The countdown... and other things..

So there are four more days to retirement... and 11 days to Jessica's wedding.   Sheri has left to start her journey home for the wedding, and will arrive on Wednesday (I'm writing this on Monday night, Tuesday am in Auckland).   Sam, Becky and Lani leave Auckland on Friday ( their Saturday) and arrive on Sunday.   Cait is coming down by train from Yorkshire on Sunday, and Amy and her two little ones, Hayley and Austin, arrive on Tuesday.   Richard, Jon and Cait's littlies, Sam and Ethan will come down on Friday.   I am sooo excited!    

I am trying (not too successfully!) to put out of my mind the concerns about the wedding dress still needing another fitting, no idea what to put on the pew ends, how we will lay out the hall in a way that seems sensible but still keeps Jess happy, no veil or headdress yet, the fact that Jess wants to go to the church in Jonny's polo, and all I can think about that is 'the dress will get crushed in a small car' - you get the picture I'm sure!  

This evening I just had to take some time out, and went looking for mango chutney for the wedding just to be alone for a while, should be so happy but suddenly felt sad and weepy - said goodbye to a couple of people I will not see again at the office before I leave as they will be away on business now till next week.   Also had email farewell messages from colleagues in London, and a card from Kev Frewin.  Made me just feel a bit of an anti-climax - would have been lovely to be able to have a big party to go out, but the timing is all wrong with the EMEA conference in Budapest this week.   That feeling of sadness spread to wedding .... feel sad that nothing I suggest to Jess seems to be right, and will not have any time with her now before the wedding.   Tim, unbeknown to me, arranged to take her out tomorrow evening for some Dad and Daughter time and that is lovely for them.

On Thursday night I have my Hot Stones therapy assessment - and I feel so unprepared - so that is what all this blogging is about PROCRASTINATION - putting off attacking the outstanding work!    I have written one paper, and need to write up my case studies.   Better get to it - I don't deal with failure well....

Last night we had our annual Relief Society stake fireside - it was a great evening as always, and I came home feeling so good.... amazing how quickly my mood can change from feeling content and happy last evening to sad and a bit down tonight.     But one thing that someone said last night has just come to mind - every day there is something to be grateful for, and my goodness I have so much to be grateful for.   A wonderfully kind husband, who is a great dad, my family are all well and healthy - and I know that we will have much laughter together over the coming days.   And best of all in just 11 days we will go to the temple to witness the sealing of Jonny and Jessica - we are grateful to have these lovely young people in our lives!

Just how far this mind has wandered....

So a couple of days ago I decided it was time to add something to this, only to discover that I had forgotten how to get back to the blog!!!    Heaven alone knows how long I would have hunted....thanks Becky for reminding me.
So my last hell of January is almost over.   For the last 14 and a half years I have been working in the expatriate tax dept of first Arthur Andersen and then Deloitte.   The UK tax filing deadline is 31st January, and that means that for the last several Christmases I have felt under awful pressure to pull a lovely Christmas together (because I love Christmas!) and also deliver long hours in the office.    And January means not seeing my husband much, and not sleeping well for worrying about the work, etc etc.

In June this year I will retire, and make a complete change in my direction.    I have trained as a massage therapist, and intend to work from home to supplement my pension.    It has taken me 18 months to get to the point where I can now charge, and have set up a room in the house with the equipment I need, and am eager to get going.   Becky has set up a website for me

Well I did say I had a wandering mind...  I lost my blog!   No idea where I had created it, and couldn't remember what I had callled it......   Family members will not be surprised.

We are preparing for Jessica's wedding and I am so excited!   Jonny is lovely and all my girls will be home : )  that smile is just not big enough.    We are going to be busy in the first week all are home, but I am hoping there will be time for fun too.... I know there will be a lot of laughing as we work together to pull this off for Jess.  Her colours are beautiful, and we will have fun decorating the hall.

Must head to work - just two and a half weeks till I retire - well stop working at Deloitte anyway - I have plans!