The best bits of December and 2025

There's been a lot of doom and gloom in 2025, but there has been a lot of good stuff also, which is what One Daily Positive is all about. I write a monthly round up of the good things as well as a weekly post that focuses on the good and the bad and I thought I'd do a round up of the year as well.

You can't wipe away a year, just because the clock strikes midnight, the past doesn't stay in the past, it's part of what makes you, good and bad. You carry it with you, it shapes you. You don't get a say in how you carry the past, but you can choose to focus on just the negative or you can choose to allow the positive and the fun times in and not feel guilty about enjoying life. It doesn't have to be justified with 'it's what they would have wanted' because in Stephanie's case, we never knew what she wanted. 

It's also ok to be happy and get on with life then spot something out the corner of your eye, or be picking a tomato in the garden and remember that every time she ate one that everyone would be covered in pips and juice and you can laugh at the memory, then you can wipe away a tear or just sob because she'll never do it again and you'll never get to moan about it again. So instead you pick up a tomato and you bite into it, with no manners whatsoever and watch it splatter over the kitchen cupboard and create a new memory.

January We got back from Vegas, it snowed. I towed an imaginary trailer on the van for a week. We had lots of days out and chill out time and I got chased by sheep.

February We went to Northern Ireland. Peter went to Turkey. My friend and I ditched and dined at a brunch (they caught up with us as we wandered away) Grnadson told us off for not knowing the difference between a tele handler and a tractor, he was 3. Another grandson was born.

March Work started in the garden, the cat had a birthday party and I returned to St Andrews for the football. I dressed as Where's Wally for World Book day in school.

April We had 3 of our grandchildren together, we had Easter parties and days out with family and friends and a couple of camping trips. Our youngest grandchild was born.

May 2 trips to Northern Ireland to visit new grandson, more work in the garden, picked up our new car, time with extended family.

June I met my friend in Paris for a weekend. it was my birthday and we camped in the van in the pouring rain in Porthcawl while the rest of the UK basked in sunshine.

July Last minute tickets to see Jeff Lynne's ELO, visit to Northern Ireland in the van to see the grandchildren, school trips, bumper crop of fruit and veg in the garden and several work leaving do's, including mine.

August Australia, time with our son and his girlfriend, beaches, wildlife, relaxation.

September Australia, snow in Tasmania, scorching sun in Dubai, football, grandchildren, jet lag, new job, Ultra Challenge in the Chilterns.

October Camping in Northern Ireland, grandchildren, halloween, kindness of friends.

November Celebrity Traitors, family wedding, Peter went to Turkey, Christmas markets, gluten free Tim tams, West Midlands Safari Park with Granddaughter.

December - Fun with my friends dog.

Trip to the Panto.

The Elf came to visit.

My son came to the football with me.

Boxing Day football 2025 and 2009.

My friend captured me on the Telly on the last game of 2025.

The grandchildren came for a visit.

A day out in the Cotswolds with my friend.

Parkrun.

New Year in Portsmouth.This time last year, we were in Las Vegas.

How was your December? How was your year?

Week 52 2025 - One Daily Positive and Project 365

I've been blogging a lot from my phone and correcting mistakes has been tricking. I've been using my laptop this week to catch up with commenting and the spelling and grammar is shocking. I do apologise.

Sunday

Day 355 My first opportunity to lie in and I was awake at 5am downstairs with the heater on in a sleeping bag, drinking tea, catching up with blog comments and watching christmas movies. Late morning into Worcester for a food shop and a coffee. It took a while playing fridge, freezer and cupboard jenga, followed by winding the cat up and just chilling out. My friend drove up from Monmouth for the evening.

Monday

Day 356 A bit of a lie in then collected my friend and we had breakfast at the local garden centre and met the new donkey. I picked Peter up and we went into town for a coffee, posted some letters and collected a refund from the post office. We had to go to another part of Malvern to drop a gift off with a friend at work and I bumped into an ex colleague for a chat, an ex student with her mum also. It was lovely to have a catch up and coffees have been arranged for the new year. Home, got changed and Peter dropped me off at The Clock Tower and I went for a 5k run/walk on the Malvern Hills, down into town, across the common and home. I did some dusting, made beds, watched TV, bath and an early night.

Tuesday

Day 357 Child 4 and grandson woke me with a video call at 7.30am to see the Elf's latest antics. Back to bed till mid morning then I went to pick up a last minute gift someone else forgot to buy, had a coffee, bumped into a friend, went to the gym and home to make up beds, the cot and do some dusting and run the hoover around. Peter headed out mid morning to the Forest of Dean to collect our granddaughter and in the evening we took her to see the Panto at the Malvern Theatres, getting home at 9pm. She went straight to bed, we watched a bit of telly, had a bath and I covered the toilet in the spare bedroom in Christmas paper for her parents to find when they arrive tomorrow and left the elf sitting on top of the loo.

Wednesday

Day 358 Out for an early morning walk up the first part of the hills and a run along the top into town where Peter and granddaughter met me for a coffee and I got a lift home. Son, DILand grandson arrived while we were out which gave them time to unpack the car and hide the gifts. DIL and I with the grandchildren went to the Christingle service at Malvern Priory while Peter cooked dinner. Granddaughter and I went next door to drop off gifts and she had a 2nd dinner and played for a while. Bathtime for the grandchildren, letter written to Santa with biscuits and milk left out with the magic key and instructions to take the elf back with him. Evening spent in front of the TV.

Thursday

Day 359 Merry Christmas. I was up at 4am to put the beef on, then fell asleep in the back room after a bit of reading. Everyone sorted their own breakfast, we didn't unwrap presents until 10.30am as child 2 (aged 36) didn't get up till gone 10am. He did say we could start without him but DIL said no, she wanted him involved with his children. I got on with the lunch, we ate at 1pm. Forgot to make stuffing and cook the pigs in blanket. Afternoon of TV, phone calls, picking at food and generally chilling out. I cooked the pigs in blanket and some sausages rolls for tea and everyone helped themselves to them and stuff out the fridge and cupboards and we had pavlova once the grandchildren went to bed and watched the Morecambe and Wise show and Gogglebox.

Friday

Day 360 A bit of a lie in, then I said my good byes and drove to Birmingham to the football for a 12.30pm kick off, no trains today so I booked secure parking. DIL took the grandchildren shopping. Son played on his laptop all day and hubby cooked lunch. They all left at 5pm and I got home at 6pm. It took an hour to get out the car park (I sat in the car and read my book, nicely chilled) and an hour to get home. Peter had dinner ready. I had a bath, we watched TV and I was in bed by 9pm. 

Saturday

Day 361 I was up in time for the parkrun in Worcester, but there was a layer of frost on the car so I took that as a sign to stay in bed so Peter went for a coffee at the retail park then he dropped me off at the far end of the Malvern Hills and I ran and walked back into town and got my nails done. Peter picked me up and the rest of the day was spent reading my library books that are due back on Monday, watching TV and a little tidy up, plus washing and drying.

Things to make you smile:

How do they get away with some of these jokes in the panto? Granddaughter had a total breakdown at the theatre. Was it Jill getting kidnapped by the baddie? The sinister music? Low lighting? No. It was Daisy the cow being taken to market to be sold. She wouldn't stop crying.

Things that made me happy:

24 hours with our granddaughter without her handlers. The elf went home. Boxing Day at the football.

On the blog this week:

Christmas past and present

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Christmas past and present 2000-2025

Christmas as a blended family from 2000 didn't always happen on December the 25th with the 3 youngest boys often spending the actual day with their other family and Peter and I with the eldest two and the odd occasion making plans last minute where we found ourselves with a couple of hours on our own and we'd visit my gran or turn up at friends to join in with their Christmas dinner 'just in case you find ourselves free'

Photos prior to 2004 need scanning and aren't handy at the moment. 

But Christmas always happened.

2004 Snowing on Christmas Day in Malvern

2005 Christmas with the kids at my mum and dads.

2006 

2007 We tried to make a tradition of the Pantomime, but it only happened the once. We took our granddaughter this year (2025) It took another 18 years.

2008

2009

2010 Our first displaced Christmas. The year we left the UK. Christmas this year was spent saying goodbye to all the family and the day and night spent in a hotel in Reading where child 3 was working.

Christmas 2010 - 2020 was hit and miss with us living abroad, kids leaving home and covid. Gifts and cards were left in the UK in September/October. The kids and mum would bring gifts back with them and friends would brave them postal system Video calls were banned in the UAE, so contact was via photos and messaging.

South Africa

Santa shoebox Christmas that carried on from 2011-2019.

2011 Christmas in the sun was always strange.

2012 Airport goodbyes as the boys fly to the UK for Christmas.

2013 Waiting at the airport to collect the boys as they return home for Christmas.

2014 We left South Africa and arrived in Dubai, spending Christmas in a hotel.

We packed a few decorations and brought our gifts with us.

Nothing beats Dubai's Christmas decorations.

Christmas themed brunches.

2015 In the absence of the kids, fun with Bob and Pushkins.

2016 Home for Christmas

2017

2018

2019

2020 After managing to get back into Dubai for Christmas, Saudi closed their borders and we still didn't get to spend Christmas together. I got the better deal though.

Christmas Eve on the beach

Video calls from Saudi to Dubai.

Snowmen on the beach

I decorated my hotel room.

Peter home in time for the New Year.

2021 Back in the UK.

First Christmas as a family now with grandchildren.

2022

2023 another Christmas with our granddaughter.

Our last Christmas with Stephanie who passed away in 2024.

2024 An early family Christmas with our two grandchildren.

Christmas in Las Vegas.

Christmas 2025 spent in the UK. We've had 2 new grandchildren in 2025. There was a visit early December from child 4 and his family and we're spending Christmas Day with child 2 and his family.

And 18 years later, we finally got back to the Panto.