Dear friends. Emma has chosen a great topic for this month's Style Not Age challenge: Golden Girls. With New Year's Eve round the corner it's a timely choice.
I won't actually be doing anything on NYE, apart from staying in and watching new arrival on Netflix, Birdsong.
But I love gold and it was a great opportunity to style my 60s gold brocade dress a different way.
Dear friends. I wasn't going to publish my usual monthly review. I've been a bit out-of-sorts, and a couple of planned activities were cancelled. But as I've covered every other month this year I felt it would be wrong not to go ahead.
I've included my December TV and books at the bottom.
Sunday 1 Dec
Rest day. Had roast lamb. No new books to read so started one from John's shared Kindle library. Started The Madness, Netflix.
Mon 2 Dec
Did walk, overcast. Prepared Weds blog post. Made low carb bread and a casserole. Started Sprint, Netflix.
Tues 3 Dec
Did forest walk. Sun out by 11.
Did tax return.
Weds 4 Dec
Coldish, overcast, brief sunny intervals in the morning. Did a forest walk.
J not feeling well, went to bed in the afternoon
Thurs 5 Dec
Rained am and evening. Had the annual family visit to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum, followed by a Christmas lunch at the Hereford Arms. Fortunately J was recovered and able to go.
Sad news that Aunty Ruth has died. She was 92 and had been ill for some time.
Friday Dec 6
Wrote condolence letters. Did walk on own as J is still recovering. Warnings about Storm Darragh tomorrow. Had falafels and salad.
Sat Dec 7
Was supposed to be going to Kent meet up but decided not to. Very wet, windy (Storm Darragh) and QE2 bridge closed.
We did walk, just under 5 miles.
Have decided to spend less time blogging. Will wind up weekly link-up and have a more ad hoc approach to writing style posts as the photography takes a long time and I feel obliged to buy clothes, new or pre-loved, to have something to show each week.
Our food waste bin has disappeared. Was at the top of the drive, but nowhere to be seen.
Sunday Dec 8
Pouring. Ordered new food waste bin. Roast chicken.
Mon Dec 9
Cloudy. Did walk, just under 5. I was hot although temp around 7. Did a blog post for Weds as I'm in Bournemouth tomorrow and Weds.
I was thinking of going to Evensong at St Paul's Cathedral to try to get the festive feeling but I can't because I've lost my faith. It happened with the recent sacking of the Archbishop of Canterbury. I was very fond of him but feel he betrayed us, as have all the other senior people in churches of all denominations who didn't take action against paedophile priests and clergymen. Losing my faith, which was very private, has been a blow, it is like grief.
Tues Dec 10
Cold, cloudy. Got train from Waterloo to Bournemouth. Am seeing The Human League with Margery. It's become an annual ritual. Next year's is already booked (ABC). Below: a few supplies for the train trip.
The concert was very good. Support acts were T'Pau and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. I tried to get a good picture of the Human League but we were at the back so they were all out of focus. Here's a library shot instead. Phil Oakey's voice is still very good, and the band was excellent.
Weds Dec 11
Didn't sleep too badly considering it was v hot in the hotel room: the huge French window, with balcony on the other side, wouldn't open. Had full English for breakfast.
Home by 1.15. Bit jaded. Can't do late nights. Have a new book written by one of the producers of Father Ted, and read it in one sitting. Adored that show. Book comes out in Feb.
Thurs Dec 12
Did walk with J, overcast. Sorted out some book reviews. Booked for new exhibition at Courtauld in Feb.
Fri Dec 13
Very cold , 4 degrees, and overcast. I did longer walk and met J at clubhouse. so we could go to Pilates together. He didn't feel great on way home. I thought it best to cancel our dinner booking at the Royal Forest.
Sat Dec 14
J rested. I did long walk via Yates. Nice day, saw longhorns. Started film Carry-on (Netflix) but didn't like it so reverted to Game of Thrones. Below: from today's walk with Yates Meadow in the background.
Sunday Dec 15
Sun came out. We set off on walk. J cut it short, calf problem. I continued. Had roast lamb. Watched the last episode of Wolf Hall The Mirror and the Light "real time" as did mum, but it was too gripping to text.
Monday Dec 16
Did a workout after being inspired by Trinny, who's been lifting weights. Had a private flu jab as I don't want to get it. My new Samsung watch is playing up. Started La Palma, Netflix. Did a "fashion" shoot with 4 outfits indoors, probably the last for a while.
Tues Dec 17
Mild but overcast. J managed to do long walk. Saw the long horns. The picture at the top shows me getting up close with them to take photos.
Weds Dec 18
My last link up. It started in 2018, and since then a few blogs have fallen by the wayside. It's a lovely community of bloggers but a bit of a commitment as I try to go ahead every Wednesday and it means having a fashion post ready. Mild. Walked to Sainsbury's to get a few bits. Did some cleaning.
Thurs Dec 19
Windy and cold. Walked to Nuffield, did Pilates.
Fri Dec 20
Did 5 miler on my own. Saw 1 lone longhorn. She was a little distressed looking for the herd.
Finished wrapping all the presents. Watched the red wedding episode of GOT.
Sat Dec 21
Went to Richmond for a colourful meetup. Rain was forecast so didn't wear one of my coats, although it would have been OK, only drizzle. We visited several charity shops and had a lovely lunch. I didn't buy anything. Took a while to get home as there were lots of train cancellations and they were slow running.
Sunday Dec 22
Sunny cold day. We did forest walk, Js leg seems improved. Roast chicken.
Mon Dec 23
Brief period of sunshine. Cold. J's leg was bad on a walk so we cut it short.
Tues Dec 24
Did urban solo walk, went wrong way. 5.5 miles. Shopping was minus several items, grrrrr, including truffle crisps and carrots. Watched The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, film. 6.5 out of 10 (Prime). My heart sank initially when I saw it was a Guy Ritchie, who usually directs very blokey films. This one was based on a true WW2 incident and wasn't too bad.
Weds Dec 25
Had day off from exercising. I would like to have done a walk but J's calf too bad. Just the two of us today. J got me a camera and new tripod. He'd bought them a few weeks ago. I got him a new Garmin and some trainers.
Turkey crown nice, parsnips bit hard. Would have liked more veg but carrots were out of stock and I'd forgotten to get a cauliflower and broccoli. Watched "Last Christmas" film (6 out of 10) and 2 Game of Thrones including Joffrey's wedding (always a crowd pleaser).
Thurs Dec 26
Boxing Day. J rested his calf, I did a short urban walk via the cemetery . I like to see flowers on the older graves. Went to the refurbished Royal Forest for a big family lunch at Royal Forest. Very good, will be used a lot by us. The place was buzzing. See my review on Trip Advisor.
After lunch everyone came back to ours to open presents. Below: Olive, age 2, on her balance game
In the evening we watched Wallace and Gromit Murder Most Fowl and then Gavin and Stacey. We've only seen the latter once before and were a bit mystified as to why it's so popular.
Fri Dec 27
Misty. We did the urban walk again except that I went further and into the Nuff for Pilates. V cold in studio so class was quite tough to help us warm up! Boring afternoon. Couldn't focus on my book. Below: the miniature sheep in a local garden have added to their flock
Sat Dec 28
Walked over to M&S in South Woodford. I'd expected it to be at least 4 miles but was only 3.1. Got a ham for tomorrow's lunch and a few bits. Took pictures of the Churchill statue (he was a local MP) and a bench dedicated to suffragettes.
"La Palma" (Netflix) - a Norwegian mini series on a tsunami and its effects worldwide. Excellent special effects, although the acting was a bit wooden in the first episode.
"Black Doves" (Netflix) - in the vein of Slow Horses, though not quite as good. Keira Knightly and Ben Whishaw star in a spy drama now commissioned for a second series.
"Sprint" documentary series (Netflix). Good to see the stories behind the rivalry of the leading athletes.
"Strike: The Ink Black Heart" - BBC. I didn't care for this; I find Strike a bit dour. But J enjoyed it.
"Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light" - BBC. I covered this last month. In short, 5 stars, a triumph.
Picnic on Craggy Island: The Surreal Joys of Producing Father Ted by Lissa Evans. Some lovely anecdotes of this special series, and I loved the "old style" photos, pre Instagram. Published in Feb 2025.
The Death of Us by Abigail Dean - to be published in April 2025. A searing and memorable novel about the impact of a rapist invading a couple's home and terrorising them.
Pig by Matilde Pratesi: Touching and beautifully written, Pig tells the story of Valentina's hunt for acceptance and happiness. To be published in May 2025.
I hope you enjoyed the review of December, and previous months. Love to hear your highlights in the comments, plus your TV recommendations.
Both have excellent posture and have always been slim. On stage, they looked like men decades younger.
Their diet and exercise choices are not widely known. When they're interviewed, it's typically about their music, whereas any women who look good, no matter what age, are automatically grilled about plastic surgery and tweakments.
Another male celebrity who looks amazing is Bjorn Ulvaeus, 79.
Let's see what we can discover about these three perennial favourites, and if they have any common ground in their vitality.
Dear friends. Welcome to our last Tell Us About challenge of 2024.
This month UK blogger Rosie Amber chose the prompt, and it's Going Green. It's been interpreted in several different ways by bloggers from across the world.
& Wow on Wednesday
Dear friends. Iris Apfel famously said "More is more, and less is a bore." It's not an edict I take to heart except at this time of year.
Normally I wear maybe two or three Georgian crystal necklaces, and wouldn't dream of adding extra bling. But the festive season calls for a bit of dazzle, and sequins, bad though they are for the environment, will never go out of style.
Dear friends. Today's spotlight falls on an intriguing pyschological thriller by Diana Wilkinson, The Girl in the Window. It's always a challenge to review books like this without giving spoilers, but hopefully I'll give you enough to pique your interest.
I know their secrets...
Every morning, I sit at the same table of my favourite café, sip my cappuccino, and watch them.
The woman has no idea I’m watching, day after day, unravelling the secrets of her life. I see the way she smiles when he arrives, how she glances over her shoulder… like someone who is hiding something.
She thinks she’s in control, but has no idea I’m on to them…
I know a lot more about the man. For a start, he’s not who he pretends to be – his lies are as plain as the nose on your face.
There’s more to this story than meets the eye, a lot more than I’ll ever let on. I already know a lot about the man, but have learnt so much more from watching.
Why do I think the man should tell me what’s going on?
Because he’s my husband. That’s why.
An unforgettable tale of deceit, lies and revenge, from the bestselling author of The Girl in Seat 2A.
Dear friends. If you love everything about the festive period, please move on. Nothing for you here.
This post is aimed at those who find Christmas difficult and/or boring. It can even be a triggering event for some, to use young people's parlance.
Dear friends. I'm currently on a short-term low carb diet and enjoying it greatly. I'm not doing it to lose weight as such, but to shed a couple of inches from around the waist.
There's been a bit too much "carb creep" in the last few months. I've generally eaten a Mediterranean type diet for the last year or so, low carb but with lots of vegetables, berries and good wholegrains.
Dear friends. I've completed the Goodreads challenge 2024, 100 books this year. Yay! Now it's time to share my favourites. I selected the books which got my ultimate accolade of 5 stars.
At the start of the year. I resolved to try to read more genres. Big fail on that front, because I didn't deviate from my favourites of thrillers, literary, historical and occasional non-fiction. I tried a couple of romances, sci-fi and fantasy, but they're not my cup of tea.
