New Years Eve 2011

This has been a remarkable year with devasting losses and heart felt gains, Both Andy and I have lost our Mums this year and how lucky we were that we had each other to help shoulder the losses that there exactly 6 months apart. Andy's Mum was unexpected and for Andy this was hard. One gift his mother did leave was the chance for his to get close to his brother Archie again which includes a sister-in-law, Tracy and two nephews, Adam and Luke. The gift my mother left me was a second cousin that I'd never met before, Caroline. It was quite incredible as in many ways she is like me and I know we have many years of getting to know each other.

Another tick on the plus side was Andy asking me to marry him and we are now planning our May 2012 wedding, and a white one at that! We have now been living together since June and we are completely happy.

Sophie moved over in July which was a weight off my mind and bank account as it cost a fortune to work through the quarantine regulations. Regulations which we have just learned are being eased in January.......typical.....oh well, I couldn't have left her for 6 months could I!!!!!!

Charlotte moved over and left again after several weeks after she realized she had been hired for slave labour. A family looking for help with ironing, cleaning and uncontrollable children. They had deposited her bed in the laundry room and so most of the time she felt she was in sauna. So, all worked out well in the end as she is now enrolled back in school, has a great job at the Outback and is about to have her 21st birthday.

I miss Tom as I don't get to speak to him as often as I would like. He is immersed in his world, his friends, girls and music. He has had many paid gigs now and was recently featured on a radio show.

I also learned a lesson on stage presence as I had to stand in on a video training session after my boss opted out. All would have been well other than the fact my skirt looked non existent on the high stool and my over animated expressions made me look like a complete lunatic. Oh well, live and learn!!

On a broader note this year has given us the usual losses in the world of sports and the arts. The one that touched me the most was Amy Winehouse. After creating such an incredibly emotional portfolio of music her emotional dependancies could not sustain a longer life.

So as we move into to 2012 I will be planning my wedding, visits to the children, wonderful weekends away with Andy, visits to my friends in and outside London and a renewed will to embrace each and every day as if it may  be the last. I will be my best to be kind and find something nice to say to everyone I may talk to........help people when I can........take time to relax.....don't sweat the small stuff and have faith that everything happens for a reason.

Be grateful that I live in a country which gives  so many freedoms that for the most part are taken for granted and celebrate the rise of the of those with less liberties. We are all the same just wrapped in different packages and carrying different baggage....lets celebrate the differences......

Lets remember to laugh at our imperfections as thats what makes us special. Lets not plan a gym and diet for 2012....instead lets plan how we are going to help make our world a better and kinder place.

Happy New Year.....2012......