Saturday 31 December 2016

Reflection

Well that's it all over for another year! There was lots of good food shared over three days, much laughter over silly games (reverse charades were a great hit this year)...


Some thoughtful gifts...


And baby cuddles.


So all in all a good Christmas... a happy Christmas but if I'm honest I found it absolutely exhausting. With eleven for supper on Christmas Eve, followed by twelve plus baby Logan here for lunch on Christmas day and seven extra sleeping overnight it was more than a little overwhelming. I may have been heard to mutter "I'm never doing that again" as my head hit the pillow on Sunday night but of course I'll have forgotten that by next year.


The days since have been calmer, beds have been stripped, laundry done, floors cleaned and there has been time to take some lovely long walks in some beautiful winter sunshine. Time to read, time to knit, time to watch TV (someone got the box set of series two of The Bridge) and generally time to stop and reflect on the year that has passed.


It was a year that started with the death of David Bowie, one of my teenage heroes, and continued with so many other well known celebrities leaving us. We've had the shock of Brexit and the election of Trump all of which pale into insignificance against the atrocities in Syria. The world sometimes feels like a frightening place.


On a personal level it has also been a year of changes and challenges. We started the year with my Mum living with us and Jacob back home struggling with severe depression and anxiety. Mum is now settled in her own flat and Jacob, although not better has managed to live back in Guildford and resume his studies. There are occasional blips when he retreats back home and stress levels rise, but ever the optimist I'm hopeful he will graduate in the summer. I had a year trying to establish a baking business alongside my textile practice. I've lost count of all the cakes I've made and although I'm still enjoying it (the Minion cake was made this week) I'm not convinced it is the way forward for me. There needs to be a lot more reflection on that over the coming weeks. I also managed to break my ankle which is still not completely right, we got ourselves a puppy, Hector, who is growing up into a beautiful dog, and despite finances being a bit tight we managed a fabulous weekend in Copenhagen... so a mixed bag and certainly not all bad.


And as for 2017... who knows. 
But I just hope that whatever the coming year holds it is a happy and healthy one for you all.
Happy New Year!

23 comments:

  1. It's been a challenging year all round but I'm glad you have had a few bright spots. Your Christmas sounds lovely but I am glad you now have some time for yourself and hope that the new year will bring fewer problems.x

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  2. wishing you and yours a very happy, healthy and peaceful new year Gina!
    V xxx

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  3. Here,s wishing you a very happy New Year and best wishes for your "career" whichever path it takes. 😀😀😀 Vera.

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  4. Dear Gina, Wishing you a New Year of a less complicated life. All the best to you and your family.

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  5. Dear Gina, I continue to marvel at all that you accomplish. Not even that broker ankle seemed to slow down your pace very much.
    It was a delight to get to see you earlier this month when we were able to view the Colour exhibit together. A real treat! Hoping that the New Year will bring many wonderful opportunities for all of us. Happy 2017 to you and yours. xo

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  6. Wishing you a happy new year Gina to you and your family x

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  7. Wishing you a peaceful, happy and creative 2017. Looking forward to seeing more of what you do, whatever that turns out to be.

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  8. Well, that was a busy year Gina! I am wishing you a happy 2017 with new (good) challenges and creativity. It is never easy to decide what to do next with life and whatever you'll choose, I am looking forward to being a small part of it, as an encouraging friend along the way. I am keeping my fingers crossed for Jacob's wellbeing, too. xx

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  9. I shall wish you and exciting 2017 since I doubt that you will be sitting down and relaxing very much!

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  10. Hope the new year will be a good one for you, Gina.

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  11. Hope the new year will be a good one for you, Gina.

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  12. 7 extra overnight would fell me!

    May the year ahead be a good one (despite Brexit, Trump and Syria - awfulness)

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  13. Happy New Year! I hope 2017 brings goodness - and more photos of Hector, I have been missing seeing him!

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  14. Have a wonderful and creative 2017 Gina. Xx

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  15. What an incredible person you are Gina andwhat year you ave had. Your Christmas souds like a lot of fun, but exhausting. We had 17 for Chismas lunch, but went visiting o Critmas Eve so not nearly the pparation ou had!
    I am sory yout son is still battlig depression, hopefully 2017 will be amuh beter yar for him.
    Wishing you a very hpp and c reatve 2017
    Hoping you have a v

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  16. Happy new year Gina. I wish you health and happiness in 2017 and clarity on the way best way forward. I'm looking forward to hearing your plans, I'm sure they'll be very creative!

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  17. Happy New Year Gina! 2016 has been quite a year all round. Wishing you health, happiness and peace for 2017 and hoping it brings more ups than downs.

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  18. To you and yours from me and mine, a very happy New Year!

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  19. Happy New Year to you Gina - I really hope we get to meet up a bit more soon xx

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  20. right back at you Gina, I hope you have a fantastic 2017 full of good health for the whole family - and a lot of fun!

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  21. What a year! Busy and very challenging. I do hope Jacob's difficulties lessen a little, that must be agonising to watch as a parent. The cakes- as I have mentioned before I have a little experience in that direction and I know how incredibly hard it is to do it. Much, much harder than it looks from the outside. I am sure you will make the right decision for you. For me it was at 4am one morning, with a horrid head cold, having just finished baking, cooling, decorating, packaging my bakes, and due up again at 6 am to make fresh scones (not a remotely unusual situation for me at that time). I lay in bed and wept, and just know I couldn't do it for another day. I cancelled all my baking committments the next day apart from several wedding cake orders that I had in the books, and started the slow process of recovery. It took me two years to feel right again, and the chronic exhaustion of that era has left me with some memory problems which I put down 100% to the sleep deprivation of those 26 months. You sound much more organised and sensible than I was though! Look forward to reading more from you in this coming year and wishing you health, and happiness in 2017 X

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  22. You pack so much in, Gina! I am reading 'Five rivers met on a wooded plain' and am really enjoying it.

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  23. Dearest Gina, my life is a breeze compared to yours. How you tackle and achieve so much just continues to amaze me, but I sense a crossroads moment approaching so please take time to think about yourself when it arrives. Just for once put yourself at the top of the list and whatever happens I wish you all the love and creativity I can for 2017. xx

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