Happy New Year!

Today is the last day of the year - 2019 must now give way to 2020.  It seems to have gone by so fast, yet slow at the same time.  Our concept of how time passes never fails to fascinate me.

Pied Oystercatchers settle in for the evening, to await the dawn of a new day

I love this editorial about New Year Resolutions, that I found in a January 1960 issue of the magazine "Stitch" (NZ Issue - so maybe not so relevant to those of you in the Northern Hemisphere!).

A new year begins, and with it a fresh spate of resolutions.

I wonder how many of you fling off the old year, take a deep breath, 

and resolve to be better, do better, and mark out this particular year

as the one in which you will accomplish so much?

There is something exciting about a fresh start -

it has a note of optimism

and a gay disregard of past failures.

Perhaps you have noticed, too, that it is the time

when you have your brightest ideas about

re-furbishing your home and your wardrobe.

If you don't mind looking back for a moment in this first flush

of enthusiasm for a new year and new ideas,

ponder with good humour the fine starts of other years.

Generally, it was not your fault that resolutions dwindled with the weeks.

Remember that January is not merely the beginning of another twelve months,

but also the height of summer,

when your family clamours for picnics 

and lazy days on the beach in the sunshine.

The packing of a picnic lunch becomes a daily occurrence,

the garden becomes a tempting spot for siestas

that stretch into hours.

Well, the curtains do not get repaired,

the kitchen does not get painted,

those letters do not get written, but .....

you are happy!

It IS a good start to the new year, after all.

Wishing you all a very happy New Year celebration and a great year to follow,

Margaret