Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to those of you still with me. I don't know where December went. As usual, I took part in NaNoWriMo in November (and I got myself another win!). I remember submitting the manuscript and then... it's January. Madness.

I had my review with my GP, and he said that if the patch I was on was going to work - it would have worked by now. He explained that HRT was like the contraceptive pill, there wasn't a one size suits all, it sometimes needed a little tinkering until you found something that worked for you. So, he changed the patch, with a different combination of hormones and - touch wood - this seems to have done the trick. It's a seven day patch now, and although I can't say that I'm 100%, I'm closer to normal than I have been in a long time, and boy - do I know when it's time for that patch to be changed. 

We had a lovely Christmas, the eldest came home on Christmas Eve, he works for the DWP so his time off was dictated somewhat. He had a few days at home. My daughter came for Christmas morning and dinner, and then she went to her boyfriend's for another meal. Our friend Bill came for Christmas dinner too, it's the first time in thirteen years, I think, that he wasn't working Christmas day. Watched Mary Poppins and then Mr G took him home, we watched the new Most Haunted episodes airing on YouTube, and went to bed. 

We didn't have our Boxing Day buffet at Mum's either, this year. She's not been in the best of health lately and it's getting a bit much for her. Plus, the 'kids' are all a bit too old to be sat around the kids table in the parlour. They want to chill out and play around with their new stuff. I always felt too, as much as I enjoyed it, that Christmas Day goes in such a blur, and my time for relaxing, Boxing Day, it's not the same doing it in someone else's home. So, I had a shower, put fresh pjs on and watched telly with Mr G all day. 

We didn't really do anything much over the festive period, we went to the Christmas Market in Wrexham, which was nice, just the two of us. We had fish and chips from our fave chippy - sadly the restaurant part has closed down due to Covid. We also went to Bangor pier to see it all lit up. 

Can't wait for this weather to dry up a bit, and then I can take a few long walks there, one of my favourite places to be. 

It's our 20th Wedding Anniversary and Mr G's 60th birthday in four weeks time, and I'm hoping to take him away to celebrate. I've seen somewhere lovely in the Peak District that I hope to be able to book for our anniversary and the day after, and then on the weekend, we will have a small party in the house with our closest family and friends. It's not what I would have liked to have organised for him, but what can you do, right now? We're all just trying to survive, day by day. Wages are static, prices are going up ridiculously. Tens of pounds on energy bills, and not just pence on groceries, some items are leaping twenty, thirty, even fifty pence an item. It adds a heck of a lot to your weekly bill. 

I've also really hurt my neck. As in I have hurt my own neck. How? Well, no matter how many people I tell the tale to, it gets no less embarrassing. I was in the shower, washing my hair, rinsing my hair, and I decided to give my hair one final rinse. So, instead of just gently tilting my head back... I yanked my head back. With force. So, to reiterate - I yanked (yanked, mind) my own head back, with force. I yelped, swore, shouted 'Why the hell did you do that for?' - at myself. I don't think I replied to myself. Which is something, at least. So, I'm rubbing ibuprofen gel into my neck muscles in the hope that it will ease a bit. I had no sleep last night because of it. I can't turn my head left, right, or down. I can, ironically, tilt my head back, gently. Which is all I had to do in the first instance. Bellend.

I'm hoping to get a few new recipes cooked this week, Mr G bought me the new Slimming Eats cookbook for Christmas, it was pre-ordered the second Siobhan announced it in August last year. It was a no brainer, we use the website so often that we knew her tastes would suit our family's tastes too. So, on the menu this week are - Sweet and Sticky Chicken (which is also on the website), the Coconut Chicken and Red Pepper curry (this is a website recipe - and also boasts the title of Best Curry I've Ever Made from the boys), Creamy Cajun Chicken, The Hash Brown Breakfast Roll, Million Dollar Spaghetti from the book and also the Leek and Potato Bake (which is also on the website) which I will have as a side to some home cooked ham. But I think what Mr G is most looking forward to is the Sausage and Egg Breakfast Muffins. They look delicious (apart from the cheese slice - and Mr G agrees - not with an egg) and can be frozen, making them an ideal breakfast for him to take into work and eat once they've opened up. You don't always feel like eating at 5.30 am - and I rarely feel like cooking at that time, but it would be easy enough taking one or two out of the freezer before bed, and then he can just stick it in the microwave at work. Ideal.  

That's my news. Let's see what nonsense 2022 brings.