I'm still alive!!!

I've been busy the past few months again, writing a book on happiness. And when I've not been writing, I've been crocheting, decorating, cooking, cleaning (a lot of cleaning) and all the other detritus of a woman's life that takes up the time and makes one tired.
I'm fully expecting nobody to be reading this blog by now. Taking almost 6 months off does rather lose one readers, doesn't it? I can understand. I find I rarely read blogs now, being seduced by the quick posts on Twitter, the picture heavy Instagram or the cosy companionship of Facebook groups full of hygge-loving people, or readers, crafters, makers.
I think I have ignored myself in the form of Angel Jem. This was never about relating to people, but a diary for me. A diary of my life, and the issues in it.

So, here's an update:
1. Christmas came and went. It was lovely, and we had a quiet family Christmas before leaving the day after Boxing Day to visit Salisbury. I will never go away over Christmas again. I hated it, and I missed the quiet pause that is Romjul or Twixtmas. Salisbury was lovely, though, and the Terry Pratchett exhibition pleased my teenage sons.

2. David had his birthday and is now 20. He still lives at home, and travels to Salford every day. He was delighted to be told by his creative writing tutor that his work was publishable standard and he should look around for a place to publish it. It would mean a lot to him and me if he fulfilled his dream of being a writer as a career, instead of stumbling blindly into it like I did.

3. Sarah had her birthday. She is now 16. I feel so sorry for her, with GCSE year. She takes school far more seriously than either brother did, and so feels the pressure to do well more. I keep telling her... it's not the end of the world. She doesn't need to score highly on anything except Maths, Chemistry, Biology and English Language. That's what she wants to do for A level: as long as she gets on the courses she wants, she'll have done well.

4. The Second Son has moved into his own bedroom after 16 years of sharing. It was a pretty blue room, a small guest room that was never used. I took time off over Easter and painted it grey. It's now a very suave teenager's room, complete with Boba Fett scheme.

5. It's my 50th year. I am very happy still working for the husband, working to get the house sorted finally after years of using the children as an excuse, happy writing about hygge, lagom and happiness (I'm working on my fourth book) and happy being me. I will be 50 on 23rd May, so I'm working out how exactly I'd like to celebrate it.

There we are, a catch up. I am really going to try and write here more often. I miss my little home on the blog. I miss my weekly wind-ups, and following the bloggers I once did. I won't leave it as long next time.