Another Year and Another Year Older!

Ahem, I have sorted my problem with Bloggger thanks to Sue. Ah the panic when it seems you have been cut adrift from the land of Blog. And so, once more I bid you a Happy New Year.



Like so many of you I love the beginning of a fresh shiny New Year. I love the chance to reflect on what has gone before, what went well and what not so, a chance to think about those New Year's Revolutions - a deliberate misspelling to bring my daughter Lauren to mind when some years ago in all her childishness the word 'resolution' really meant nothing to her, hence the inability to say it correctly. The word has stuck!



As I leave behind the remnants of the Christmas feast, the richness of the food making my mouth water even as I crave zingy flavours and chillies and fresh vegetables as a counterpoint to it, thoughts of the year ahead definitely seem to be coming to mind.



I have kept one of my little notebooks for myself to jot such notions into, a place to ponder and reflect and plot and plan my way forward. No doubt it will soon be full of lists of all kinds, but I love this and never feel bad anymore if these lists are not completed; why worry? If even some of the things are achieved then surely that is progress and should be cause for celebration?



The masks, by the way, are ones we all decorated for our little New Year's party where the glitter positively flowed - almost as much as the Pink Pussycat cocktails in fact!



Elias and Lucy in all their finery, and in case anyone is worried I will just point out that Elias acts as our cocktail waiter at any parties we may have - he is NOT drinking the stuff, but mixes it beautifully with a little help from Isabella.



One of the Revolutions I have written is to grow some mistletoe. I have planned to do this for years, but have never even attempted what I know is a very difficult thing to germinate. This year I will at least try and have the perfect place: a withered, gnarled old pear tree which grows in the hen pen, rarely fruiting much anymore and in desperate need for some attention. Maybe that will happen this year too.



This chilly month is also my birthday month. How typical of me to be born in the cold when I am by nature a cat, drawn to roaring fires, loving to be stroked (!) and always wanting to curl up in the sunny spot on the bed to sleep the days away... if only. Nonetheless, my birthday it is and High Tea at Charlotte's Tea Rooms in Truro was the destination.



The two littlest ones could barely contain their excitement at the silver stands festooned with pretty little sandwiches and cakes galore. And the eldest one (me of course) wasn't much better.



So here I am at the beginning of the year, my 47th year to be precise ...groan... and how am I feeling? Actually, I am excited. I had the busiest Christmas period for my business so far, almost so busy that I couldn't cope which is pretty amazing to me as I only started it just before Christmas four year's ago with tiny, demanding baby and post natal blues in tow.



To be honest, I was so tired I am not sure I really knew what I was starting, but I am so very, very glad I did it now. This year will see me moving it all forward, continuing to hopefully grow my customer base and expanding my range, being in the NOTHS spring catalogue and generally working as hard as I can to make it a continuing success.



New designs need to come to fruition, but I also am determined to keep doing the things that lie at the very heart of Pipany, the things we do here that have always been as necessary to me as breathing: tending my garden, creating whether with knitting or embroidery or machine, making wines and foraging the hedgerows, cooking with our children and building a home for them, a place where they can be safe and cosy and share special times together all gathered round our table in our far too tiny kitchen.



I know it all sounds a little twee, a little smug, but it is what we do and is how we have always lived, so perhaps my biggest New Year's Revolution is to do what we have always done - work hard and enjoy life - only more so!

What's yours? x