Went the year well?

                            

How do you assess each passing year?

By the money you made, by how you avoided or combated illness, or maybe by what good works you've done?

Much of my own year's achievements must be gauged by how busy I've been. A filled year means a fulfilled year, and 2016 was certainly that!

Otherwise I suppose one has to count contentment, success, and even learning. A year with nothing learnt would be a year wasted.

One of my fun tasks has been the design and near-completion of our son Wills's barn. Planning, organising, and hard-slogging have paid dividends, even though certain elements have had to be re-worked to achieve what I consider to be 'right'. We are now at last looking towards the finishing line; even though it may still be a year (or more) away.

I also assess my year by what I've grown. Last year Haddock's provided handsomely, and we shall continue to benefit until well into March and beyond.

Health and wealth are of course important, but I'm unconcerned by the latter. My diabetes is under control and my back pain bearable; and in Summer I even survived falling from the top of my step-ladder.

Now we need to plan for 2017. What projects we will undertake, what crops I will concentrate on at Haddock's, and how to avoid unexpected disaster.

Let's all hope that we eventually greet 2018 with the same enthusiasm that we greeted 2017, and that all our projects were completed satisfactorily.

Je vous souhaite tous, un tres bonne année 2017.