The Pause Between

I'm quite relieved in a way to have said farewell to 2007. Whilst it wasn't a bad year per se, and lots of fantastic things did happen, including a number of wonderful people who crossed my path for the first time and us moving into our first home ... it was a tough year of soul work and I am glad that as a chapter, it is finished and filed away in the book of my life. I'm feeling refreshed (despite a wee dram or five of frangelico last night and a cumulative sleep total of about five hours - stretched across two sessions) and definitely feeling ready over the next few weeks to really end a few things in readiness to begin completely anew at the Chinese New Year (which falls on the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice (Nth Hemisphere) or the Summer Solstice (Sth Hemisphere). This year it is the 7th February.

I like to think of the time between our New Year and that of the Chinese New Year as a period to reflect on what was in the year gone and what I want to manifest in the following year. With birthdays and Christmas often overshadowing and eating up most of the energy leading up to the 1st January celebrations ... I more often than not don't get a chance to do justice to the period of reflection and foresight that I would like. So these next few weeks are my pause between!

I've already begun to think about ways in which I want to manifest authenticity and truth in my life this coming year. Dave and I were talking today about getting our life back into more of a routine, not just for our sakes but for Dylan's. Getting our evening more organised will allow us to go for a walk after dinner (something we all really need) and for Dylan to be able to get to bed at a decent hour.

Walking tonight, through the sporadic light rain was relaxing and with Dylan absorbed in watching the world pass by from his pram (as a three and half year old he loves it - but as a baby you could not get him in there no matter how hard you tried or desperately wanted him to be in there!) Dave and I got a chance to just chat .... something I realised that we rarely get the opportunity to do.

Which brings me to the whole idea of busy-ness. This year I want to get back to basics and strip back all the clutter from our lives - well at least from my life. I got the lesson last year, that I medicate myself on being busy, with horrid characteristic of being a workaholic all to present in myself and my approach to the world ... and its going to stop this year. As I've mentioned previously I am downsizing, to the point of non existance all of my volunteer work with the Home Midwifery Association and with birth reform in general - after three years its time for a rest. The focus, outside of the family will be on developing and nurturing my writing and other creative endeavours (like getting my sewing machine out, taking pottery and belly dancing classes, and perhaps embarking on the collage that's been buzzing around in my head for what seems like forever!)

This feels great - actually it feels better than great - it feels like freedom, which as a Sagittarian, is the main thing that underwrites my sanity and ability to function in the world.

And I've made a pledge to myself that I will write every day and I will blog everyday. Blogging was the birth place of this phase of my writing career and as such I wish to honour and pay hommage to it each day. Like dropping by to light a candle!

All that said ... its time to crawl into bed and catch up on some of that much needed sleep .... ahhhh, the sweet surrender of sleep.

PS: the only Anti Resolution that I came up with was "I will not go shopping naked!"