Back from a blogging break

Well, when I say break it definitely wasn't planned I can tell you. Since the hubster retired one month ago, our feet haven't touched the ground - added to which this glorious weather we've been having of late was simply too good to miss. So, many apologies if I haven't caught up with you recently but hopefully I'm back on track now, just need to be organised and get myself into a routine again. As for housework - Mmmm that's another story. Oh well, live for the day that's my motto!

Anyway I've cobbled together a few piccies of some recent good moments during the last month.

A trip to Rochester in Kent - a place very synonymous with Charles Dickens. Wonderful Cathedral and we used our English Heritage passes to visit the Castle.

A much awaited visit to London's Royal Albert Hall to see my favourite Puccini opera La Boheme - simply wonderful!

Visited a local venue for an Artbookart book fair, where I met the lovely Sandie from Itchifingers who designed and created these wonderful journals - a very awe inspiring morning to say the least.

Several trips out in the campervan - stopping for a brew along the way. Do you like the jar of places to visit that my sister Helen gave me? She'd cut out lots of articles of local beauty spots from magazines - a lovely homemade lucky dip.

and of course it goes without saying that we simply had to partake in the obligatory Monday Munch! Look at the weather too.

Anyway dear friends, I hope to be back very soon. Wishing you all a lovely day today.


Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Year in Books - March

Firstly I want to thank all you lovely people for the wonderful comments you left on my last post about John retiring. I/we were very touched by the encouragement and inspiration you gave us both. I love blogging - its a very special place to be.

Another book to read and review for the Year in Books challenge which you can find here organised by Laura at a Circle of Pine Trees. For the month of March I am reading

  Wedlock 
a biography by Wendy Moore published in 2008 

which tells the story of  Mary Eleanor Bowes who was the richest heiress in eighteenth-century Britain. A compelling tale of her life and loves, where the torrent of biography sweeps the reader along. The research that went into this book must have been phenomenal as the author relates not only to Mary's story but others who came in and out of her life and many more besides. Lots of factual history about life at that time.

Precocious and indulged, Mary Eleanor Bowes (a distant 3xgreat grandmother of our own late Elizabeth Bowes Lyon - HRH The Queen Mother) fell under the spell of a handsome Irish soldier, Andrew Robinson Stoney. When Mary heard her gallant hero was mortally wounded in a duel fought to defend her honour, she felt she could hardly refuse his dying wish to marry her. Yet within hours of the ceremony, Stoney seemed to be in the grip of a miraculous recovery....and Mary found herself trapped in an appallingly brutal marriage - a remarkable tale of triumph in the face of overwhelming betrayal. More about this when I have finished the book - otherwise I'll spoil it for myself.

Another book that I've begun on my Kindle is The Virgin Widow by Anne O'Brien

(I know - I'm meant to be weaning myself off of historical novels - but this is part of the weaning off process !!)

Anne Neville is the heiress and daughter of the greatest powerbroker in the land, Warwick the Kingmaker. Trapped in a deadly tangle of political intrigue, she is a pawn in an uncertain game, used by the houses of Neville, York and Lancaster alike. Again, I need to read the book through before I review it. More about this next month.

February's book East of the Sun which you can find here ticked all the boxes for me. As I mentioned before I chose it because of its setting in India. Well, I definitely recalled all the wonderful smells, sounds, sights and culture of that memorable holiday. This was an utterly engaging novel and one that I couldn't put down.

Happy reading

Back soon x