Christmas is only three weeks away. Can you believe it? I can’t. I love Christmas, me. I always have and I always will. I say that. I don’t know the future. What I do know is how I am feeling about Christmas this year and that is positive, for the most part. This Christmas will be different for reasons and I would like to moan about that right now if you don’t mind. If you do, stop reading now. It’s as simple as that. Welcome to Monday by the way.

This Christmas marks the first Christmas since 2007 without our beloved dog and family member, Pepper. Pepper passed away in September after months of medical issues. Thankfully, we have her ashes prominently displayed in the kitchen and so, she will be with us in spirit. It just won’t be the same. It will take some adjusting. That makes me feel a bit blue, to be honest.

This Christmas will also be the first Christmas in six years that I will be unemployed. That will take some getting used to too. I have somewhat unintentionally taken a gap year of sorts this year. I will talk more about that in the first blog of 2024.

I haven’t been sleeping well the past couple of months either. I think I am getting too hung up on the future. I know I keep banging on about this first blog of the year and how excited I am about it but, truthfully, I haven’t even started writing it. What I have started doing is taking steps towards employment in the new year. I am doing a course at the moment and even work experience this week that is part of it. I will talk about that at a later date. The thoughts of all that and the work that I have been doing that isn’t connected to this silly little blog of mine have been quite overwhelming. It’s not even that strenuous. This is just me moaning again. I am trying to focus on the big picture which is easier some days than others.

One other thing that I know for sure is that this isn’t unusual or uncommon. You, reading this right now, may be experiencing some seasonal blues and I don’t blame you. It’s been one hell of a winter. I picked a bad day to shave off my beard.

That’s enough moaning for one day. One last thing I will say to you and myself as I navigate these blues is: keep your head up. It’s really that simple. Thank you for reading. See you on Friday. Thank you for your time.