On the fourth (and fifth) day of Christmas, I was reading...

On the fourth day of Christmas...

I was reading - The other Miss Perkins by Lorna Hill. I treated myself to the two latest Greyladies titles on the strength of the fact that I will be working 6 days a week next term, and this was one of them. The name Lorna Hill will be familiar to those who enjoy her ballet books. This is one of her two adult novels and was hugely enjoyable. If you enjoyed Miss Pettigrew or Mrs 'Arris goes to Paris then this tale of an ordinary woman to whom extraordinary things happen will also appeal.

I also went out for a training swim in the morning, and managed to complete 3km (120 lengths) in about an hour, which I was very pleased with, although my shoulders hurt at the end. Doing a 10k swim next September suddenly seems do-able.

In the afternoon we went out to Rumsey's Chocolate Shop for hot chocolate and then had an evening of nice food (I have been doing lots of yummy cooking, not just baking for once!) and some television. In bed, I read Emma's Island, which was one of the children's books that I picked up on my latest trip to the Books and Comics exchange in Notting Hill.

On the fifth day of Christmas...

I wasn't reading at all. Not in the morning when I woke up with flu. I had a dreadful cough yesterday evening and overnight it turned into achiness, feeling sick, headache and sore throat as well - flu pretty much. I have made it out of bed now, and onto the sofa, and as far as the computer so I am at least feeling a bit better than I was first thing. The lengths one goes to do get out of seeing the in-laws again!! Still, it is a grey day so I guess being stuck inside doesn't matter too much. I may yet get a book out - I have a lovely book, The Queen's Dolls House, which is full of beautiful pictures, so I may have a look at that. As I'm feeling below par, I'll cut and paste the description from Amazon:
The Queens Dolls House is one of the largest, most beautiful, and most famous dolls houses in the world. Created for Queen Mary in the early 1920s by the renowned architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, it is a perfect replica of an aristocratic Edwardian residence, complete in every way from the wine-cellar, with its store of tiny bottles, each containing a thimbleful of vintage wine, to the library, with its exquisite volumes of original works by authors such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Thomas Hardy and EdithWharton. This most magical of dolls houses also has a garden designed by Gertrude Jekyll, a garage full of miniature limousines, and running water, electricity and working lifts. Each room, from the servants bedrooms to the grand saloon, is fully furnished in every way, and waiting to be explored.


I think that has convinced me to return to the sofa and put my feet up...