My winter garden. December 2025 - January 2026

Nothing has been done in the garden since mid November. I'm sure things could've been planted. I could be preparing beds, but I'm not that invested. Gardening for me is fun, it's not meant to be a chore and I'm not trying to be self sufficient. Besides, it's not a big garden and I don't have space for heated greenhouses or windowsills indoors that I can grow seedlings on.

I've been enjoying sitting outside in the mornings before going to work either with a cup of tea or coffee, but it's usually dark so I've been making the most of catching some sun on the weekends.

When we had our first floor flat in Monmouth where we stayed when we were visiting the UK, we didn't have a garden, but it was only a short walk from the River Monnow and was such a pretty place to sit with a mug of tea in the mornings. I'd often sit with a blanket wrapped round me on the tips in the winter also.

Sadly after the floods in early December the town suffered badly and the ground floor of the flats were flooded badly. This was a week after the flooding.

Santa stopped by with his snowy boots on Christmas Eve and it took almost 2 weeks for the (icing sugar) snow to disappear.

The real snow came soon enough though on January 3rd. we have raised the front lawn ready to plant a hedge in the spring, but the soil has settled quite a bit so we'll be bringing in more soil that had piled up after building work in the back garden to finish levelling it off once the weather warms up, so we may have to delay the hedge row planting till the early summer, but it'll give the hedge cutting a little longer to establish themselves after they come out from under protection after the winter.

You wouldn't believe this was the same day, later in the afternoon. Just look at that blue sky. There are buds on the fruit trees.

We lost the fleece covering from the Bay Tree while we were away over the New Year, it must've blown over the fence. It seems to be doing ok without the fleece and we've seen many potted Basils without fleeces in various National trust and English Heritage sites.

The cloche and cold frame are doing their job and the herbs are doing well despite the cold.

Parsley, basil, fennel, coriander all of which we've been able to sue throughout the winter months.

Both the memorial roses we were gifted for Stephanie are doing well. Both are in pots. One was in it's 2nd year so ok to keep outside without any cover, one hadn't had chance to harden off so it was advised to cover it and put it in a green house for it's first winter.

Again, more clear blue skies on January 7th, despite warnings of Storm Goretti.

January 8th. After an hours worth of snowfall.

We had a gift from our granddaughter at Christmas of a bulb in a pot. We are now assuming it's a daffodil.

The house plants are doing well. 

As our the cacti we brought back from Dubai that used to grow in our garden. We've kept them small on purpose as it was quite a vicious plant and not suitable to grow out of control in a house where small children come to visit.

One of babies that we've cultivated in the UK.

There are some plants, mainly succulents that were potted up for the winter and left under semi cover, along with some house plants that had seen better days, that actually look like they've survived the coldest winter months, that will probably come back with a little TLC.

How is your garden holding up during the winter?

Week 2 2026 - One Daily Positive and Project 365

The not so positives

I'm behind with my marathon training due to the flu. 

The positives   

Learning to identify and deal with triggers.

It's lovely to drive home in the daylight.

Enjoying Traitors.

Off to a good start with my fundraising for my marathon in Brighton in April.

Saturday 10th January We decided we needed a metaphysical day with Stephanie and despite me not feeling well we headed over to Gloucester for a coffee in Starbucks and a wander around the town remembering the happy times and the places we took Stephanie, it did us both good, despite it bringing a few tears. I cooked a fish pie when we got home and listened to Birmingham in the FA Cup. We rearranged some furniture in the loft rooms and had a video call with our grandsons. I had an early night.

Sunday 11th Still under the weather so a lazy morning watching Match of the Day and chatting on WhatsApp with son in Australia and catching up with blog comments and drinking coffee in the warm. Peter went for a walk along the Malvern Hills and rang me when he was nearly finished so I could drive into town and pick him up. I needed to stock up with cat food and we had a coffee. Home to cook a roast chicken and portion up some dinners for me for a few days and type up some mentoring reports from last week. A bit more organising in the loft room and the evening in front of the TV. The Christmas bedding went back on the bed.

Monday 12th Back to work, I covered PE most of the day and some mentoring. Peter moved the bed up to the loft the room and we moved a reclining chair from the lounge into the 1st floor bedroom. Now on the look out for a cot/bed on Facebook market place. Seen a few but no rush as we've still got a travel cot. This used to be child 4's bedroom and I've been using it as a craft room since we came back to the UK. Granddaughter was excited to the see her new sleeping space on a video call. After dinner I watched some soaps and went to bed early to read.

Tuesday 13th A good day in work, quite a mixture. A good chat with the Head about how I've settled in. Home and plonked myself down in front of the TV, finished tidying and cleaning the two new bedrooms and started emptying the 2nd loft room with stuff for the charity shop and the tip. I watched some TV and went to bed early to read. 

Wednesday 14th Work was good, all day in Science and some mentoring. Home late, picked Peter up and managed a coffee out, but the rest of the afternoon and evening was spent on the sofa blogging and watching TV after tea and a bath and into bed at 9pm. I stopped on my way to work to take a photo of the sky.

Thursday 15th Work and home. So tired. Literally sat on the sofa watching quiz shows, scrolling through my phone and snacking. I had a bath, watched Traitors and was in bed at 9pm.

Friday 16th A really foggy drive to work. Been given some extra responsibility and got a new laptop from IT as the keyboard was too large and hurting my wrists. Straight to the nail bar for an infill and new colour after work. Really loving my acrylics, they lasted 4 weeks. Posted son’s birthday card for next week. Home at 6.30pm. Had dinner, got stuff ready for my walk on Sunday, had a bath and settled down for Traitors.

Louise - I wonder if our paths crossed in and around Portsmouth over the New Year, but with everyone wrapped up so warm no one was really identifiable.

Kim - Well done on spotting me at the football. My friend struggled this week.

Emma - I can assure you the cat is super comfy in the kids bean bag.

On the blog this week:

Post Comment Love - Link up with any post written this week

Word of the week - Preparation

Days out in the campervan in December 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Post Comment Love 16th - 18th January 2026

Welcome back to #PoCoLo with Stephanie from Bosworth.Life and I.

Post Comment Love #PoCoLo is a friendly weekly linky where you can link up any blog post you've written this week. If you're new or a regular visitor we're sure you'll find something of interest.

Please leave a comment with the host you link up with and we'd also appreciate your help spreading the #PoCoLo word on Twitter/X tag us and we'll RT. You can find us here: Stephanie - @BosworthLife and Suzanne - @ChickenRuby Please also add our badge to your post.

I'll be catching up with reading your posts, sharing and commenting over the next few days. 

We're well into January and before you know it, it'll be Christmas again. I know, there is so much to do before then and I'm not rushing to get through the year. It's unlike me not to have big plans for 2026, but I'm waiting to hear whether I'm successful with being a volunteer at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow before I go booking our summer holiday trip. I've just completed the second round of online questionnaires.

I've an ultra challenge later this month, a walking marathon in London.

February - A trip to Northern Ireland to see our grandsons. It's also Stephanie's birthday and I'm feeling apprehensive about it already.

Easter - Northern Ireland again and I'm running the Brighton Marathon in memory of Stephanie.

June - My cousin is getting married in Brighton.

July/August Commonwealth Games? and maybe South Africa.

October - Northern Ireland and the anniversary of Stephanie's death.

Christmas - We're planning on going abroad again - somewhere hot this year.

I've got my reading challenge well under way with 2 books down of the 52 I plan to read and I've 59 books to choose from on the top 2 shelves that will be added to by my mum and my cousin and I'm sure I'll pick up several from charity shops and the National Trust as the year goes on. There's also the Book Club I've joined in work. There are some classics hidden in there waiting to be read and I've inherited the complete works of Charles Dickens from my mum to plough my way through as well as rejoining the local library.

Do you have big plans for 2026 or are you just plodding through the year with a few ideas seeing what comes up?

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Word of the week - Preparation

I've been under the weather since Boxing Day and I've been a bit foolish with dosing myself up on meds going to several football matches, going away over the New Year and even doing a parkrun on New Years Day and I ended up with the flu, a hacking cough, had a couple of migraines and even lost my voice. I went back to work on the 5th of January for the morning only then was off for two days. We then had a snow day, followed by a lazy weekend and then went back to work.

I'm still not 100%, but I'm getting there slowly.

Normally I can manage a day at work and out for coffee, the gym or a run and a couple of hours pottering around the house and weekends are spent at the football, housework, visiting, out shopping, work in the garden, a longer run, the gym or a combination of all the above. But since the new year I've either just managed to get myself dressed and feed myself or go to work or just go out.

My word of the week should have been UNWELL, but as I'm trying to focus on the positive I've gone with PREPARATION. Whilst I can't run or go to the gym I can do quite a few other things to prepare for my marathon on April the 12th.

I've already signed up to an Ultra Challenge on the 24th January in London the Winter Walk which is a Marathon walk which I'm aiming to complete in under 8 hours. I need to complete the Brighton Marathon in under 8 hours to get a medal and as well as running in memory of Stephanie and raising funds for Bowel research UK, I want to get a medal for myself. 

So this weekend I've signed up for an end to end walk over the Malvern Hills. An 11 mile walk with an elevation of 900ms/3000ft to be completed in 5 hours.

Whilst I was at my worst I was able to write a couple of birthday cards and letters that needed sending the first half of January and a gift for the neighbours son that was dropped round yesterday. We went out for a couple of hours last weekend and I picked up a couple of gifts for February birthdays and some gifts to send to my son and his girlfriend in Australia and there is a pile of cards and gifts in the hall waiting to be posted. 

Over the past week Peter and I also moved furniture around and I'm now sharing my craft room in the loft with a single bed so when our granddaughter and eldest grandson come to stay we have room or the cot for their younger sibling to sleep over in their own room, eventually we will purchase a toddler bed for when they outgrow the travel cot.

We've now prepared room in the lounge to move stuff out the other loft room to get rid of stuff for the charity shop and the tip and then we will have room to finally sort though and upload some of my late father's stuff onto eBay along with some stamps that I’d sorted through and researched previously that need to go down to Stanley Gibbons in London after already making some initial enquiries.

I'd set up a Vinted account that I've been selling some baby clothes on from my DIL prior to Christmas and I'm going to upload some vintage clothing  from the 1930's that belonged to my Gran up to the 1980's that I used to wear.

Unfortunately whilst preparing the room above the other loft room is now a bit of a mess, but there's no rush to get it sorted.

I'm linking up with Annie over at Raisie Bay with my Word of the Week.

Days out in the campervan in December

Yes, I managed a nights camping in the van in December. I was cold and actually snowing when I pulled up in the Cotswolds and set up after work on a Friday night.

A little bit of benga takes place while I set up the van, much easier when there is only one of you.

My work stuff gets packed into this bag and placed onto the front seat out the way.

When I camp on my own I just pack my clothes straight into the wardrobe.

Whilst I waited for my friend Chrissie to join me, I cooked some soup for my dinner.

Directions given were 'turn right at the toilet block and drive straight on till you see the Christmas tree, I'm the pitch just after that'

Thankfully the shower block was heated and as always spotless.

The dry robe and yellow welly crocs are shared by all van users for bathroom runs, you don't mind going outside when you're properly wrapped up.

Filling the van with water and plugging the electricity in seems a big effort for just one night, but is so worth it as it saves going out in the cold and wet to wash up and it means we could run the heating all night.

There were a few house chores to be done after the trip, cleaning the fridge and replacing all the towels.

Removing everything that is likely to go out of date and restocking tea, coffee and sugar for day trips.

And making sure the water tanks both fresh and waste have been emptied correctly to ensure nothing freezes over the coldest months and valves have been properly closed.

I'm not sure there will be any camping in January as we have a weekend away booked in a hotel, but I may try and sneak in a trip the last weekend for a parkrun.

Week One 2026 - One Daily Positive and Project 365

I want to start with a big thank you to you all for dragging me through 2025 with your comments, messages and love.

The positive                                                                        The not so positive

I've been able to rest and recover.                                        I've had the flu and time off work.

I was able to get an appointment with my GP on                Desperately missing Stephanie.
the same day.

The Christmas decorations came down with ease.

Birmingham beat Coventry 3-2. Chatting to my son
on WhatsApp throughout the game.

We've had snow.

I caught up with 3 weeks worth of blog comments.

Thursday 1st January Up and a 30 minute walk to Southsea for a parkrun. I was cold on arrival, it was a straight 1.5 run, turn round and run back. I wasn't feeling it, I couldn't judge the distance. The wind was in my face all the way back and I gave up and walked. I was chivvied along by a guy in a wheel chair and we finished together. A cold and miserable 30 minute walk back. I had breakfast, got changed and we walked into Portsmouth. Had a coffee, back to the Quays, to the sea front, I had an ice cream, we played on the 2p slots, back to the hotel, watched Birmingham lose 3-0, then I went to watch a firework and drumming event back in Southsea while Peter stayed in the hotel, which cheered me up, despite a bitterly cold 50 minute return walk, we had dinner in the hotel, a couple of drinks and an early night.

Friday 2nd January Woke with a migraine and a heavy chesty cough and cold, Peter has been under the weather for a couple off days and hasn't moved far from the hotel. We shared the driving home after a light breakfast, unpacked, made some soup and just bedded down for the afternoon and evening.

Saturday 3rd January I was so ill I didn't get dressed yet alone leave the house. We woke to a thin layer of snow and it was so cold. Peter went to Worcester to do a food shop. I spent the whole day taking down the Christmas decorations, which are now sitting in boxes behind the sofa. I managed to drink loads of fluids and after a nap late afternoon I had something to eat. Evening spent on the sofa watching Big Fat Quiz of the year. Had a bath and was in bed by 8pm and asleep quickly.

Sunday 4th January Dosed up on meds and wrapped up warm I caught the train to Birmingham to the football. I met 3 guys from Portugal who were going to the game and asked for information, I offered to show them the bus stop, the club shop and to their gate, they said yes as they wanted to make the most of the day. They were great company and as they were seated near me anyway and I wanted to go to the shop it was no hassle for me and it saved them a long walk to the ground. We won 3-2. I got the train home, had dinner, a bath and re watched the game. Several friends had spotted me on ITV and Sky. I was in bed by 8pm.

Monday 5th January Back to work for an inset day, roads were clear of snow and ice once I got off the drive until I got to work. It was cold and I didn't take my coat off. I really wasn't well and made it till lunch time before going home. I managed to get an appointment at the Doctors at 3pm and picked up some medication, home, bath and watched the new Knives out movie, before going to bed at 9pm. I managed to get some proper sleep.

Tuesday 6th January Had a lie in after calling work to say I wouldn't be in, my voice has almost gone. Spent the morning under the duvet in the back room reading, then back to bed for a sleep and pretty much spent the day like this. Watched some more of Stranger Things then caught up with Eastenders and Corriedale, bath and in bed by 9pm.

Wednesday 7th January Another day in bed, unwell. TV watched, book read. Cat has claimed the grandchildren’s bean bag as her own.

Thursday 8th January Still not well but back to work now the coughing has eased. Day spent mentoring. Peter and I walked down for my B12 jab then went for a coffee and walked back in the snow. Evening spent in the warm in front of the TV.

Friday 9th January There was still snow on the ground when I woke up, but not enough to consider it dangerous to drive on. however, the school where I work is rural so school was closed. There was some online training which I completed but I was unable to access my remote files as there was a power cut in school for most of the day, so I'll catch up over the weekend. We went out for coffee and did a food shop. Work started on making one of the loft rooms into a bedroom for the oldest grandchild in each family when they come to stay. 

On the blog this week:

Word of the Week - Running away from 2025 and into 2026 and into a Marathon 

Post Comment Love - A friendly link with Bosworthlife & I where you can link up with any post written in the week

What I read in 2025

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Post Comment Love 9th - 11th January 2026

Welcome back to #PoCoLo and 2026 with Stephanie from Bosworth.Life and I.

Post Comment Love #PoCoLo is a friendly weekly linky where you can link up any blog post you've written this week. If you're new or a regular visitor we're sure you'll find something of interest.

Please leave a comment with the host you link up with and we'd also appreciate your help spreading the #PoCoLo word on Twitter/X tag us and we'll RT. You can find us here: Stephanie - @BosworthLife and Suzanne - @ChickenRuby Please also add our badge to your post.

I'll be catching up with reading your posts, sharing and commenting over the next few days. 

We had a pre Christmas visit from the family in Northern Ireland.

We took our granddaughter to the panto and then her dad, mum and baby brother joined us for a christingle service on Christmas Eve, the day itself, then hubby entertained on Boxing Day and I went to the football.

We went to Portsmouth for the New Year and I did a parkrun on New Years Day at Southsea.

All the decorations are down, there's been snow and I'm back in work. It feels like Christmas and the New Year was a long time ago now.

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and here's to a prosperous 2026.

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Running away from 2025 and into 2026 and a Marathon. Bowel Research UK

On October 7th 2024 our 36 year old daughter Stephanie died, the end of 2024 passed in a blur. We went through most of 2025 in shock, in a daze, grieving, going through all the firsts, nothing getting easier, just a little more prepared to handle the bumps in the road, with a network of friends helping us navigate our way.

Marking the first anniversary of Stephanie's death was a turning point. I wanted to do something in Stephanie's memory and the one thing Stephanie could do for herself with total independence was to walk. So I signed up for an Ultra Challenge as close to the anniversary as I could and walked 15 miles across the Chilterns.

I trained whilst we were out in Australia visiting one of Stephanie's brothers who had flew home briefly for her funeral and we'd not seen for almost a year, I delayed starting my new job by 2 months.

Whilst in Australia we visited the MONA Museum in Tasmania to see the Poo Machine and I've used every opportunity I've had to promote Bowel Research UK who I'm raising awareness and fundraising for  as Stephanie died from Bowel Ischaemia. It causes around 3000 deaths a year in the UK and is almost impossible to diagnose.

On World Mental Health Day October 10th 2025, I signed up to the Brighton Marathon and started the Couch to 5k. 4 weeks later on November 8th 2025 I took part in my first parkrun at Chippenham Playing Fields in Monmouth. The following week the town was devastated by flooding but I was back at the parkrun on December 20th and on New Years Day I took part in one at Southsea.

I've joined a gym for endurance training and I run 2-3 times a week. I haven't run more than 5k, but I have been able to run/walk 9k and I've been mostly walking/running the Malvern Hills. On Wednesday I'm going along to my first running club evening.

I'm taking part in another Ultra Challenge in London walking a marathon on January 24th. My aim is to complete the route in under 8 hours, as the Brighton Marathon has a cut off of 8 hours to get a medal and along with raising funds and awareness that is my goal.

Please share my fundraising page

Please share this post

Please share our story to help raise awareness of Bowel Research UK

I'd love it if you'd come running with me, if you have any training tips to share.

If you have any ideas to help me raise funds please let me know.

All help and support is welcome. I'm going to need it.

I’m linking up with Anne from Raisie Bay for Word of the Week.