New beginings

I have soaked my water beads, all these are from just one small packet.

Overnight they grew huge in size.

The light catches them, these were dark green in the packet. 

 I have removed some water beads from the vase and placed tulip bulbs on top

I put them away in a cool dark place.

 The 5th bud is opening on my Amaryllis

plus I think there is a second bud showing from the bulb.

 I love these flowers

So another year has passed, so many have said 2016 has been a terrible year, so many famous wonderful people have departed, closer to us, we lost our lovely neighbour Win.
We have had ups and downs, but in the main with youngest daughters wedding early April and then her pregnancy (due in 6 weeks), we have loads to look back on. To sum our year, it's been good, it could have been better.
Hubby and I stayed in together last night, our cats were OK with all the fireworks outside, we enjoyed London's firework show on the TV.
Now we look forward, I don't make resolutions, finding your lifestyle balance should not start one day each year, for me it's a long journey, which counts each day of my life, I make mistakes, take wrong turnings, but I stay along the path. So this year like many others, I won't be changing much, just trying to live a clean healthy simple life, avoiding waste and excess, enjoying our choices.
Each January I weigh myself, and note the figure in the front of my diary, I am pleased to see I only increased by 2 pounds on January 2016, and only 3 pounds on January 2015. I do loose a few pounds, which I manage each summer only to put it back on later in the year.
So now I want to finish a few stitching projects, I have books to read, and I would like to start making clothes again, I have ordered double ended needles  to knit my 1st ever pair of socks.