As I sit writing this in glorious sunshine it is difficult to remember just how cold it was in November and December. Our house is all back to normal and the garden is looking just great. Just as a reminder below is a picture of our road taken on the 18th December 2010. Thank goodness my supply of logs was delivered just before the snow started.

Looking good now but this is what it looked like in January The house is now back to normal the builders completing their work on the 5th September. So here are a few before and after pictures. First the bathroom and below the kitchen. Kitchen after flood Kitchen Restored It is nice to be back to a normal life.

The end of 2009 and the start of 2010 covered a range of emotions from extreme happiness to absolute despair. I will start with a happy event in September. My son and daughter in law had their (I hope) first child, a beautiful little boy, so naturally I was suffering from acute proud grandfather syndrome.

This is the first real winter we have had since we came to South Petherton. Both the multi fuel stoves have been earning their keep certainly for January and February. The garden thermometer went down to -10 and then came the snow. We were fortunate that we did not have as much as some places but then apart from the main street in the village their was little sign of gritting anywhere else so the roads became very slippery.

Been a bit of a while since I posted anything. After struggling for a for a few years with my painful knees I gave up on the NHS and when to see a consultant privately in Bristol. I don't think he was too impressed he said my right knee needed a full replacement immediately and the left knee if it had been treated when I first went to the NHS could have been a partial replacement but now also needed a full replacement.