A new year, a new beginning and so on and so on.

January 3rd was our 40th wedding anniversary and I got out my wedding dress to show a friend.  It was probably made about 1870  – for a very slim young thing.  Anyway, it’s still pretty. I photographed it on a chair that was probably made even earlier than that.

And here is the little nursing chair newly upholstered and restored thanks to my thoughtful daughter-in-law – with lovely putti doing cherubic things. This chair came from my grandparents’ house in Kent and was in my childhood bedroom. The little daffodil was a present from a friend.

Here is Robert’s work table cleared for the new year with a sketch of the cherub who made the very useful Lego pot-for-puting-things-in.

How one relishes the austerity of the clean and clear and fresh. Then thoughts about what to do with the lovely new year. Hmm….back to books and writing I think. I sorted out the book shelves a couple of months ago and tried a new system…

sorting by spine cover color – which makes for some very strange bedfellows indeed. The juxtapositions so odd they make one think anew. This is the red bit.

This is part of the black bit. Black seems to be the ‘it’ color both for book spines and New York clothing.

This is a messy bit that needs sorting out.

This is the blue and yellow bit. Yellow is the least used color. Needless to say, most of my best books have disappeared – pressed upon people who will probably never read them.

This year I will write down all the books I read  – something conscientious readers do.

New years always start with the very best of intentions.