February is here already

Where does the time go? (It's a rhetorical question, OK? I don't want a string of correspondence about relativity.)

All the same, it does seem extraordinary that we are in February already and we haven't got over Christmas yet. Dan still looks in the living room for presents, first thing each day. I'm not so bad, but I still wait for the postman every day, and all I get is bills and mail-ordered spare parts for our
aged domestic appliances.

All the same, a lot has happened since 2008; not just the end of the financial world as we know it; and not just the fact that we have a proper leader in the USA this year. Hanna is working at the village school, in support of a child with special needs. She loves it and wants to adopt the entire intake. However, they are riddled with germs which they have passed on to her and she is now a snivelling wreck.

We went to see Slum-dog Millionaire the movie. It really is brilliant; a roller coaster of a movie, nominated for ten Oscars. However, since it has no Americans in it, (indeed it really has no big stars in it at all,) it probably has no chance. It makes no difference, go and see it.

Nick is becoming a rock-star! You can listen to his interview on BBC Radio (see the link on our front page.) He is also producing more illustrations that, to our eyes, comprise the most mature work he has done to date. (Is that a good thing?)

We have a lot to look forward to:

1. It is going to snow like hell on Monday. (I know that you guys in the USA and Austria have more than enough, but we don't get any at all.)


2. Nick is playing an important gig in Gloucester next Friday. My brother Alex and I will be there. Nick is supporting rising star, Karima Francis at the Guildhall. (look it up).


3. Then Nick is coming home for the week-end.


4. It's Hanna's 51st birthday on the 10th. We are celebrating this by going to the coast for the day on the 11th.


5. Jake (grandson and loony) is performing in the Hot Mikado in Bath on the 20th. We have promised to be there!


6. We hope to go to Wales with the Bath Stevensons in the summer (assuming we still have summers in 2009.)


7. Nick is planning a trip to India with Kieran in September.

There is also a lot going on at my work. You can find out at http://paxton-pits.blogspot.com/ I now run the entire website, http://www.paxton-pits.org.uk/ which is quite a lot of work using complicated software called "Dream-weaver" with a manual bigger than the bible. All the same, it's something new to get into. If you look there you will see that we have quite a few new projects going on and more in the wings. I should get a new van this month and another tractor in March. Ooo Arrr.


This is another piece of Nick's series of illustrations about ship-breaking.