new year reflections: 31 december 2019…

Another year’s reflections (as always - a reminder for ME - I need to write stuff down in order to remember it all!):
It’s been a good year (I turned 70… and survived!), DESPITE the ongoing, depressing, frustrating stuff regarding Trump, Brexit, General Election, Climate Crisis etc etc.

When it comes to politics, I don’t think I’ve ever felt as hopeless and helpless as I have done this year… but perhaps it’s time to try to move on.

So let’s set such matters aside and concentrate on the good stuff:  

WONDERFUL BOOKS:
During the year, I joined one of our StorySmith’s (our local bookshop) Book Groups. It’s been rather lovely… interesting books, lovely people and good fun too. I read an awful lot of books (94!) this year (I need to get out more often!) - and so I’ve limited the list to just thirteen authors (but desperately cheating, by highlighting 21 books!)(it would have been very easy to have selected 30 plus!):

Lanny (Max Porter); The Salt Path (Raynar Winn); Signs (Si Smith); Scar (Alice Broadway); The Overstory (Richard Powers); Morning and Plot 29 (Allan Jenkins); The Testaments (Margaret Atwood); The Living Mountain (Nan Shepherd); A Shepherd’s Life (WH Hudson); A Year Of Magical Thinking (Joan Didion); The Silence Of The Girls (Pat Barker); The Marches (Rory Stewart); and all eight novels from the ‘Shetland’ series (Ann Cleeves)!

GREAT FILMS:
I haven’t been to the cinema quite as much this year. I ended up watching just 19 films this year. My top eight(?) in vague order: So Long, My Son; Woman At War; The Irishman; Sorry we Missed You; Vice; The Favourite; Green Book; A Private War; and Sunset.

LOVELY LIVE PERFORMANCES:
THEATRE:

Pride and Prejudice*(*sort of); Wise Children; Amelie, the Musical; Cyrano; and Wild Swimming (Bristol Old Vic).
CONCERTS:
The Unthanks; Three Cane Whale; Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra (three concerts); Trio de Profundis; plus various lunchtime concerts at Saint Stephen’s.
EXHIBITIONS:
Not as many as I’d intended (but I’m also conscious that I’ve not been logging them): Flashes To Ashes In British Art 1692-2019 at the RWA; the Annual Open Exhibition at the RWA; and The Golden Show (Tony+Glen Eastman) at Centrespace.
SPORTING MOMENTS:
I’ve really enjoyed continuing to be a season ticket holder for the Bristol Bears (rugby) - the atmosphere in the ground and the quality of play have been excellent (with one of two exceptions!). I also saw a fair amount of County cricket again this year at Taunton (sadly, frequently frustrated by weather!), Cheltenham and Bristol (very good to have Gloucestershire back in Division One for next season)… including a Friday evening Gloucester v Somerset Twenty20 game… PLUS (for the very first time in my life) watching a Test Match (and it doesn’t get any better than the first day of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston – thanks to my brilliant brother).

Although I continue to follow my beloved Aston Villa, I’m afraid that my love of football has waned and I’m really no longer that interested.

FRIENDS:
Once again, we’ve been blessed to be able to meet up with our special BABE's (Barnes, Adams, Broadway, Eyres) friends for birthday and family celebrations during the course of the year… and have loved staying in touch with lots of other brilliant friends – either meeting up or via social media - and have also really enjoyed making new friendships. I feel very blessed.
ART STUFF:
Another really enjoyable, busy year, including:
1. I’ve still very much enjoyed continuing to post a drawing or photograph every day as part of my “One Day Like This” blog (now more than 2,650 consecutive days - more than 1,325 drawings and 1,325 photographs - since I started in September 2012, more than 7 years ago). These days (unlike when I first started), every sketch is drawn ‘on location’… which, at times has its challenges, but which I now really prefer and really enjoy.
2. The brilliant Drawing Group I joined in 2017 – organised by the lovely, talented artists Charlotte and Alice Pain – continues to bring me great joy. We meet for two hours most Tuesdays in a variety of locations in and around Bristol. The Group also held a lovely exhibition at Saint Stephen’s, Bristol.
3. Sadly, there was no Arts Trail this year (we’d previously participated for 15 consecutive years) due to lack of people being prepared to organise stuff (I’d been on the Steering Group for something like 10 years, so felt as though I’d done ‘my stint’). However, plans are in place to resurrect the Arts Trail in 2020… so, fingers crossed.

4. Iris, Rosa and I combined again to produce some large window art as part of another very successful Window Wanderland in February (this time our theme was “Dr Who”!).
5. One Week 100 Faces: I participated in this scheme again and duly produced my 100 faces in a week – mainly comprising random cricket spectators! Enjoyed it much more than my previous attempt.

6. Urban Sketchers, Bristol: I joined this wonderful group in March 2018… it’s a worldwide organisation and, here in Bristol, we meet up every month and regularly get more than 20 people coming along. It’s very, very enjoyable: we compare notes (and sketchbooks!) and share ideas. It’s hugely enjoyable and I’ve made some lovely new friends. The group’s brilliantly organised by local artists Jules, Jane and Charlotte. It’s become a real highlight and joy.
FAMILY AND SIMPLE PLEASURES:
Cafés, reading, drawing, photography, walking, cinema and, of course, our grandchildren remain very important aspects of my life - it’s SO lovely seeing them develop in their individual, unique ways (and they ALL make me laugh!!). It goes without saying that our daughters (and their husbands!) are quite, quite brilliant.

I also meet up for a cousins’ lunch a couple of times a year – which is very enjoyable.
Feel SO lucky to have the family we have… and great that we all “get on” so well and are able to see each other regularly (even if we don’t see the lovely Chorley/Lancashire contingent as often as we’d like).
SOMETHING YET TO BE CREATED:

More photography?
Each year I vow that I’m “definitely need to give more thought to this”… but, largely, end up bumbling on. I’ve really enjoyed producing double-page drawings in my sketchbooks (I’ve got a whole library of sketchbooks!!) and I’ve been experimenting a lot with watercolour pens (in addition to using my ‘usual’ black line drawings). The results have ranged from ‘interesting’ to ‘laughable failures’ and so I’d like to be able to control my use of the watercolour pens a little better (maybe in conjunction with watercolour paints or inks?). Virtually all my sketches these days are drawn ‘in situ’ and I certainly want to continue this (my folding chair/rucksack has proved a treasured possession!).

I’m also very conscious that I don’t visit the ‘coast’ anything like as frequently as I have in recent years… so maybe that’s something I need to reconsider in 2020.

HOLIDAYS/LEISURE: 
We’ve continued to tighten our belts again this year, but had a really lovely breaks staying in Skipton for a week in the early Autumn and in Plymouth (thanks to our lovely friends Gail+Ian) in May. Simple pleasures.

SPIRITUAL LIFE:
We continue to be part of the lovely Community of Saint Stephens, in the heart of the city, and it really does feel like our ‘spiritual home’. A very stimulating, reflective community and I love the intimacy and informality of its services and that we can actively contribute to discussions. There are some very special people there. We’re very fortunate with our members of clergy (although we’ve sadly seen Chris+Sarah depart to France with A Rocha)(sad for us, good for them). I particularly enjoy the involvement from the wonderful theology students from Trinity College. My own faith-life journey has felt a little lost at times (I have lots of ‘wilderness days’!). Five or six of us meet up most Wednesday mornings at 7.30am for “Bloke’s Prayer”… and it’s something which has proved to be absolutely brilliant – definitely not to be missed if at all possible. I’ve also been ‘chairing’ Saint Stephen’s Re-Ordering Group over the past year or so – stimulating, exciting and frustrating!
HEALTH:
My health has been pretty good this year (lungs/heart annual check was fine)… apart from the normal ageing process! My foot and leg issues now seem pretty much under control/sorted (well, almost – sadly, I had to drop out of the volunteering at the Glastonbury Festival Church Tent because of recurring foot issues). My teeth continue to fall out; my back feels ‘delicate’ most mornings when I first wake (but settles down); my hearing is deteriorating (I have hearing aids, but rarely use them – must bite the bullet); I take tablets for my atrial fibrillation; I take eye drops to deter my glaucoma; and I have a suspicion that my left hip might need replacing over the next year or so!! But, hey, I feel pretty fit, I’m very active and I continue to walk on a daily basis.
OTHER STUFF:
1. I continue to serve on the PCC of Saint Stephen’s church. I chair a group looking into the practicalities of re-ordering the Grade I Listed Building – which is proving to be both frustrating and illuminating.

2. We continue to be a no-car household… and use a local car club very occasionally, as we see the ‘need’.

3. I’ve attended various demonstrations over the past year relating to Climate Change and the People’s Vote.

4. I’ve been a volunteer with the wonderful B.Friend organisation since March (https://www.bridgesforcommunities.com/programmes/b-friend) and have been meeting with a 20 year-old asylum-seeker from Afghanistan three or four times a month. Humbling work.

5. I’ve also been volunteering at the YMCA/The Wing most Thursday evenings for the past year or so – helping to prepare food (but mostly washing up!) for some of young people staying there.

 
I love reflecting back on the things that have happened over the previous twelve months and, each year, it’s a reminder that there WILL be some very special things that they will happen in the coming year – even though, at this moment, I don’t know what these will be. Who’d have thought, for example, that ‘urban sketching’ (and the friends I’ve made through doing it) would have become such an important (and hugely enjoyable) part of my life? Extraordinary television programmes (Seven Worlds, One Planet; His Dark Materials); amazing live performances; wonderful books or films. Clearly, I’m also aware that there will inevitably be some sad stuff too… and perhaps challenges we feel ill-equipped to face. In such times, families and friendships will, once again, see us through.   

For us as a family, it’s been another very good year… and we continue to count our blessings.

I wish you (and all yours) a very happy, healthy and peaceful 2020!