As the year comes to a close...

This year has passed in the blink of an eye for me. It's been a year where my business exceeded all of my expectations and one where I've put myself out of my comfort zone many times (and survived!). So finally, with only three days of work to go for this year I have to admit - I am really looking forward to a break. Chris and I are heading down the coast for a few days of complete quiet before Christmas.

My sister has a beach house at Point Roadknight which is just past Anglesea. It's one of those sleepy little places that is still completely untouched...the only shop is one of those rustic little kiosks that only open up to sell icy poles in the summer. The roads are dirt and the house is walking distance from both the beautiful back beach and the more sheltered Roadknight beach. It's one of the most restful places in the world.

The house itself is a fibro shack. It's humble but my sister, who has a flair for decorating, has made it one of those houses that is stylish and warm at the same time. At the front, is my favourite room - a room we call the stone room. In the centre of the room there's a long trestle table surrounded by chairs, each with a cushion or two to make them comfortable enough so you can sit for hours. Originally an outside verandah, the floor is sandstone. The walls are that soothing shade of pale bluey green that was popular in the fifties and one wall is covered by a chequerboard of alternating little squares of windows and wall. There's a shelf along that wall that has an eclectic collection of old biscuit tins and bits of driftwood and shells we've collected from the beach over the years. The front window looks out onto the road which is screened by natives but allows the occasional glimpse of passers by as they stroll to the beach with their children and dogs. Some years the french lavender grows high enough for you to see its flowers peeping up over the window ledge.

The most we'll do while we're there is walk along the beach a few times each day and drive in to Anglesea to buy Irrewarra sourdough bread, fresh seafood and a bottle of wine. The rest of the time we will catch up on sleep or lie in the hammock and read.

I hope you find the time to do whatever it is that restores your soul. Have a peaceful and happy Christmas.