New Year

A new year. A new husband! A new home.

It has been a fantastic couple of weeks. 

The wedding was all we could wish for and more. Much more. Many people commented on the ‘magic’ – the spiritual meaning to our ceremony that touched them – we know God was at work! We were aware of God’s blessing on us that day and the love from friends & family gathered round us. The photos just show us both grinning, elated. The only occasion I felt nervous was just as I entered the church and thought I might cry. I knew that marrying Dave was the right decision – it was a joy to be there.

Our honeymoon to Venice was amazing; the sun shone the whole week and the skies were a brilliant shade of blue that refelected in the water of the lagoon. We had a sweet little apartment in Cannaregio, a quieter sestiere of the city and spent our days meandering the maze-like streets, eating seafood, drinking prosecco and gazing on countless works of art. Fabulous. Some of the highlights were: seeing Casanova’s cell in the Doge’s Palace, climbing up to the Loggia dei cavalli in St Mark’s Basilica to look out at the pigeon infested Piazza, scallops at an amazing restaurant called Vini Da Gigio, seeing the ceiling of the Scuola San Rocco and wine merchants selling good wine for 1 euro per litre – you just brought a bottle for them to fill. Venice is like an ancient theme park with amazing sights to see. Go explore!

Christmas was good, though on my part I didn’t feel particularly festive – maybe I’m just growing old! We drove to see Dave’s family a couple of days before the 25th, in time for his brother’s 18th birthday and that all important dentist appointment! We went to Midnight Mass at the local church, everyone coughing and spluttering with winter colds. After a lie in Christmas morning, we spent half the day with Dave’s family before travelling back to spend the evening with mine. It is now time for Dave and I to start our own rituals. New Year, which is often a let down, was very civilised – dinner with good friends at our flat.

I can’t believe it’s now time to get back to work and to establish a new routine.Married life is great. Dave and I have been in each others company almost 24/7 since 3pm on 9th December, apart from a couple of hours. To be his wife seems so natural. It is bliss being 5 minutes walk from work compared to the hour long slog from my parents home on bus and foot. The flat is slightly cramped with our combined possessions and we’re still awaiting a delivery of more stuff - don’t know where we’ll store it all! People have been so generous towards us both for the wedding and Christmas. We’re overwhelmed.

So here it is, a wonderful start to a promising year. The watercooler chat is all about what New Year’s resolutions to make – I’m too good at breaking them. James’s sermon on New Year’s Eve asked instead ‘What does God want from us this year?’ – a healthy obsession with Him. G.K. Chesterton notes ‘The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul.’ So, this year, I will mostly be…….. opening my heart.