Happy New Year!

I can't quite believe it is coming to the end of 2008. It's the same old story that its gone so quickly but seems to have lasted forever.

I can honestly say that i have loved it and hated it in equal measures and a great deal of the year was tinged with a great deal of sadness and frustration. I've not told too many people (sorry if you're reading it here for the first time) but i had an epiphany in July when i was diagnosed with Post Natal Depression - 2 years after the birth of my son.

Some of the hating parts include some friends desperately trying to get pregnant (and still trying) another finding out that they had lost a baby during pregnancy, wanting to punch more than one person at work (and not!!) shouting at a member of my family for daring to suggest that I might want to plant my cabbages a bit faster (sorry Dad :() struggling, fighting and sometimes losing to a number of my demons - I do so worry about a lot of people, not that I manage to always tell them in a useful way - and somehow losing touch with an awful lot of people (one or two I will find it hard ever to forgive and who absolutely should have known better.....)

Having said all that I have loved much of 2008 too.

• I celebrated my 33rd birthday in January in New York
• Spent a holiday in March in Portugal with my fab family (although I'm sure I stressed over it and at it more than was entirely normal - see paragraph above about PND..)
• Had a successful and far more relaxed holiday with the 'olds' (mum and dad) in September, (note to self - exactly how many holidays did you go on this year?!!)
• Became god-mother to beautiful Arun,
• Holli becoming a mommy to Laurie, Leila to James & Becky to Lola Rose (bless her minxyness!)
• Jane & Andy and Jo & Jamie getting married
  
• Wednesday afternoon playdates with 'Janey and Thaniel'
  
• Growing - potatoes, carrots, cabbages, sprouts, parsnips, beans, peas, broad beans, sweetcorn, chard, pumpkins, butternut squash - amongst other things on my allotment,
  
• Spending days with Andi making Jam (thanks Hun, i loved it!!)
• Celebrating our 3rd anniversary in June
• Dave reaching the birthday of 'no-return' in July (long story)
• managing to finally visit Jules and Scott in Scotland with Seb (seriously, how many holidays?!!!)
  
• and watching the beautiful, fantastic Sebastian growing into a young man full of spirit and confidence.

I have of course shared all of these trails, tribulations and joys with my husband, who accepts my madness's with an admirable amount of simplicity. All he needs to do now is share in my annual planning for the New Year (which he utterly, utterly hates btw) - and as always I have such high hopes and expectations...... just an hour left to go before the rest of my life begins!!

(Note to self - it has just occurred to me that I invest such a huge amount of my life and time in my work yet not much of that appeared in my years review......)