New Year, New challenges

Firstly Happy New Year!
It's only taken me a week to finally get round to my blog again.
After a lovely Christmas and new year  spent with family, celebrating Christmas and a special 1st birthday on Christmas Day  for our grand daughter, life has returned to 'normal'.
Hubby is back at work and I've started this year with a more positive attitude than 2012 ended.
I've got a new business idea which I've decided to research  and see if its viable and today I went to my first ever  art class!
I've always had a romantic yearning to be able to paint but a box of watercolour paints which hubby bought for me about 8 years ago have been sat waiting to be used.
The wife of one of my patients has been telling me about a class she goes to in a local hall and when she reminded me about it last week, I decided that today was the day.
The group of 7 were a lovely bunch, very friendly and this week they were trying their hand at still life painting.
I set to and was pleasantly surprised when the tutor came round the group and said, ' oh yes, you can draw',
The two and a half hours flew by and I came away with a good drawing ready to be painted and a lovely glowing sense of achievement.

The still life subjects

An almost complete drawing

New Year celebrations

Happy New Year! Hope you all had a great evening welcoming in 2012.
Although I did have a bit of a hangover this morning, our shipboard celebrations were good fun!
As is traditional we stood on the bridge at midnight, listening to the radio and waiting for the chimes of Big Ben to start.
Once they did, the Captain started to sound the ships whistle. A loud, throaty whistle which seems to go straight through you.
Standing out on the bridge wing I could hear all the other ships in the docks, replying with their ships whistles. All wishing each other Happy New Year and safe sailing!
We also had a spectacular view of all the firework displays across the city of Hull. It was brilliant.
So although I would have preferred to have been celebrating with my nearest and dearest, this wasn't too bad!

Tomorrow we are sailing mid morning so keep an eye on where we go by clicking the link to Marine Traffic on the right side of this blog. My vessels name is Arco Humber.