It's New Year's Eve and hopes are high... // Arbitrary Check-in

Dear FOQ 

I know, I know, it's been a while. And knowing me, now, it'll probably be another while before I post on here with any great verbosity and/or regularity. 

However, having had at least three conversations now in recent weeks, with different friends (Jess, Charlie, Jenny, Claire, Jo...) about the creeping, nagging need in me to resurrect the ol' blogging habit as a way to keep the writing muscle flexed, I thought I'd at least warm up with a little NYE missive for your scrolling pleasure. 

I'm not going to beat about the bush here (or do any other such damage to topiary or foliage); I'm fully anticipating 2023 to be another absolute ar$e of a year. I don't want to be pessimistic for the sake of it but certain situations that I won't go into have determined that it's likely to be just a little bit awful at times next year. 

2022 had its moments.

Extreme joy.

Extreme sorrow.

Extreme heat.

Extreme cold.

Following on from a precedent set by the previous two years, 2020-II did its best to live up to its potential as being something of a shower of excrement interspersed with moments of great delight.

There were a great many more highlights than perhaps this little grid might suggest:

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And I'm fully willing to accept that there will be a great many highlights in 2020-the-threequel.

But I'm also having to steel myself for the reality of it also being a game of two 'alves. 

I've spent the last thirty days participating once more in Susannah Conway's excellent and thought-provoking December Reflections series; following a prompt a day and uploading a photo to the ol' Insta, the ol' gram. 

And for the last couple of years, the final prompt has encouraged me to alight upon a Word for the Year. 

I'm not sure of the significance of my last three WFTYs all beginning with C but there we go.

2021's word was Confidence

2022's word has been Complete

For 2023, I've alighted upon Courage as my WFTY. 

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RAWR.

I'm hoping that by keeping this word in mind and to hand throughout the year I shall be galvanised, empowered, and granted the 'noive' to deal with whatever the year throws in my face. 

I hope that it'll make me less cautious about embracing the wisdom and knowledge I can bring to the workplace, and be more forthright as a result.

And I hope that it'll help me verbalise my needs and opinions a little more articulately without the compulsion to apologise for them.

---

This 👆👆👆 isn't the form that the blog will take on the regs; I'm fully prepared to revert to the classic 'overview of recent times' followed by a quick glimpse of things seen, heard, read...). 

But you'll notice that I've also replaced the Christmas Animations page with one dedicated to future travels and touristin' times with my travel buddy Claire; we've clocked up Chichester and Bath (and Kingston) this year, and have plans to grace several other cities in the UK with our presence in 2023 (situations permitting). 

Pulteney Bridge, Bath, October 2022

It's just a matter of getting into the habit of writing regularly again and, critically, giving you lovely loyal followers something to read. Which is always nice.

Well, on that fairly uplifting note, it remains for me only to wish you all a Happy New Year. 

qb xx