Here's to a happy New Year

So tomorrow it is bye bye 2103; hello 2014.

But I have been thinking about the Chinese calendar. This time 12 years ago it was the end of 2001 (the Chinese new year loops on a 12 year cycle and the year of the Horse starts on 31st Jan 2014 - it was super late in 2002 it was Feb 12th) and I was sat in a central London flat with no heat or running water: the electricity had been cut off as the useless management company had not paid an electricity bill for 6 months. I was alone, had nasty food poisoning and was unemployed as I had quit my job to set up my own business and was pretty stressed. Looking back over that year it had not been a good one -  whilst I finally got rid of the biggest boyfriend mistake I ever made I was unhappily single, had had 3 jobs that year & hated all of them; I could not settle so I quit. Had to do something BIG to get myself out of my fug.

January 1st 2002 dawned and I left grey skies behind, boarded a jumbo & headed for some R&R in SA with very good friends. Then late Jan 2002 a huge project was commissioned to my very new business which was able to open its doors in profit (in the year of the horse may I add) and I got a grip and some perspective and basically things only got better. I am hoping that this new year of the Horse will also be a revelation. Whilst things in 2013 were nowhere near as bad as in 2001 (I have my practically perfect hubby now, he makes EVERYTHING better) we have had stresses in the extended family, illnesses, work could've been better and the Christmas floods were the dark icing on a not very good cake.

So - the Western New Year starts in around 18 hours and the new Chinese new year in 32 days. No doubt I will have another post for that auspicious day so in the meantime HAPPY NEW YEAR! May joy, peace & love come to all