It's Monday, 2 January 2023 - Christmas 2022 has come and go faster than a runaway train, speeding forward to the end of 2022 surging forward to 2023.
Whether you ushered the old out with pomp, ceremony, fireworks and festivities or quietly at home a la Johan and me , nursing and cossetting a terrified Jack, reminiscing past celebrations with Paulo and how watched the heralding of 2020 sardined on the Pincian Terrace overlooking the Piazza del Popolo in Rome watching the sky explode with a myriad of colours and big bangs, over a platter of cheese and crackers with a glass of sparkling wine each; may 2023 be everything you all dream and desire it to be.
My fervent wish for all of you ......
This year I am opting to set realistic goals which are sustainable. Resolutions not only have the lifespan of a mosquito or fly (in our house as I am always on the rampage against them) so far too easily broken and forgotten but also indicate that some has to be resolved.
So far, my goals for 2023 are (in no specific order of preference etc):
Big reveal of the secret/not to secret (if you have been privy to my reveal) of a project I am very excited to have unleashed and launched
Be more intellectually stimulated in my daily work
Read more, write more and maybe do an online course
Continue with learning Italian on Duolingo and one month beat Peter Colyvas at the monthly challenge (bit of an inside joke)
Resumption of my weekly Italian tutoring online classes with Giancarlo (aiming for February)
Swim swim swim and walk walk walk
Travel to Italy - either in September/October or December
Be of more service
Achieve a monthly exploration outing - Cullinan, Hartebeespoort, etc
Go on the Jo'burg Big Red Bus tour
Publish my blog posts far more regularly and systematically
See my friends far more regularly and frequently
Daily I want to work on Being Nicer and Being Kind, practicing Gratitude, writing my Gratitude List and journaling .
2022 ended with quite a social day for me - coffee and great conversations with awesome people were the order of both Saturday morning and afternoon for me.
We have had a relatively leisurely start to the new year (besides and despite the usual housework chores). Sunday we took Jack, Cinnamon and Elmo for a walk in Delta Park and while the thunder rolled in the skies above, we strolled along enjoying the sights, scents and sounds in the park. We hope to make this at least a once-per-weekend activity.
This tree reminds me of Enid Blyton's books I devoured as a little girl - this tree surely inspired so many of her stories which have delighted children through the ages (though she was sadly far from a magical, imaginative, loving, nurturing maternal Mother herself).
Does this swing not take you back to carefree days of childish innocence and naivety? It does for me evoking so many memories of running around in the garden of our childhood home over the carpets of purple jacaranda flowers, climbing up and down the swing rope swinging in the tyre swing or sitting on another tyre swing, lying in the hammock strung between one of the jacaranda trees and the stand for my "normal" swing reading , most probably an Enid Blyton book
Elmo and his long lolling tongue - he has grown so fast and still has enough energy for Eskom to utilise him to power the whole of Jo'burg!
What a brilliant initiative and idea - sent this photo to Peter Colyvas in Hogsback and it would not surprise me if a few dog libraries emerge in Hogsback and its environs.
Today was a national holiday in South Africa and we were treated to tea and eats at Silver Birch at Lifestyle Nursery by our good friend, Ian who we have not seen for far too many months and still had his Christmas present to give him. We also enjoy stimulating interesting conversation with him and we had a lovely time. After doing some shopping errands and a lie-down, more thunder emerged for a few minutes, long enough to make me emerge from my sloth impersonation and bring in the laundry from the line before a phone call with my Mom (and I had a lovely New Year chat with my almost 89 year old Aunt yesterday morning - she had finger trouble and phoned me by mistake but it was, we both agreed, a brilliant mistake!) and going to visit Tristan and Skye in their new rented home which is very close to work for the 2 of them which is a huge blessing. After really battling to find an ideal home, coping with pathetic excuses for estate agents, they were very relieved to find this unit and moved in on Saturday. It is really lovely and ideal for them - we took them a set of kitchen curtains which Tristan installed while we were there giving them some privacy from passing by neighbours in the complex. We are very relieved that they have a lovely new little home and are settling in so beautifully. A new home for them on the eve of the new year; it bodes well for the future.
Back to work for some tomorrow; and for Johan and I the status quo maintains as we did not take leave. I am dreading the thought of the normal manic hamster wheel routine resuming but have to remember to be grateful for my job and make the best of it.
What have I been watching, listening, reading?
Netflix
The Crown - season 5
Downloaded programmes
Granite Harbour - a very good UK detective series
Higher Love - a gritty horrifying and sad documentary about life in the drug suburb of Camden, New Jersey, USA
Reading:
I have finished reading Richard Osman's "The Thursday Murder Club" and passed it on to Skye to read
Podcasts:
What about Holly?
Obscene - The Dublin Scandal
Queen of the Con
Proof
Quite a short list for a change as its been a disruptive week between Christmas and the end of 2022 and the commencement of 2023!
Normal blogging service will resume so new blogs will be published on Sunday, 8 January 2023.
I leave you with this quote :
CARING is a gift
that no one can buy
It's made up of LOVE that roots in our HEARTS
and creates MEMORIES not just for a while but for a lifetime
ความคิดเห็น