Four days of house guests and I am spent. Boxing Day consisted of getting dressed at 3pm having started India Knight's new book 'In your Prime'. It's like talking to a really sensible and upbeat friend who pulls you aside and tells you to get a grip about this whole getting older thing. I admit it: I am scared of ageing. I try every day to banish these feelings of dread as I observe the generations ahead of mine. It's shameful but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel it. A no man's land?!!
The house a mess, I put on 80's music and clean up. Tracy Chapman and Sinead O'Connor. The music makes my heart ache for being 19 and just in love with the one that is now my husband. He played this music in his first tiny flat, on a massive Technics stereo with graphic equalisers (I was impressed) and everywhere there was black ash furniture. Now I sit here typing with wine, he is constructing the Star Wars 'Millennium Falcon' out of Lego with our son. Doesn't time fly? See what I mean about getting older?
It bites.
But it also enriches and enhances and makes everything make sense.
Christmas was...traditional and chilled out and I was very thankful for being given lovely gifts. I tried to scale it back this year and give less, but that had a keen kick-back as I felt I was not generous enough! Funny how that goes. We settled down to watch 'The Family Stone' in the evening, which I have never seen! Subtle. I loved it. My family were not on my page but still, they liked it.
We Skype'd the Dubai-resident family on Christmas Day and saw the other five cousins in shorts and T-shirts. It made me miss them dreadfully and Natasha - can I just say over the internet ether - I miss a cuppa tea with you on a rainy day. It's strange having family displaced at Christmas. For all that they are loving it there, we do find it different to be here alone in England.
But all is not lost - we are off skiing in a few days with a big bunch of friends and lots of teenagers. Very much looking forward to it. I hear there is not much snow but as reading the snow report is futile, I am full of positive thoughts for chill. The break will do us good.
As we hurtle towards the new year I feel possibilities ahead. I have a good feeling about 2015 as frankly, 2014 kinda blew. More on that later.
How was it for you?
* lyrics to what???!! It's obscure but important...
