Monday, 24 June 2024

Widgets?

It's been frustrating these past months not being able to access my blog and I hope this hasn't been happening to my readers too. Today it didn't work - then it did! Fingers crossed the widgets have given up or are all gone. Not sure what widgets are or how this happens. I did try and change a small setting so hopefully?

Well there's been a bit going on since my last post so here's a quick round up. The promised return of bendyness to my elbow was not a case of waiting but of hard and painful work, including time with some lovely NHS physiotherapists and my osteopath. I now have strength back and much of my original movement, not quite straight or able to touch my left shoulder yet. Working on that. I can now comfortably use my laptop, thankfully. 

I did manage to move house with all the discarding, packing and unpacking, cleaning and buying new stuff that entails. The new place is wonderful, open and bright and so much bigger, with a proper dining room and a big kitchen. And needing all the things an unfurnished apartment needs. Thank goodness for Ikea and furniture floor stock sales. 

I've spent some time living in furnished apartments and it's lovely to have things we've chosen and things from storage not seen in a while around us. Like my lovely carpets now in pride of place on the floor and my art now on the walls. The travel bits and pieces are placed in temporary spots and the books are still packed. We really need a bookcase to properly unpack, one we hope to get second hand. Probably my favorite thing I unpacked was the silver cutlery set from my childhood, makes me smile every time I use it. 

The village we live in is towards the end of a tube line and we're only 10 minutes walk from the station, a real bonus. The tube takes us on little adventures to places to wander nearby, to quaint villages, canals, stately homes and castles and to the city to explore new spots. Hopping on the tube to London never gets old for me, although I suspect it does for my lovely travel buddy. He's well used to the commute for past roles, that makes him the perfect guide really. 

Last Monday the day dawned sunny and warm so instead of a gym visit, off we wandered to Covent Garden. As usual we walked far to far, visiting Harrods and wandering along the Serpentine after a cider at The Punch and Judy. We got front seats to watch the busker action below, fewer people on Mondays! By the time we got home we'd wandered about 26,000 steps. I was a bit tired, a bit tanned and very ready for a sit down on our comfy couch! 

Rickmansworth is only a couple of stops away so we wandered to Watford along the Grand Union Canal another day. I love wandering along the canal towpaths. So much to see, this time we followed a boat navigating the locks so got to see them in action. Thankfully there's a Wetherspoons there so we could rehydrate. I suspect I've visited a good percentage of Wetherspoons since I've lived here. Cheap and cheerful, and some of the better fish n chips I've had here. 

I'll stop here, there's more to share including the Malta stories. Let's hope those pesky widgets decide to leave my blog alone from now on!


The Serpentine near the Lady Di fountain 

Grand Union Canal

Past the lock