this year so that is done already... Today i think we start back working on the house... I'm painting trim... hubby is digging ditch for some plumbing with a neighbors help.... back to the grind .. but its the only way we will ever get done... :) Hugs! deb

Gwil W said...

We'll leave our decorations up for a while yet, and when we put them away we'll leave our little Christmas tree out for the zoo collection, as a delicious snack for an elephant, and not forgetting to remove all the baubles and candles first of course. Pleased to see you resolved your italics problem. Now it's onwards and upwards as you say!

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

I'm with you, Pat. I spent yesterday packing up the remaining Christmas decorations and ornaments and the family helped to lug boxes upstairs to their rightful storage spot. The only thing left is a bare tree which husband needs to drag outside. I have not heard of either of those authors, but I always like to hear good reviews about new choices. -Jenn

Wilma said...

All of our Christmas decorations are still in storage in Minnesota, so we didn't have any to take down. This was our 5th Christmas in Belize with no decorations and we don't really miss them. I know exactly what you mean about wanting to read the next book right away. Good authors are addictive like that. Ninety-nine percent of what I read is on my Kindle; you can't get more instant that that. Cheers!

Mac n' Janet said...

Love Kate Atkinson, have read all of her books. The follow-up to Life After Life, A God in Ruins, isn't nearly as good, but still better than most authors.

Frances said...

Pat, when I heard a news report about Amazon's applying for a patent for a flying warehouse, I checked my calendar to see if I had had a long winter's sleep and it was actually April 1.

Kate Atkinson is a very fine writer. You will have a choice of many good books. The other author you mention is one I do not know so well. I think I might have read one of his books, but cannot remember the title. I'll add his name to my 2017 book list.

Happy 2017! xo

Rachel Phillips said...

Has no one but me anything to say about Sebastian Faulks? Comments are funny things.

donna baker said...

I really enjoyed THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS and right after Christmas picked up a pile of Alice Hoffman books. I really like her books. Seems like so many books I've gotten lately, I haven't been able to finish. And I did read LIFE AFTER LIFE, but haven't read the sequel of her brother. I remember I kept thinking in LAL, oh my god, did she just die again? ;)

Cro Magnon said...

My wife gave me two huge crossword books; I shall need to live to 120 to complete them all.

Derek Faulkner said...

Birdsong is far and away the best book by Sebastian Faulks that I've read. The film didn't come close. Haven't heard of the other author mentioned. I read mostly autobiography's and biography's, otherwise I have read all of the Clive Cusslers and Wilbur Smiths.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for the comments everyone. Seems as though you and I are the only Sebastian Faulks lovers Rachel - although Derek likes Birdsong - I agree with him that it is probably his best.

angryparsnip said...

You make cleaning you home and putting thing away interesting !
I am very late on writing about Christmas and the New Year. Daughter and flatmates are here for a few days.
So when they leave I will put away Christmas.

cheers, parsnip

Frugal in Derbyshire said...

Glad I'm not the only one that can't wait to put the decs away.
Happy New Year Weave
Gillx

Heather said...

I always look forward to 'normal service being resumed' after the New Year. We have had hard frost for two days - it didn't clear at all today, but lovely sunshine nearly all day, after rain all day yesterday. Bulbs are poking through, which always brings Spring a little nearer even if there is dire winter weather before it gets here.
Glad you had a good Christmas. I think I shall just about get through to Twelfth Night with our decorations but only because the next 2 or 3 days are already spoken for.

Margaret Butterworth said...

Re "instantaneous" books from Amazon: why don't you try e-books? Carry them with you everywhere on your phone or IPad. They arrive in seconds and cost less than a real book. As an ex-librarian, I used to think I wouldn't like them at all, but they really are "the best thing since sliced bread"!

Joanne Noragon said...

I think Amazon's new scheme may be a little like the paper boy pitching the paper onto the porch roof. Or, in the rose bushes.

Alphie Soup said...

Seriously? A giant warehouse in the sky and drones delivering books etc. What a buzz that would be!
Belated congratulations for the Laughing Horse Award. All the features which contributed to winning the award are the very reasons I read your blog.

Alphie

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks to everyone. Back to complete normal here, except I have inadvertently left up one decoration. I do it every year and don't notice it until everythig is packed away in the boxroom.
As to e books Margaret - I still live largely in the past. My phone is probably the first mobile invented and does nothing except calls (I don't know the number but the farmer has it on his phone if he needs to ring me or vice versa) and I don't have an I pad. Will I be tempted this year - don't know but as I am about to have gas installed into my cottage in the village (at huge cost) I doubt it.

Rachel Phillips said...

Stick to your trusted laptop Weave. I wont say more because I know there are those who love them but you will like your laptop a 100 times more than the ipad.

The Weaver of Grass said...

That is why I don't buy one Rachel, but thanks for the advice.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

I have read "Birdsong" and "Human Traces" by Sebastian Faulks. I enjoyed them both. He is a very talented writer, picking every word with loving care.

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

My decorations are still up since I have company for a few more days. I can't wait to de-Christmas my house and see clean floors again. However, I will miss being surrounded by my family and the constant chatter that comes with that. The winter is not my favorite time, but Mother Nature needs us to rest, and I will do that while I look forward to a bright spring.

Shrimpton and Perfect said...

The idea of shops in the sky fills me with horror. We've enough bloomin shops on terra firma.

Jean

Derek Faulkner said...

I agree with Rachel's advice, I have a basic and cheap Nokia phone and a laptop and don't feel that I'm missing out on anything by not having smartphones, kindles or I pads.

krishna said...

Whenever I see another new technological things, Einstein's words always comes to my mind, Technology will produce a bunch of craps.... why we need so much I don't know.. maybe I'm becoming technologically backdated.. :)

Happy new year...

Bovey Belle said...

My first thought about the floating Amazon store was you're having me on! Good grief - imagine the insurance payout if that fell out of the sky! Nothing can beat the joy of walking into a GOOD bookshop, but I have to say I do love the next day delivery I have with Amazon Prime and the occasional e-book I have succombed to.

I have just discovered Ann Cleeves' Shetland novels and am having a season of those, about to be broken by the arrival tomorrow of the latest Phil Rickman . . .

I am glad to have put Christmas away on New Year's eve, but we have kept the little display of baubles and gold star lights and will use that as corner lighting through the year - it is so lovely.

Fairtrader said...

When I read this I realize how little time I spend reading nowadays. There are reasons, I know, and these times will pass but I remember days when I had two or three books going, just like my oldest have now. It's nice to hear of the books you love to read and I'm glad you have the chance to read!! I have books on CD too, so that I can listen in the car. These days I write more than I read, I would love to write a book but so far I only manage the shortstories on my other blog!!
So you don't keep Christmas decorations over this coming weekend? On Three Kings Day we end Christmas in church, but on sundays service we celebrate with neighbouring parish and join choirs "singing out" Christmas. A sort of bonus.
In our house we keep Christmas for as long as the needles stay put on the tree.

I wanted to congratulate you an the great attention you got on Yorkshire Puddings blog, I totally agree, this is such a pleasant reading!!! Keep it up, Pat, it's nice to read about the dales and the village. I enjoy Johns household reflections and other views as well. Bloggerworld is a good place to be, and I don't fall asleep reading..

The Weaver of Grass said...

Lovely to read all your comments. Today someone has recommended that I read
Dorothy Whipple. Has anyone read any?