Last week, if I had been a car, I wouldn’t have made it to the petrol station to fill my tank. The last few weeks and months have been quite the battle, between sharing my love around to friends, offering some of them tangible support, and dealing with the changes in my dementia, it has been draining. Again today, that darn pile of ironing is still looking at me, so if it’s not done by tonight, it goes into hiding! But everything else is done, ready for a lovely Christmas. My husband was home at lunch time, I thought just to deal with a few last-minute things, but to my delight he stayed, and we have shared the rest of the day with each other.

My tank is already feeling topped up, and a whole new day tomorrow with just the two of us before we share a meal with our children and their special friends, an early family Christmas dinner as my youngest is not with us on the day. This year, I have not sent many cards, nor bought the usual amount of gifts, but I have laughed and loved and lived a lot, and sent my messages to loved ones through cyber space – email, Facebook and here right now on my blog.

I apologise publicly if this offends anyone, but I like to think of it now as saving a tree. Loads of best wishes have arrived into my world in similar ways, and they have also helped to fill up my tank. I realised at university in 2007/08 it was either get with the program, or get left behind, and so I became as friendly with my trusty little pc, as I am with all of you. And so as Christmas Eve nears, I want to wish you all a Blessed and special Christmas, and a truly amazing 2012 where some of your very best dreams come true.

One more topic before I go, my goal of writing a few new poems each week made before NaNoWriMo (I can’t even remember how many now!!), and posting at least one (?) per week onto my Poetry Page, has not been realised. However, my publisher needed me to write more for my first volume of poetry, to be published in time for my events at the international Adelaide Fringe 2012 and one of them has now been added to my Poetry Page for you to preview.