To Jan 28th, Monday. SUNSHINE!!!

We've actually had 2 lovely days of sunshine and today wasn't bad, at least it didn't rain! This has meant we've been able to get out into the garden. Wonderful. The cats have spent most of the time out there with us and in the evenings, they've been exhausted. We've cut down some old branches of elderberry trees. They were half dead and very scruffy. More firewood for Stanley. I've pruned the fuchsia bushes hanging over the drive and widened the path up to the allotment. It was always a squeeze getting the wheelbarrow through there and now it's a great improvement. Not quite finished yet but already much better. Jim planted hundreds of bulbs, literally. I moved a couple of perennials that were in the wrong place, too tall to be at the front of the beds. Also weeded that particular bed, now it looks all smart.

I've de-ivied some of the remaining elderberry trees as they were more ivy than tree. All in all a most successful and satisfying few days. Ireland looks good again!

I've also been on a diet since I came back from the UK, to cut down on my cholesterol and to lose weight. I think I was about 11 stone 5lbs, now I'm 11 stone 1and a half. Much better. I've not found it too difficult really. Lots of fruit and veg, which I like. Cereal in the morning, which I always have but now, less of it!

Put one pair of curtains up in our bedroom. Much better than the blanket that was pinned up!! Just the other window to go. Jim overdid the gardening and sawing a bit the last couple of days, and barrowing wood down to the barn. His back is aching again. Still, it's nowhere near as bad as it was.

The garden is amazing considering it's still January. We have some daffodils in full flower! Lots of crocus have appeared over the past few warmer days, looking beautiful, their yellow, purple and white heads dancing in the wind. Some of the blue periwinkle is also in flower, plus a few snowdrops that we had planted at the end of last year. There should be many more of those soon. All the daffodils in the lawn are up about 8". Lots of primroses around the land are welcoming the sunshine too.

The birds still flock to the feeding station. Today we had siskins, blue and great tits, chaffinch, goldfinch and greenfinch, plus the usual robin and the occasional house sparrow. Spring seems on its way, but the weather forecast for the next few days is for wintry showers!

BlackJack is sitting on my lap while I try and type. He just pushed his head up to my chin then bit it!! Now he's crawled up to my shoulder. What a menace he is at times!

That's about it for now. Watched several quiz programmes on tv. The Weakest Link, Egg Heads, Mastermind and University Challenge!! That was enough tv for one day.

Large Edam cheese salad for dinner and I've just had an orange. How good am I?? Drinking vanilla tea too. Virtuous or what?