I don't want to jinx it.... but I think I'm back.

It's been such a long time since I have blogged and I am sorry, but between working full time, becoming a single mother, training for a marathon, becoming a part time student and submitting articles for a real live beauty web site I have been a little bit busy.

The one thing I have been doing lately is thinking. And by thinking I mean a lot. The main thing I have been thinking is "How did I get here?" New Years Eve saw me standing on a beach in Bali with my youngest daughter feeling very smug about how perfect my life was. Sure enough once you hit smugness life decides to slap you in the face and teach you a lesson. Well let me tell you- the lesson has been received loud and clear.

Don't get me wrong- compared to some of the things that are going on to some people and in the world today my problems are pretty insignificant, but I guess I will say it has been a really hard year. One where you sit back and try and work out what the universe it trying to tell you. To be honest at times this year I think it is not trying to tell me anything (well apart from stop being so smug). It was just busy being shit.

So being the eternal optimist- here is what I have learnt from my shit house life this year.

1. Be nice to your mum and dad, because when you find out one of them is unwell your life will fall apart.
2. Hold those you love close, and tell them you love them every single day.
3. Be nice. You never know what is around the corner.
4. Be strong and make the hard decisions. As hard as it is at the time sometimes you just need to be brave.
5. Don't wait until tomorrow to do that thing you always wanted to do. Tomorrow may never come.
6. Just like Forest Gump said- "shit happens". It does. And while I am at it life is not always fair. Sometimes it is just a bitch.
7. Even though I live by the phrase "Love is all you need" Sometimes it is not enough. Learning that was perhaps the most soul destroying lesson I learnt this year.
8. Family and friends and friends who are family are the most important thing in the whole wide world.
9. You are stronger than you ever knew you could be.
10. Some days there really is never enough champagne in the world. On those days you reach for the cooking sherry in the pantry.

So as I think my life is finally on the way up I want to send love and kisses to the people who have helped pick me up, given me a good shake and helped me put my self back together. All I can say is I promise I will be there for you all when ever you need me. xxxxx