2010 starts rather well.

What a wonderful way to start the New Year - good friends, good food, good wine, good music, great whisky and such a relaxed, easy generosity amongst us all.  Two of our friends invited us all to their home today - bring a dish, hang out and spend the first days of 2010 together.  What a lovely day!

So today, I am grateful for FRIENDS:

All those people who I love and care for and who care for me. The sense of acceptance and delight we take in all our little foibles and quirks is the sign of a real family. Sometimes our relationships have been rocky and sometimes there have been communication gaps and misunderstandings, but with age has also come maturity and awareness of the importance of the loving connections in our lives. This is so precious to me.

I never like to name people here - it seems a presumption to name others in my writings, though the people I count as friends know who they are. They are scattered in all corners of the world and I miss some of them every day. Others I see infrequently and they are no less important.  All these people, all these paths crossing over so many years is nothing short of a miracle.

I hope to start every year with the positive warmth I feel right now - when I feel low it's a good thing for me to remember too.

As an added little bonus the meringue pavlova I made to bring to my friends today was really good.  The meringue was just the right side of toffee-ish and the macerated fruit in liqueur and fruit juice worked well with the creme patisserie and whipped cream filling.  A new skill for the new year.

Maybe tomorrow I will start doing my tax return, due at the end of the month. It would be good to do this while I still feel so positive!