Hello Readers,
I hope you are all well and you had a fantastic and creative 2016 – and a most marvellous Christmas and New Year celebrations.
I had an amazing year due to some big and spectacular life changes which I am going to tell you about shortly. These life events took priority over my writing and reading which is the reason why I haven’t updated my blog in a good few months – so I apologise if I haven’t managed to reply to your likes and comments. I will do. I promise.
On 1st October, me and my fiance Paul moved into our new house. I was heavily pregnant at the time so it had been a struggle for us both. But when all of the boxes were in the new home and the door clicked closed, we had let out a sigh of relief. We were in at last and we could take our time. Two months on and we are now practically sorted – bar a couple of rooms to be painted and furnished. We arrived in our new home in autumn/winter and we cannot wait to spend some summer days in our first garden.
Even bigger news than the house – on 23rd October we gave birth to our beautiful daughter Delilah, whom will be eleven weeks tomorrow. She was two weeks early and weighed 6lb10oz. I will be posting a photo on my facebook author page if you are curious as to what her little face looks like. Her character is developing very quicky and she is already smiling at rattles and toys and sucking her hands. We are so very happy that she will have her own nursery – a room that will be hers to enjoy for many years to come – and will no doubt undergo many transformations as she grows. We will certainly be filling it with many books. I want her mind to be filled with wonderful stories to stir her imagination. I am proud to say that Delilah has also joined the local library and has her very own library card – you can’t start books too soon. I visualise us spending many Saturday mornings in the library browsing the shelves.
Now that we are in January, and the festivities have come and gone, I really do feel that I can take a deep breath from life and begin to focus on my creativity again. I will be on maternity leave for a year and not only am I excited about spending this special time strengthening my bond with Delilah, I am also excited about the freedom that I am going to have to read books and write (in between those baby naps). Prior to maternity leave, I was commuting long-lengths into London, and tiredness would often overwhelm me and pierce my creativity bubble. I would manage to write, but most often with tired eyes. Although I do still get tired, I can honestly say that commuting and work is a tougher kind of tired than being baby tired. So I feel that this year is going to be a fabulously creative one.
Today, I started reading Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty – my first read of the year. I managed to read ten books in 2016, so this year my aim is a realistic twelve books. Instead of writing a to-read list as with previous years, this year I am keeping it random. Although, I do want to delve into more of Dean Koontz’ books. They always stay in my mind.
As always, I will be looking forward to staying connected with you all, meeting new bloggers and reading all of your wonderful and inspiring posts.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year,
Catch you soon,
Donna x
a little bird tweets 
Congratulations on your beautiful baby girl. Very understandable that you haven’t been able to blog – you have been busy with the ultimate creative endeavor! Glad to hear everyone is healthy and happy. I envy the family leave in London and Europe. In the United States, most moms have to go back to work after six weeks, and that is unpaid (if it happens to be partially paid thanks to saved up vacation and sick time, then anything after that is unpaid). Some employers will lay off women who ask for more, and even though that’s supposedly illegal, they find all kinds of loopholes to make it happen. Horrible. Enjoy your year with your daughter! Family is what matters most, and it’s good to know that other countries realize and value this. I always say, my colleagues won’t be with me on my deathbed most likely, but neither will my children if I mess that up.
Hi Kim. Thank you so much for the congratulations and your kind and fabulous words. Your last sentence is especially true for every one. I like that sentence. I hope you and family are well and you had a lovely Christmas. Wow, I really didn’t realize that maternity was so bad over in the states. It really is awful and it makes me very sad that women get such short time with their babies. I can’t imagine having just six weeks with my little girl…I would feel so sad. And to be unpaid…it’s just terrible. I hope one day this changes for the US. Wishing you a happy new year 🙂
Hi Donna, congrats on your new baby Delilah – what a lovely name. I have been spending time with the new addition to our family – grand baby Otis Paul who was 7 weeks early and now 4 months old. He is such a joy to play with. I look forward to reading about your new adventures and stories.
Hi Barbara. Thank you so much for the congratulations. Congratulations on the new addition to your family too. Otis Paul is a lovely name…very unusual. I noticed Delilah really reacted to the world at about 8 weeks and this was when wecould start wriggling teddies and rattles in front of her. It’s lovely to hear you are enjoying playing with Otis 🙂 I look forward to keeping up with your work . Happy new year. Donna.
What wonderful news. Congratulations. Smiled throughout. Had to retweet it too.
Thank you so much for the congratulations and retweet, Alex. It’s very kind of you. Happy new year to you 🙂
Happiest of new years to you, Donna ❤
I've been thinking of you and hoping all was well.
So glad to hear your daughter has arrived! 🙂 💜 Jackie@KWH
Hello Jackie. Thank you so much. Happy New Year to you too. I hope all is well with you 🙂 Donna
Congratulations on your new home and the birth of your daughter. It’s completely understandable that blogging should take a back seat to your new family. Even though you are missed around here. I hope the new year brings you continued joy and happiness… JC
Hi JC. I hope you had a lovely Christmas. Thank you so much for the congratulations. It is very kind of you to say I am missed on here, how very kind of you. It’s lovely to know my friends are still here and it gives me the motivation to write. Happy new year to you JC. Wishing you lots of joy and happiness and creativity. Donna
Aww I’m so happy to hear that your year is off to such a great new start! Enjoy every second of it because it flies by. Congrats, you deserve it all 🙂
Thank you so much, J. I can feel the time is moving fast and I am trying to capture every moment of it in memory, photo and video 🙂 Happy new year to you. Donna
Oh my goodness, what a wonderful year. Congratulations on the new home and new addition to the family. I love the name Delilah.
Thank you so much for the congratulations and to say you love the name Delilah, that’s very kind of you. Happy new year to you…wishing you lots of joy, happiness and creativity. Donna
Heartiest congratulations Donna! Delilah will surely become a keen reader and writer! I m so pleased to know she has already got her library card! 🙂
Thank you so much for the congratulations 🙂 Yes I will definitely be encouraging her with books, pens and paper from a young age. Happy new year to you. Wishing you lots of joy, happiness and creativity 🙂
Thank you 🙂 and I wish you too lots of creativity and happiness this New Year! Cheers! 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Congratulations on the new addition! Now get back to work blogging! Lol
Thank you Eric 🙂 Happy New Year to you.
Congratulations and best wishes for the new year! 🙂
Thanks for the congratulations, Maverick. Happy new year to you too 🙂
Wonderful news all around! Congrats to you and Paul on the new home and a warm and hearty welcome to the World for little Delilah. Beautiful name, btw. You’re in for an amazing year with her and best of luck with that writing while she naps thing… lol. 😀
Hi Pamela. Thank you so much for the congratulations and for giving your compliments to the name Delilah, it’s very kind of you. I am very much looking forward to the year ahead…and I might need some luck with the writing hehe.
Happy New Year.
Hope you have a great year ahead. 😀
Also, it was Delilah’s first new year, I hope it was great.
Anyhow, keep writing. Looking forward to read more of you. 😀
Happy New Year to you too. Yes it was Delilah’s first Christmas and new year and it was lovely 🙂 I hope you have a creative year and I shall look forward to reading more of your work. Best Wishes. Donna
Thank you. 🙂
Congratulations on your new home and of course Delilah. Wish you a very Happy New Year too.
Thank you so much, Dahlia. Happy new year to you 🙂
Thanks 🙂
Happy new year Donna! And congratulations on having a lovely baby girl. I have just one wish, when Delilah grows up a bit, would you please show her this video of mine – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uflo9ZTfdVI
I would be very grateful. Best of luck 🙂
Happy New Year Chandan and many thanks for your congratulations. The song is beautiful isn’t it. Delilah will definitely see it 🙂 Best Wishes
Thank you! 🙂
Hearty congratulations on your new house and the new home you have created inside it 😉 I love the idea of having a library card for your daughter so early. It’s almost like having a literary diary for her when she grows up to see all the books that she has read during her early years 🙂 Best wishes for a wonderfully creative and inspired new year ahead for you and your family!
Hello Dave. Thanks for your congratulations 🙂 Funnily enough, I have added a couple of bookshelves for Delilah on my Goodreads account, so that I can keep track of the books she reads. She will be able to look back one day when she is older 🙂 Happy New Year to you. Best Wishes. Donna
Congratulations on the good things happening in your life, especially Delilah and the new home. What a great start to the New Year to read some good news!
Thank you so much for your congratulations, Chris. Wishing you a happy 2017 🙂 Best Wishes. Donna
Congratulations! Wishing you the very best for 2017 and beyond 🙂
Thank you, Nik. Wishing you a happy and creative 2017 🙂 Donna
Congrats on your baby girl!!!! You and your fiance must be over the moon 🙂
Hi Joseph. Thanks so much for your congratulations. Yes we are over the moon 🙂 Happy New Year to you.
Wow, congratulations! Looking forward to keeping up with you in the new year 🙂
Thank you so much for the congratulations, Zanterr. Happy New Year to you. Looking foward to keeping up with you in the new year too. Best Wishes. Donna
Congratulations Donna. May the good tidings keep coming.
Sending positivity and love to the baby. X
Many thanks for the congratulations and good tidings 🙂 best wishes x
Congratulations!
Thank you 🙂
Congratulations! What a blessing to have a year off with your little one ❤️
Thank you so much 🙂
😊
Congrats, dear! Would you please tell me from where you had changed your site from WordPress to simply. com. Because I am also thinking to buy my website but could not find the way, please help me, thanks and enjoy your day!
Thank you. My website is still WordPress 🙂
I hope you are enjoying your new home (and hopefully out of the boxes by now) and not delighting yourself in little Delilah. 🙂
Thank you so much, Otto. We have settled in to our new home and loving it. Delilah is doing so well. I hope you are well. Your blog is doing great….well done on updating so regularly as it isn’t an easy task. It looks great. Best wishes. Donna
Thank you, Donna.