THINKING BACK

I can't believe that we've only been in our new, wonderful house for four months. As I type this, I am sitting on a comfortable sofa in my sunny front living room, surrounded by a few well-loved possessions and photos, and those dark winter nights in our grubby student flat seem very far in the past.


(I tried to take a cute/artistic photo of myself to put here, but apparently I look very dorky in cute/artistic photos, so you'll have to settle with this very conventional shot of a happy blogger)

We are lucky that since we've moved into the new place, I've also started a job that I enjoy (with much more social working hours than my retail position) and the weather has drastically improved. It's always more fun - and easy - to go out or have people over if one doesn't have to cycle home in the dark while being pelted by blowing rain. We have the space, now, to really entertain, and a kitchen that is conveniently located so that I can cook and chat with guests at the same time (the kitchen in our student flat was located at the very back of the house, 30+ feet away from the front room, which was the only area for people to sit down). I have a garden to play in, and blooming flowers that I can cut (did I mention FROM MY OWN GARDEN!!??) and have throughout the house. We've even acquired a few select kitchen gadgets such as a food processor that allows us to prepare more of the food we were used to back home (on the menu tonight: homemade potato and leek soup).

It's days like today that make me feel guilty about the other days, those days when I throw myself a pity party because I miss home and all my family and friends in other places. How can I be so lucky - and I readily acknowledge how fortunate a person I am - and dare to have grumpy moods? I feel a bit greedy wanting this charmed life in Cambridge, and to be surrounded by those dearest to me, too.