In theory of course the 31st of December is just another day of the year. Really. It is. Just goes to show that only our brains make it something special or different. I guess that means that absolutely any day can mark something special or different, if we so choose…
So I could choose any day to consider what I’ll be up to over the next 12 months; what my hopes are; what I’ve achieved over the last year, what I love about now and what I’m looking forward to. But here I am…today…looking back over 2018… and I’m grateful I had the guts to go ahead with our kitchen extension (I’m a creature uncomfortable with change)…and that I planned and designed it pretty meticulously and that we REALLY love it…I feel we have created a fun social space where I can have friends and enjoy larking about. And now…I even love cooking (no I don’t)…OK… my cooking is improving (slightly) because I’ve got a nice warm new kitchen to do it in. I’m doing this trick that I guess cooking veterans do all the time: I’ve found a new chicken casserole recipe that turned out pretty well the first time I made it…and I’ve served it to almost every guest we’ve had over the last 6 weeks..[no, not the actual same casserole, you dummy!] – but by doing the same recipe 3 times, I’m getting better/more confident at it and it may go on to my list of ‘Stuff that I can cook‘…which would be pretty good going. And what am I looking forward to?….I’ve got myself on to a woodworking course…I’m going to learn french polishing, how to do small repairs and restoration…really looking forward to using my hands for something creative and giving new life to old stuff. And to improving my Spanish. And to creating better living spaces for the tenants. And to singing….today, a bunch of us had a kind of singing jam session covering Ella Fitzgerald, the Beatles, John Denver, the Carpenters and even The Manhattan Transfer (remember them?) using the the magic of youtube. There’s going to be more singing in 2019.
However…I actually started this post thinking about what might not happen in 2019. I have lots of sibs…but the three that came just after me are the ones I’m closest to…and strangely, the ones I’m not so close to…as we are bonded by a kind of mutual irritation that I think lies in our close ages, and the disaster that was our parents’ marriage and our less-than-ideal up-bringing. I had hoped that somehow, we’d all manage to have a bit of fun together like we used to….but I’m handing that one over to Him upstairs.
So. Any day can be a boundary. A point for turnaround, change, reflection….and appreciation. I am, I have to say, almost breathless with gratitude for all that has been bestowed upon me for no good reason at all. And I’m hoping, above all, that 2019 is fun, exciting, stimulating, challenging…and results in me weighing less than 58kg and owning less stuff (thank you Marie Kondo, for The Life-changing Magic of Tidying) – I know…it’s a big ask…but it’s not impossible. Check this space in 12 months time (I certainly will!!).
Have a great 2019!
jx
Ain't we got it made? 
The tidying up thing sounds like a good idea, I’ll give it a try. Thanks! 🙂
Hi there! Thank you so much for the likes!…Marie Kondo’s book makes so much sense to me…I couldn’t put it down. I think it’s a great way to start the new year. Happy (and tidy) 2019!