Slowly into the New Year

2020 has arrived, and with it a little sunshine at last.

Yesterday's lunch spot.

I've been quiet for a while. Not because I've had nothing to write about, but partly because of a lack of energy and inspiration, and partly because of a lack of time (a bit of a chicken and the egg scenario, if I'm honest).

On reflection, 2019 was a strange year because it was the first in a while where nothing momentous happened. I'm settled in my job. I'm settled in my home. I'm settled in my relationship. I'm settled. And with being settled comes a stupid sense of having not achieved anything; which is ridiculous. It took almost reaching the end of the year to realise a few things. One of these things was as above; relatively speaking, 2019 was a quiet year. Which is fine. Only it wasn't entirely fine, because another thing I realised is that what happened was that I crammed my time full of social events and occasions to make myself feel like I was doing something worthwhile. Which is fine. Only it's not totally fine when you feel completely and utterly shattered by the time December comes around.

So in December, I started to slow down. And while that may sound like leaving it too late, I'm going with the notion that this slowing down is how I'm moving into a New Year. So it's not too late; I just started my resolution a month early.

Is there anything better than sitting on a bench, 

knowing you're in no rush?

As always, I've already plotted a few social events and occasions into my diary and onto the calendar so poor Steven doesn't get left behind (it's no wonder he can't keep up..), but I'm plotting them with care. I'm taking each month into consideration as a whole, not living week by week. If one major event that involves travel or people coming to stay is happening in a month, then that's it. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, then I embrace a slower pace.

There were many elements that I loved about 2019, not least the places that I got to see and the people I got to see them with. With a few empty days between New Year and the start of a new term, I've enjoyed slow wanderings closer to home. Yesterday it was a new stretch of the Thames Path from Kingston to Richmond with the sun on my back, and today it was to and from Wimbledon with the sun in my eyes (all in the name of Vitamin D).

Got to love a line of Cormorants.

Was I wearing sensible footwear? Me? Never.

Relief for my tired tootsies when familiarity was in sight!

Tomorrow looks equally as quiet as the past few days. Perhaps we'll make time for a dog walk before the return to reality on Monday. Slowly, I'm ready to make my way into another New Year.

Signs of Spring

The beginning of this week feels like forever ago. I'd like to suggest that such a statement is a sign of a half term very well spent. Like with last February half term, I've actually been walking a lot (surprise, surprise). Unlike last February half term, however, the weather has been glorious for the most part, so I've made sure to get plenty of doses of Vitamin D.

My holiday this year actually began a day early, on the Friday. An extra day gave me time to prepare for the arrival of Ma and Pa for a weekend stay, and also led me on a new walk from Hammersmith to Barnes along yet another new stretch of the Thames Path. As I wandered through a wooded path, looking across the river at only a handful of buildings, I definitely felt like I'd escaped the City. I also found myself a new reservoir, and got a little lost on Barnes Common resulting in very muddy shoes. Sign of an excellent wander, I felt!

Unfortunately the weekend then offered very little sunshine (apart from on Sunday, when we were mostly inside enjoying a pub roast at the Pig & Whistle), but instead thick grey cloud, a little wind, and even some rain. Unperturbed, we took a trip down memory lane and along the river to Putney on the Saturday, around Wimbledon Park on the Sunday, and into Richmond on the Monday. We saw the tide at both its highest and lowest that I've ever seen it before, and made our way a little further down the river at Richmond than I have before, to Richmond Lock and Weir.

On Tuesday, I met up with an old colleague, and good friend. Stuart and I walked from Waterloo along the South Bank, headed for a new rooftop garden that had opened only a day or so before. The Garden at 120 Fenchurch Street was a very pleasant alternative to the neighbouring Sky Garden. Lower down, you're amongst the buildings as opposed to looking down on them. It's open air, too, and yet the surrounding glass provides a barrier against noise pollution from below. I definitely want to return with my book. The peace was surreal, and quite the contrast from the hoards also walking along this particular stretch of the Thames.

Wednesday I chose to go into school for some much needed organising. I walked to and from in the sunshine, and left feeling very accomplished.

Thursday was my first proper chance for a lie-in. I took full advantage of this, and had a much slower day. Never one to waste sunshine, however, I headed out for a shorter walk in the early evening as the sun began to set. Having already headed in the direction of Putney earlier in the week, I dragged Paul in the direction of Battersea. We didn't get that far, for fear of the light disappearing, and there was a short stop as I geeked out over a helicopter taking off from the London Heliport.

I made my first journey on the Overground in what felt like forever on Friday. I still can't quite get over the contrast between East and South West London, so was grateful to be headed back to Hackney for a haircut and a lunch date. It was lovely to wander in and out of vintage shops, and past many a graffitied wall.

This weekend has been the first in about 3 weeks that we haven't had any guests to stay. Yesterday we did our fair share of socialising, but today has been all about lazing around for a proper PJ day. We've done a little organising here and there, in between sitting on the sofa with several cups of tea.