Wowee.  That was a long day.

If like me, it was your first day back at work after the Christmas break, well done – we made it!  I do admit though, it wasn’t quite lunch time before I was ‘just looking for a bit of holiday inspiration’ on line.  In my defence, this was partly to save my sanity and give myself a distraction from the eleventy billion emails that were jostling for space in my inbox, and partly because I was trying to wish myself warm.

Because, in anticipation of those eleventy billion emails, I worked from home (with no distractions I had a chance of getting through them in one day.  It also meant that I didn’t have to get up in what now feels like the middle of the night).  The downside of this is that I work from my conservatory when I work from home, partly because I love looking out the huge window, even if it is only onto my tiny garden:

But mostly because its the only place I can’t hear my neighbours.  I did think about staying in the lounge this morning but there was an argument going on next door.  I was tempted to let them know if they left out all the variations of f*ck they seemed very partial to, the time spent shouting would be halved, but frankly, I don’t have the balls.  So instead, I turned on the heating out here for an hour before I sat at my desk by which time it had reached a grand 2.4 degrees (36 and a bit if you use old money):

But this is ok, because I have Sisters and friends who know me and my toadness well and for Christmas bought me keeping warm things.  Under my tracksuit bottoms I am wearing furry lined leggings that Sister 1 gave me.  They are like large teddy bears hugging your legs.  On my feet I have socks so thick that I think they are about the same tog level as my duvet.  These were from the Lovely Nut.  I’ve had problems bending my elbows with a thermal vest, polo neck, hoody (hood up) and sweatshirt and typing was a little tricky with gloves, but combined with the final piece in my toad armour I have made it through the day without becoming an iced Pog.  That final piece? Sister 2 gave me this:

(The long light brown thing demonstrating its size next to Norman).  It’s the worlds biggest hot water bottle and it has ties one end and a loop the other so you can tie it to yourself!  How genius is that?!

It’s a good job  – it’s still only 11.6 degrees in here, but the rest of the house feels pretty much tropical with all these clothes on.  Maybe I didn’t need to look up sunshine online…maybe I just needed to add a few more layers and stand in the kitchen to get that holiday feeling :o)