Out With the Old, In With the New

It is finally here!  I have been waiting quite some time for this.  The final hours of 2013 are ticking away.  Oh, thank the Goddess, I made it!  It has been quite the year, full of urgency, emergencies, sadness, grief, conflict, and disarray.  Yes, there were some real shining moments for me in there too, like the birth of my niece, the Sweet Pea, and getting my Master Gardener certification.  But, for a while there, I thought that there was no way I would survive the year with my spirit and sanity intact. Yet, here I am, a little worn around the edges, maybe a few more gray hairs and a few more lines etched into my face, but wiser and stronger than I was at the start.  This year, life was in session, with a huge blackboard, a thick textbook, a ton of homework and, occasionally, a huge ruler to crack over my head.  And so, I say, goodbye, good riddance, and don't let the door hit you in the ass, 2013!

Now it is time to turn my attention to the beginning of a new year.  Time to smudge the house, again, to sprinkle salt at the doorways and sweep out the nasties, to light the bayberry candles for good luck in the coming year, and to lift my glass of champagne to 2014 at midnight.  It is a time for new beginnings, to put the lessons of the past year to good use.  There is a garden to plan, plant and nurture.  There is a book to be written.  There is a hubby to love, to cherish, and to grow another year older with.  There is a son to love, encourage, and prepare to set off on his life journey.  There is a Sweet Pea to cheer through her every milestone.  There are friends and family to make memories with.  There is magic to be made.  There are so many wonderful things to come.  I can feel it, deep in my bones.

And with that, I wish you all a very Happy New Year.  May 2014 bring you much love, peace, joy, good health and prosperity.

Blessings!