I lost it a bit yesterday which I often do around New Year. We’d had a lovely day – a long muddy walk yet again (so my attempt to move more in 2022 was off to a reasonable start), and even though we de-Christmassed the house even that felt like a positive. But I burnt the sausages which coupled with having to cancel plans due to sodding COVID sent me a tiny bit over the edge.

Turns out my other half was definitely in a smallish space with someone who tested positive for COVID 12 hours later so now, although we haven’t banished him to the spare bedroom, we are all watching him like a hawk and he’s using the last precious lateral flow tests for the daily game of rather depressing roulette. And of course we daren’t go anywhere indoors. My daughter’s sleepover needed to be cancelled, and dinner with my parents postponed (because we are sensible like that). I guess we’ll find out in the next few days for sure but it doesn’t make me feel confident to see any of my friends during the final throws of the desperately needed Christmas holidays. Another muddy walk and more TV it is then.

You always want a New Year to be different and it never ever is – even when there wasn’t a pandemic. But I’m trying to stay chipper (let’s ignore sausagegate) so the good news is the sky is actually blue – or it would be if it wasn’t still dark. We have a Lego friends set to start and since I’m the only one up I get to eat the last piece of Christmas cake for breakfast. Plus there is a New Year’s Taskmaster episode and a new series of the Great Pottery Throwdown starting tonight. Also I can very nearly see the floor in the living room.