I don’t make new years resolutions. I don’t think I ever really have. I am pretty sure I never have because I think they could actually do the opposite of the intention, which is successful completion of a task of some sort.

The weekend before the end of the year I was at home and thinking to myself that I wanted to write more on both the blogs I write, and then the ‘resolution’ self talk happened, “I am going to start on January 1st”. Buzzer sounds, wrong answer.

I didn’t actually write a post on January 1st, but if I would have it would have sounded just like this:

Happy new year everyone! I hope you all had a great night wherever you were and who you were celebrating with. Full honesty out there, I wanted to stay home as I have never liked new years. In younger years, going downtown and freezing your butt off at Nathan Phillip’s Square, to making reservations at restaurants and paying three times the price as if you went the day before or the day after, to paying for an overprice ticket to a banquet hall party with bad buffet food and cheap wine to being sick and home alone on Y2K. Yes, I was home sick on December 31st, 1999.

This year I opted to go to a friends house where a group of friends gathered for a regular group house party. It was loud and crazy and full of kids, adults, pets and more. It was also a pot luck which even had its own Google Doc for organization. Group messaging, and so much more. Exactly what the doctor ordered this year.

In the centre of this island full of food was this stunning charcuterie board. The wood plank came from a tree of the home owners house. Brie, Boursin, Oka OH MY! Fruit, meat, crackers and more. Take a look:

I should have taken a photo of the bar set up, but I was too busy drinking. I had brought all the fixings for a great Caesar bar, but the additional options were plentiful.

Music was a huge part of the night as it should be. Thankful for spotify and queuing up the tunes we had our own karaoke party and who needs words on a screen. We are children of the 80’s we know all the words.

As the clock counted down to the end of 2018 and the start of a new year I was deliberately distracted by the friendship in the room and looking forward to the new year. Change is coming. Soon.

I read something this week that talked about when do you stop saying happy new year. I am going to say this year it is today – January 11th.

Happy new year to all of you who read along on my journey. I am grateful to you and wish you the best for your year.

Live your best life,

Lisa