Practice makes perfect

Had intended to do several things today, but achieved very little on a day that didn't go at all to plan!

Didn't set the alarm last night - well, it is the weekend - and we were eventually woken by Louie (our very old dog), who needed to go out. It didn't take long to realise that he wasn't feeling his usual self - shaking and breathing heavily, and he didn't want his breakfast, a sure sign that he's not well. He spent most of the morning sleeping, and MrM and I decided against going to Alnwick to do some Christmas shopping as planned so as not to leave Louie on his own for several hours - taking him with us would only stress him out. He seems much better this evening, and has eaten a little fresh cooked chicken...

So I did a little shopping locally and MrM's been in the workshop for some of the day. And Roy and Jean called round this afternoon on their way back home from Alnwick with a very belated house-warming present of home-made rhubarb jam.

I've even picked up my mandolin and played a couple of tunes - for the first time in, er, months. I should really make the effort to practise every day, but there never seems to be enough time. So I've forgotten most of the tunes I've learned in the past, and never succeeded in playing anything fast enough to play at a music session (though I've had the mandolin for almost 10 years - it's one of the first that MrM made). MrM has the occasional rant along the lines of "if you didn't spend so much time messing about with that camera...", but guess I'm much more enthusiastic about taking photos than making music...