Late on parade today

 I woke at about 5.30 and tried to get back to sleep.  I obviously dropped off again as it was nearly 9 a.m. when I woke, due to one of the cats clawing at the door and signifying breakfast was in order!  When I moved my hips were SO sore again - I'd spent several hours sewing yesterday and I think the angle of leaning under my craft lamp is not doing me any good - I'll have to try and reconfigure it today.  Plus a nice long walk to get all my muscles moving again. Here's the progress on the William de Morgan tile design anyway:

Whilst on the Arts & Crafts theme, middle daughter gave me these lovely coasters and the butter dish I'd asked for (design is William Morris's Pimpernel).

Plus gorgeous Christy towels in a colour which goes really well with the new bathroom tiles. I am trying to replace the towels I inherited from my late m-in-law and have some I actually chose and like (e.g. NOT BEIGE!)

We love these beautiful mugs from our son, who commissioned them from a girl he knows who is a potter.  Isn't the glaze gorgeous?  Almost too nice to use!

A strange coincidence over this little Edwardian? keepsake which Tam found for me in Aberystwyth.  I had seen one just like it at an Antiques Fair and nearly treated myself, but didn't.  It's up on my bedroom mantlepiece now.

Here is the newly skimmed wall painted, but it needs a few bits touched up in places.  I will do that today and carry on with the wallpapering too.

It wouldn't be Christmas without books and of course, I asked for the latest in the Outlander series.  It will take me a while to get through it though.

Tam brought me a trilogy from this new-to-me author.  I have the first one upstairs, and am deep in the Rebecca Riots now.

A book I've only dipped into so far but don't think I will try the recipe for Ginger Biscuits with beetroot in (this was during WW1 rationing).

I'm looking forward to reading this again. She was an exceptional lady.

I have the pheasants in the garden . . .!

        Well, another dreary grey and wet day today but I need to get out and stretch my legs.  K and I will have our normal toodle in the park and then I'll go a bit further afield.

        I have found that the Church at Garway, Herefordshire is a Templar Church, and so we will have to explore that one as a New Year treat.

            I am surrepticiously going round and removing the Christmas decor now that Christmas is properly behind us.  The tree will be taken down on New Year's Day, so we can have the curtains open again and life can go back to normal. I've decided to have the groceries delivered by Asda for a month or so until the Omicron variant has peaked and things have calmed down again.  It is spreading so rapidly that it's pointless pushing my luck by going to the supermarket, and Aldi is rather cramped, unlike the airy Tesco with its wide aisles.

        Time to get myself organized again - I began with the ironing, now it will be moving books as we are having new carpets laid in January and one room is the Library.  Wish me luck!