Life, lately - sunsets, open spaces and the flu

It's been a strange winter - very mild with hardly a drop of rain. The last time it rained properly, aside from a sprinkling or two, was on December 13th. I remember it distinctly because my son was camping and I was worried that he and his friends would get cold and wet. It's been, mostly, a very mild winter all over Europe, until storm Ciara wreaked havoc across a number of countries yesterday. But the forecast for Malta remains fair.

Leaving the disappointingly mild and dry weather aside, here's a little of what I've been up to lately.

The January sales

I  went to Valletta one evening after work, right after the new year, ostensibly 'to shop'. The sales were a flop, as they usually are in this country, since the most recent merchandise seems to disappear off the shelves on the day the discounts start and is replaced by old stock. After halfheartedly traipsing around a couple of stores, I decided that Valletta was much more interesting and walked around snapping a few photos with my new phone. It's a Moto G7 plus and it's a great budget phone with an excellent camera that gives good results in low light. This window display at Grain restaurant really caught my eye. It's made out of menus which I thought was really original and the final effect quite stunning.

The weekend after my failed 'shopping spree' in Valletta I did buy 2 sweaters from Debenhams at The Point in Sliema. One, from Danish fashion brand ONLY, is black, fluffy, tight-fitting and reminds me of cat fur (!). The other is black and ivory, chunkier and by British brand Principles. Principles went out of business some time ago but was revived by Debenhams and designer Ben de Lisi in 2010. Principles is a great brand and I have a couple of sweaters that are about 10 years old but look as good as new. My intention this year was to donate an item for every one I buy but, so far, I've only managed to remove one item from my closet.

Open spaces

On one windy Sunday afternoon we drove to nearby Fomm ir-Rih to enjoy the open vista of the Mediterranean sea. It's a sight I never tire of and which always calms me down. We are so transient and the sea is so everlasting that, just by looking at it, all my petty problems become insignificant.

On a different Sunday at the end  of January, I took the road that leads out of our town to the valley beneath. In the late 19th century, the British had built a series of reservoirs and dams in the valley that feed off of the water that runs-off from the nearby fields and hills. They are named Chadwick Lakes after the British engineer that designed them, Osbert Chadwick. The place is pretty enough in winter, although all non-indigenous trees have been recently uprooted and it's looking rather bare and forlorn at the moment. The stream and reservoir are full of water at the moment but, by June, not a drop will be left, unless we have a particularly wet spring (which is unlikely, but hope is the last to die).

The dreaded flu

My son got sick right at the end of January. He ran a very high fever for around 3 days and had the most nasty cough but, thankfully, he recovered just in time for his exams. Luckily, my company offers the option to work from home when the need arises, so I was able to nurse him. And he can be quite demanding as he loves to be pampered. Most of my friends seem to agree that boys (and men) are like that when they are sick, so I guess he's no exception.

Keeping it simple on Sunday

Without meaning to, I started a new hashtag on Instagram #keepingitsimpleonsunday. My aim is to share a photo of a flower accompanied by a quote or a piece of poetry to try and brighten up everyone's Sunday - including mine, since the thought of the looming work week usually dampens my spirits. Please feel free to use it. Sundays should be about the pursuit of simple things and I would love to see what you come up with.

Reading update

By the end of January I had read 4 out of the stack of 24 books that I aim to read in 2020, which means that I am well on track. I also started a fifth book 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' by Thomas Hardy but am finding it hard going. So I've decided to just read a chapter or two a day from 'Tess'. I'm about half way through and I hope I will finish it by the end of March.

My birthday

As you all know, I celebrated my birthday in January and my husband and I had a great date night out and a delicious meal at Guze' Bistro. Other than that, it was very low key, but I was blessed with a few very spectacular sunsets in the days leading up to my birthday. I happened to be peeling vegetables when I looked up and spied this beauty.

Reducing plastic

If you've read this post you'll know that reducing plastic is one of my targets and, although it's not as easy as I thought, I managed to find a shop in Rabat, Usasfuso, where clients can take their empty detergent bottles and get them re-filled. It's a generic detergent but it's getting the job done so that works for me.

I didn't really mean to ramble on for so long but when I started to write, the words just seemed to flow. Sometimes I have a hard time knowing when to stop. But that's not always a bad thing. With January behind us, the days are getting longer and the promise of spending more time outdoors gets more enticing. Was your January pretty uneventful, like mine? Do tell. I'd love to know.