According to the Chinese calendar, 2023 is the year of the Rabbit, a sign of longevity, peace and prosperity. Doesn’t that sound like a promising year ahead?
Twenty-three is my lucky number. Although I’m not superstitious, I can’t help but think this will be a good year…something to look forward to.
Chinese culture also designated the Rabbit as the luckiest and most gentle of all the twelve animals in their zodiac. Can we look forward to a year of mercy, elegance and beauty?
2023 is predicted to be a year of hope and a more balanced life.
After three years of uncertainty, are we heading toward better days?
I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions this year (not that I shouldn’t have!), but I plan to make every day count… to really live that day. A new beginning is a time to reevaluate how to spend time (not waste it). There is so much more to see and do and most importantly, make meaningful memories with your “people”. I feel like we are being set free…
January is the time to make garden plans…my favourite pastime in winter, but my paintbrush is always close at hand after Christmas. Today I’m repainting the dining room table. There are interior doors to paint, baseboards to touch up and possibly a refresh of the staircase (all of you with busy pets know the wear and tear are homes take). And books, many books, to read.
Have you all recovered after a hectic holiday season? What are your plans for the New Year?
xox Judy
May the New Year 2023 be happier! Plans for this year? We hope to visit Nice and the south of France again, but that’s September probably. In June we usually go to Toronto for 5 days to visit our son. Here, Benny makes us busy /3 walks a day/and there are a lot of books to read.
All the best to you, Judy. Enjoy every day we have here in a relatively peaceful environment.😊
Hi Eva. Happy New Year. What a lucky dog Benny is! Charlie has gotten a little lazy (as far as going for walks go) as she doesn’t like the cold. She gets her exercise thinking of what mischief to get into next! Going to France is always a good idea and something to look forward to…the planning is often as much fun as being there. Have a wonderful year…xox Judy❤️
Agree with you Judy, that it’s important to live with more awareness and intention, and not let the days just drift by. I am starting to mull around some ideas for the backyard for this Spring. Any ideas of what the will be popular for flowers this year? I will have a new garden buddy that will undoubtedly required a lot of training this Spring. I too would love nothing more than to plan the next trip to Paris, but with Covid still circulating, and travel being very unpredictable, I am having a hard time getting myself to plan a trip that won’t happen for months down the road. I remain optimistic that it is going to be a better year all around, for everyone!
Happy New Year Karen, you have started off the New Year in the most positive way by having a new puppy to share your time in the garden…hopefully she is not a digger like someone else I know! I haven’t seen much yet about gardening trends or new annuals, but I have no doubt that there will be a colourful array on display in the near future. Come April you are probably as impatient as I am about going to the greenhouses and seeing what they are offering for the coming season. To quote Audrey Hepburn, “Paris is always a good idea”. Thankfully it will always be there (I hope!) and we still have plenty of time to comfortably visit. Travelling now is a bit of a nightmare but now that things are (kind of) getting back to normal, the airlines and airports will catch up with demand and before long we will take all of that for granted again…probably not really, Covid has changed everything, hasn’t it? xox Judy❤️
Oh yes, I too have a digger, who has already found the dirt under the snow! But she’s a puppy, so how can I help but get a chuckle at the dirty face and paws when she comes in.
Yes, Covid has had an unimaginable impact on everyone’s lives, everywhere, everyday. I continue to struggle with some of the changes on a daily basis. So much to be said here, but I will leave it at that.
I look forward to your posts for positive and beautiful inspiration Judy.
❤️
Happy New Year Judy!!! I suppose if I have any New Year’s resolutions it’s to keep up on my emails more regularly LOL😂! Other than that I totally agree with you about living in the moment and be more mindful, not to mention grateful, of all that I’m lucky enough to enjoy and look forward to, especially when so many others are not so fortunate (across the world and here in our own city!). I’m in full gardening mode and can’t wait to get started!!! Even as I was taking down the Christmas tree, I was thinking of the different varieties of flowers and veggies I would like to plant in the garden. I planted Russian Sage (hoping to give that French lavender look!) along the deck last summer so I’m hoping it comes back nicely (or at all🥴) this year. It’ll be another “staycation” for us this year so I’ll be throwing myself into the garden and trying to keep Cooper out of it…he loves sugar snap peas! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday Judy and I hope 2023 brings you much happiness, health and laughter….and a wonderful time in your garden with Charlie! Hugs, Karen xo❤️
Hi Karen, thank you for your warm New Year wishes. I hope your New Year is off to a great start. Isn’t it amazing how when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, many of us have switched gears from holiday mode straight to the garden. Considering our garden season is so short here, it is a testament to all of us who can’t wait to play in the dirt, suffer the aches and pains of long days of bending, digging and hauling, in order to create beauty that is often so short lived. I’m with you all the way, xox Judy❤️