A Bit More Positive Today

After yesterday’s rather gloomy posting, things are a bit better today. J and I went to bed on New Year’s Eve, long before the New Year was rung in and so we had a great sleep and woke to brilliant sunshine. The cats were lying in the sun. Shadow was doing likewise and even the fish were sunbathing at the top of the pond. I didn’t make any rash New Year’s resolutions, in fact I didn’t make any at all and so I wont get depressed when I break them. The children are in Ireland with their father and there’s not a soul about. Apart from the odd shotgun trying to kill something on the other side of the valley, it was quite idyllic.

It’s not unusual for us to spend New Year’s Eve at home. Some years we have people over for a late dinner and occasionally we’ll go off to a friend’s house but this year we decided to spend ‘the bells’ at home, reflecting on a very good year (financials aside) for both of us.

The early part of the year was completely dominated by our wedding and my memories are of my beautiful bride-to-be walking up the aisle with her sister whilst I waited at the desk, fully kilted with my brother (in France you get married in the town hall). Thereafter, things were a bit hazy as I fully enjoyed myself with my family and friends who had flown over from the UK to be with us.

The ‘honeymoon’ to Florida and New York was wonderful and I especially loved showing the kids round The Big Apple, although Tiffany’s and The Apple Store competed admirably for their attention.

The builders were back in March, April and May completing work to our house and then summer took over. Twelve weeks of dry and not-too-hot weather allowed me to do quite a bit of work in the ‘garden’ with my pride and joy being a rather dark, dismal corner which has been transformed into an oasis of shade-loving plants.

J and the kids went off to Spain for a few weeks in July and my mate Steve and his partner Debbie joined me for a long weekend of chat and socialising. It was fun and I keep on at them to ‘get back out here asap’.

My weekend in Glasgow in October was terrific and it could be the last time I see my son, Timothy, before he heads of to help quell the Taliban in Afghanistan. He’s desperate to go and I’m happy that he’s happy to go off to war, but we all hope that he keeps out of harm’s way. Having said that, Timmy could start a fight in an empty house (and frequently tries to) and I fear that he’ll start a major uprising as soon as he hits that foreign land. The Taliban have absolutely no idea what’s about to hit them!

The final weeks of the year were dominated by my ‘little problem’ which I’m pleased to say has been fixed by the excellent French Health Service. Thanks to all the people who have passed on their best wishes and the thousands of jokes which have flooded into my e-mail in-tray.

And so another year ends. A good year, but one which passed very quickly. 2009, in theory should be another good year but as I look at the clouds massing over the sea – who knows. I’m sure you’ll all read it here first.