Ochenta y cuatro

I give thanks my back has now recovered from its mysterious episode to the extent I can curl up on the sofa or wallow in the bath. Much appreciated! Last night was more about tossing and turning in bed though and sitting by the front window watching the wall builders and their Swiss army knife vehicles. I find this fascinating as I can't see a lot of the work or hear their plans and am inordinately pleased when I work out what's going to happen next. I'm particularly fond of the pop up and down generator flood lights which the mobile cranes/diggers can carry along the seafront to where they're required. I rather like it when the cranes move in a close procession like stately metal dinosaurs too. I give thanks for knowing I'm not 'normal'...and not normally minding much at all!

Talking of which I give thanks for giving my new winter coat its first outing this very blustery afternoon. It's not billed as waterproof but has many layers so you wouldn't notice for a while, has delightful fleece lined pockets and, best of all, a big furry Nanook of the North hood which cuts down on both chill factor and potential eye contact! I went to the Co-op which is still a hive of activity but gradually getting sorted out. The veg section is still remarkably dire, but as aubergines are sited between plums and oranges I'm hoping this is a work in progress like the freezer cabinets which are still largely empty, but have a few astonishing bargains like 4 meal size smoked haddock fillets for £1.13 (sorry veggie chums) and for 73p sweet and sour noodles with edamame beans, bamboo shoots and sugar snap peas (which balances out the murder victims a bit!)

I've been mostly exhausted so I give thanks there's been quite a lot of lounging around today, despite the lounge being mostly displaced or under dustsheets as work progresses...or not! For being up a ladder briefly before accepting my place was curled up under a throw snoozing gently through something on TV. I give thanks for the stirring sight of the white waves rolling in as the strong winds blow from the east. They are so close together they look like almost like snow drifts, adding to the wintery feeling of the weather.