best wishes

well, it's the day before christmas and i'll definitely be taking a short break from blogging. it's not a religious celebration for us, but a welcome holiday time. the waikato times did a nice piece on the various ways people will be celebrating the day, which features yours truly as well. i thought it was great that they

this may well be a difficult time for many people. there are those who have to work through, and will be hopefully take time off another time of the year. there are those who are struggling to deal with a celebration without loved ones. there are those who have suffered from natural disasters, and some of them may be struggling to cope - particularly thinking of those in christchurch and nelson. there are those who aren't able to get to be with family and friends, and others who are but who will not find this an uplifting experience. there are those struggling with poverty and not able to put enough food on the table, let alone think about presents. and then there are those of you who will find the day turns out exactly as you wanted.

whatever shape the celebrations take for you, i wish you all the best. i want to thank those who take the time to read, and to comment. apologies if you've felt that moderation has been harsh or that the space has felt unwelcoming at times for you. we hope that overall the site has given you something of value.

to my fellow bloggers, thank you for sharing being part of the group and for sharing your thoughts. the depth of experience and the perspectives you bring have been really important to me. hope to get back into it in the new year.