AND SO IT GOES. . .

For a good many people I know, New Years was spent flicking a stiff middle fingered salute to the year that was 2011.

For me, New Years is a mixed bag. As a rule I sever the technological umbilical chord with my cell phone, laptop and (gulp) facebook, and go to ground. To me the festive season is a time for friends, family and Guilian chocolates of the seashell variety. It's also a time for reflection on the year that was, and anticipation for the year to come.

So in the spirit of reflection here are some of my highlights of 2011:

• Watching my baby boy grow from a floor bound inchworm into the weapon of mass-destruction   active toddler he is today
• Heading back to work, realising my own limitations and having the courage (and means) to do something about it
• Making it across the ditch to Australia (miss you guys!) & down to Christchurch (poodle I miss you...not so much your shaky city)
• Continuing to LOVE photography and develop it as a craft
• Hitting some family milestones by celebrating my brothers 21st, my sister-in-law's engagement, my dad's 60th and my Grannykins 90th and the arrival of our good friends wee man...whoar
• FINALLY getting back into my fitness groove...it only took 18 months, and on that note completing both duathlons under an hour & beating my times

And the best for last....

• Puttin' a ring on it & getting MARRIED!!! This one I loved six ways from Saturday

Mix this with plenty of great Monday coffee group laughs, amazing friends & exceptionally understanding family, a spritz of decent wine and a sprinkle of exceptionally mild winter, Shake, Stir and you have 2011...

See. You. Later.

I confess I will NOT miss the numerous bouts of gastro, the will-it-wont-it breakdown in the middle of a motorway car, the unsettled teething phase or my previous addiction to facebook (there...I said it).

I'm a firm believer in New Years resolutions, particularly of the 'pigs may fly' variety. It helps me remember what I'm trying to get out of this life. During one of lifes hiccups a few years back, a good friend of mine leant me a book to read.
He said simply "I think you could do with this". He was right (thanks Mike).
The book was The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. One critic likened reading The Alchemist to "waking up every morning at dawn to watch the sunrise". How nice is that?! If you haven't read this book and fancy some Chicken Soup for the Soul I strongly recommend you do.

Around this time every year I haul it from the closet and read it and I always take something different away. What struck me this time was the following. When comparing shepherds and bakers (the later being the more highly regarded trade of the two) the King of Salem says this: "In the long run, what people think about shepherds & bakers becomes more important for them than their own Personal Legend".

I'm not too sure exactly what this means for me yet, but it has started the cogs turning.

So looking forward to the entirely blank sheet that is 2012 my New Years resolutions are:

• Don't. Get. Sunburned
• One date night per week
• At least 30 mins exercise per day - NO exceptions
• Reduce TV time
• Continue to develop & improve in photography by starting a photography group (more soon)
• Be grateful

Yeah, yeah...I know they're hardly revolutionary (except for maybe the part about TV) but I'm looking forward to chasing each and every goal with passion. Particularly the last one. I'm embarrased to admit I'm currently entirely substandard.

So whoever you are reading this, wherever you are in the world thank you for stopping by. I'm freakin' glad to see you here :)

Love

Jacq