2012 - A New Dawn, A New Day

It's that time of year when we sit down, look at the year gone by, the year ahead and plan our coming goals...

But I haven't yet! As a working mum with a shift working husband one aspect  that I've had to resolve myself to is juggling family life. That includes taking time off with our children and/or working at midnight when they're in bed and/or shutting myself in the bedroom with the netbook for some peace and quiet.

So here we are on the 3rd January. I have another week at home (mostly) enjoying their company and although I haven't sat down yet and written a list, I have been thinking about the year gone past and the one ahead.

2011 was the busiest yet for Greenside Up with new Community Gardens starting up, the launch of the community garden network at the GIY National Conference, finding out I was a finalist at the Irish Green Awards and again at the South East Women in Business Awards. Mr G built raised beds, whilst I helped individuals start up, taught at night courses, spoke on radio interviews and, despite my nerves, spoke at several events about my passion - veggies and community gardening. I've  met so many lovely, enthusiastic, talented, genuine people in the couple of years since starting Greenside Up I feel blessed and I'm really looking forward to meeting them again, and hopefully meeting more.

However, the great thing about a new year is that it's a dam good excuse to start afresh.

I love opening my brand new diary and the pages are bare. The uncertainty of not knowing what events will be unfolding and filling the crisp pages is exciting.

I'm feeling amazingly motivated about helping more people grow veggies, as well as looking forward to starting a fresh year with the community and intellectually disabled gardeners I've been lucky enough to work with in the past.

I'm also looking forward to starting afresh on our own plot, trying out some new varieties of vegetables, maybe some new methods, and am determined to make more wines and preserves this year too.

So in the words of Nina Simone "It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life ...." bring on 2012 and whatever challenges it unveils....