Hi there guys! It's been ages, I know, but I just couldn't resist the urge to revisit this space and wish you all a wonderful Christmas. So, how are you? Still reading blogs, still striving to lead a simpler, more balanced and minimalist life? Me too, although it's been challenging this year. Life has been very unpredictable with Mum's rapid health decline and my sporadic supply teaching but both situations have settled down as we reach the end of 2018. Mum has Alzheimer's and vascular dementia and since October has been living permanently in a care home which is less than a ten minute drive from here. This is a situation which I never would have imagined happening but she is happy and settled and has little memory of her family home and so is not distressed. I'm adjusting to losing my mom as she is now a shadow of her previous self and I often feel sad and frustrated that I can't make life more enjoyable and less confusing for her. Since September I have been teaching full-time at the school which I left in 2017 - I feel very fortunate to have a permanent full-time teaching job again and the stability, familiarity and structure it provides is just what I need. Yes, it's hard work and full-on but I've worked hard to improve my organisation, focus and perspective and it's been a good term.Mum's illness has a silver lining as it's brought the family closer together and I feel very supported by my family. It's also woken me up to realising that life is for living and that self-care is something that I want to work on. For the first year ever I'm actually looking forward to the new year more than Christmas as I'm feeling keen and brave enough to make some changes. This year has been draining in so many ways and I feel that I need to stream more calm into my life and those around me. Which brings me to a thought that's been bubbling away in my brain: that blogging is one of the quietest but most powerful platforms out there. I'm so grateful to those who still blog and those that read blogs. I hope to blog when I can in 2019.
Wishing you all a restful Christmas and I hope to see you here in 2019. Thanks for the Christmas messages from friends made through this blog - you know who you are. Love to you all xo
