RANDOM JOTTINGS

I am likely to be a Random visitor on Random in the coming weeks.   My daughter Helen is awaiting the birth of her little girl and we are all hopping around waiting for the telephone call that she is on her way.  I have my own Hospital Case in the boot of my car all ready with necessities I will need and can set off as soon as I receive the word that I am wanted.  I am keeping my diary clear for the next few
weeks and it is all very exciting, if a tad nerve wracking. Florence arrived unexpectedly early so the first I knew about her birth was when Helen called me early one morning and I heard this little squeaking and snuffling and she said 'Mum here is your granddaughter'.  A moment never to be forgotten.

I was in London at the weekend looking after Florence so that her parents could attend a wedding in Oxford and they set off complete with bag just in case Helen went into labour at the reception, but, thankfully, the bride and groom were spared the disruption.  I did not rest easy until they were both back in doors.

Florence is growing apace and her communication skills are really excellent and we can sit and have nice, chatty conversations and she is just a darling.   A friend of mine and her granddaughter came round in the afternoon and, after initial shyness, they got on well and it was lovely to see them together.  I kept Florence up fairly late as well so that when she went to bed she crashed out in a few minutes and, best of all, did not wake up until 7.30 am the next morning so that her parents could have a decent sleep.  Cunning grandma…..

I have also been visiting my sister in the last week in Quorn, Leicester and just chilling.  Met up with Hayley from the lovely blog Desperate Reader for a cup of tea as well and it is always good to see her and catch up. I have made so many friends through blogging and it is getting to the stage now where I could go to any city or town in the UK and probably be able to find a kindred spirit living there.  

One thing I did while with Judith is to learn how to do Killer Soduku.   I have been doing these puzzles for years now and have graduated to the Difficult and Fiendish but have always sheered away from the Killer variety, but as Jude is addicted I asked her to show me how to do it.  Impossible to learn just by reading the rules.   So she showed me and I then spent the next few days filling in numbers and muttering under my breath 'Well if it is 4 then the two boxes must be 3 and 1 and if it is 17 then it is 9 and 7……" and now I am HOOKED.   After Florence was in bed the other night out came by little book and a cup of tea and propped up in bed with pencil and rubber and calculating like mad.   Huge fun and as I have recently read an article saying that as one gets older just doing a crossword puzzle a day as you get older can keep your mind alive and keep you fitter longer, I have now decided I don't need to run a marathon I can just sit in my armchair and get healthy……yes I know.

Not done much reading in the last few days but am halfway through Stranger in the Room by Kyle Williams, the second in a series of thrillers set in Atlanta. I reviewed the author's debut novel last year and thought it was very good and this one is shaping up nicely as well.

Then I have a historical novel on the go, The Venetian Contract by Marina Fiorati, another author I have reviewed earlier, and am enjoying this as well, so hoping I can get a review or two up soon.

BUT as I said, posts may be scrappy and a bit hit and miss in the coming month while I wait to be a Grandma AGAIN- YAY!!!!