Reasons to be cheerful. One, Two. Three!

It's easy to dwell on the bad news and negative parts of life. It's far harder to those elements that enrich us and make it well worthwhile getting up in the morning and smiling.

So I got to thinking it would be good to look at my past 365 days and highlight the..... er, highlights!

1. My lovely daughter married her ideal man and I became a very proud father-in-law.
2. I became a 6th form exam invigilator and witnessed 1st hand how hard kids work these days and the stress they're under to succeed.
3. After 27 year we had all the carpets replaced with Axminster wool. It's like walking on air. Interestingly under the original carpet we found some newspaper sheets dated 1966!
4. At the end of March we became the doting owners of a cocker spaniel puppy. He's beautiful, smart, loyal, loves his cage at night and we love him.
5. This year we've holidayed in Tunisia (months before the massacre) and in the Canary Islands.
6. In October I'm going to the beautiful Gower Peninsular in South Wales with my cocker spaniel pup for a week. We'll walk for 5 days along the coast paths, coves and beaches and come back fit and refreshed. It'll be his first trip to Gower, but there'll be many more.
7. I put 11 bags of soil improver and conditioner in my garden for the first time in 27 years. As a result  my flowers, bushes and shrubs look amazing and even the soil looks dark and vibrant.
8. For the first time in 3 years I put in a number of tomato plants and they're just ripening now. The taste is dynamite! The secret is to pick them while they're still greenish but getting softer, then place them on a windowsill next to a banana. The black stem part of a banana has amazing ripening capabilities.
9. In June my son decided he'd like to take up golf. He is now armed with a bag, a full set of clubs and good golf shoes. He and I now play nearly every Monday and Wednesday and have a wonderful time. Christmas presents should be a breeze with the number of balls we lose.
10. I replaced my leaking shed, and although it took 2 1/2 months for the right parts to arrive. my garden tools are now dry for the first time in many, many months.
11. Book Three of the Temporal Detective Agency series is going along nicely and the first two, Leap of Faith and Trouble With Swords, are still selling well in shops. They are, of course, also available on Amazon, should you wish to treat yourselves! Have a look at http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=richard+hardie

Here's to the next 365 days. Have a good year!

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