Country walks and web updates

Lord H and I celebrated his last day off before going back to work by taking a very pleasant stroll around Thursley Common. I really love it there - there's something so peaceful about it and it always seems miles from anywhere. Fabulous. Anyway, we spotted a pair of stonechats, siskins, meadow pipits and a pair of green woodpeckers, so that was great too. Also fun to watch the mallards sliding around on the frozen pond, looking terribly confused. Not sure their feet are made for that kind of thing ...

Back home, I've been working away on updating my website and have now added a new Short Stories section to it, which includes one or two links to stories and flash fiction I've written - so do feel free to have a browse. And I hope you enjoy the read! Talking of which, one of the short stories is A Little Death which is showcased on the HagsHarlotsHeroines website and I see the lovely Laura Wilkinson has recently said the following about it:

"Beautifully written, it is evocative, sensuous, and devastating. It hits all the right buttons."

Thank you so much, Laura - I really appreciate that. I was also much cheered when Lady Alexandra on Facebook messaged me today to say how much she was enjoying Pink Champagne and Apple Juice. Thank you, Lady Alexandra - so glad to hear that too! And I hope you enjoy the rest of it also.

Meanwhile, here's today's meditation poem:

Meditation 34

Those whose hands
have knowledge

of beauty –
how to carve

and fashion it, how
to draw it out of nothing –

keep silent
when beauty finally appears.

Let your tongue be still,
drink in the fullness.


We've also watched a DVD of the comedian Michael McIntyre which Lord H kindly bought me for Christmas - and I'm still smiling. Posh Bloke does Comedy - what more can you ask for? He always manages to make me laugh ...

Tonight, there's a Sherlock Holmes programme on, so we'll be glued. You can't really go wrong with the Master of Detection, no matter who plays him - definitely one to watch. And talking of TV, I thoroughly enjoyed Affinity last night - much better than the book, in my opinion (hush my mouth), as the structure seemed more sensible and it seemed to come alive more in a visual medium as a story. That said, I'll still be buying the next Sarah Waters book, as she remains classy even when not writing at her best.

Today's nice things:

1. Thursley Common
2. Updating the website
3. Laura's comments about A Little Death
4. Lady Alexandra's comments about Champers
5. Poetry
6. DVDs
7. TV.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website - hanging on to the holiday feeling as long as she can ...