I have sinned

Of the seven deadly sins, the one I succumb to most often is envy. (What did you think I was going to confess? Shame on you!)

I've decided that's what's wrong with me this week. I'm envious of my husband for having escaped into retirement, even though it was me who encouraged him to give up work; I'm envious of friends who have more money than me, more freedom, bigger houses, better clothes, whiter teeth; and I'm envious of writers who have achieved more success than me and at an earlier age. In short, I have a bad case of Poor Me Syndrome. This is, of course, ridiculous. I am healthy, I'm surrounded by loving family and friends, I have no mortgage and I earn a decent living doing things I enjoy. I should be ashamed of myself - and I am.

I've been looking back over my last two years' accounts; while my earnings have remained roughly the same, the amount of my own writing seems to have gone down, notwithstanding that I've published two books in the last 12 months. This presumably means I've been editing more of other people's work, which is what pays the bills, but it seems a retrograde step.

Today, then, I've entered a couple of competitions. I also popped into Sainsbury's to buy the new issue of Om Yoga & Lifestyle magazine, where I was pleased to see that Stripped-back Yoga gets a mention on the books page. It's not all bad, then.

Catching up

You know what they say about the best-laid plans... I definitely hadn't planned on being ill all over Christmas. I had things to do and stuff to share!  I was gong to tell you all that:

• My first reading of Nine Lives went well
• The publisher's reader liked the outline of my yoga book and it looks as though this will be going ahead
• My article on glaucoma is/was in the December issue of Om Yoga & Lifestyle
• My runner-up entry in the Senior Travel Expert competition is now available to read here

I just never got round to it. However, I've had a couple of weeks of  complete rest and now I'm back at work and ready to face the New Year - just as soon as I've caught up with everything from last year, that is.

Happy New Year!

The September issue of Om Yoga & Lifestyle magazine landed here this morning. I mention this because my new column is there on the back page. (The lady pictured, delightful though she is, isn't me.)

Summer blooms are fading

September seems like a good month to launch into a new venture, because I've always thought it feels more like a new year than January does. It might be because there is a definite change in the seasons between summer and autumn, whereas December/January is winter whichever side of the divide you're on. However, I suspect it's more to do with it being the turn of the academic year.

Not that this matters to me any more. For the first time since forever, this is no longer the end of the summer holidays, but simply the end of the summer. My younger son has scooped some satisfactory A-level results, but isn't going on to university, choosing instead to study for two music-related diplomas on a distance learning basis, while working as a drum teacher and performer.

 I reckon that's a good excuse to raise a glass and celebrate a Happy New Year!