Old New Years Greeting Postcard A sideCreative Commons License photo credit: Smabs Sputzer

Here at the end of the year it’s good to look back at some things and thank your lucky stars that you arrived safely out the other side….

Work-wise this time last year I was steeling myself up to raise a complaint about my immediate manager who had been bullying and harassing me for nearly three years. I was ready to walk out after 21 years service so felt that I had nothing to lose.

But the complaint was taken seriously and my manager was changed to avoid anymore of his ‘certain management style’. Trouble was – the new one came from the same training school – all my staff left and by May .. I had a breakdown totally due to ‘stress at work’.

My doctor advised me to get a new job – not the best time to do that but I was up for it. After all he had told me he wouldn’t sign me off until I found one!

Three months later after many a dodgy interview I found and accepted my new job. Its still early days really but I’m having so much fun – its scary, and I actually look forward to attending. The company is young and exciting and we celebrate our successes. If you are reading this Boss I will expect a good comment!

Life-wise – during my enforced time off I got better, which was a good thing… panic attacks are not pleasant and I also learned to blog on a regular basis. Mostly due to my son’s insistence – he was trying to keep me sane and it worked. Of course I’d already got three sites but was only really keeping up with the dog blog – so iRamble started round about then and still goes on.

My family were all amazing while all this was going on and of course the inevitable happened – I bonded enormously with Hippie, my daughter’s gorgeous greyhound and considering I was not a ‘dog person’ that was amazing….andย  she made me go out when I didn’t want to! My partner went into building mode and put a new roof on my carport so there were no more leaks. And my daughter and I relaxed in the hot tub in our new enclosed carport whilst laughing at silly jokes.

So my new year has really already started I think, with a new me! Not so many frown lines and still with the same crazy hair colour I will see 2009 start with a smile – this time last year I really didn’t think I would be enjoying life so much a year on.

Thank you to all my family and friends for all the support and all my blogging friends for the nice comments!

Happy New Year to you all!!!