The 31st of December. Boy, after writing this blog for a year, today’s date gives me a sense of relief. It’s a wrap.

That’s how the stats for WordPress counts it anyhow. After today, my blog will be neatly wrapped up in numbers. The 2020 WordPress bar chart is done and dusted – and it’ll be onto the next one: the magic 2021. Why magic? 21 is a bit of a magic number, no? Solstice dates, equinox, 2 and 1 adds up to 3. Ok, maybe not. I just have a feeling. 2021 will be a magic year.

My blog came out of the New Year. 2019, I set myself a 500-word-a-day challenge. The only resolution I’ve ever stuck to. The first year, I managed to complete it. This year, 2020, I’m exactly 20 blog posts in the negative. In the hole.

Sigh. At least no one pays me for it. I like to fool myself with this truth. If they did pay me, I’d probably stomp around, sniffing out my territory. ‘I’ve got my blog to write!’ I’d yell. Wouldn’t be a good look.

Instead, when it gets to 9pm and nothing’s been drafted for the day, my shoulders crunch up. A day lost. Only 20 times though this year. Thanks, WordPress.

Now, after running out of ridiculous, Princess-based or Christmas movies with Kurt Russell in it, The girls and I have been watching Netflix stand-up specials in the evenings. I’m hooked. The one where Chris Rock explained without one joke of excuse what a shitty husband he’s been? That’s powerful stuff.

We watched Michelle Wolf’s Joke Show last night. She was explaining how Twitter is like the new version of history’s manifesto; i.e. people’s crazy opinions. Whereas blogs are more like conversations no one wants to have with you – on your computer. Lu belly-laughed at that one. Me more quietly.

I do love the laziness writing gives me though. Lying around with a ‘job’ to do. I should, after all, be washing up right now. There’s a sink full of dishes. Instead I’m on the sofa.

This is because it takes about two hours a day to write my blog – on average. When I write the more nature-oriented ones, it takes longer. Then it’s like every syllable counts. Nothing more painful than writing about nature, and trying to make it interesting.

I don’t know why. Nature’s narrative often drives me – and plays a large part in my mental health. I just struggle writing about it. It’s like the BBC nature documentaries. I both love – and fall asleep to them every time. I even get my pillow ready now every time one comes on. The best sleep.

You know the best bit of writing my blog? I get it, Michelle Wolf. I’m telling this to my computer!

It’s that I hardly ever know what I’m going to write about when I begin. It’s the weirdest and most enigmatic part. Just if you give words an open window, they tend to blow in. That’s it. Happy New Year 💕.