Happy New Year.

I would like to wish my friends, family and readers of my blog a very Happy New Year.

I have to say I'm not keen on going out a New Year so we have spent the evening at home (hubby has the lurgy) drinking Disaronno and orange and watching a programme about Pandas - and trying not to think about what number one son might be up to in Aberdeen!. Very rock and roll.

I have also been thinking about my New Years resolutions.

Most years I say I want to lose weight - but I am so pleased that it was one resolution I have actually stuck to during the last 2 years - and I am now 4 stone lighter.

So onto this years resolutions:

Maintain my target weight (and I have found maintaining is far harder than losing)
Sub 1 hour 10k.
To grow my nails - I still bite them.
Improve my fitness - and actually finish my first half marathon in October - so expect more sweaty selfies like the one below I am afraid.

And breathe.

Christmas is done and dusted for another year.

We had a quiet one with friends and a good time was had by all. 

Lots of good food, lots more laughs and plenty of raspberry gin and Prosecco.

And sprouts.

I started the day off with a quick 5k run - and I wasn't the only nutter out there - nothing better than a cheery runner!

Cats seem to have enjoyed the festivities too.

It's Monday.What Are You Reading?

Almost Christmas - and I have almost completed my Goodreads challenge for 2015 of reading 100 books - I am on number 98.

First one is a Christmassy type tale by Ruth Saberton. Winter Wishes is the third in the Polwenna Bay series and in this book we catch up with the characters of Jules and Danny.

Is it really better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? 

Tara Tremaine is a woman with a mission – to pick up the pieces of a life she turned her back on and win back her estranged husband, Danny. Nothing will stand in Tara’s way, least of all the dangerous secret that drove them apart or Danny’s growing feelings for another woman… 

Since arriving in Polwenna Bay hardworking vicar Jules Mathieson has put duty above her own heart. Jules adores her new life by the sea and secretly loves troubled war veteran, Danny Tremaine. When Tara returns Jules knows stepping away from him is the right thing to do, no matter how much it hurts. 

Danny Tremaine’s world has been shattered. With life-changing injuries, a broken marriage and his glittering military career abruptly over, he returns to the family home to a rebuild his broken body and heart. Danny knows his friendship with Jules could blossom into more but allowing this to happen will come at a very high price - one that could cost him everything. 

With Christmas fast approaching Jules, Danny and Tara are not the only people in the village with secrets and long cherished dreams. Maybe with a little seasonal magic, some winter wishes really will come true?

My next book couldn't be more different -  Murder House by James Patterson. I keep saying I won't read anymore of his books - especially the ones he co writes with other authors. But I have to say I have been pleasantly surprised with this one and I am quite enjoying it.

Is it really better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? 

Tara Tremaine is a woman with a mission – to pick up the pieces of a life she turned her back on and win back her estranged husband, Danny. Nothing will stand in Tara’s way, least of all the dangerous secret that drove them apart or Danny’s growing feelings for another woman… 

Since arriving in Polwenna Bay hardworking vicar Jules Mathieson has put duty above her own heart. Jules adores her new life by the sea and secretly loves troubled war veteran, Danny Tremaine. When Tara returns Jules knows stepping away from him is the right thing to do, no matter how much it hurts. 

Danny Tremaine’s world has been shattered. With life-changing injuries, a broken marriage and his glittering military career abruptly over, he returns to the family home to a rebuild his broken body and heart. Danny knows his friendship with Jules could blossom into more but allowing this to happen will come at a very high price - one that could cost him everything. 

With Christmas fast approaching Jules, Danny and Tara are not the only people in the village with secrets and long cherished dreams. Maybe with a little seasonal magic, some winter wishes really will come true?


Please pop over to the Book Date to see what everyone else is reading today.

Winter Solstice Run

I know the Solstice isn't until Tuesday - but many of us will b working - so the second Solstice run of the year was today.

All we had to do was to run from the headland at Burghead to Hopeman harbour and back. Lovely day we thought with beautiful blue skies in the morning - a great way to spend the last Sunday before Christmas. The aim was to start to run at 1.45pm and be back in Burghead before the sun set at 3.32pm - and we smashed it.

(credit to Paul Jamieson for the above photo)

But we didn't ask for the biting cold almost gale force winds at the start!

The way out was fun - helped along with the winds at our backs.

The return journey not quite so much fun - had to hang onto my woolly hat at one point.

But I enjoyed it - and that's the main thing. And our times weren't too bad either.

Thank you to Penny for keeping me company.

It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

A day late - oops!

Trying to read my Goodreads goal of 100 books this year - I am at 96 and counting - and I should finish the book below during my lunch break today.

I am reading The Heart of Winter by Emma Harrington. I got my copy from Netgalley and I thought this would be a nice festive tale.

Holly Craig's family have lived happily in Huntersbrook for generations but when times grow hard, even she must admit defeat and sell off their once-successful stables.

The three Craig children, Lainey, Joey and Pippa find themselves locked in a fight to keep their beloved Huntersbrook; dare they transform it into one of Ireland's most sought after countryside venues?

Renovation work is well underway when life rears its ugly head and everything stops in its tracks. The Craig family is forced to reassess what matters and although they no longer live at Huntersbrook, can the house work its magic even so ... and lead them into the light once more?

This isn't the light fluffy tale you would imagine it to be by the cover. It follows the varied members of the Craig family in their venture of turning the family home of Huntersbrook into an events venue, Lots of interesting characters and I both laughed and cried at some of their storylines. Not what I was expecting to be honest but I have enjoyed it.

This is my first book by this author but I will be reading more - especially when I found out that the Craig family have appeared in a previous title - Driving Home For Christmas.

Please pop over to the Book Date to see what everyone else is reading today.

It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

A busy week ahead for me.

Probably not much time for reading :(

I am reading one of my favourite chick lit authors this week with Wish You Were Here by Catherine Alliott. So far it is an amusing light read - which is just what I need.

When Flora, James and their two teenage daughters are offered the holiday of a lifetime in a chateau in the south of France in return for one simple good deed, they jump at the chance. They exchange the confines of Clapham, the weight of the mortgage and anxieties over their future for a blissful break.

But Flora didn't anticipate a mysterious guest and a whole heap of family baggage coming too.

With James developing a schoolboy crush on a famous singer and Flora distracted by ghosts from her past, their dream holiday suddenly takes some very unexpected turns.

Please pop over to the Book Date to see what everyone else is reading today.

Skywatch Friday

It was a bit chilly to be beside the seaside - at Hopeman.

Please pop over to the Skywatch blog to see more skies from around the world.

My Month in Numbers - November

Another couple of months have gone by since I last posted.

November has seen me almost turn into Forrest Gump as I signed up for a November running streak over on the Run Mummy Run page on Facebook. It sounded quite a simple challenge - to run every day in November.

I managed 29 out of the 30 days (and on the day I didn't run I did 40 minutes on the cross trainer instead as the weather was too bad to go out)

In total I ran 89.84 miles. Bit gutted I didn't make it to a round 90 miles as I get a bit OCD over my running numbers.

The challenge got off to a good start when I ran in the very first Brodie 10k on the 1st of the month. I ran it slightly quicker than the Baxters 10k with a time of 1 hour 41 seconds. Maybe next time I will make it round in under an hour!

When I tried to sit still and do nothing I managed to 8 books - most of them were light reading and included 2 books by the same author - Lucy Diamond.

At my local crop I ate not 1 but 3 pieces of cake - Slimming World went out of the window that day!

I attended 1 bike maintenance class - and I'm pleased to say I learnt loads.

It was also my birthday in November and I have reached the grand old age of 48 - I spent the weekend in Aberdeen visiting my son who is at university there - and celebrated by running somewhere new - and getting lost!!

Pop over and say hello to Julie and read all about everyone elses Months in Numbers.