We’re back!

Jen came with us

Back from mum’s and Mary’s. It was fab having Jen with us – and Cassie, of course. Cassie is a wonder dog. Not only has she been great for Jen, she is also such a tonic to have around. When we’re at Mary’s (there’s a big back garden) she chases the squirrels. And when she’d not chasing the squirrels, she’s on the kitchen bench staring out of the window, on squirrel hunt. She also likes spiky horse chestnuts, which I believe she thinks are dormant hedgehogs. So they get a good seeing to. She easy to walk, comes when asked and, as a cockapoo, a pretty thing. Oh, and doesn’t shed. All-in-all the perfect dog.

Not for us, though. We’ve often thought about it, but not for long. They are a tie. And when you’re travelling, that can be a problem. How would we, for example, ski for almost a month in January? We could, because people do. But there is an awful lot of paperwork. So, no dog.

Cassie came too

We are back down Godalming way next week, but do have a week with nothing in the diary. I am hoping to get most, if not all, of the book finished by then. I pushed out 3,700 words yesterday, which is a new record for me. I have the final bits of plot sorted, including a twist, and just need to get the words down on paper. It’ll happen. I have, you may have noticed, missed the 1 December deadline for the audiobook. The narrator edits are done. I’m just waiting on the technical piece to be finished. Hopefully next week we’ll be done. And, as Jen and I revamp the front covers, I’m looking at reducing the size of the paperbacks. That means reformatting all of them … not my favourite job without a decent Windows machine. I started on The Innocence of Trust last night. And that didn’t go well. I’ll have another stab today.

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I guess we’re all waiting for the outcome of the Omicron variant on all of us? How transmissible is it? Will it kill/hospitalise us, even if we’re vaccinated? C can report that there are still a good number of people not wearing masks shops … she had a bit of a go a man in Aldi yesterday. You know my view. I get that the libertarians have a thing about being told what to do. That anti-government stance is at least bearable. But, to follow through with that decision when you know that not wearing a mask puts other people’s lives in danger is a position I will never understand. Ever.

Ho hum.

this is my fave Henry photo of all time. His 1st birthday at Korean playgroup

Oh, and we’re watching Colony on Netflix. It’s a near future affair with unseen aliens and a sort of Vinchy government running Los Angeles. It’s multi-layered, well acted and surprising. Loving it.

Stay safe everyone. Watch the Christmas parties. Clearly it’s OK for No 10 to hold them last December when we were all semi-locked down. They do take the mickey, don’t they?