Happy New Year everyone! Just a quick blog today, as my husband and I are off to Bangkok for two weeks today (with no kids, wheee!) so I’ll be having a holiday from blogging also.
2012 has been a year of highs and lows for me, the biggest low in losing my mother to a catastrophic stroke in February. But even through that I have learned a lot this year, and had many positive experiences also. I found out just how much my friends and family love me by their incredible support over such a difficult time—and even the love and care from neighbours and my church community blew me away.
I had a wonderful time at the Romance Writers of NZ conference in August, and of course winning the amazing prize of seeing ‘Mary Poppins’ the musical in Auckland with my daughter. Then there was Bear Grylls live in November, and at the very beginning of 2012 my family and I got to spend time with relatives in Canada and the U.S.A.
Those were some of the big things of 2012, but it’s the little things that I am grateful for too. Seeing my daughter receive a certificate of merit at her school prizegiving and watching her skill on the piano and recorder increase. Meeting my son’s teachers at school who describe him as an incredibly well-mannered super young man and every now and then having an almost normal conversation with him (he's 15, and if you have teenage boys you'll know what I mean...). Laughing with my husband on our 17th wedding anniversary as we try to decided what to eat on our first visit to a Thai restaurant (yeah, I know, how are we going to cope with two weeks in Bangkok!). Having a regular coffee morning with a friend after we pretend to exercise, meeting up for a lunch date with my BFF in Kaitaia to try and cram a year's worth of catching up into two hours (I nearly lost my voice!), and boogying my butt off with my daughter to the soundtrack of Abba on the wii (and doesn’t she hate it when I beat her score!).
New Year’s resolutions? Honestly, does anybody actually stick to these longer than a week? I’ve given up trying to, even though I’m the type of person who loves making lists and checking things off. So instead of resolutions, I’ve come up with a little list of personal guidelines to 2013:
Be kinder to others and to myself.
Laugh more.
Write more.
Love more.
Give more.
Appreciate more.
Risk more.
And,
Worry less.
I’d love to hear some of your New Year’s resolutions.
Wishing you all the best for 2013,
Tracey.
What I’m reading this week: Rescue my Heart – Jill Shalvis. Adam Connolly is one of the hottest heroes ever.
What I’m watching this week: The Hobbit. So proud of our kiwi director Peter Jackson!
This week’s favorite quote: (It’s a long one, but very, very worthwhile): “I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something. So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life. Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever.” ― Neil Gaiman
Hot guy of the week: Richard Armitage from ‘The Hobbit’ – minus all the hair. He’s single-handedly made dwarves sexy…
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