Three cheers for coffee

New year, new you. Stop trying to claw back the old you; she's not there anymore. Instead, there is a new you waiting! Don't waste any more time and effort trying to get her back because she's now assigned to history. Parts of her have followed. The best parts. The other parts like self doubt, pleasing people, over analysing, they're gone! Think of yourself as the main character in your story with a new turn and twist. Sometimes it is a bit nerve wracking, revealing the new you and taking that first step on your next journey. But you have to trust in the magic. One step at a time. See where it takes you! We are strong when we keep going and working at things. I've outstayed jobs where I should have left earlier. We all have! Sometimes, you need to see if you are wasting time and energy on staying or if you are better using that energy on something new. It is so easy to just stay. You feel comfy. Or at least you think you do! When really, you need

Smug as a bug in a rug. My pet hate is smugness and judging. Why do people have to be like this? There's just no need for it at all. An example being that smug look certain folk at work give you after they've made a snide comment about your work, sniped at you, then walked off, leaving you eithsr counting to ten or trying to think up a quick response you can calmly shout out to their retreating backs. Remember the brilliant Harry Enfield comedy show? It makes me think of his character who kept going around saying, "You don't want to be doing it like that. You want to be doing it like this!" There's normally one of those characters in every work place too whose opinion and way of doing something is always right! My motto is to Be kind, or be quiet. It is that simple. Some people need a little more tact when it comes to speaking their minds. Yes, there is the idea we should all say what we think, but to the detrement of others? No thankyou. There are

The spirit of Christmas. Where has it gone? In fact, the spirit of every national holiday and special day seems to have waned. There's still some there, but not as much. Maybe that's how it feels when you grow up. Maybe it is still there but we have to look that bit harder for it with all the vommercialisation of it. I always remember sitting my RE GCSE paper where I won the RE prize. One of the questions was to discuss the word play in the picture of a banner in town: 'Glory to be in the High street!' Well, I wrote realms! It is true that Christmas has become too commercial and the strenuous link of the three wise men bringing gifts you struggled spelling as a kid, has become even more tenuous. I look back very fondly on the Christmas mornings when I was growing up. It was pure delight to open all the prezzies from my aunts and uncles, then my grandparents, saving my parents' gifts till last. The best till last. I always had a stocking, filled with