Hello to 2009!

Hello lovely people, how has your year started? Well, I hope... Mine started relatively gently with a coooold (and calm) day catching-up close-to-home. You know how it is, there were those household things that just had to be sorted, and well... it seemed like a good idea to start the year in an orderly way - no procrastinating! So, there was my exciting first day of the New Year - the walk and visit I had planned (potentially) to Kew Gardens (offering free entry, for the day, in celebration of their 250th anniversary) were abandoned as the friend I was planning to meet (and I) both felt a touch weary and the sky was unalluringly grey. So... tidying and sorting took precedence and Happy New Year messages were sent by email, text and through chatting on the 'phone.

Friday started in brighter mode, so late morning I set-off for a brisk(-ish) six mile walk through Richmond Park, well wrapped-up in my good-old quilted black Ghost coat and MBTs, to fight-off the chill north-easterly wind. Although the bright skies didn't remain for long, it was still a lovely (if bracing) walk, on the wild(-ish) side.

In Richmond, I met with my friend (postponed from Thursday) and we had a good, happy wander through the scenic streets (rather distracted by all the shops). I was relatively restrained (although I confess to succumbing to a few little temptations at Neal's Yard Remedies and Maison - in spite of my strictly virtuous intentions). Neal's Yard's half-price Neroli gift set and Rose & Pomegranate Foaming Bath were too good to resist...

Still, I left most of the extravagance to my friend and enjoyed watching (and helping) her shop... We took a break on wonderful Richmond Green and enjoyed a warming coffee (for me) and hot chocolate (for my friend). I won't go into the amusing story of how we hunted, for half-an-hour, for one cashmere, fingerless glove that she thought she had lost... only to find - after we had retraced our steps (twice) - was neatly rolled-back on her wrist...

Happy 2009 - whatever adventures you have in store...