Bring it on!

It's almost 4, the munchkin's already ringing in the New Year with our neighbour's kids, and the house looks like it has imploded.

I am relaxing over a cup of tea, in the knowledge that I have to do all of the following: iron tablecloths, do table decs, iron napkins, make sure stemware is impeccable, get out the new cutlery, put ham in wine and spices to steep for a few hours, find the steamer for the sprouts and the asparagus, decide what kind of potatoes I will make, think of prepping the canapés, fry the nuts (realising that I forgot the garam masala), make parma ham bundles, have more tea, pour first cointreaupolitan, iron party dress, dress table, ... and the list goes on...

Entertaining is tough work. But when the company is good, it's more than worth it.

Tonight, we will be ringing in the New Year with old friends. Tomorrow, the family get-together, a belated Christmas.

The past year has been an interesting one, with health challenges for my significant other and the munchkin. It would seem that 2009 will be mine with a CT scan lined up on Jan. 12th. Business was brisk, and continues to be brisk (into January). Hopefully this trend will continue in the year of the downturn and credit crunch. Maybe 2009 will bring us a sibling for the munchkin. Who can tell? It has also been a year of cementing old friendships and forging new ones, as family relationships changed.

I feel ready for 2009, although I do regard it with some anxiety.

Bring it on.