a return

well, it has been a little slow for life to return to 'normal' around here! we have managed to extend the festivities right up until last weekend.

m had a couple of rare weekends off so we used the chance to visit friends we hadn't caught up with over christmas and new year, to spend some time just vegging out together and pottering around in each other's company and it has been wonderful. i hope everyone had a lovely festive period and weren't too affected by the weather. mum came to us for christmas this year and then we all went to mum's for new year, including my brother and his partner who came over from sweden with the fantastic news that they're going to be parents this year!

we also tried a spot of bird watching recently but the water at the reserve was still frozen, however we did manage to see: heron; gulls; canada goose; lapwing; pair of swans; bullfinch; crow; bedraggled looking buzzard and some freezing looking pochard, teal and wigeon. but not the elusive sea eagles we were hoping for.

i have also managed to tidy up my workroom after buying loads of storage boxes while they were on sale, i can finally see the floor and close the cupboard door! not too sure how long that'll last once i get back to working again though.

i always get a little wistful when the decorations have to be put away for another year, planning our year ahead helped to cheer me up though. it looks like it's going to be a busy one but we're so excited because we have so many new things to be working on. m has his first book coming out soon and we've already proofed the first draft and got it back to the publisher, we're starting up a publishing company (which will publish other poets), i've got a few markets booked already, loads of new designs to be working on, i'll be starting city and guilds next month, and we've got plans for a couple of exhibitions too, so watch this space!

what are your plans for this year? how about new year's resolutions ... do you make them? what are yours for this year?