2020 has been a bit like cycling to Pluto: pedalling furiously and still a long way to go. Yet the goal of being free to see friends and family when we want to is coming into sight at last. We just have to continue avoiding nasty things flying around with evil intent and 2021 has a chance to offer you a happy, healthy and successful new year.
And what is success? With apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson, I offer you my paraphrase of his wise words. 
Success is:
To know that you have redeemed a social condition, a garden patch or that you have the appreciation of a child.
To laugh often and much.
To look for the good in others and find it.
To avoid the unjust criticism of friends (and reviewers!)
To appreciate beauty.
To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This home-made version hangs on my wall near my writing desk.
Sage Saying: Remind yourself of the exorbitant price you can pay for worrying in terms of your health – so don’t worry, it steals your health and your happiness.
Handy hint: Don’t make negative resolutions, e.g. don’t say that you won’t eat chocolate, say that you will eat more fruit. (I make this resolution most days as it allows me to eat chocolate if I haven’t already eaten it all.)
Jolly Joke: (from my Christmas cracker – sorry)
Q. How many letters are in the angelic alphabet? 
A. 25 The Christmas alphabet has ‘no L’. 
I hope you groaned as loudly as I did. And how were your cracker jokes? Any better?
And last and perhaps least, have I started my latest book yet? YES! I’m on chapter four. Definitely pedalling away furiously now. Um, perhaps that's an exaggeration...
Oh, that wasn’t last, I’ve just remembered that if you read this before 6th January, you can pick up all three ebooks in my Dark Moon series for 0.99 each.
  
  
  
At least these covers ensure there's a bit of colour in this blog post.