A Life in A Day

Despite having a few glasses of champagne then a few glasses of red wine, plus staying up many hours past my bedtime (10pm as a rule) I started the new year feeling full of pep and energy. I had thought about getting out of bed early and going for a run at sunrise – I’m obsessed with sunrise and sunset so much so that I’m known as ‘sky lady’ in our house. (Apparently because I spend a disproportionate amount of time saying  “oooh look at the sky.”) But then I looked at the weather on my phone which said it feels something like -4 and thought best not, I’d probably do myself an injury. Instead, I greeted the first morning of 2026 with copious cups of tea.

Still, I did find myself energised enough to get dressed (in a nice dress because as far as I’m concerned New Year’s Day is still a ‘fancy’ day and worthy of sartorial respect), prepare a beef joint in the slow cooker (again, because New Year’s Day is a bit special, I always feel it warrants a full on meal. As I prepared the joint, I couldn’t help but feel a bit proud of myself and how far I’ve come with my culinary skills. Mainly I think because I downloaded the Good Food app in 2025. My perpetual Tuna Pasta Bake offering is a distant memory now. Actually that’s not true. We have it most Thursdays when  the cupboards aren’t offering much in sustenance before the shopping arrives). And on top of all that I also took our cockapoo for a walk, all before midday. It didn’t feel as cold as -4 by the time we got outside and I was wrapped up good and warm. The dog was fine too, he has a good covering of fur. He’s well overdue a groom to be fair but that action slipped down the ‘to do’ list in the busyness of the pre-Christmas prep.

Anyway, the walk felt amazing. Strolling along the trail near where we live listening to music – mostly Ludovico Einuadi – is one of my happy places. And not for the first time I thought to myself that actually the things that make me happiest don’t cost a thing. (Which is just as well really as I’ve decided to try and spend as little as possible in January. I’m not sure how that’s going to go as we’re off to London for a day out soon, a famously affordable city.)

When I got back, I thought ‘ooh what shall I do now’. Take the bloody decorations down? I am desperate to get our Christmas tree down. This year we didn’t bother with one of those tree versions that don’t drop so much, I can’t remember what they’re called, fir something. A decision I have come to regret. You only have to look at the tree and it sheds its needles. Watching TV in the lounge you’re constantly hearing needles making contact with the floor. Coming down in the morning is like walking through an autumnal forest. It’s doing my head in.

But of course, we can’t take the decorations down today as it’s still a ‘fancy’ day. Though, whilst I can’t wait to get that tree out the house (goodness knows the trail of mess it will no doubt leave) I feel sad about taking the lights down. Not just the ones on the tree but around the mantlepiece and the dining area. I love switching them on and basking in their glow. I was thinking that I get it now why people put their decorations up early, like in November or even before (I am a stickler for the second weekend in December). Because we need the light, especially at this time of year. Especially now. I think I might leave some of the lights up for a bit.

Anyway, so I thought about cleaning and I thought about sorting things out (my office is a mess with papers shoved everywhere. It’s like Monica’s closet on Friends) but then I felt a bit tired and thought I really can’t be bothered so we sat down to watch Wake Up Dead Man. We have been trying to watch it for over a fortnight. The problem is I get about ten minutes in then fall asleep then have to go back a bit as I’ve forgotten what happened. So it’s like two steps forward, one step back every time. It drives my husband insane. But like I say to him it’s not my fault, I’m tired. Anyway this afternoon we watched it all and it was absolutely brilliant. I love a murder mystery and this Christmas I have been spoilt with Death in Paradise and two new episodes of Midsomer Murders. So it’s been a good festive season.

What next then? My head was telling me go and do something creative – like my daughter who was making her own lip gloss. It involved emptying out another tube of make-up. I must admit I felt quite stressed about the mess that was being created but bless her heart, she had tidied up after herself. So I thought about doing something meaningful but like I felt earlier, I couldn’t be bothered so I scrolled through Facebook and Instagram loads and even went on LinkedIn for a bit.

I recognised in myself the familiar sensation of wanting to get on (I’m quite famous for it really. My husband always says “right, let’s get on” when he’s impersonating me) which was a concept that clashed with my general lethargy. To be honest, I find a new year a bit overwhelming as there’s always so much stuff I want to do and achieve (especially in a big year like this when I have a milestone birthday coming up) and I feel that I really ought to get cracking. But I know too that there’s loads of time and actually I just need to relax and let things be. I was thinking actually about something my daughter said to me when we were playing Mario Kart over Christmas. I was terrible at it. Terrible. (Probably because my strategy was to press all the buttons at once). And she said to me: “Mum! Just go with the flow!” And I thought that was really good advice and it stayed with me and I’m going to try and hold on to that in everything really. (Didn’t make any difference in the game though. I still came last every time).

Anyway, I gave into the doing nothing-ness and after the beef had been eaten (thank you Good Food. I think you must share some of the fulsome praise I got from my husband (and the dog to be fair who expressed his delight with his enthusiastic chomping)) and the Panettone and custard consumed (because none of us had space on Christmas day) my thoughts turned to this diary.

I have ideas in my head all the time. Usually when I’m walking the dog or running (when it doesn’t feel like -4 or is dark. Which reminds me how annoyed I am that my running is curtailed in the winter by the dark. It’s so unfair. I generally love running (for real) but because I do all my exercise in the morning I often don’t go because it’s too dark).

Anyway, where was I? Yes so I have lots of ideas and some of them make them out of my head and this – A Life in A Day – was one of them. Why? Well, because I think that when we share a bit of ourselves we can create understanding and connection – and I think that’s so important right now.  Always, really. And so I thought let’s set up an online diary, anyone can take part, and add their voice. And in fact I’d love to hear from people who wouldn’t normally take part in this kind of thing.

And the other reason why is because writing – and keeping a diary – is amazing. I get a new diary every January and it’s my storer of memories, my sounding board, my therapist! I always feel better for writing in it, every day.  So ta-dah, here we are….

The thing that people may not realise though is how nervous I was/am when I put this idea out into the world. What will people think? Will they think it’s a stupid idea? Will they think who does she think she is? It’s more than a bit scary.

But the desire to do this – and other things – overrides my fears so I think ‘sod it’ and I do it anyway.

Of course, I do worry a bit that it won’t succeed, that people won’t want to take part, that it will just be my lone voice speaking into the abyss. But then I remember another thing I really learnt in 2025.

And it’s to not fear failure. So what if you give things a try and they don’t work out? So what? It’s always better to have a go than not. And besides, the other thing I’ve learnt is that other solutions, other options can be found when things don’t go the way you envisaged. Which is just life eh? Beautiful, confusing, wonderful life.

My first day of January ended watching the new Harlan Coben series on Netflix in bed (well I say watching. Mostly sleeping. Though I did rally a couple of times and managed to go back and rewatch some scenes.) I expect that will keep my occupied for the rest of January.

Happy New Year.

May it be happy.

May it be healthy.

May it bring you everything you dream of.

*I forgot to take any pics on the first day of the new year for this diary entry. This was in spite of the fact that there was the most stunning sunset I could see from the window. No, no, I told myself, it’s about the moment and experiencing it fully. I don’t need a photo for that. (Also, that morning, during the copious amounts of tea drinking, I had started sorting through the 7,000+ pics on my phone to free up some memory. It has certainly made me a bit more ruthless when it comes to my photography endeavours.)

And now I’d LOVE to hear from you! Will you join me in our lovely online diary?