Optimism ..

I hate all this 'end of old year/start of new year' stuff, which is why I always use an academic diary. These begin and end in the summer which is why, for me, December 31st is only five months into 'my' year. So, today, there'll be no depressing closure, no thought of what the 'new year' will bring, no resolutions - just a pleasant continuation of 2018/19 ..

Having said that, it's nice to look back as today does mark the end of our first 'full' year of being in France - From January 1st to December 31st - and, without banging on about it, I have to say it has been a fantastic year for Lesley and I. Lovely to see all four seasons run by us, and it's delightful to see next Spring already making itself felt in our garden. With all the shit going on in the world right now I think this will be my closing word as 2019 approaches. Optimism ...

Christmas 2018 ..

Christmas Eve .. already! Time to hope for world peace, a sensible resolution to Brexit, a reverse of global warming and unspeakable things to happen to the fluff-headed Yankee one whose name means 'fart' in English ..

Of course, being realistic, I'll just have to settle for a day of rosy glow and the glow of rosé but I guess that's the 'magic of Christmas', isn't it? The vague, miniscule hope that things just might come good and we end up in a better world. I give you my shot of the joy, excitement and innocence of Christmas as a nod in that direction ..

I've already had my present, as Lesley returned home safely last night from a week in the UK and now we'll get to spend our second Christmas together in France ..

So, to you and yours .. thank you so much for reading my blog and may your Christmas take you back to the magic of your childhood. It was good back then, wasn't it? ..

Here comes the summer ..

Right, that's it! The sun's gone down on the shortest day of the year and we're officially rolling our way back to summer. Yee haaa..

As it's the Solstice, I have followed statutory regulations and played Jethro Tull's 'Ring out Solstice Bells', which I promptly followed up with The Undertones version of 'Here comes the summer' ..

The sun's setting as far from the north as it gets - although I took this shot two days ago and it's just as well I did .. it's absolutely poured down all day long .. but it won't belong before we're back to drought conditions and all this water will be long forgotten ..

I think I'll just see if my shorts fit ..

Regular as clockwork ..

There's only one thing as regular as a New Moon, and that's the appearance of our neighbour's Christmas garden decorations. Lovely then, to see them both combined in this shot from last evening and amazing to think that this is now the third winter we've seen Fabrice's reindeer ..!

I know I'm getting boring but, seeing as Christmas is a time for reflection, I can't tell you just how much we've both settled into our new lives here. Yesterday Lesley sang at yet another of her choral Carol Concerts in a beautiful church near here, only to be asked at the end if she'd consider joining a new quartet that's being formed, and last week I gave another of my 'Shoot 'n Tutor' workshops to a young lad, only to be thanked by his dad for his "awesome course on photography," adding "He hasn’t stopped talking about how much he has learned."

Actually, there is another thing that's as regular as clockwork. The village church bell has just started to ring its 8am Angelus. It's a warmly reassuring sign that this is where we truly belong ..

Christ!

I often listen to UK radio whilst I'm working on the computer and one station I tune into has decided to play only Christmas records throughout December. Come on Martin, I thought. Give them a chance. Get into the Christmas spirit. Which was all well and good until they played 'When a child is born' by Johnny Mathis'. There's a part of the song in which he speaks the following lines ..

"And all of this happens because the world is waiting, waiting for one child. Black, white, yellow, no-one knows .."

Except they've edited them out of the song! Those words have gone! (At least on this radio station). It's no longer PC to even suggest that there are kids of different colours in this world. Well, speaking as 'Whitey' I've had enough of PC, and if I wasn't so afraid of offending some likkle darling somewhere I'd add that I think PC can just Fuck Right Off ..

I'm now just waiting to hear 'Mistletoe and wine', in which Cliff Richard sings "Christmas time, mistletoe and wine. Children singing Christian rhyme." ..

Christian? How dare you mention Christian! Now look how many other religions you've offended.

Christ .. !