Today has been a funny sort of day, pain in both legs has reduced my sleep over the past couple of days and it is fair to say I was borderline grumpy by lunchtime today.  Pain killers help, but it never really goes away, and it is not so much the pain as the reduction in my ability to do the things I want to do that gets me down.

As ever I have a word with myself and limp off down the street to spend an hour with my favourite pick me up, my gorgeous Granddaughter and her Mum and Dad.  Later, back home we get ready to meet up with some old friends in the local pub, a belated Happy New Year drink and a chance to catch up with each other.

I take a couple of pain killers before leaving home and once in the pub have a couple of glasses of wine.  The people we are with have been my friends for over 15 years.  We have spent many nights in the pub, and even more days at the school gate, at parents evenings and hosting sleepovers for each others children.  Those children are now grown, and we find the time we spend together is much less.  Some of the people we meet tonight I have only seen a couple of times in the last year.  It makes no difference.  As is the way with proper friendships we pick up instantly where we left off.  Our shared experiences and our liking for each other is the short cut we need to have a lovely evening.

Yes, we catch up with news, we listen to each other and we laugh at the stories told.  It is almost what we don’t say that is the strength of these relationships.  We have all known each other long enough to have that shorthand old friends have.  We understand who each other are and celebrate our successes as well as support each other through the harder times.

My pain killers are doing their job, I am feeling better and my mood is lifted in the company of these good people who can make me smile every time we meet. once again I am much cheered by my good fortune in this life, to have such great relationships and special times.

Home later, hubby and I relax in front of the television, eating the leftover party food, bought for Christmas, but just as tasty in January.  We are not sure when we will all get together again, there is talk of a weekend in Wales, birthday celebrations are planned and another night in the pub will surely come about sooner or later.My sore legs are not hurting, I am feeling content and once again counting my blessings.  I am a very lucky woman.