Paul's Corner

Struth, it seems to come around quicker and quicker each year doesnt it? As usual I am rather tired (usual to this time of the year that is) With the girls on holidays and In Laws visiting we have had some late nights and good times. My Mum is here now and another round of late nights are on the go but as is often the case New Year is a night where staying up until mid night seems to be harder than the night before or the week before. You always seem to be wrapping xmas presents at 12.30 or one in the morning xmas eve but staying up to pop the champers at midnight on New Year is just a wee bit hard! I guess I should have had a nap in the afternoon but didnt.

My daughter is going to a party tonight - first time that she will be out partying with friends rather than being at home with us. Perhaps this is a sign of the things to come for 2007. Greater independence for the girls as they grow into adults. I wonder what the full extent of that small change will be for our family life?

CHANGE - I felt the need to type that in upper case. Change is coming! Good Change. In fact we (the family) ended the year off with a rather large and significant change in and to our lives by moving house. I like to think this is in fact the precursor of the change to come. I am feeling very positive about the coming year. I do not know what it holds nor where the well worn path will take me. I do know I go into this new year without the fear that I have taken with me as a travelling companion in the past. It is a remarkably freeing feeling and one that I have decided to maintain. I also know that I have made the decision to travel with positive intention - that is to say that each step, each action, each thought will carry with it my intention to choose happiness, to never give up, to be positive, to keep faith, to journey with integrity, to be the best I can be in each moment, to embrace change, to make the changes I need so as to be the best I can be in each moment and to continue to embrace and enact my life mission statement.

There is more that I could add or would like to add but a friend has popped over with a bottle of wine and it would seem that the celebrations of fare well and new greetings are to begin. So I farewell you all along with 2006 and I look forward to welcoming you all in 2007. May the coming year be full of love, joy, health, harmony and prosperity.

1. My apologies for being so slack in posting. I would love to say that it is because I have been incredibly busy which in some ways I have been but not necessarily in the manner that I would like to say I have been busy. That said I havent actually minded being busy in the manner that I have been but the money has been going out rather than coming in. You see I accidently bought a house. To cut a long story short I was going to renovate my house and in the process of researching the idea we (my wife and I)realised that we couldnt actually afford to renovate our house and in continuing with the researching the idea of renovating we found a house that
was close to perfect and at a price you couldn't refuse so we bought it. We then had to scamble to sell our exsisting house rather quickly and at a good price (which effectively you have no real control
over). The good news is that we did! We also had a short settlement.
Thankfully the house we bought was vacant for a couple of weeks which allowed us to paint and recarpet as well as redo the kitchen a little (thanks in part to getting a good price on our now old house) We moved in two weeks ago and have been unpacking ever since! This whole process started in September so between buying, packing, selling, working, fixing, moving and unpacking I have been
somewhat stressed and working a little.

2. I have had a good year work wise and I am looking forward to spending time with my family over the Xmas and New Year period!

3. My food show - The Food Trail has worked very well and rated very well, in fact so well that Channel Seven have shown the
whole series three times this year in Victoria and twice in New South
Wales (once in Perth)and it has still won it's ratings time slot more often than not. Unfortunately the network havent decided wether it will put some resources into the show allowing us to make more. I am ever optomistic and hoping they will see the light early next year and give us the funding we deserve so we can make lots more of the
shows next year and continue to win ratings for the network.

4. I find that I am at the very same cross roads I stood upon exactly one year ago in terms of my career moving forward. It is obvious to me that unless I address the questions I had at this time last year then it is more likely than not that next year I will again be standing on this exact spot. I am not saying that it is a bad place, I am saying that I realise that after a year standing here it is time to move further forward, to embrace the better me that I am - it is time to stop me holding me back. This sounds like a New Years resolution but I refer you to read my blog regarding NYR's in the January 2003 archives and as I am in fact typing this on Xmas Eve it is for me an end of year resolution that begins now not January the first.

5. I wish you all a very Merry Xmas. May you laugh a lot, hug alot, kiss alot and drink a bit. May you embrace that which you wish to celebrate in the joyous and positive manner that you deserve and which is befitting to the wonderful place that this universe is. Take nothing for granted, live each day with truth and light.

I tips my hat and raise my glass to each and every one of you!

Merry Xmas!