The tree came down this weekend. It was actually quite a quick process to de-Christmasify the house this year. I didn’t put a lot of Christmas decorations up, some of what I put up I have left as Winter decorations and some of my decorations were edible ones (sweets, nuts and oranges) that disappeared over the season anyway.

So here I am on the first Monday of January and ready to start the year properly.

It’s funny, but 1st January has never been a good day to start the year for me. I think because it’s still within the 12 days of Christmas, still has the promise of fun to come and has never been the day I went back to work: it’s not a run of the mill, workadaisical day anyway. This first Monday, this is the time that reality bites. And, for the last few years, it’s the…