Me and Mine – A Portrait for January 2017

January, you have been long, cold and brutal. I had to dig way back to the start of the year to find these sunny photos, as it just feels like it has been a really grey monotonous month. I suppose you always get the post-Christmas comedown – or indeed the ‘thank god that’s all over’ feeling, depending on how it was for you.

It just feels to me like January has been a long month and I’m more than happy to be moving one step closer towards lighter evenings and sunnier days.

It started well – most of the photos in this post were taken on New Year’s Day, when we walked with friends up on Ilkley Moor. Poor Flo had a sore patch on the side of her face, hence the plaster which she is showing off here with pride. I was feeling really positive that day; I’d survived Christmas and even enjoyed it. I’d caught up with lots of good friends and hung out with Sam and Flo a lot.

I spent New Year’s Eve with some really good friends, and Sam stayed up until midnight for the first time in his life. He loved it, and was re-enacting the countdown, the clock chimes and the, er, drinking for his little sis the next day. All the little ones were quaffing no more than apple juice, before you start worrying!

The walk up to the Cow and Calf and across to White Wells was so refreshing, I love being on the moors and feeling that sense of space. I’m even thinking it might be the spot to scatter the rest of Roger’s ashes when the weather gets warmer, but I haven’t quite decided on that yet. It’s a toss up between having them there in the house to hold, and setting them free to be at one with the outside world. I’m sure I’ll come to the right decision soon enough, I’m happy not to rush it and do what feels best when inspiration strikes me.

On a lighter note, the start of January marked the beginning of my experimental journey into being vegan. I say experimental, as I never really thought it was a lifestyle I would adopt for good, just something I really wanted to try. I will be blogging about the final week soon, but if you want to catch up in how it started off you can do so here.

The month ended on a high note, as I had some of my best girl friends over to stay from the Wirral. We had such a giggle getting together and going out felt like a proper little reunion after all those times we spent setting the world to rights over each others’ kitchen tables, drinking large amounts of tea, gin or wine, over the past let’s say eight years.

It was a taste of my old life, and I have to say I felt pretty sad the day after they left. We are settling into our new house, in our new life, but there are things I miss about what went before; these ladies being a big part of that. Distance will not keep a group of good, strong women down though, and we’re already planning the next meet up.

I’m looking forward to getting stuck into some more decorating at home in February – the children’s rooms are next on the agenda. I also want to make more time for me, as I feel like I’ve been lacking a bit of headspace lately, and try to run a bit more to burn off some of that single parent stress!

The month after – March – will hopefully be more exciting as I have a big birthday coming up and will be planning lots of nice things to do. I need something to look forward to!

x Julia

This post is linked up with the Me and Mine project – hosted by Dear Beautiful, Bump to Baby, Capture By Lucy, Let’s Talk Mommy, Mummy Daddy Me and Tigerlilly Quinn – where you take a photograph a month of your family all together.

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Written by

Rainbeaubelle