It started well in Ireland with a wonderful tour through my extended family of brother and sisters , brothers and sisters in law, nephews and nieces both in law and out and meeting an amazing selection of great nieces and nephews all full of talent and confidence.
Then back to France where I knuckled down and finished the first draft of An Irish Chef in Languedoc and then, wonder of all wonders, this was accepted for publication and after much further revision should hit the world in 2014.
In March the rather more serious Crise de Coeur occurred but this was made a pleasure by the wonders of the French Medical system. (And I got to write all about it in the Irish times- I was always a slapper for publicity)
And then Gites de France arrived, and we had our inspection and were awarded our plaque and got a little piece in the Midi-Libre.
The summer passed in a bit of a haze of visitors from all over the world ; old friends, new friends, Irish , French, Germans, English, Dutch, Swedish, American, Australian but probably the most interesting visitor moment was when the Irish TV team from Nationwide arrived out to do a piece on us to be broadcast in March 2013.
We had our own holidays too, a trip to Torremolinos to see Sister D and Milo and old friend Michael in February, another trip, this time to Girona with Paul and Isabel and a week in Bayonne in September with Sile’s sister Una and Martin. And also of course numerous trips back to Ireland to get a go off the family.
Highlight of the year was family again, the three daughters, two grandsons and son-in-law here for Christmas- our very first in France and then we were joined by Ano and Phil, the out-laws, and our family was complete.
My wish for 2013 is that it bring us nothing worse than 2012.