Hello! I hope you’ve had a very lovely Christmas. Ours was ‘different’. I managed to fracture my right wrist on 22nd December (ice-skating) which pulled me up short and I’ve spent the days since mostly in a fog of painkillers, not being able to do very much at all. The fracture is a tricky one and I have to try to keep my arm raised and as still as possible (but keep wiggling my fingers) if I’m to avoid an operation. Various festive plans were abandoned and I had to resign myself to letting go (which is not easy if you have slight control and perfectionist tendencies!). Then my poor mother-in-law, who was staying with us, succumbed to a nasty flu-like virus on Boxing Day and retired to bed. She’s still not properly better but is recovering. David has coped magnificently with all the catering and general looking-after and the kids have been great (wrapping each other’s gifts, clearing-up, discovering the bus…) and have – I hope – enjoyed an extremely slow, laid-back time. I’ve watched films, read books, eaten too much chocolate and tried not to be grumpy because I’m so incapacitated. It’s certainly made me appreciate my usual independence and I can’t wait to get back to full, two-handed mode!
Anyway, all that explains my absence here – I haven’t been able to get out and cut material for Monday vases, I can’t take photos with my camera and it takes me an age to type with my left hand! Today, though, dawned all bright and sunny and full of that new-year, new beginning, shininess. It filled me with positivity and my lovely daughter agreed to wander in the garden with me and photograph things I pointed at (and a few I didn’t). So, all credit goes to Harriet for the photos and to my kind husband for helping me wash, dress and butter my toast, for fetching and carrying and for ignoring my bad-tempered frustration over the past 10 days. I have resolved to try to make the most of this enforced rest by reading, dreaming and creating and coming up with schemes and plans for the garden and life in general. The days are already getting longer and it won’t be long before the first snowdrops and daffodils appear.
Thank you for joining me here in this little part of the www over the past year, for your comments and likes. It’s been an absolute pleasure and I hope 2019 brings you all you hope for and more. Happy New Year.
PS Thank you to Helen, The Patient Gardener, for hosting gardening bloggers’ End of Month Views.
acoastalplot 
Hope you heal well as soon as is possible and wishing you and your family a Happy New Year
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Oh dear that was bad timing. What a good thing you have such a lovely supportive family. Enjoy your enforced rest, it’s a good time to dream and plan. Hope you will be back in active service soon. Happy New Year Sam.
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Oh poor you Sam – I do hope you’re on the mend and feeling better soon.
Wishing you a fabulous 2019, despite the inauspicious start!
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Oh Sam what rotten bad luck! Enforced idleness is never welcome but you will be able to plot and plan your garden plans for next year without fretting that you should be doing something else. I chuckled at the thought of your children discovering the bus and what an excellent photographic assistant you now have at your disposal. I hope that you heal quickly and are soon out and about doing all the things you love to do. Happy New Year!
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I’m sorry to hear about your wrist and your enforced rest, but I don’t mind betting this is one Christmas and New Year you’ll remember for all the right reasons. I love the idea of the kids wrapping each other’s presents and if Harriet didn’t have a love of photography before, she seems set to have one going forward. The hellebore picture is a classic!
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So sorry about your wrist, how very frustrating for you. I hope it heals well and soon for you. The photos are lovely, especially the one with your sweet dog leaning in. Your back wall with that fantastic greenhouse always reminds me of the walled garden in a stately home, it’s wonderful. I’m wishing the happiest of New Years to you and yours. CJ xx
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Oh Sam, you poor thing! Best wishes for it to heal quickly. I am glad to hear you are feeling positive though and I wish you plenty of pain-free lazy convalescence days for dreaming and planning (and eating chocolates!) and a very happy new year! All the best, and I look forward to seeing more of your garden soon. Your daughter did a great job with the photos. 🙂
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Your dog is obviously an essential member of your support team. Is the wrist allowed to walk? Or does that hurt?
Adjusting to using one hand is hard … and SO wonderful when you have two good ones again.
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So sorry for your injury, but remember you will heal. It’s just a matter of getting there )-:
and having the patience to endure………………….best of the new year is coming up.
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Happy New Year!
Ouch – I am so sorry to hear about your wrist. It sounds painful and difficult in so many ways. Thank you for the photographs. I do appreciate them. I will keep my fingers crossed that you recover quickly and well. You will get better – just keep going – you can do it.
Have you tried dictation (system preferences > keyboard) on the mac? I would like to be able to say this will help (you are more disciplined than I and won’t develop a strong Scottish accent) but you may laugh too much and hurt yourself further.
I look forward to hearing about your plans, get better soon, lots of love…
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Happy New Year, Sam! I am so sorry to read about your wrist, I am so glad you have an amazing family to help you where help is needed. Keeping my fingers crossed for a no-operation quick healing process. Reading, dreaming and planning for the year ahead sound nice, I am doing the same with a bit of sewing thrown in. x
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Injuries seem to be all the rage this time of year. I mean, everyone who is anyone has gotten at least one.
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Happy new year to you and your family, Sam! Sorry to hear about the ill-timed illness and injury. I hope your 2019 rapidly improves.
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Oh dear Sam, what unfortunate timing – I hope you were at least enjoying the ice skating up till that point 😉 Seriously, I do hope it heals quickly and successfully and that you find useful tasks you can occupy yoursellf with while you are incapacitated. I am pleased to hear that the family showed they were capable of rising to the challenge of the enforced absence from your usual routines
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Thanks for all your lovely blogs of 2018. Hope your wrist is better soon. Your daughter did a good job of the photos. Enjoy the slower pace while it lasts.
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Oh you poor thing! Get well soon Sam and I hope 2019 is a splendid one for you all.
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My goodness, how seasonally trendy with your injury! I gather via my daughter’s friends who are new doctors that festive ice skating fractures are a growth industry in A&E. I really hope the pain is lessening and that everything is healing well.
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