This morning I found myself asking the cat what the world is coming to. He didn't answer, he was probably lost for words. I have to admit that every year I become a little bit more like my grandmother. As far as I know she didn't talk to cats, but she often told me that the world was going mad - I wonder what she would make of the way things are now.
The reasons for my frustration were Easter Eggs and summer holidays. Our local co-op had Easter eggs on display on 27th December and I think the media began bombarding us with adverts for summer holidays at about the same time. Surely they could have waited until we had taken the Christmas decorations down! After all the hard work and expense of Christmas all I want is a bit of normality, with some peace and quiet. I don't even want to think about Easter or summer holidays for a while.
On the subject of Christmas decorations, we will be taking them down tomorrow and guess what everyone is too busy to help! After several weeks of decorations it is nice to see the room looking less cluttered, but I always have mixed emotions about packing away the decorations. Christmas is behind us, another year has begun and I can't help wondering what sort of challenges the months ahead have in store for us.
We have a large collection of Christmas decorations, some date back to my childhood and the children have their own decorations, I have bought them one every year since they were born and marked it with the year and a few words about milestones for that year. They make up a very special store of memories. Every year before the tree goes up there is a lot of debate about whose angel will go on top of the tree. My angel hasn't been anywhere near a Christmas Tree for years, but she still looks good despite her advancing age. When I was a little girl my mum used to help me to make a new dress and new wings for the angel every year. We made it from crepe paper, scraps of tinsel and foil and she looked just as good as the expensive shop bought angels that have taken her place. It is little things like that which make Christmas special, it doesn't have to cost a fortune to create happy memories.
2013 arrived with a bang or to be more accurate it arrived with an irritating cacophony of bangs from fireworks which began way before midnight and went on for far too long afterwards. I don't approve of fireworks at New Year, they are a fairly recent intrusion into our new year celebrations, when I was young fireworks we only had fireworks on 5th November. It is a pity we can't go back to the way things used to be, in fact it I would be happier if they banned them completely except for organised displays because they are dangerous and they frighten pets and other animals
Yesterday we spent the day at my mum's house celebrating her birthday. It was a real house full, my brother, his partner, my two little nephews, as well as my family. It was such a lovely day, my youngest nephew has just learned to walk and he spent the day showing off his new skill. His big brother who is four and a half enjoyed lots of attention from his grown up cousins. Today was a perfect start to the new year, my mum and stepfather spent the day with us, it was a nice relaxed family time. So we spent the last day of the old year and the first day of the new year with some of the people who matter most to us, our family. Tomorrow we will be back at work and the I will be up at the crack of dawn to drop Robbie at the station. I don't really mind, I have some very happy memories of Christmas and the New Year, we have to get back to work and the normal day to day routine because the bills will not pay themselves. For now Robbie is making the most of his freedom, he is sitting at the table playing with his Lego! When I have finished writing for the blog I am going to answer the first question in my five year question and answer journal.
I'm not a great fan of new year celebrations, perhaps it is because I'm teetotal, or it could be because Robbie makes me endure New Years Eve with Jools Holland, but I think it is mostly because there is a certain sadness in leaving the past behind and looking forward to what the new year may hold. It is a time when we are reminded of those who will not be with us as we look ahead to 2013. Among them are actors and celebrities who brought us pleasure over the years, we may not know them personally but still we feel their loss and miss them.
I was sorry to hear that Jack Klugman one of my favourite actors died on Christmas Eve and his death reminded me that when trying to explain to a friend that I am a bit out of touch when it comes to films and actors my son said "everyone that my mum likes is dead" and I have to admit that it is starting to feel like that. This year we said farewell to Clive Dunn, Eric Sykes, Robin Gibb, Bob Holness, Whitney Houston, Davy Jones, Neil Armstrong, Larry Hagman and a number of others. It is sad to say goodbye, but I am grateful for the memories.
We have had a lovely Christmas this year, nice food to eat, nice presents, but most important of all we were able to enjoy time with the people we love. We always have good intentions but life can be so busy that far too long can slip by without us spending quality time with family and friends. So the Christmas break has been especially important to us, we have enjoyed special moments with our wider family. It is rare that we are all together at the same time so that makes it extra special. After all the activity and chaos of Christmas, Robbie and I appreciated a few days of quiet with nothing much to do and all day to do it. Usually our days start very early, so not being ruled by the alarm clock has been fantastic and I think it has done us both good to have time to unwind. Despite all the pre Christmas stress, I have really enjoyed this Christmas break and I will be sorry to see Robbie return to work tomorrow.
I am not a fan of new year celebrations. It always seems rather sad to be closing the door on the old year and I look ahead to the new year with a certain amount of trepidation, wondering what new worries and challenges it has in store. It is odd really as I am not a pessimist and I tend to take most of the ups and downs of life in my stride, I think mostly it is just fear of the unknown. Every year the world changes a little bit, situations change, new people come into our lives and some become very important, and sadly other people are lost from our lives. As the year draws to a close we remember the familiar faces no longer with us who have brightened our lives in various ways. We may not know them personally but we are touched by their loss and we will miss them. Perhaps I am just getting old but it seems to me that we have said too many goodbyes in the last year. Among those that I will miss most are George Baker who brought Inspector Wexford to life, Jimmy Saville because there was no one quite like him, Peter Falk because I loved Colombo, David Croft who wrote Dads Army as well as other great comedy shows and brought so much pleasure, Billie Jo Spears because I loved her voice, and Edward Hardwicke who I will always think of as Dr Watson.
2010 was a funny old year, if I'd known what it held in store I wouldn't have believed that we could get through it, but here we are looking ahead to 2011 stronger, wiser and perhaps a little braver. Sometimes it takes difficult or painful events to make you take a good look at your life and to appreciate the people and things that really matter. Just as importantly, such events teach us not to stress so much about the things that we can not change. I don't make new year resolutions but this coming year I intend to enjoy life, to be a little braver and more adventurous and to appreciate all the special people in my life.
Believe it or not this photo was taken at lunchtime today (well, yesterday by the time I post it) and he was totally sober I dread to think how he would look if he was drunk! We spent the afternoon at my mum's house because it was her birthday. We had a lovely time especially as my nephew Oliver was there too, he is so cute and we all love him.
Robbie and I are spending new year apart, I am upstairs listening to Radio 4 and Robbie is downstairs as he prefers to see in the new year with Jools Holland. He is a man by the way way, from his name I had assumed he was a woman. Robbie said he was in a band or something but I had never heard of him or his band. I did my best to endure this thing on television, one woman sang and it sounded like a cat being slowly strangled, I don't know who she was, apparently she was just called Adelle - with a voice like that I am not surprised that she wouldn't give her last name. Then there was a group of geriatrics who sang Jimmy Mac, they looked and sounded as if they had just been dug up, so I thought things could only get better. I was wrong Duffy came on next and that was truly more than flesh and blood could stand, so I voted with my feet and came up to listen to the radio. I am much happier up here on my own.
New Year is the traditional time for taking stock of our lives and making resolutions. I have never really enjoyed the New Year celebrations, it always felt sad somehow, perhaps because it brings the Christmas holidays to an end and the dreary routine of work or school stretches ahead as far as the eye can see. Last year was the first time that I can remember consciously making any resolutions and like most people I was not completely successful in achieving my goals. I am no thinner than I was last January, the only crumb of comfort is that I am not substantially fatter either! This year will be different and hopefully by next January I will be able to report greater success. I was a little more successful in my other resolution, we have reduced our global footprint to some extent, but there is still much more we should do.
Along with the media preoccupation with reviews of the past year, we are treated to predictions about what the year ahead will bring. Generally I don't take much notice of either, why would I we interested in the ramblings of the various self absorbed navel gazers of the media world, and our politicians are incapable of basic honesty when dealing with fact, so their promises and predictions will be about as reliable as a promise from Network Rail. I think I could probably do a more accurate job on the prediction front, so here goes.
Arsenal will continue to be the best looking and most amazing football team, and Manchester United will remain the ugliest!
Network Rail will excel themselves and replace the CSA as the most incompetent and ineffective organisation in UK.
Gordon Brown will age visibly as he lurches from one disaster to the next.
The Liberal Democrats will survive a whole year without a leadership election, but it will make little difference because no one remembers the name of their leader anyway.
Alistair Darling will be offered a part in Dr Who and he will terrify viewers - no make up required!
As usual the railways will grind to a halt a number of times and Network Rail will claim to be surprised by snow, rain, wind and falling leaves and they will wheel out the usual brainwashed androids to convince the world that it really was 'the wrong kind of snow' or that leaf fall could not possibly have been predicted. I wouldn't have thought it required a crystal ball!!
Bristol will retain it's tittle as traffic cone storage capital of the UK with extra cones brought in from the length and breadth of the country to ensure total chaos in the holiday season.
my last item is a wish rather than a prediction, I really hope that the private use of fireworks will be banned and their use restricted to properly authorised organised displays. It would make such a difference to so many dogs, cats and other animals. Meg is absolutely terrified of fireworks.
