And as the sun rises in the East we get another wonderful splash of colour, although the actual sun is hidden behind a cloud bank.

And now half an hour later we have approaching blue skies, so it looks like it will be a sunny day. Let us hope the day continues in this style.

Yesterday I managed to complete my week-end shopping trip with no great complications. On my list was paper for our printer. I usually get a pack of paper, but they had a special offer at the store with 3 packs, 40% cheaper, so of course I made the most of it. Lifting the heavy pack into the trolley was no big deal, but afterwards the exertions of putting it in the car boot were quite strenuous. Needless to say when I arrived home I left the pack in the garage and son No. 1 fetched it afterwards. I already had a 5 Kg bag full of bird food on my walker. It is logistic organisation to get my shopping from the garage, via lift of course, into our apartment on the next floor. I put one bag into the walker in the walker and two bags, one on the right, the other on the left, balancing on the surface platform of the walker. It is all a matter of practice.

They have a little game at the store at the moment. When you have paid for your purchases  you take the receipt and scan the bar code into the machine. The picture turns and stops somewhere. If you are lucky it will stop at one of the special signs where you win something, otherwise you get nothing. I had a win this week for a 2x cumulus points meaning I get double points for my purchase. When I used the token yesterday it seems I could add to it with another 2x point token as it was a special win. Normally you cannot apply more than one coupon, so I was quite happy with my quadruple points. In the days of shopping with Mr. Swiss I never made a stop at this machine when it was available as he found not worth the time wasted. I have discovered there are certain advantages shopping solo in this respect. Men are so impatient.

Just look at my two poinsettias. I bought them mid November and they still have their wonderful coloured leaves: at last success. They usually lose all the bracts by mid December, but we now have January and they are sill almost perfect. Now and again they might lose a single leaf. I have really been handling them with kid gloves. Only water them once a week and keep them out of draughts and cold temperatures. It seems to have paid off.  I am so proud of these two plants.

And so I will go on my housewife paths today. A little bit of tidying up, some cooking, and if I feel like it perhaps a little journey into town this afternoon, or to the local castle to break out of the normal routine.

No great closeup bird photos today. The crows all seem to be sitting in the top branches of a local tree

Have a good week-end begin and hope everything is well at your end.