Merry Christmas

Here we are it's Christmas!
I love Christmas and always will.
A winter festival whether it be Christmas or any other is a great idea as it literally lights up the winter and gives everyone a cause for celebration.
It is a time of year when people think of friends, family, people and animals and try in some small way to do nice things for them.
I will start cooking dinner soon. I have been out walking Ollie and the sun has been trying to come out.
I like the fact that people go out of their way to say Happy Christmas and they may well be the same people who don't usually say anything as you walk past. Christmas is a hopeful and thoughtful time. It makes me think of everyone who is having fun with their friends and families and it makes me think of those who are not.
I hope people that are having a difficult time this Christmas find a way to make their lives more pleasurable in the future and that they enjoy next Christmas far more.
I think Christmas and New Year's Eve serve as markers for us to measure progress when we are trying to achieve goals and dreams. I love this time of the year!

Christmas Eve

I love Christmas Eve. Children all over the land are almost too excited to go to sleep while their parents wait for them to finally nod off. In the morning (usually at silly o'clock) the children burst into their parents rooms covered in chocolate from all the chocolate coins and on a sugar mouse rush.
This part of Christmas is magic and I believe it is a reminder to adults that the world is a wonderful place where magical things happen and dreams really do come true if you believe in them enough.

Christmas TV

It is fascinating what people choose to watch as Christmas approaches. As I write this something by Raymond Briggs is on TV. At this time of year celebrities start skating and dancing, Soaps become all dramatic and the News actually finds something cute or sweet to comment on ( sometimes)
We watch old films we have seen hundreds of times and repeats of our favourite shows.
I like the fact we all try to surround ourselves with familiar Musicals and Comedies etc.
 It is the one time of year where lots of family and friends are gathered together and we all need to find things to watch that we are all happy with after we have eaten one two many mince pies and drunk one glass of mulled wine too many.
As Raymond Brigg's Santa just said:
'Happy Bloomin' Christmans to you an' all!'

Perfect day

I woke up this morning in my caravan. It was cosy in  the caravan last night listening to the wind howling and the rain pelting down. Graham, Ollie and I returned to Canterbury and met up for lunch with Jack. We went to a lovely India restaurant in Canterbury and had a buffet to celebrate my birthday. We also managed to take Ollie out to the fields for a while and by this time the sun had come out and the sky was perfectly blue.
When we returned home Jack gave me the present he and Clarrie had bought me. It was a coffee maker and so I made us all really lovely Costa coffee.
After Graham went home I had a long hot bath and soon I will be watching a film with Jack and enjoying a glass or two of cold cider.
You don't need lots of money to enjoy a perfect day you just need time with those who care about you.
I am very touched by all the gifts, cards and good wishes I have received too. My sister Liz has sent me some beautiful, colourful bunting saying Cathy's caravan which I shall proudly display in my beautiful little caravan.
I am a very lucky person indeed.

Solstice

Today is the shortest day with the longest night. My Mum's birthday was today and mine is tomorrow. My Gran (Mum's Mum) has her birthday on the summer Solstice. I have always liked this as in a way it links us three together.
It is good having a birthday around this time of year as everyone else is celebrating Christmas so they are generally in a good mood!
I am looking forward to spending time in my caravan today with Graham and Ollie The Wally.

Mum

It is my Mum's birthday tomorrow. It is a special day for me as it is a day when I think of Mum and the unique individual person she was.
A letter arrived today. It was from a school friend of hers that I met once when I was little.
It was great to read about her memories of Mum and the fun they had when they were kids.

I was in a church today with the students from school. They took part in a service especially for them and they sang Silent Night. there is something special about that song. It really gets to me.
I am not a regular church goer and I don't follow any one particular religion but I do appreciate the wonder and awe of our universe and the amazing things that happen when you least expect them to. Life is an adventure filled with twists and turns and above all life is precious.
We all sang together in the church and I must say it made me feel quite emotional.
The Solstice approaches. The shortest day and the longest night.
This time is a time for reflection and thinking about family.
I love this time of year and I love my family.

What an incredible few months!

I am so glad that I took the plunge and decided to call a halt on my old life and tried something new. I feel like I have taken the first few steps of an exciting journey where everything looks unfamiliar but interesting. I have so much to learn and make a lot of mistakes but there are people around willing and ready to support me and I am slowly but surely making progress.
I am learning about things that I previously knew nothing about and am seeing things in a different way.
I did wonder what it would be like when both my beautiful children moved out and part of me dreaded it.
Now that they have gone- I do miss them but I am so proud that they are spreading their wings and flying and it is great to meet up with them and catch up with what has been going on in their lives and while they are away I am able to focus on building a secure future where I will be able to support them both when they need help as well as support myself completely.
I am very excited and optimistic about what the next year will bring and am appreciative of all the wonderful opportunities that have come my way this year.

the term winds down

It is almost the end of the term and children and teachers across the land are starting to see an end in sight and are really starting to look forward to the Christmas break.
I love Christmas so long as it doesn't become a trial for people spending too much money and trying too hard to make it 'the best year ever.'
Personally I like to keep it simple.
I love looking at the cards and little gifts I have been given and take pleasure from other people enjoying their gifts but most of all I like the time to spend with the people I care about.
It doesn't matter if I can't meet up with people on 25th December itself. I find the whole season special and enjoyable and so I am happy if I can spend time meeting up with friends and family over the Christmas period.
I really like going out for a walk with Ollie on Christmas day. Most people are extra friendly on Christmas day and say 'hello' as we walk past.

making the most of odd moments!

I was driving home from the school where I worked today and I had leaflets in my pocket for one of my businesses. I delivered the leaflets before returning home and it really didn't feel like a chore.
I am enjoying making my own decisions so much it gives me lots of extra energy and every little thing I do to promote my businesses so people know what services I provide is a step in the right direction.
I feel very optimistic about the future knowing that I can work a little on my Plan B every day!

gingerbread

I made gingerbread biscuits with lots of children today at the school I am currently working at.
They all loved cooking and the results were very edible and nice to look at. Tomorrow we ice them.
What a brilliant thing to be doing with so many children. They were all engrossed in what they were doing, they were all cooperating and they were all enjoying themselves.
This is being done for Friendship Week where the whole school makes and does helpful and kind things for people. What a brilliant idea!

making a difference

Tiny things make a difference. Every tiny step you take in the right direction moves you closer to achieving your dreams.
Some people are in a dark place right now and have little or no room left in their thoughts to dream. This is an unpleasant but not a hopeless place to be. There will be a tiny spark of hope lodged away somewhere  and it can be ignited into a small flame which can rapidly develop into a hot fire! I believe this to be true for everyone.
You can be the match to relight that fire for them.
When life gets tough and people feel saturated in gloom they need help, understanding and support to revive their hope and optimism. They don't need someone to do everything for them or to tell them what to do or what their dreams or goals should be.
Deep down inside they know what their hopes and dreams are. All they need is someone to care and to give them a little bit of their time to listen to them with no strings attached.
I think that is all any of us really need to help us to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and carry on along our life path.
You don't know who you touch every day as you go about living your own life. Just a tiny act of kindness to one person can really make all the difference to them. In turn once they are back on track they will be in a position to help someone. I think this is how the World works and it is wonderful.

the difference

The difference one person can make. My son missed a bus connection as his first bus was delayed and yet most of the people he asked for help/information at the station were less than helpful and were pretty rude. One woman was friendly and kind and made sure he was able to catch the next bus.  That one person made a bad situation better.
A friend of mine was at the hospital awaiting important scan results which didn't arrive. The consultant took full responsibility and apologised which made things more bearable for my friend.
When I think back over the last few days, weeks and years these people stand out over and over again. They often appear at times when you are feeling sad, lost or vulnerable and they somehow manage to offer hope and understanding. Even if they can't take away the root cause of your fears they are somehow able to help you hang on in there and give you strength.
Some of these people are our friends and family but many are complete strangers who go out of their way to help you.
To all those guardian angels out there- you are the unsung hero's that help us all to enjoy our lives more and cope with our challenges and I would like to say thank-you!

family

I am excited as my son is back from uni for a couple of weeks. I pick him up fro the bus station in a few minutes time!
I just had a chat with my daughter on the phone. She finished uni for the term next week and I will be seeing her soon too.
Ollie the Wally is going to come with me to pick up my son. He will be overjoyed to see him as he hasn't seen him since September and he is a fiercely loyal little critter and sees Jack as one of the pack.
Happy days, it is the weekend and there is a nice bottle of wine chilling in the kitchen. :)

Christmas wishes

Do you make a Christmas wish as you stir the Christmas pudding/cake when you make it?
If you have never done this I recommend you do. It is lovely making your own cake/pudding and tradition has it that as you stir the mixture before cooking you make a wish and don't tell anyone then see if your wish comes true.
I love doing this as it makes you really focus and think what your one wish for the year ahead would be.
Now I am waiting to see if my wish comes true!

opportunities

I am looking forward to going to a New Year Event run by the company I work for.
It is likely to be an exciting and inspiring day if the recent training I have received is anything to go by.  When I  started out with this business I was just looking to make a few extra pounds a week. Little did I know how exciting and rewarding it can be to work in this way.
There are so many interesting people out there who are only too willing to share their knowledge and take time to encourage and support others.
I can't wait to see how my business will progress in 2014.

Today

I had a brilliant day today. Everyone in the school I was working at went to the cinema to see 'Frozen.' It was a lovely film. I then got home and received a very encouraging phone call regarding one of my businesses.
I am amazed at how helpful and supportive people are.
I am so pleased I took the decision to stop doing what I was doing and start working to build my future.

training and support

Trying something new can be scary. It takes you out of your comfort zone and the skills you have learnt in the past and rely upon aren't necessary needed or even helpful in your new role. This means that you have to start from scratch knowing very little and gradually take baby steps forward.
I am just starting out and have been very lucky to receive on-going excellent training and support in both my businesses and I am finding that with skilled people rooting for me and supporting me along the way I am slowly progressing.
This has all been very good for my personal development as I have had to learn so many new things  and I am beginning to see the World in a new way.
Every day I am amazed by the new discoveries I make and I am learning a lot more about myself and other people.
There really is no gong back now it is onwards and upwards!

the importance of friends

One of the things that I have managed to do since taking the decision to work for myself has been that I have seen a lot more of my friends. I got into a bit of a rut before and told myself I didn't have time to see friends very often but I now realise how important friendships are and how much richer your life is if you make time to see people. I have met up with people this year that I haven't seen for years and I have vowed not to leave things so long in future.
I saw Jenni and Sarah today. I have known them for about 22 years and have managed to stay in touch all this time. We have a lot in common as we all brought kids up and lived in the same town. We go back a long way and so when we get together now we share a lot of history. Sarah's grandchild came to visit today. This had quite an effect on me. We had three generations of the same family under the same roof.
Friends and family are very special and I feel very grateful for the amazing people I have in my life!

Greenwich park makes me smile!

I have just spent the day with Graham and Ollie the Wally. I know I keep saying this but I can't describe just how much I love my visits to Greenwich with them. The park was lovely today. There were lots of dogs and families out enjoying the mild weather. The recent cold snap has caused the trees to shed more dead leaves and Ollie loves jumping about in them. The market was busy and the stalls sold beautiful hand made gifts and we had Ethiopian veggie food and vegan cakes which we have every time we visit. The food we buy there is absolutely delicious.
We sat by the Thames to eat our food and Ollie met a beautiful terrier called Diva who seemed very keen on him, she virtually threw herself at him! Later in the park Ollie met Bella a tiny 7 month old Jack Russell. Next to her Ollie was a giant which meant that as they ran about he could easily roll her over with a tap from his paw. The two of them were hilarious!
What a lovely day!

spreading the word

If there was a really good product and you believed in it, how would you go about letting other people know about it?
People don't really like being phoned or having people knock at their door and many don't really like TV adverts or junk mail so I was wondering how people like to find out about new things so they are able to buy services that are right for them.

the festive season

A lot of people have decorated their homes and have everything wrapped up ready for Christmas. I will be bringing my tree inside at the weekend and will be putting up my Christmas lights.
I have made the cake and pudding and will be icing the cake on Saturday. My children are both visiting over the holiday period which will be wonderful.
I am keeping everything low key this year as I do every year. I love Christmas because it means spending time with loved ones. I don't sign up to buying expensive gifts and don't think I would even if I was rich as I don't believe that spending is what Christmas should be about. Sometimes people lose sight of what is really important in life.

self portraits

The kids at the school I taught at today produced their own self portraits and spent time looking at the self portraits of famous artists. I was thinking what a good exercise producing self portraits is- it tells us a lot about how we see ourselves. Self portraits are difficult for many maybe because we don't spend that much time looking at ourselves. If you are asked to draw your friend many  people are less intimidated by this as they see their friend often and know what they look like.
When children are very young they are less embarrassed about drawing themselves. Growing up can make people very self conscious and worried about how other people see them.

Welcoming in December

I think this year has been pretty tough for many people and as a result they are determined to enjoy Christmas. On Facebook there is a flurry of Christmas tree buying and decorating and people are starting to make plans for the festive period.
In schools the silly season has officially started where the younger children in particular go bananas!
In one school Christmas cakes have been baked my the children for older people living in Care Homes. I think that is absolutely lovely.
I am looking forward to seeing family including my children.
Happy days!