Welcome 2017! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas or whichever seasonal celebrations you may have been having. Every other year I host Christmasses for my side of the family and another one for Chris’s side of the family (we wouldn’t all fit in at the same time) and this year it was extra lovely because everyone was able to come. I really wish the Christmas holidays could last another week – I can only just sit down and relax a bit. The run-up to Christmas was mainly spent cleaning, tidying and moving things to the garage to make space for people to stay. I’m writing this knowing that most people are back to work and school etc today and not knowing how on earth I would manage it if I had a normal job! I slept until 11:17 this morning! The only other time I can ever remember being as knackered as this was when we moved!
Yesterday everyone went home and suddenly, almost like a shock to the system, I have a bit of quiet time to think. To be honest, I’m quite glad to say goodbye to 2016 as it wasn’t my favourite year. I took a long walk on my own yesterday (but with the dog, obviously) to clear my head (and burn some calories) and actually, when I looked back, my overriding memories are mainly good ones: I had an amazing road-trip with my family from New York to New Orleans to Orlando; I had a lovely relaxing weekend away with Chris (our first time without the kids); I had a fun time and successful stall at the New Forest Fairy Festival and my kids turned eighteen and twenty-one and both celebrations were brilliant. Overall, I have no cause to complain at all!
It’s funny isn’t it, because really the first of January is just another day and just another month, but a change in year brings us the opportunity to reflect on things and make goals and hopes for the year ahead. Really, we could do this at any time we choose, but it’s nice to have a specific point in time that we can mentally close the door on a difficult year and look forward to a better one. I’ve begun reading and filling out my business planner book for 2017 (Review coming very soon.) and really enjoy putting goals in place and working out how I’m going to achieve them. Right now I’m very calm and relaxed and positive for the coming year. I really hope you are too and may it be full of happiness and dishwashers that don’t break the day before you’re due to feed eleven people for three days. 🙂
