Happiness Is ...

I wasn't feeling particularly happy this New Year's Day, though I did enjoy the New Year's Day concert from Vienna, remembering dancing to the music twenty-five years ago with my grandson in my arms. I thought the pastel floral displays with little greenery were rather disappointing and the Strauss (Space) Odyssey a bit weird.

The winter honeysuckle on Ollie dog's grave has come into bloom. Bittersweet. I'll be breathing in its beautiful scent and remembering her.

Our drains have been 'laughing' for a while. I knew the sewer was blocked but couldn't face dealing with it before Christmas, even though there was a terrible pong. Yesterday I took the bull by the horns and tackled it. I bailed out the overflowing manhole closest to the house and rodded the pipes. It was very hard work and I was covered in xxxx afterwards. I established that this time it's not the sewer in the road that is blocked. The other two manholes were free before I started work. In spite of my best efforts I didn't think I'd managed to clear the blockage properly and resolved to have another go at it.

I couldn't have been happier when Mish and I walked through the rain and I peered into the manhole today. Look at those pipes. Clean as a whistle! :)