Snow fell on Boxing Day - it was a touch late, but it was amazing all the same. Down it fell at midnight and carpeted the street, the garden, the fields - it was gorgeous. It was patchy the next morning, as I knew it would be because I was still awake at 2am listening to it melt and drop from the roof to the conservatory. There were two things on my mind: first, that it had snowed very close to Christmas and I hoped it would still be there the next day, though I did take a picture that night (see the above, poorly focused picture), and secondly: weddings.
Because on Christmas Eve, Seeg proposed.
I don't care for diamonds. I love them from a geological perspective, but I've never been interested in wearing them. Firstly, I actually find diamond rings quite tacky and cliché, but, frankly, I'd also be too scared to wear it in case it fell out! That wear and tear over the years might loosen it or something, and it's immensely unlikely that you would notice when it happened.
So instead, he bought me a twig ring - something I've wanted for years but never purchased for myself because I don't wear jewellery except for my two lip rings - one cast from a cherry blossom branch. And it's simply beautiful.
From that point on, I didn't really care how Christmas went, but it was just as good as always. Great company, good food, and some nice presents to boot! The Urbosa amiibo I never managed to track down myself, the World of Warcraft cook book, both pairs of tribal Wild Bangarang leggings that I couldn't choose between, a foam roller, and a rebounder. It was more than a little bit good.
Until, of course, I made myself sick. I mentioned a while ago that on Christmas Day, all my eating rules go out of the window. Well, I forgot that last year I went too far. And it happened again this year. The bright side is that I enjoyed it, but it did put a downer on my evening and, to be honest, I was still uncomfortable the next day, and so sluggish! My Boxing Day workout was hard! Fortunately it didn't take long to satisfy my cravings and I got back on the horse yesterday - I quickly got sick of the thought of sweets in general and just wanted to eat healthy and feel better, and it's amazing how quickly your mood is boosted by making better choices. I've not gone cold-turkey on sweets because I'm more likely to eat them that way, even if I don't want them; instead I've returned to my 'is it worth it' scales and am allowing myself pieces of my Christmas choccies (like I can really say 'no' to Prestat Red Velvet), but I'm asking myself if I really want them or if I just want to eat them.
I've been taking this week easy, seeing to orders but taking my time with it. I didn't plan on returning to it all until the new year, but I figured I can get more done with less pressure if I started early, and with my first post run on January 3rd, I can now get most things ready in time. I've also been making good progress on my writing but I've been taking that slow, too. This is the first time my laptop has been on in a long while, and I've done as much as I can on my book without looking at my notes. I'm about ready to get back to work fully, but I think I'll wait for a couple more days - perhaps leave it until January 1st and spend the last two days of the year playing video games because I'm not likely to give myself that kind of freedom again once I start writing - not until my shop takes over at Christmas time and forces all else aside once again.
It's nice to slowly return to routine, though. Late mornings, jumbled workouts, incessant snacking and a little too much free time (finally remembered what boredom is, and it's been wonderful), all slowly falling back into place. I feel energised, keen and ready for the new year, and it's helped me to recognise a change I need to enforce - important enough and challenging enough to be a perfect new year's resolution.
I hope everyone else has had a wonderful Christmas, happy, warm and, above all else, safe. Are you ready to put it behind you? I'm not, but I love the celebration, and with my birthday a little over a week away, I've still got a little more excitement before the wind-down - by which point I'm usually more than ready to return to total normality...
Because on Christmas Eve, Seeg proposed.
I don't care for diamonds. I love them from a geological perspective, but I've never been interested in wearing them. Firstly, I actually find diamond rings quite tacky and cliché, but, frankly, I'd also be too scared to wear it in case it fell out! That wear and tear over the years might loosen it or something, and it's immensely unlikely that you would notice when it happened.
So instead, he bought me a twig ring - something I've wanted for years but never purchased for myself because I don't wear jewellery except for my two lip rings - one cast from a cherry blossom branch. And it's simply beautiful.
From that point on, I didn't really care how Christmas went, but it was just as good as always. Great company, good food, and some nice presents to boot! The Urbosa amiibo I never managed to track down myself, the World of Warcraft cook book, both pairs of tribal Wild Bangarang leggings that I couldn't choose between, a foam roller, and a rebounder. It was more than a little bit good.
Until, of course, I made myself sick. I mentioned a while ago that on Christmas Day, all my eating rules go out of the window. Well, I forgot that last year I went too far. And it happened again this year. The bright side is that I enjoyed it, but it did put a downer on my evening and, to be honest, I was still uncomfortable the next day, and so sluggish! My Boxing Day workout was hard! Fortunately it didn't take long to satisfy my cravings and I got back on the horse yesterday - I quickly got sick of the thought of sweets in general and just wanted to eat healthy and feel better, and it's amazing how quickly your mood is boosted by making better choices. I've not gone cold-turkey on sweets because I'm more likely to eat them that way, even if I don't want them; instead I've returned to my 'is it worth it' scales and am allowing myself pieces of my Christmas choccies (like I can really say 'no' to Prestat Red Velvet), but I'm asking myself if I really want them or if I just want to eat them.
I've been taking this week easy, seeing to orders but taking my time with it. I didn't plan on returning to it all until the new year, but I figured I can get more done with less pressure if I started early, and with my first post run on January 3rd, I can now get most things ready in time. I've also been making good progress on my writing but I've been taking that slow, too. This is the first time my laptop has been on in a long while, and I've done as much as I can on my book without looking at my notes. I'm about ready to get back to work fully, but I think I'll wait for a couple more days - perhaps leave it until January 1st and spend the last two days of the year playing video games because I'm not likely to give myself that kind of freedom again once I start writing - not until my shop takes over at Christmas time and forces all else aside once again.
It's nice to slowly return to routine, though. Late mornings, jumbled workouts, incessant snacking and a little too much free time (finally remembered what boredom is, and it's been wonderful), all slowly falling back into place. I feel energised, keen and ready for the new year, and it's helped me to recognise a change I need to enforce - important enough and challenging enough to be a perfect new year's resolution.
I hope everyone else has had a wonderful Christmas, happy, warm and, above all else, safe. Are you ready to put it behind you? I'm not, but I love the celebration, and with my birthday a little over a week away, I've still got a little more excitement before the wind-down - by which point I'm usually more than ready to return to total normality...