Hello January

I'm running a bit late on this one, 

but welcome to a brand new year, full of hopes and possibilities.

Normal life is slowly resuming on the Paradise Peninsula after the Christmas slump.

The decorations have been stowed away in the loft for next year.  

The house is looking decidedly bare.

The boy has gone back to uni.

School starts again this week.

All uneaten chocolates will be put on the staffroom table to remove temptation from this house,

and I will be aiming to cook healthier food again.

Some resolutions have been made .... more a list of 'shoulds' and 'coulds' ...

I should start to read more worthy books 

and less about 'cupcakes and chocolate shops in Paris!'

I should try to lose a few pounds

I should try to improve my fitness

I could get the bike out and actually ride it!

I could walk up Catbells in the Lakes by the end of the year.

(This has been on my list for about four years now so we shall wait and see!)

One thing that WILL definitely be happening in 2014 is very exciting ..... 

we are both retiring in the summer!!!! 

Mr. B will be is having a big birthday in June and is retiring at the end of the school year, and I am going too. (But I insist on telling everyone that it's early retirement in my case, as he's a bit older than me!) 

So we're on a final countdown ......

119 more get ups for Mr. B and 73 for me in case you were wondering.

After a few years of just talking about it, it's finally happening!