something to look forward to

I usually check the weather forecast when I get up in the morning, although I’m really not very sure why, as they inevitably get it wrong. And sometimes the outlook is so very, very bleak that it’s better not to know what’s in store.

This morning, according to the BBC, the day was set to be grey. Not wet; not thick black cloud. Just grey. There was no sign of sunshine or rain or snow. Nothing but monotonous grey.
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straight ahead

Since it’s New Year’s Eve, I feel I should make an effort and try and post something about the year that’s almost over.

But, really, what can I say? 2020 has been a bit of a trial for pretty much everyone and I think most of us will be glad to see the back of it.

It’s tempting to think about just crumpling the whole thing up and throwing it away.
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Christmas reflections

Different people celebrate Christmas very differently. And of course some people don’t celebrate at all. Personally, I’d tend towards the latter.

I loathe the commercialisation and waste associated with mass festivities. I don’t own a Christmas jumper, or tinsel earrings. I think family gatherings are over-rated. And I don’t see the point in waiting for a specific date to give gifts.
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joy on the journey

I’m going to have to face up to the fact that my eyesight is not what it was. I’ve been wearing glasses with varifocal lenses for the best part of two years and I don’t think that hour after hour of Zoom and Skype meetings this year has helped at all. So when I was out for a walk the other day and spotted what appeared to be a hedge full of spiders, I didn’t really believe that’s what it would be, and approached, albeit cautiously.

It wasn’t spiders, it was seedheads.
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family Christmas

I know I am not alone when I look back to my childhood and remember the seasons clearly defined, not just by weather, but by the produce and products available in the shops. But now hot cross buns are on sale at Christmas, and mincemeat and Christmas puddings reach the supermarket shelves at August Bank Holiday.

As I remember it, in our house, although we didn’t really celebrate them all, there was a clear progression from Hallowe’en to Guy Fawkes Night to Remembrance Day. Then there was a bit of a lull, as Christmas wasn’t to be mentioned until December.
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