New Beginnings

Hello to you, my lovelies. It is I, I have returned from a long space of reflection and reorientation after my Dad died. It has been discombobulating, but here I am, still finding myself with things to say. It is the new year, well, sort of; happy February, and although it is really just another beautiful summer's day, I have bought into the zeitgeist, and I am contemplating the season of new beginnings, and find myself excited to begin another year.

2023 was somewhat brutal, and a season of endings. My beloved old puppy friend Benny left me, as did my Dad. I broke up with Paul after nearly six years together, a couple of weeks before Dad died. We are still the best of friends, Paul and I. He came to Dad's funeral, I went to his mum's birthday party, he came to ours for Christmas. We are both happy to be single and immersed in our own projects, coming up for air occasionally and waving and finding out what the other one is up to.

I saw him just the other day, up on the mountain, as Rosy has bought a campervan to travel around Australia in this year, and she is storing it up at Paul's place and they are tinkering on it together to make it safe and ship-shape for an early March departure. And you will be glad to know this - Paul has been declared well and cancer-free. At his latest six-monthly scan he was told not to come back for a year, and that all is most well. And that was a very good ending to a very difficult year.

And so onward to the next things. First, work. I don't think I've ever really talked about what I do now for work. I gave up my gardening job a couple of years ago because my hands and wrists couldn't manage the strain of it, and I was developing arthritis. I was so sad about that, but I had a call from a friend who wanted me to do some disability support work for her. After a few months I began working for another friend as well, and then for a friend of a friend, and now I work around twenty to twenty-five hours a week doing absolutely anything my clients can't manage by themselves, from walking the dog to ironing and cooking (hilarious! Cooking! Me!), meal prep, decluttering, driving, doing errands, shopping, and also some gardening, but not so much that the hands give out. I feel very privileged to be useful, and to be making life easier for some extra lovely people. 

This year I am planning to pack as much work into the afternoons as possible so I can go back to writing in the mornings. This past year I have written very little and have had work shifts all over the place. I find it difficult to exercise creativity in the midst of multiple life crises, and in 2024 I am hoping for less crises, more creative endeavours. I am more than halfway through my second novel, without having published the first novel, but that was more of a practice novel. And even if I never publish anything at all, I will keep writing. Creating a whole world out of nothing is extraordinary and addictive. 

Despite last year's crises and sadness and difficulties, I am full of joy. Every day is beautiful. There is blue sky and bees, there are zucchinis (so many zucchinis), there is very dear family, the kindness of friends, fulfilling work, the possibilities of the creative spark. I am so very fortunate. 

It has taken me a long time to get back to this space, but I am glad to be here, and looking forward to the splendid community of kindred souls who turn up here. Much love to all, and do tell me all your news xxxx