So here we two weeks into 2014, and 2013 has quietly slipped away.

2013 was a year of high and lows, mainly lows turned into Win (which taught me a useful lesson or two).  It was a quiet year partially because of my mother in law, Elaine, getting breast cancer, but also because as a family we were finally settling into the house after the extension. A process that was six months to late in my opinion.  On the positive side I got a much brighter perspective on Life the Universe and Everything – in  a big picture way that was the Big Win of 2014.

So here’s a year in bullet points!

• My mother in law,Elaine, having breast cancer, which she gracefully overcome 🙂 (Feb-June)
• Conpulsion gaming convention(Apr) had a grand time, but it really is to far to travel
• Toby Tickletail the cat joining the family (May)
• Our two week Norfolk holiday staying Nr Cromer (Aug)
• Furnace gaming convention. Way-hey Furnace! My perfect gaming convention was perfection this year :D(Oct)

Live direct using my teathered Nexus 7.

I continue to let go of things that no longer have a happy influence on my life, like a balloonist chucks out ballast as he rises into the sky.

Three specific issues have quietly been resolved through letting go recently.

One was drawing a line under my dad’s financial affairs. For me this was admitting that they were left in a mess, we’ve done as much to sort them out as possible ( when I really shouldn’t have got involved ), out of care for my late-father (who quite frankly left us with aforementioned mess) and that a year on WE ARE NOT LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS FINANCES! Any one who thinks either me or mother are, can go talk to our solicitor 😛

Remember the mess in the Garden, i.e. the popped capstones and buried concrete that I whined on about in my Spring update post ? Well I’ve politely but firmly dismissed the Numpty Builders. After being lied to point blank over what was happening by Head Numpty Builder, I decided that despite it incurring a small cost (in the scheme of things) that I’d rather hire a local builder to do the work. Although rain has stopped play over the last couple weeks, as soon as the sun shines its going to get fixed and hopefully by mid summer we’ll be sat out in the garden fully enjoying it 🙂

Some times you don’t necessarily get to choose the timing of things, but just have to gracefully get on with it. Fortunately I had seen this one coming a good six months in advance, so everything was prepared for one of D101’s writers to say that he no longer wanted me to publish his book. Frankly he’s been playing a passive aggressive game of control with me since just before its publication and that increased after it came out as he felt that I wasn’t doing enough to promote his book. If you look back at my blog entries the last couple of years have been very strained for me and he was lucky the book got out at all!  Suffice to say I’m actually happy at this ending and it really makes me value more the friends who graciously help to various degrees with D101 Games.

I’m expecting this process to continue, as blocks and debris get cleared.  Some will be planned and some will pop up as a initially unpleasant surprise!  But its all good in the end and taking me to a higher place 🙂

My mother in law, Elaine, has got the all clear on her Breast Cancer. Apparently she’s got regular check ups and some meds for short term future, but after two operations there’s no cancer left.

This brings to the end the shadow that we’ve been under since March (see Once again ‘interesting’ times loom high on the horizon ).

Hurrah 🙂

This little chap has been with us just under a week now. He’s settled in with ease, as if he’s always been here.