The life, the universe and everything.

January is traditionally the month for working out what you might like to change and working out how you're going to achieve that. I don't make formal resolutions. Instead for me 2017 is all about sowing new seeds to harvest a new crop.

Certain things trigger my anxiety...imperceptibly I roll out the familiar internal dramas [some are worthy of scenes in a soap opera believe you me!] and then cave in emotional and weary. Funnily enough I live to fight another day, but there's a lot of energy needed when going through these scenarios and frankly I am fed up with it. A couple of weeks ago I was in full flow when I became aware of what I was up to....the monkey mind got unceremoniously plonked on the naughty step and I screwed up my courage to relax and allow myself to trust that maybe, just maybe, everything would be fine without all the fuss.

Always keen on a plan, I decided to follow a bit of Pam Grout's advice and ask the Universe for two specific items to be delivered within a 48 hour time period. Now this might sound like I'm completely off my rocker...not quite though rest assured. I'd be a lying toad if I didn't say that I had taken some steps earlier to increase the chances of my success. I don't buy into the sit back and let it fall into my lap school of thought...you might well be handed something on a plate, but you will probably have had to source the plate first! Anyway in for a penny, in for a pound...I put my request in on a Friday evening and wrote it in my blessings book just for good measure. Then I sat back and waited [not without a goodly dollop of cynicism I have to say!]

10am Saturday morning I received a call which has given me the lead for the gap left by my client who sadly has had to go into a home. I meet the new potential lady tomorrow. My second request was for a piece of "appropriate knitwear" in a certain charity shop which I had already decided to drop into on my way into town to run errands. I received what I asked for, but not what I had in mind.

A lovely jumper...only for Mr GBT. This was the right size and absolutely his style. All his were rather unhelpfully nibbled by an infestation of carpet moths and were more hole than jumper, so had to be recycled. I have searched for weeks for replacements but nowt. Had to settle for a plain one instead.

I pondered for a bit and then realised that perhaps I hadn't been specific enough. Rather than giving up at the first hurdle and the jury still being out, I thought I'd give it another go. After all there's no harm in it.... knowing that I had a morning of poking round the charity shops in the next village with Nurse L on Tuesday another request went out on Monday night but this time for "appropriate knitwear" for me. Now I am very choosy about what gets across the threshold and have a real eye for the unusual....this means that I rarely find anything that truly appeals. If a garment sends a tingle down my spine then I pay attention and pay up. Was I successful...I should say so. Gorgeous buttons and snazzy wool in a lovely hyacinth blue and not a repeat of anything else I already have and all for £4.50

I am very chuffed with the initial results of dipping my toes in the water of change...here's to many more positive experiences. Please note though...nobody will need to grab me by the ankles and pull me back to earth. This dame will be keeping her plates of meat firmly anchored on terra firma!

Arilx