It is cold and not very inviting outside, but I am happy to walk to the Post Office with another book order from Amazon. On their UK website it mostly shows as out of stock. I have posted 14 copies to them altogether. They can have as many as they want, I just wish they’d order them in time.
Outside spring is knocking on the door. Primroses are out, snowdrops emerging and the cyclamen, planted last year and a gift from my childhood home, are already flowering.
At lunchtime we walked our Christmas tree through the village to the local zoo, where the 
lions are unable to resist them.
This afternoon there were loud road-drilling noises on the road in front of our house. On investigation we discovered two very cheerful men from the Council busy digging out and spot filling some of the gargantuan potholes in our road. It really needs (needed four years ago) a new surface, but anything is better than nothing. After some joking, we took them a cup of tea and biscuits.
When one of the men returned the tray, he asked if I would be interested in selling my Nissan, Sunny. Now this is a battered, venerable (L Reg, 1993-94) workhorse, that goes on passing its MOT year after year and does all the heavy mucky jobs as well as getting me to Lindy hopping and other delights. It is scratched and dented, held together with gaffer tape, and grows moss around the windows. This guy collects these cars! I had to turn him down as I plan to run it until it eventually dies (which might be after I go, at the present rate).
Tonight I have a book group meeting to discuss Dear Lupin: Letters to a Wayward Son by Roger and Charlie (the son) Mortimer.
Green Writing Room 
Your flowers are always several weeks ahead of ours.
Love cyclamen. Have several cheering me up on the window ledge.
I’m not sure some of our hardier flowers ever stopped for winter this/last year. Cyclamen are the dearest souls.
The photo of the lion with the ex-Christmas tree is just wonderful! Do the lions simply play with the trees? Or eat them? Or …
They don’t eat them, they roll around and play and scratch and sniff. I have been told it’s a whole adventure for them as every tree brings with it the smell of the house it inhabited. I assume they are also nice and scratchy, from the way you see them play. The zoo has been doing this for the last three years and they are wheelbarrow walking distance from us.
What a wonderful discovery ! Imagine making the cast-offs useful , and to ANIMALS !| This is one of the happiest things I’ve heard about recycling ! 😀
Yes, it gets even better, they have so many trees brought to them now that they turn the extras into bio-fuel to heat the lions enclosure. You won’t be surprised to hear that this tiny zoo is a highly successful big-cat breeding centre.
Honestly, Hilary, I have yet to hear anything good of Amazon as a book-distributor-seller.
And I second Paula’s questions re the ex-xmas-trees …
I am being philosophical re Amazon… there’s not much choice. See above for lions!
I was surprised to hear that you posted copies of your book to Amazon. Must be a lot of work for you. But happy to hear that they were out of stock as it means your book is selling! 🙂
Amazon has to order stock from somewhere and Threadgold Press (that’s me) is the publisher and sole distributor. I have control of everything (a mixed blessing) and profits (not from Amazon, but anywhere else) are all mine. Most people now publish POD through Createspace, which I am sure is less hassle.
Happy days are to be treasured. When we look at how tragic life can be – as in France yesterday – these moments take on extra special value.
I almost didn’t post this. I had written it, then the news started to trickle in. I thought, damn it, the last thing I do is make it change my behaviour. You are right, we must hold on to what makes life good, in the face of those few (and in world terms they are few), who would make it worthless.
I have just finished reading Kissinger’s book on world order. His view of the future is quite bleak as we see more failed states and non-state organisations disrupt society. I fear the few may become many sooner than we would expect. But you are right. We should maintain our normal lives as far as we possibly can.
Great use for your tree quite unique. Hope you and you family had a lovely relaxing Christmas the time just flew by for us, I roped Matt and Tom into reading the roles of Adam and God. I’ve got all my exams this month too so 😳 keeping busy. Loved your car tale too my Grandads is just the same but a Kia.
Best of luck with Eve. I hope the libretto is as good as Flight (we bought this, it was so funny). Make sure it is videoed at the very least. I hope you’ve seen this http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/opera/9275552/Interview-composer-Jonathan-Dove-talks-about-his-new-opera-The-Walk-From-the-Garden.html
Such a fun blog, from the lions to the car. And yes, we need good news to counter-balance the bad. We have to laugh. Otherwise, the crazies win. Thanks. –Curt
You’re right, it was a happy day until the news started coming in, and what happened next can’t take that fun away, since it had already happened.
The lion draws all the attention 😀
I know, he looks so gentle you want to hug him.
He does 😀
You are kind giving the workmen a cup of tea. Lovely piece, I share your love of cyclamen, growing them under trees as they flower autumn and spring. They remind me of Italy.
Great lion story too! 🐞
Thank you. It was a day that kept throwing up surprises. The workmen joked about a cup of tea, so we thought it would be fun to give them one and they were very happy about that.
Aren’t you lucky! The cyclamen is my favourite flower. 🙂
Cyclamen are wonderful and grow where other flowers are unwilling to flourish, and they have pretty leaves too. I’m very fickle though; my favourite flower tends to be what’s at its best at the moment.
😀 I remember that you don’t like orchids 🙂
That’s true … and I am knocked out by your memory.
Lovely post: winter flowers, cups of teas and happy lions!
Yes it was one of those days, where things kept turning unexpected corners. (Though sadly it ended with the news of the massacre in france)