Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post.  I am feeling so much better now!  The consensus from the medical types in the Family is that it was a viral infection (and how often have we heard that about the otherwise unexplained!?).  Whatever it was it has gone and I am back to normal and very thankful for it.

Nerines.  Can you ever have enough?

It is a good thing to be back on form because last week was a rush around week.  It began with a trip down to Devon for the christening of younger son's two younger children.  Addy who is three and nine month old Daniel both behaved impeccably while having water on their foreheads and being handled by someone they do not know.  Actually that is probably not quite true for the three year old.  Chris and his wife are churchgoers so I imagine that Addy knew the minister who was christening her. There were a few minutes before the ceremony when she decided she might like to take her shoes off but this passed off, normal service was resumed and she seemed generally pleased to be the centre of attention.  It was lovely as always to have a reason to get together and Chris and Katie did their usual amazing job of feeding seventeen of us without apparent effort.  I am pretty sure this is a case of the graceful swan above the water and the energetic paddling below the surface.  It was lovely to see people and to be part of what was clearly an important day for them.

Then it was on to older daughter's for a few days to give her a hand with childcare while her husband was away at a conference.  This was a real reminder of how important it is to spend time with grandchildren when they are young.  The nearly nine year old can go for a while without seeing us and pick up where he left off but even he is responsive to spending a few days together.  The just one year old took very much against Ian's new beard.  Although after a few days she did stop screaming at the sight of him it would be an overstatement to say she liked it.  She is at that stage where she is on the cusp of walking.  Any day now.

It was lovely to see them all but unexpectedly tiring.  I suppose I had not been well beforehand but I was not expecting to be quite so wiped out.  However a couple of days back home with the odd big sleep has returned things to an even keel.

It may be November but the flowers and I are soaking up the sun.

At the moment I am trying to do some yoga every day for twenty minutes or so and to return to quite a bit of exercise.  I know I feel good if I can manage to walk three or four times a week, go to my yoga and my pilates class and generally move about a lot.  I am also intentionally spending as much time outside as is compatible with not getting soaked.  And I have picked up my Spanish again.

Light, good food, movement, difficult things for the brain, a glass or two of wine, and lots of family time: these things I know are the things that make me feel good.

Can't have November without a bonfire