Another year.................

So here we are again.  1st January.  Another year starts with good intention.  I see that I have failed miserably at this blog thing - 3 posts in 3 years.  Note to self - if you're going to do something, do it properly.

Back to the here and now.  2012 was not the best of years for this household.  Major ongoing problems and angst with family members - dramas, life threatening illness, fears for children and my health was pretty poor (due to stress so my GP says).  Anyhow, as I reflect back on the various troubles that rocked us, and believe me they did rock us quite heavily, I have to pull out the positives that can sometimes get hidden within all the mess that life throws at us.  So here they are:

Daughter happy progressing her chosen career and moved into a houseshare in north London, enjoying that first flush of independence and a blossoming relationship with a fantastic guy;

Son miraculously on a foundation year at Durham University, which if he passes will lead onto a 3 year Physics degree course - he is the master of his own destiny and it's totally up to him to stuff it up or not as the case may be!

Mother comfortably installed in the dementia wing of a care home just a stones throw away thus making looking after her needs so much easier;

Husband coping with the progression of the disease that has debilitated him for the past 11 years but thankfully its progress is slow and we live n hope of research finding treatment or a cure in his lifetime;

Despite me suffering from really awful back pain for years, spinal injections that I had in September worked briefly but are wearing off now - the good news though is that I can have them again shortly and that may fix the problem and if not then there is another option that should cure it (this item is a semi-positive!) - this year is the year I really must fix this.

We found our bolthole in Barbados in November so now when things get tough I can just think about that, look back on the photos and if funds permit buy an airline ticket!

I look to this coming year, 2013, with hope -  I count my blessings one by one.