" Until further notice celebrate everything!" Heather Johnston
Christmas time. New Year's eve. The year is wrapping itself up fast with grey wet rainy warm weather. Not great for walking as the ground is just a mire of mud and not the picturesque cold frosty walks we often have in December. Never mind. Above is a friend's recent quote which I have taken to heart. I wake up every morning and look out at the dismal dank low light levels and force myself to be positive and celebratory. It makes all the difference to simply express the words - 'what a great day' rather than 'what a dreadful day.' But to be honest the iron clad skies are oppressive and I know that my least favourite month of the year, February is still to come. However it is what it is so I press on with the mental discipline of celebration ....
With the idea of marking occasions and celebrating everything - I marked my 50th birthday by buying a big old Ukranian oil painting. A nice piece of communist history with a rural peasant land lady painted on her farm with massively bright colours. I love it. Listed on the back in Russian are the awards the lady of the painting was awarded for her excellent farm managing skills under Stalin's communal land farming schemes. Just like I will always associate my 40th with Blue Bird the old Mercedes Sl 280. My 50th will be remembered with a colourful bold oil painting.
Another even better present was the arrival of a new niece just after my birthday. I will look back on 2021 as the year ArabellA arrived. She was my sisters gift to me and herself and all of the family. New life means new hope and new joy.
I suppose we could be listing words that begin with A here - 2021 was about ArabellA and Afghanistan. That was a sad incident towards the latter end of 2021. The return of the Taliban to power in the country. Then there was America and the prolonged election results. Also the Abrahamic accords which I only learnt about in 2021 but which came about in 2020. Finally a deal between America with it's roots in Christianity, Israel - Judaism and most of the Islamic Middle east based nations.
Now for the B letter - Boris and Biden. No energy to explore these subjects. Moving on ...
C is for more Covid and V is for vaccine. Again - moving on ...
The weather this year has been dismal. There is no getting away from it. No heat wave that lasted months like we had in 2020. Lots of friends and family have travelled but I couldn't be bothered with all the testing required and decided not to be resentful of those who did get to leave our damp little island for brighter horizons. Every single day we had sunshine and heat I drove down to West Wittering. This happened once of twice a week. Minuscule patches of sunshine but adding all of these days up from June up until September meant it felt like I had a month at the beach. And I'm glad to say I still wear the marks of suntan on my stomach and back and shoulders which is a happy reminder of the salty sea and sunshine .
I loved being back at the Goodwood Revival in the Autumn. It felt like a huge decadent party with not a Covid mask or testing kit anywhere to be seen. The roar of petrol and the noise of music and crowds gathering was a massive boost to everyones moral.
At the end of the year I embraced the attitude of celebration and stopped scowling over how pagan Christmas has become and instead I joined in. I made it about parties and laughter. I'm sure Jesus would have approved. Since we were locked down for much of 2020, this year has been a big contrast and because I am so grateful that we can now be together again - I have had loads of parties. My place is perfect for celebrations with all the space of an old building with tall high ceilings and lots of light pouring in through the windows. It doesn't matter too much if things are spilled or broken. I would rather celebrate life than get over controlling and anxious about mess.
So life moves on. More winter months to enjoy. Wet walks, muddy puddles, steamed up car windows, forests, 7 red kites in the woods above Loseley, 2 Barn owl. A multitude of deer and a white tailed fox bouncing on mole hills. These shall be the things I remember from 2021 that made me happy and I look forward to being around in 2022.
" Until further notice celebrate everything!" Heather Johnston
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