Goodbye, 2020 — Welcome 2021!

Goodbye, 2020, you won’t be missed. The past twelve months have been so bad for everyone, I’ve decided to do what I can to stop the rot. Voltaire is supposed to have said that although life’s a shipwreck, we can at least sing in the lifeboats—so I want to get as many people on board my lifeboat as possible, to try and raise everyone’s spirits

Never give up hope. The winter days are short and gloomy here in the UK right now, but we’ve got nine minutes more daylight today than we had on 21st December because the sun is setting a little bit later each day (check here if you don’t believe me!). And while the pandemic is raging everywhere, the fight back against Covid is gathering speed.

Back in the 1990s, I was right at the bottom of a deep, dark hole. Our house was mortgaged, interest rates were above 10%, my husband’s job was in danger, and I was living in the deep shadow of postnatal depression. The day I realised we had less than £2 to spend on food for the week, it was the exact opposite of all my Christmases coming at once.

We survived, but it wasn’t easy—so this year my blog will be dedicated to sharing the tips and wrinkles that have helped me through disaster, debt and depression. The world turns right round in twenty-four hours, and sunrise always follows sunset. Good times are bound to be around the corner—a lucky break, a chance encounter, a medical breakthrough—so hang on, and have faith in yourself. You can do it, because you are stronger than you know.

My blog focuses on writing, gardening, and cooking, as these are the things that have helped me through bad times and given me ways to celebrate good times.

Next week I’m starting a new series here. It’s called Writing for Pleasure, Profit, and Posterity, so make sure you catch Part One by popping your email address in the “Subscribe” box below!