A Review of the Year
2012 began with me working on a long term project that involved staying in hotels for weeks on end – missing most of the run-up to new year, and huge chunks of January. The project was laden with all manner of security which prevented me from even talking about my continual absences from the internet. Eventually the wheels fell of several wagons, skidding the project to a halt, and leaving me sat in the dust wondering what to do next.
Thankfully the remainder of the year saw me based mainly in the office (although I did get to travel on occasion – Harrogate, Nottingham, Gloucester, London, Birmingham, and Reading were among the destinations trains took me during the year. I can quite confidently affirm that hotels are no longer anticipated with any excitement what so ever.
Two of our children moved schools this year – the youngest moving up to Junior School, and the eldest moving up to Comprehensive (roughly equivalent to “High School”). She had a hard time to begin with, but towards the end of the year received glowing reports, and has finally started to make friends.
More by luck than judgement, the chickens have somehow survived another year. They were bought for the children, with all manner of promises surrounding them. Guess who lets them out every morning, cleans out their ark, feeds them, shuts them in on an evening, and fetches the eggs?
We still have three cats – George, Tom, and Sam – identical ginger tabby brothers who pretty much own the local neighbourhood. George has adapted well to the injuries inflicted by a car last year, and swaggers around the house and garden with little or no problem (he has no hip joint on one of his back legs). After all manner of promises, guess who ends up feeding the cats every morning and evening ?
I didn't get to travel down to Cornwall to see my parents as often as I would have liked – after being pulled in all directions by extended family in the school holidays, I ended up travelling to Cornwall on the train with the girls single handed while W went to the Great South Run with her Mum.
The run in to Christmas was brutal. In-between both working full time, helping with school functions, taking the children to weekend activities, and having several coughs and colds sweep the house, we more or less fell over 2012's finishing line in an exhausted heap.
Perhaps the manner in which we ended the year should serve as an aspiration for the coming year. To help each other a little more, and to make time for each other a little more. To say no a little more, and to put ourselves first a little more.
Anyway... it's 1st January 2013, the sun is shining outside, and I'm hungry. Time to make some lunch.
Happy New Year!